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Price Guide
2 Nights - £485pp

Cruise, Meals, Excursions

Tour Info
  • Vat Phou cruise
  • All meals
  • Shore excursions
  • Entrance fees
  • Based on 2019 - 20 prices

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Vat Phou Cruise

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Vat Phou Cruise

The Mekong is the artery of life in Laos: a trading route, a source of food and water, and a social center for the settlements along its banks.

Known locally as The Mother of Waters, the Mekong river has been venerated and worshiped for thousands of years.

The Vat Phou Cruise offer a fantastic opportunity to discover the splendour of the Mekong River in Southern Laos and the Unesco World Heritage Vat Phou Temple on a delightful three-day voyage aboard a luxurious floating hotel.

Since 1999, this custom built river cruiser has cruised on the Mekong in Laos between Pakse, Champasak and Don Khong Island.

The boat is appointed with everything for your comfort, safety and enjoyment.

This journey begins and ends in Pakse and can be included as an add on to a tour of Laos or Indochina.

As with all of our Laos holidays, this one can be tailored to fit your interests, time and budget, so just let us know your preferences and we can adjust things as you wish.

Inclusions

  • 2 night Vat Phou Cruise
  • All meals
  • All transfers by private car
  • Shore excursions on a shared basis
  • Entrance Fees

Accommodation

  • 2 nights Vat Phou Cruise

Excursions

  • Shore excursions on a shared basis

Day 1: Pakse - Vat Phou Cruise

You will be transferred to the meeting point in central Pakse at 9:30 am, before transferring the Vat Phou cruise boat via long tail riverboat, for your 2.5 hour journey to Champasak.

Boarding the Vat Phou and enjoy lunch on deck.

All meals are included on the Vat Phou Mekong cruise and the galley produces the finest of Laotian, Vietnamese and Thai dishes, lovingly prepared and beautifully presented.

The highlight of the afternoon is the Vat Phou ruins the majestic pre-Angkorian 10th century temple complex and the Vat Phou's namesake.

You will have time to visit the museum at the ruins site, walk up to the highest temple and take as many photos as you would like.

As dusk falls, transfer back to the Vat Phou boat for a chance to enjoy the tropical sunset on the deck.

Dinner is served on board, while the boat docks for the night alongside a remote Laotian village.

Overnight onboard. Lunch & dinner included.

Day 2: Vat Phou Cruise

Breakfast is on board as the Vat Phou sets sail for the village of Tomo.

This is a small village a few minute walk away from the mysterious hidden forest temple of Oum Muong.

Afterwards rejoin the boat to continue the cruise southwards.

Lunch is served on the deck, while the Vat Phou leisurely sails closer to the wild paradise known as the 4,000 Islands.

In the late afternoon, disembark from the boat to walk through Ban Deua Tia, a small Laotian Village where the traditional way of life has not changed in centuries.

Also visit the local school and share some time with the students. The day's cruising finishes at the most northern tip of Don Khong, the largest inhabited island in the river archipelago.

After dinner, the evening is yours to relax and enjoy.

Overnight onboard. Breakfast, lunch & dinner included.

Day 3: Vat Phou Cruise - Pakse

Whilst you are enjoying breakfast on the deck, the Vat Phou cruises down the Mekong to the small village of Ban Veuthong, where you board a small boat to meander among the 4,000 Islands to Don Khone.

Visit the old French railway, the French colonial house and walk across the bridge that links Don Khone and Don Det.

At noon, enjoy a lunch at a local restaurant on Don Khone along the banks of the river.

In the afternoon visit Khone Phapheng Waterfalls, the most spectacular waterfall in South East Asia.

After your visit to Khone Phapheng waterfall you will be transferred back to Pakse by bus where the tour will end.

 

The Vat Phou

Originally a ferry that carried teak wood between Vientiane and the south of Laos, in 1993 the Vat Phou boat was lovingly converted into a luxurious floating hotel, cruising the Mekong river.

The Vat Phou boat is a 34 metre long, steel-hulled teak barge.

The design retains a character that is unmistakably eastern and enables you to relax in comfort while you cruise the Mekong.

