“WANT TO TAKE a slow boat to Laos along the Mae Kong?” I was asked by a tour operator in Chiang Mai, Thailand, while casually sifting through tour brochures. “We can make arrangements for you.” Interest piqued; I looked up at him immediately with a smile, “Tell me more.”
Having lived and travelled in Southeast Asia for over a decade, I can safely say that the famed Mekong River cruise is, in some ways, a rite of passage for every visitor in continental Southeast Asia—Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, and Laos. So, while the idea wasn’t new to me as such, this two-day cruise on a slow boat seemed rather unique.
For starters, it wasn’t just a joyride and
