Best of Laos and Northern Thailand - River and Land Tour

Laos Pandaw

Vessel Type: River Boat

Length: 44.50 metres

Passenger Capacity: 20

Built: 2015

Seeing the quality of this ship it is hard to believe it was built in a hurry. There are no proper ship yards above the Khone Falls and we could not persuade our Vietnamese builders to assemble a ship trucked in in bits on the river bank. We tried our Rangoon builder and he also chickened out. By January 2015 we were taking bookings and selling out for November but still had no ship. Paul Strachan in a panic flew to Vientiane and took a taxi down to the river bank and boarded the first cargo ship we saw, a 40 meter barge used to carry heavy loads of cement and rice up to China. She had two 400hp truck engines and was just the thing for tackling the terrifying fast flow of the Upper Mekong .The captain was the owner and agreed terms with Paul. The owner agreed to stay on as skipper and is still there. He immediately took her up to the Golden Triangle, a week’s sail away.

The Golden Triangle is where Burma, Laos and Thailand meet and was the perfect place to convert the ship. The build team came over from Mandalay, a two-day bus journey across the Shan mountains. They made a camp on the Burma river bank opposite where she lay on the Laos. We hired a house on the Thai side to act as an office and could source material and supplies from Thailand. Amazingly we had the ten cabin ship finished on time for the maiden voyage on the 1st November 2015. Actually it was the first time we have actually had the ship finished on time! Normally there are still sparks flying as the first passengers come on board.

The ship has quality mountain bikes for your independent exploration.

ACCOMMODATION

10 main deck staterooms - Staterooms are 14 square meters (150 sqf), finished in teak and brass - Panoramic sliding door - Kimonos and slippers - Spa-branded amenities - Unlimited mineral water - Electric mini safe - Imported quality linens with duvet and two kind of pillows - Premium mattresses - Convertible bed configuration - Welcome flower arrangement and welcome gift - Mirror - Multi-configuration plugs - Generous closet space and under-bed storage - Hair dryer - Nightly turndown service - 24hr laundry service - Complimentary evening canapés

WINING & DINING

Local master chef heading an experienced international culinary team - Personalized meal services - Daily lean & light menu options - Complimentary local mineral water, jugged coffee, teas & tisanes - Extensive wine list with premium wines - Series of cultural performances, educational talks, cooking classes, and ship tour - Welcome drink on arrival - Welcome cocktail - Farewell reception - Theme dinners - Open air lounge and bar - Bistro style al fresco dining - 24hrs hospitality bar - Onboard bakery with daily freshly baked breads and rolls

ON EXCURSIONS

Admissions - Shoe cleaning after excursions - Bottled drinking water - Cold towel service after excursions - Refreshing drink following excursions

SAFETY & SECURITY

All onboard crew is trained and certified as per international marine standards - Fire alarm system in all cabins, public areas and back areas - Firefighting system in all ship areas - Expert marine superintendant - 24 hrs watch on duty