Jan Visits Vietnam - Saigon & Mekong Delta


Yuka and I flew to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh) from Tokyo on a Saturday using some cheap ANA tickets. The airport was brand new and really impressive.	After staying one night at the Novotel Hotel just by the airport, we joined a three day trip with Sinhbalo Adventure Travel to the Mekong Delta.

The Mekong is the 11th longest river in the world, and runs from the Tibetan Plateau through China's Yunnan province, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.	China has built several dams on the Mekong River upstream, meaning that many species have become endangered (including the Mekong dolphin and manatee), and even more dams are being planned.

In other words, due to pollution and dams, the future of the Mekong River is not bright.	This is unfortunate, as the Southeast Asian countries are completely dependent on the river (particularly Cambodia).