Mekong River cruises

The Vat Phou Boat

  
Cruise the “Mother of Waters” to the wild paradise of the “4,000 islands” on the Vat Phou, your comfortable floating air-conditioned teak hotel, with twelve cabins, each with twin beds and private hot and cold running water bathrooms. Shaded upper deck for lounging, restaurant on board serving the finest Laotian, Vietnamese and Thai cuisine. Beers, wines and spirits are also available on board.
Originally a ferry that carried teak wood between Vientiane and the south of Laos, the Vat Phou boat was lovingly converted in 1993 into a luxurious floating hotel. The Vat Phou boat is a 34 metre long, 7.5 metre wide steel hulled teak barge, equipped with two 260 HP Isuzu diesel engine.

The design retains a character that is unmistakably oriental and enables you to relax in comfort while you enjoy the everchanging pageant of river scenery and life as you pass smoothly by.

 

The Luang Say Cruise

  
Luang Say Cruise is a journey through remote mountainous stretches of the Mekong River between the northern Thai border at Houeisay and the royal old city of Luang Prabang, Laos - in a style fit for a king.

Established in the 14th Century, Luang Prabang sits majestically on the banks of the Mekong River. This charming and much sought-after city was declared a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1995 and is considered one of Asia's best preserved ancient capitals. To wander its quiet, timeless lanes is to enter a living museum of life, architecture and serenity.

The safety and comfort of the Luang Say boats are truly the envy of all other river travellers in the region as they provide the perfect setting for leisurely river travel. With 34 metre steel hulls, they feature:

· Modern safety equipment and lifejackets
· A capacity of 40 comfortable seats each, with an open air vista and lounge furniture
· Ample luggage space and porters
· Games and reading materials
· Immaculately clean western style toilets
· A fully-stocked bar

 

Pandaw Mekong and Tonle Sap Cruises

 


The Mekong flows from South-West China through all the mainland South East Asian countries - China, Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. It connects not just countries and commerce, but also diverse cultures and history. A river journey on the Mekong through Cambodia and Vietnam can offer greater insights and experiences than any other way of exploring two very different countries. A Pandaw cruise offers a way of traveling in great comfort to places unreachable by road.

On such an 'expedition ship' it is possible to truly explore the vast but little know region between the ancient Khmer city of Angkor and the elegant former French colonial city of Saigon, now called Ho Chi Minh City, with its poignant memories of the Vietnam War.

From its marshy source in the highlands of Tibet, the Mekong flows down through China's Yunnan province in deep gorges and over rapids. Leaving Yunnan, the Mekong forms the Myanmar-Laos border, then curves east and south through north-west Laos before marking part of the Laos-Thailand border.