Mekong has seen dynasties rise and fall along her banks and today her waters directly support a population of over 70 million.
Even more incredible is the flora and fauna she harbours. Mekong’s wetlands and rainforests are a treasure trove of unique wildlife. With over a thousand species swimming in her waters, the rivers thriving biodiversity is second only to the Amazon. So unique is her ecology that scientists are discovering new species here even today.
Recently researchers were astonished to discover the Laotian rock rat, a species thought to have been extinct for eleven million years, in one of Mekong’s many local food markets. That’s Mekong for you. Stunning, secretive and mesmerising, she even kept the legendary temples of Angkor Wat – a temple complex spread over 500 acres – hidden for a few hundred years.
She is not the easiest to navigate either. With Mekong’s multitude of rapids and magnificent waterfalls, the Europeans found her quite unsuitable as a trade highway in the 19th century. Wondrous, mysterious and exuding an impish charm, Mekong is home to boundless wonders. On your cruise with Evergreen, you’ll spot the very rare Irrawaddy dolphin, or maybe you’ll discover a whole new species, who can tell?