Si Phan Don

The Si Phan Don (Lao: ສີ່ພັນດອນ; meaning 4000 islands) is a riverine archipelago in the Mekong River, Champasak Province in southern Laos. Key features of the Si Phan Don archipelago include: * The remains of the first railway in Laos, the Don Det – Don Khon narrow gauge railway, built by the French to bypass the Khone Phapheng Falls and enable vessels, freight, and passengers to travel along the Mekong River. * Freshwater Irrawaddy dolphins (pakha) that can be viewed by boat off Don Khon island. They are an endangered species. * The Khone Phapheng Falls, a succession of impassable raging rapids that gave rise to the construction of the railway. While the local economies are predominantly based on agriculture, the Si Phan Don archipelago has seen an increasing number of visitors wishing for a 'picture-perfect' experience of Laos. However, tourists numbers are concentrated on Don Khong, Don Det and Don Khon, and many of the other islands remain rarely visited.