Khone Falls

This series of rapids is one of the transportation barriers in this island zone in southern Laos. The French built a three-mile railroad here to transfer goods from Cambodia's capital of Phnom Penh to a point above the rapids and falls. The railroad bypass is now defunct and the largest ships must stop at Phnom Penh.

Here, the Mekong ruptures into several channels. The distance between the farthest channels is nearly nine miles and some 4000 islands choke the river at this widest part.