Mekong River Discovery
The Mekong (or “Lancang” as it’s known in China) is the heart and soul of mainland Southeast Asia: over 60 million people depend on the river and its tributaries for transport and the resources that shape their daily lives. Its basin is also home to a staggering number of species (only the Amazon can lay claim to a greater amount of aquatic biodiversity) including giant carp and catfish, freshwater stingrays, and soft-shell turtles. An estimated 2,700-plus miles in length, the Mekong originates in the Tibetan Plateau and runs through China’s Yunnan Province, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand (keep an eye out for the legendary but unconfirmed Naga fireballs), Cambodia, and Vietnam.
