This splendid sense of isolation, of detachment, of adventure even, is dispelled when we moor our boat outside a floating restaurant with a selection of simple bungalows built on giant bamboo floaters. Soon, we’re in the water, splashing and striking out into the deep and even though I’ve never actually swum in several million gallons of mineral water (who has?) this is what it must be like – it’s that clean.
We are served lunch – a giant gourami that was probably swimming in the lake not an hour before. Still, it’s delicious and more than enough for the five of us. On the 40-minute boat ride back to the dam and the jeep we run through several squalls and it’s downright cold for a while until someone comes up with the brilliant idea of wearing a lifejacket back-to-front as wind protection.
This tour is an outstanding, unforgettable and a thought-provoking experience.