4,000 islands

We spent a couple of nights in the 4,000 Islands (no one seems quite sure how many islands there are...it depends where you draw the line between 'island' and 'sandbar,' and whether you're counting in the wet or the dry season).  Just before we left the mainland R got a quick haircut. 

We rode in a lot of small boats in the Islands – it was very relaxing, if a little noisy at times.  We also went on the bumpiest bike ride I have ever been on; fortunately the bikes were so old that it didn’t actually matter what how you rode them (as long as you stayed out of other people’s way!).  Getting anywhere in one piece certainly felt like an achievement!!

We rode to our sixth waterfall: a long, wide and impressive fall with several viewing decks.

Our final waterfall visit was to the largest in South East Asia (Khone Pha Pheng): it’s 1km wide and very impressive. 

As well as being a dramatic natural site the area is now home to a shrine to a sacred Manikhot tree.  The tree used to live on a small island at the heart of the waterfall, and was the subject of a local myth that if you could eat its fruit you’d live forever.  Due to the ferocity of the water it was impossible to get to the Manikhot’s island to get to the fruit.

The Manikhot tree use to live on the islands in the centre of the photo

There are information boards about the Manikhot tree’s story, which tell it much better than I can:

The Manikhot Tree collapsed with no doubts on March 19^th 2012.  On June 10^th, 2012 the first mission to rescue the tree with helicopter was started; however, the mission was failed.  They couldn’t pull the tree up from an island because of the water flew too strong.  Therefore, they tied it with ropes to keep it not to flow away.

 The 2^nd rescued of the Manikhot “The Sacred Tree” finally was completed with undertake of government officers and pilots, they are big heroes after all, lots of appreciation and happiness of Lao People Democratic Republic.  The completed restoration date: January 13^th, 2013

Unfortunately, despite the immense effort put into rescuing the tree it’s now housed in a glass case which seems to have trouble with mould: fans run constantly to air the tree out.

The waterfall complex serves decent coffee, complete with champa (frangipani) decoration and also has a very comfortable viewing platform with for-lazing chairs.