• Everyone’s up early for stretches on the beach before breakfast. Bidding farewell to our new Don Daeng friends, we ferry across the Mekong to visit another UNESCO World Heritage Site.

• The pre-Ankorian ruins of Champasak are magical in the early light of day. This ancient Hindu temple along the Mekong was converted to a Khmer temple in early dawn of Buddhism. It offers students a fascinating glimpse into an almost mythical age.

• Following a delicious lunch at a riverside restaurant, we depart Champasak and travel further south to the widest part of the Mekong River above the delta. Here the river reaches an astonishing 14 km in width and has thousands of islands. A launch will transport us through this watery maze out to one very special island – Don Khone, our home for two nights.

• We will check in to charming riverside bungalows beside the river and set off by bicycle to explore an island that is idyllic in every way. Only bicycle paths crisscross Don Khone, but there’s so much to see: village temples, rice fields, and fishermen setting traps beside huge cataracts. There is even an old steam train from the French colonial era.

Overnight: Don Khone Guest Houses