Gardens in paradise

Jinghong, on the Mekong river, is just another city. But get out of town a little and there are still Dai villages and lots of vegetable gardens. I didn't stay long, it was time to move on to Laos.For more photos of Jinghong

On the way south to the border is a small town called Menglun, where a world famous research institute of tropical plants is situated. It's built on a couple of islands in a bend in the river and is definitely worth a visit for anyone with a botanical bent. It has huge gardens showcasing almost every tropical plant species you can think of, as well as a tropical rainforest walk and a museum. I spent hours here, including photographing my favourite tropical plant, the heliconia.For more photos of Menglun