Wolfgang's photos with the keyword: Mae Sam Laep

On the way 42 km to Ban Mae Sam Laeb we passed this archaic temple on the hill which mostly is unnoticed by the by traveling tourists. Our stopover was worth for a brief sightseeing at this beautiful temple building construction.

During a short walk through the jungle near Mae Sam Laep we passed a settlement with simple built huts without electricity and without TV and satellite dish. The population has not changed their living style since three decades.

With an approximate length of 2,400 km, the mighty Salween River is one of the longest rivers in the region. It is an international river, originating from Tangula Mountain of the Himalayas in the Tibetan plateau. The Salween then flows southward through Yunnan Province of China, down through Shan and Kayah States in the East of Burma (Myanmar), and along the Thai-Burma border, passing through Kayan and Mon States (Burma), and emptying near Mawlamyine (Moulmein) into the Gulf of Martaban in the Andaman Sea. Burmese name of the river is the "Thanlwin river".

In the Burma and Thailand regions, the Salween basin topography is mountainous, with long narrow river valleys. The basin is rich with natural resources, including water (surface and ground), forest, wildlife, fishery and aquatic life, and minerals. Part of the basin in Thailand is national park and wildlife sanctuary. Its beautiful landscapes include many caves, rapids, cliffs, unusual rocks, and waterfalls that serve as tourist attractions. An spectacle destination for individual travelers and nature lovers.

The people who live in the Salween basin are a diverse ethnic community, and come from many different ethnic groups. They rely mostly on lowland rice paddy farming, and upland swidden cultivation. The areas along the river south of China have suffered a long history of conflict and political unrest, with the Burmese army nearly always being the aggressor.

Outside Mae Sam Laep simple cottages constructed at the slope without any protection against the next landslide.

A part of the 42 km from Mae Sariang to Mae Sam Laep and the riverside of the Salween mostly is very muddy. During the raining season its only a pass for four wheel drives.

The area has a high potential in ecotourism and trekking. Indeed a lot of small ethnic communities live around Mae Sariang especially there at Ban Huai Pho, 30 km at the West. In the West and North area of Mae Sariang, there are natianal park such as Salawin and Mae Ngao in which trekking is quite developed because of the beautifulness of the mountain and the jungle.