Take a Pandaw Cruise from Laos to China on the Mekong River

[Sandra & John Scott]

Pandaw River Expeditions has become the first Western operator to reach China’s Yunnan Province via the Mekong River, when the RV Champa Pandaw moored yesterday at Guanlei.

The Champa Pandaw, which has 14 teak-finished staterooms, was specially built to withstand the strong currents and challenging navigational conditions of the Upper Mekong and deliver Southeast Asia’s first ever “four country” river expedition.

Running from October through April, Pandaw’s 14-night cruise The Mekong: from Laos to China operates upstream and downstream between the Lao capital Vientiane and Jinghong in China, via moorings in Thailand and Burma.

The cruise is the latest in a long line of pioneering river expeditions from the company which, since its foundation in 1995 has led the way on high-end experiential cruising on the rivers of Asia. Champa Pandawis the latest edition to Pandaw’s growing fleet of unique, colonial-era ships. Built and finished to the highest levels of engineering and craftsmanship 17 of the ships currently ply Asia’s waterways, including the Irrawaddy, the Chindwin and the Mekong rivers.    

Exploring the Upper Mekong on a four country river expedition from Laos to Thailand, Burma to China is a fascinating and unforgettable off-the-beaten-track adventure, and passengers make the trip knowing that they entering exciting new territory.
 

Bigger than the entire country of the Netherlands or  Denmark, with a population of 45 million, Yunnan province has so much to offer the traveller, from glorious mountain scenery, fabled cities such as Lijiang, Dali and Zhongdian, also known as ‘Shangri-La’. It is also home to over 50 ethnic minorities.

Pandaws’ four-country river expedition allows passengers to enjoy discovering charming villages and experience stunning scenery amidst pristine jungle. Highlights include the Golden Triangle, spectacular defiles, the Tat Kuang Si waterfall, and the very emerald green waters of the Mekong in China's Yunnan province. The journey includes overnight stops in Vientiane, Luang Prabang, Chiang Saen and Jinghong.

Built in a specially created shipyard on the Burmese Mekong, using a methodology and design based on Pandaw’s unparalleled knowledge of local river conditions, the Champa Pandaw was designed with ultra-low draft and extra powerful engines generating 1,400 horsepower, almost twice the power of other ships in the Pandaw fleet.

For more information, visit www.pandaw.com or contact Hugh Clayson [e-mail].