How can you travel to three countries in just one day? Every day, hundreds of travelers do just that—ride traditional barges or wooden Suwan Macha boats to traverse three countries through one major highway: the Mekong.

As the major artery that connects China, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Burma and Thailand, the Mekong is a veritable force of nature that facilitates trade and tourism among these countries. With the recent completion of the Mukdahan Bridge (which forms part of the East-West-Economic Corridor, a network of roads, bridges and tunnels), locals and tourists alike can look forward to seeing the treasures of the Mekong countries in one fell swoop.

Mekong River in Laos (Photo by Dan Searle)

Currently, there are two popular cruise routes that would enable travelers to hop to three countries in at least a day: Vietnam-Cambodia-Laos or Cambodia-Laos-Thailand. Both routes lie on the Mekong Delta, the concentration of the richest biodiversity and culture in the Mekong, according to researcher Mick O’Shea, the first man to kayak the river from end to end.

Vietnam-Cambodia-Laos in a day

The Vietnam-Cambodia-Laos route usually starts in the French colonial port of Ho Chi Minh City, formerly called Saigon, Vietnam’s biggest city with old pagodas and museums. The French once used the Mekong to conquer this city as part of the French Indochina.

Contrasting to the city are traditional villages like Cai Be, known for its orchards and floating market. Next stop is Chau Doc, popular for its French colonial buildings and Cham houseboat villages with cat fish farms. Following it are the stilt houses and silk weavers of Chong Koh and the leaf weavers of Dong Hoa Hiep, before the barge stops at the first Cambodian town, Kampong Cham, an eco village with French period architecture and a 12th-century wat temple. Of all nations around Mekong, Cambodia is the most dependent on the river for food and economy.

Sunset at Mekong River (Photo by LZAC)

The cruise then arrives at the crocodile farms of Kampong Channang, the breweries of My Tho, then goes downstream to Tonle Sap Lake, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and Southeast Asia’s biggest freshwater lake sprinkled with floating villages that harvest snakes rather than fish. Next are the monasteries of Banteay Srei and the temples and palaces of Ankor, Siem Reap, and Kompong Cham.

The highlights of a Mekong voyage are Phnom Penh’s Khmer Rouge history and Kratie’s Irrawaddy Dolphins, endangered species that have found a home in Mekong. From Kratie, the trip then continues to Khone Phapheng Waterfall, the biggest cascade along the Mekong. From there, the boat trails to the first city in Laos, Champassak, the site of pre-Angkorian human sacrifices and elephant rides around Vat Phou Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Caves, frescoes, and tribal villages are on the next stops, Luangprabang, Tadlo, and Vientiane.

Mekong Delta, Vietnam (Photo by Caitlin Childs)

Cambodia-Laos-Thailand in a day

For the Cambodia-Laos-Thailand route, the destination following Vientiane is Nakorn Phanom, a Thai town inhabited by ethnic Laotians and their traditional dances. Macaques, forest parks, pilgrimage sites, and cliff-side paintings fill the following stop, Khong Jiam. From here, cliff carvings and the vast Khmer Temple Complex greet visitors at the countryside of the Cambodian border. The odyssey then ends with shopping or spa at Bangkok, where recently, scientists discovered 163 new species by the Mekong banks. Among these new discoveries are a gecko with leopard-like spots and a frog that eats birds.

Mekong, Luang Prabang (Photo by Christian Haugen)

“I have developed a great deal of respect for the river's environments and its peoples and feel that the world should come to know more about the incredible treasures that lie within this valley,” says Mick O’Shea, an Australian who has become so smitten with Mekong that he decided to spend not only a day, but his entire life by the river.