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- International Flights from the UK
- Domestic flights
- All taxes
- 14 night Mekong Cruise
- All meals
- Shore Excursions
- All transfers
- Beijing
- Eastern China
- Guangxi
- Hong Kong
- Northern China
- Shanghai
- Sichuan
- The Yangtze River
- Tibet
- Xian
- Yunnan
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Laos to China River Cruise
Pandaw Mekong Cruise to China
For the first time it is possible for travellers to sail on the mighty Upper Mekong River from Laos to China or vice versa.
This is an incredible, pioneering 14-night river expedition discovering charming villages, stunning scenery, pristine jungle, the Golden Triangle and the very different emerald green Mekong in China's Yunnan province.
The journey with Pandaw Cruises also includes overnight stops in Luang Prabang, Chiang Saen and Jinghong.
Pandaw Cruises are renowned for their boutique river cruise ethos, with ships specifically designed and built for sailing on the Upper Mekong with low drafts and extra powerful engines.
Pandaw's founder, Paul Strachan, said: “it has been a long held dream to sail the length of the navigable sections of the Mekong River; now we can.
There is much to explore in this undiscovered region; travellers need to be up for a real adventure as the daily itinerary might change, but with a flexible attitude will have the adventure of a lifetime”.
At a Glance
- International flights from the UK
- All airport transfers
- 14 nights Pandaw Mekong Cruise
- All Shore excursions
- Airport Transfers
- All taxes
Day 1: Fly UK to Luang Prabang
Overnight flight UK to Luang Prabang.
Day 2: Luang Prabang
Arrive Luang Prabang and transfer to your your Pandaw Cruise.
Embark by noon for a lunch followed by an afternoon walking tour of this World Heritage Site with its delightful traditional Laos wooden houses and many gilded monasteries.
Return to the ship for drinks and dinner and a welcoming Lao baci ceremony.
Overnight on board. All meals included.
Day 3: Luang Prabang
Enjoy some further exploration of Luang Prabang including the Royal Palace, built in 1904 during the French colonial era for King Sisavang Vong and his family.
Visit the Buddhist temples Wat Xienthong and Wat Mai, the latter being the largest and most decorated temple.
Enjoy the afternoon at leisure for your own exploration or relaxation. In the evening visit Luang Prabang’s lively night market and savour the buzzing café life.
Overnight on board. All meals included.
Day 4: Luang Prabang - Kuang Si Falls
Get up for 5:30 and walk to the town centre to watch the alms giving ceremony and explore the morning market before returning to the ship for breakfast.
A bus will take you to the butterfly park, founded by a Dutch couple in 2014 as a research and preservation centre of Laotian butterflies.
After a brief journey reach the next stop, the stunning Khaung Si Waterfalls with stunning jungle pools and scenery. Don’t forget your swimsuit!
This afternoon set sail upstream towards Pak Ou.
Overnight on board. All meals included.
Day 5: Pak Lai
Visit Pak Ou, a Buddhist sanctuary and one of Laos’ most respected holy sites with spectacular limestone cliff faces.
Packed with over 4,000 Buddha icons, the caves which are a shrine to the river spirit and Lord Buddha, are set in a dramatic limestone cliff at the point where the Mekong joins the Nam Ou River.
Continue upstream and visit a village by small boat known locally as the “Whisky Village”. Learn how they produce their alcohol.
Overnight on board. All meals included.
Day 6: Mekong
Spend an exciting day sailing through dramatic scenery with lush jungle and forest punctuated by tiny villages clinging to the river bank.
Pause for a walk ashore at Ban Huay La village with wooden houses and women at work weaving. Later enjoy a presentation by the guide on the Laotian language and culture.
Overnight on board. All meals included.
Day 7: Pak Beng
The scenery becomes even more dramatic and the river faster and more treacherous today.
This passage can be very exciting and most passengers sit spellbound on deck.
Enjoy a morning cooking demonstration of favourite Laos dishes by the Pandaw chefs.
In the afternoon enjoy a walk around the market town of Pak Beng whilst the Pandaw moors by the jungle bank.
Overnight on board. All meals included.
Day 8: The Mekong
A long sailing day is spent covering a considerable distance but punctuated by a morning walk around Ban Pak Sit village, a traditional riverside village full of charm and life, and an afternoon walk around Pak Tha village before the Pandaw moors by a village.
Overnight on board. All meals included.
Day 9: Into Thailand
After an afternoon visit to the local pagoda, proceed to Lao and Thai Immigration, joining the Pandaw ship again in Chiang Kong.
Sail further into Thailand in the late afternoon and moor overnight in Chiang Kong.
Overnight on board. All meals included.
Day 10: Muang Long
This morning visit a Thai hill-tribe village to appreciate a very contrasting culture from neighbouring Laos.
After lunch on board explore Chiang Sean and the Wat Phangao Pagoda.
In the evening traditional Thai dancers perform on deck. Pandaw moors overnight in Chiang Saen.
