With a prime waterside location and an emphasis on kicking back, the Four Thousand Islands of Si Phan Don are the perfect place to watch life slowly gurgle by in southern Laos.

Visitors will most likely succumb to a much more hazy pace than they expected; the triumvirate of main destinations – Don Det, Don Khong and Don Khon – offer ample opportunities to enjoy a dip, or some tubing, in this winding stretch of the Mekong river, while those on foot or bicycles will find much to savour as they explore the myriad islets and sandbars in search of the perfect sunset.