This was the view out the front door of my guesthouse room along the Mekong River in southern Laos. The area is known as Si Phan Don, or 4,000 islands, and is quite popular with independent travelers. I stayed in the hamlet of Ban Khon on Don Khon Island. This is the larger island located to the south of the more popular Don Det island, which tends to attract a younger, more eager-to-party crowd.  The party hostels and bars are very much focused on the northern tip of Don Khon, so don’t worry, this isn’t another Vang Vieng (but it soon could be) . There are still plenty of peaceful and beautiful places on both islands.

My room, connected with about five others, was part of an elevated structure with bamboo walls and a front porch with hammocks overlooking the Mekong. I paid 30,000 Lao kip ($3.70)  per night to enjoy this simple accommodation with a sublime view.

Visit my Flickr album to see more photos from Si Phan Don.