Overnight on board. All meals included.
Day 11: Golden Triangle
In the morning transfer by bus to the smuggler city of Tachilek in Burma and visit the 'extraordinary' market (essentially one massive duty free area), Chinese temples and the Tachilek Shwedagon Pagoda.
After lunch visit the Hall of Opium. The Golden Triangle used to be infamous as one of the largest producers of opium in the world.
Various Thai organizations led by the Royal Project and Doi Tung Development Project have spent decades battling this trade. As part of this campaign, the Hall of Opium was built to educate people about the dangers of the drug through an entertaining exhibition which traces opium’s history from its first use 5,000 years ago to current issues of drug abuse and addiction.
To end the day reunite at the Buddha Statue at the Golden Triangle to take in the view over the three bordering countries Thailand, Laos and Burma.
Overnight on board. All meals included.
Day 12: Ban Dom Moon
Leaving behind the bustle of the Golden Triangle return to a Mekong that is now narrower and faster than anything encountered so far on this journey.
In the afternoon walk around Pok Lok village followed by a talk by the guide on the region’s ethnography.
Overnight on board. All meals included.
Day 13: Sob Luoy Province
Visit Ban Pak Keo and walk up a small hill adorned with a pagoda and enjoy the beautiful view over the Mekong.
Stop at Ban Na Kor (Sob Luoy Port) in the afternoon and sail on to a remote sand bank to moor for the night. Canapés and cocktails are served on the sundeck followed by local Laos folklore stories and traditional floating fire lanterns.
Overnight on board. All meals included.
Day 14: Guan Lei
Crossing into China at Guan Lei Port in the morning, enjoy some time free to take a walk and explore before passing immigration.
Sail the final stretch of the scenic and dramatic Mekong in China to Jinghong where Pandaw moors overnight.
Overnight on board. All meals included.
Day 15: Jinghong
Jinghong was founded in 1180 by Tai King Phanya Coeng. Its turbulent history has been influenced by Thai, Burmese and Chinese occupations, which can be seen in its buildings and the local language.
In the morning visit the fascinating Tropical Plant Institute, a vast garden with over 13,000 plant species.
Continue to Manting Park, the oldest park in Xishuangbanna, dating back 1300 years.
Previously a Dai Imperial Garden, the park's attractions include the opportunity to learn about the culture of the Dai people.
On the final evening in Jinghong, experience an evening cultural show at Maxmumbani, where dancers from 38 different ethnic groups display their traditions with acrobatics and a fascinating story of China and its people.
Overnight on board. All meals included.
Day 16: Fly to UK
Transfer to the airport for your flight back to the UK.
Day 17: Arrive UK
Arrive back in the UK
Life on Board Pandaw
Life on board a Mekong River Cruise is quite different from ocean cruising. Things are very much more informal, with no ‘Captain’s Table' or dressing up for dinner.
Unlike ocean cruising, all excursions and most other things are included in the price of a Mekong River Cruise, such as drinks and tips for the crew.
With one member of crew per two passengers, the service on board Pandaw is incredibly high and very personal.
Things are very relaxed on board a Pandaw River Cruise - with no unnecessary and wearisome PA announcements and no disturbing TV’s from neighbouring cabins.
Pandaw Cabins
Cabins on Pandaw's river cruisers all open on to a social promenade deck, creating a very relaxed and social atmosphere on board.
One of the best things about a Pandaw River Cruise is the amount of space on board, which is said to be the highest per passenger of any ocean or river cruise vessel in the world.
Pandaw's cabins don’t have minibars – instead there is a bar service on the sundeck from dawn until dusk.
All excursions are included on a Pandaw River Cruise, but there is no compulsion to join in. A daily briefing updates guests on the cultural activities of the day ahead.
Important note:
These are reconnaissance voyages and the cruise itinerary is indicational only and subject to daily revisions and many a change subject to local conditions.
Travellers should be up for a real adventure and be prepared for such uncertainties.
This will be the first time a river expedition ship will have made this expedition and there may be delays at border crossing points when dealing with formalities.
Travellers who might find sudden changes of plan or delays stressful should not book this trip.
Guides will do their best to ensure that as much of this indicational itinerary is covered as possible but some excursions may be substituted for others.
During low water (Dec-Apr) the final stretch to Jinghong might be required to be taken by speedboat if conditions dictate.
Please note also that this trip isn't suitable for those with walking difficulties.
14 nights Mekong to China - Superior:
- Price from £4,395 pp
This is a guide price only, based on travel in low season.
Prices will vary according to choice of hotel and seasonal airfare and hotel surcharges. Please ask us for any current special offers.
Contact Us:
All of our Mekong River Cruise Holidays are completely tailor made and we can put together any kind of itinerary to suit your interests and budget.
Call us now to speak to a Loas & China holiday expert about your Asia River Cruise holiday.
Call us now on 0333 7000 747
We're open from 9 until 9 daily and our 0333 number is a local rate number included in most call packages.
