It is best to arrange your tour through one of the travel agencies in Pangkalan Bun such as Borneo Holidays (www.borneowisata.com), which takes the hassle out of choosing a boat, captain, guide and a cook.

BBC: Drifting down the Sekonyer

Climbing into a small tin boat, my guide and I rolled out onto Mush Lake.

BBC: Kluane, Canada (Credit: Parks Canada/Fritz Mueller)

"It's a Parisian tradition for lovers, " says a guide for the Vedettes du Pont-Neuf tour boat company.

WSJ: Couples Adorn Bridges With Weighty Tokens of the Heart

Starting from Nong Khiaw in the early morning, our guide Dhit sat quietly as we drifted around 10km downstream along the calm Nam Ou River in a narrow long-tail boat.

BBC: Northern Laos�� 100 Waterfalls Trek