Ban Mom is 88 km downriver from Xieng Kok, directly across from Wan Pon, Myanmar. It’s the final port on the Mekong’s Lao-Myanmar Corridor before the river reaches “The Golden Triangle”,  about 30 km away. Ban Mom’s relatively large landing serves a few cargo vessels and launches local ferries to/from Wan Pon and longboats to nearby Bokeo river villages. Some Thai tour groups, with temporary border visas, cruise to Ban Mom to shop for Lao goods.

Explorers on the longboat adventure from Xieng Kok will notice cargo-ship traffic becoming heavier on the China-Chiang Saen route. Navigational aids begin popping up as The Mekong becomes narrower, with rock clusters creating minor rapids. The sparsely populated, riverside landscape changes from canyons to rolling hills with thick, green flora. Golden Buddhas, spires, and temples occasionally appear on Myanmar hilltops.

You’ll reach Ban Mom at the Golden Triangle from Xieng Kok in about four hours, and it’s worth the stop. Relax at the lazy port town and look around its curious Golden Triangle market. Grab a meal at a Lao or Chinese noodle shop, and scour the stores stocked with necessities for river life. You can even spend the night at one of the simple guesthouses, though most explorers heading downriver prefer to overnight at the slightly livelier Ton Paeng