Solo Travel Holiday Destination-SE Asia: Every summer I start looking for the best solo travel packages to avoid the dreaded “Home Alone for the Holidays”. I have found one of the best travel for singles is via a river cruise abroad. One year I went upriver on the Amazon. The next I booked the Mekong Delta in combination with solo travel packages in Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand. To me, this is the best way to experience adventure vacations for singles with time spent independent and time with a group for dinner and sightseeing.
Why the Mekong Delta?
I was already excited about the prospect of spending New Year’s Eve in Phnom Penh when I made my way through the package to some little known (at least to me), facts about the Mekong Delta:
- One of the world’s most beautiful rivers, the Mekong is only river that changes direction twice a year. River cruise conditions also change with the seasons – the water level can rise significantly within just a few hours during the rainy Monsoon season and quickly drop during the dry season. The water level is often lower January-August and higher around September.
- The Mekong is a major trading route linking China’s southwestern province of Yunnan to Laos, Burma (Myanmar) and Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia.
- Glowing spheres of light are observable from time to time rising from the water’s surface in certain parts of the river. These are sometimes referred to as “Naga fireballs” or “Mekong lights.” The locals attribute the phenomenon to Phaya Naga, or “Mekong Dragons.”
- The Mekong is the world’s 12th-longest river at 2,600 miles. It is the largest river in Southeast Asia.
- The river forms the border between Laos and Burma (Myanmar) and most of the border between Laos and Thailand.
- The earliest known civilization along the Mekong dates to the 1st century A.D. The first European to explore the river was Portugal’s Antonio de Faria, in 1540.
- The name Mekong derives from Mae Nam in the Thai language, meaning “Mother of Water.”
- Previously 145 new species were identified in the Mekong region, including two new bird species, five mammals, 96 plants, six new amphibians, and 29 fish species previously unknown to science.
- The Mekong has more large fish than any other river, including the Mekong giant catfish, which can weigh up to 660 lbs. and grows to be almost 10 feet.”
Choosing this solo travel holiday destination-SE Asia was perfect for me. clearly was one of the best vacations of my lifetime and for singles, going alone but not having to “go it alone”.
For all the details on a Mekong River Cruise, check these out:
See our “River Cruises: Europe and Asia” for more great information on river cruise options in Asia and Europe.
For more on Mekong Delta cruises, please see the following: Traveling Solo in Cambodia, Mekong River Cruises-No Single Supplement.
See also AMA Waterways 2020 Asian Deals.
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