There are 14 staff on each Mekong cruise departure including an English speaking guide who can help answer any questions and point out interesting sights along the way.

There are two decks on the Vat Phou.

The lower deck has 10 cabins, the kitchen/galley and the evening air-conditioned dining room.

The upper deck has 2 cabins, the bar and two large open-air shaded decks – one at each end of the ship.

The Vat Phou is fully equipped with safety equipment meeting international standards.

The front upper deck has rattan armchairs, sofas, coffee tables and lounges.

This area is perfect for lying back to read a book, taking photographs of life along the Mekong River or having an afternoon nap.

The rear upper deck has chairs, sofas and coffee tables.

There is also a bar area here where the staff can serve you tea, coffee or drinking water, which are all included free during the cruise.

You are also able to purchase beer, soft drinks, wine and spirits.

Breakfast and lunch are usually served here, watching the sun dance on the waters surface.

Cabins

The Vat Phou boat has 12 elegant twin shared cabins, each with a view over the southern Mekong River in Laos.

Every cabin is fully air-conditioned and also has a fan for optimum temperature control.

The cabins are fitted with dressing tables and a wardrobe so you can unpack easily and relax.

The private bathrooms have a hot shower and a western style toilet for your convenience.

Cabins are cleaned daily.

Is this a Private Tour or a Group Tour?

All of our tours are private tailor made itineraries, customised for you - we can amend things to entirely suit you.

This cruise module can be added on to a Tour of Laos or from another destination - often from Thailand or also from Vietnam as there are direct flights to Pakse from Saigon with Vietnam Airlines.

What are the departure dates?

Let us know your preferred dates of travel and we will find the best and most suitable flights to fit your itinerary.

The cruise departs Tuesdays, Thursday and Saturday in High Season (Oct - Mar), Tuesdays and Saturdays in Low Season (Apr - Sep).

The cruise itinerary also goes Upstream.

Which Airlines do you use to fly to Laos?

We work with all the major airlines flying to this part of the world.

Typically for Laos, Vietnam Airlines, Thai Airways and Singapore Airlines would be airlines we most often use.

However, just let us know your preferred airline if you have one. We can organise flights from any regional destination in the UK.

Which Hotels do you use on your Laos Tours?

We're careful with our choice of hotels, but we're guided by our customers also. If you have some preferred hotels, just let us know.

We specialise in boutique hotels and so we will often suggest some of our favourite smaller hotels where we think these will be suitable.

We keep on top of hotel developments in Laos from our office in Vietnam and regularly inspect the hotels we use.

Do you cater for Solo Travellers?

Yes, we have many solo travellers, and Laos is a very safe, friendly and welcoming destinations for those travelling alone.

River cruises on the Mekong through Laos are a popular option for solo travellers, especially with Pandaw Cruises who offer no Single Supplements on many departures.

How long have you been organising holidays to Indochina?

We've been organising tailor made holidays to Laos & Indochina for over 10 years.

Our team has a wealth of combined experience in the industry and our Director has been involved in organising holidays to Indochina since the early 1990's.

Our partners on the ground in Indochina have over 20 years experience in operating there.

They understand the region extremely well and have a strong infrastructure of staff, guides and vehicles.

We've had the same partnership in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos for over 10 years.

How does your office in Vietnam help?

We have our own staff in Saigon which helps in many ways with our customers in Indochina and South East Asia.

It helps us to keep on top of any new hotel and travel developments in the region and forge stronger relationships with hotels and other partners.

We regularly do our own inspections of hotels and destinations in the region.

Should our clients need any assistance during a trip, we always have at least one of our own staff on the same time zone, and we're open 7 days a week in Saigon.

Standard Cruise Suggestions:

Wat Phou Cruise

**Note that the itinerary advertised is a Downstream Cruise. The cruise also runs upstream.

2 nights Vat Phou Cruise - Standard:

  • Price from £485 pp (Apr-Sep)
  • Price from £645 pp (Oct - Mar)

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 Laos 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 Laos holiday expert about your Laos holiday or tour of Indochina.

Call us now on 0333 7000 747

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We're open from 9 until 9 daily and our 0333 number is a local rate number included in most call packages.