Cruising along the mysterious Mekong River on a slow boat from the Laos border town of Huay-Xai down to Luang Prabang has been one of the highlights of our travels through Laos. From the Tibetan Plateau, the Mekong River crosses the borders of SE Asian countries such as China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam, flowing towards the China Sea. Our floating vessel was a traditional, long and narrow, wooden boat that quietly glided right on the surface of the water, making