The Mekong's magical secret

reader · May 25, 2021

Who knows when any of us will have an opportunity to do this, but the photos and just the thought of it I find enticing.

From The Daily Mail

How heading for the river's upper reaches to unspoiled Laos will make you feel more like an explorer than a tourist

Small, old colonial-style Sabaidee Pandaw is one of only a handful of boutique boats on the Upper Mekong

By Caroline Hendrie For The Mail On Sunday

The mighty Mekong conjures up images of the busy thoroughfare from its delta in Vietnam to Cambodia – the route taken by most river cruises in South-East Asia. It shows off Old Saigon, the royal palace in Phnom Penn and the astounding 'lost city' of Angkor Wat.

But there is another way to cruise the Mekong: from the Golden Triangle in Northern Thailand, through the mountain gorges and jungle of land-locked Laos, and on to its capital, Vientiane.

Small, old colonial-style Sabaidee Pandaw is one of only a handful of boutique boats on the Upper Mekong, which makes every passenger feel like a true pioneer. Here are six reasons to choose a cruise aboard this boat on the Upper Mekong in Laos.

Your first glimpse of Laos is from a hilltop near the Thai city of Chiang Saen, where Sabaidee Pandaw is moored. The view is of the Golden Triangle, the mountainous region where Northern Thailand meets Laos and Burma. In the distance, orange roofs of new casinos rise from the forest on the Burmese side.

Views over Luang Prabang, Laos's laid-back former capital. Here a refreshing glass of nutty cold-drip coffee in riverside Saffron cafe is one of the highlights