There are boats that leave Chiang Saen daily for Chiang Khong. The river trip during the rainy season or shortly thereafter, when the river is high, take about 3 hours. In the dry season, when the river is much lower, the trip is rougher and slower. The 20-kilometer stretch through the mountains is an example of the rough power the Mae Khong River produces. There are whirlpools, rapids and frequently large boulders sticking up in the dry season.