Luxury liner, Pandaw, has launched a 21-day combo river cruise that spends 11 days scouring the Mekong between Vientiane and the Golden Triangle. The other leg of the journey explores Halong Bay, and the Red River Delta and tributaries near Hanoi. The itinerary includes a Vientiane-Hanoi flight.
The cruise starts or ends at Chiang Saen, Thailand, and anchors in well-known and less-visited Mekong landings in Laos.
From Vientiane, the RV Laos Pandaw heads upriver and moors overnight at Ban Xanakham, before continuing to Paklay in southern Sayabouly to inspect its French colonial buildings. Then, it’s on to an ethnic Khmu village in the jungle.
The vessel passes through the locks at the Sayabouly Dam, and continues to Luang Prabang for two days.
The cruise continues to a Pak Ou elephant camp, Buddhist sanctuary, and cocktails on a sandbank. The vessels then sails to Ban Bo.
A morning visit to a local Khmu near Pak Beng starts the day, which ends at Pak Sit for the night. After an early walking tour of the Khmu village, the cruise heads to Houay Xay, and a walk through the small port town.
The cruise finally reaches its goal, the Golden Triangle, before the final port, Chiang Saen.
For details and the full itinerary, click here.
