Pandaw – The First Operator to Sail on the Mekong to China

by Ngoc Van Jun 30, 2023

RV Champa Pandaw is one of the modernest ships in the Pandaw’s fleet and the first vessel on the way from Laos to China via the “four-country” river of Mekong.

That the RV Champa Pandaw tied at Guanlei marks the very important event of Pandaw. It means that Pandaw River Expeditions is the first Western operator to arrive at China’s Yunnan Province by way of the Mekong River. Pandaw’s 14-night cruise in Laos and China via the Mekong river operates upstream and downstream between the Lao capital of Vientiane and the Chinese city of Jinghong.

Pandaw’s founder, Paul Strachan said that:

It has been a long-held dream of ours to offer travellers the chance to journey on a Pandaw ship on the Upper Mekong all the way to China, so today marks a major milestone in our history. We have faced many challenges developing this new and exciting route into Yunnan Province and I would thank all our team and partners for their part overcoming the difficulties to make it happen.

Moreover, Tony Deng, Managing Director on China Kindness Tour, Kunming, Pandaw’s partner in China pointed that:

The arrival of the Champa Pandaw marks the beginning of a new era on Mekong River, and its an honour to be playing a part. We are very pleased to be partnering with a company of Pandaw's reputation on the Mekong in China. We see this as an important way of opening up Yunnan Province, which is, to high-end experiential tourism.

Since the company’s foundation in 1995 with the aim of creating the way on high-end experiential cruising on the Asian rivers, this cruise is the latest in a long line of the company’s river excursions. Champa Pandaw is considered as the newest ship of Pandaw’s developing fleet of unique, colonial-era vessels. The RV Champa Pandaw features 14 teak-finished staterooms and was particularly designed to resist the powerful currents as well as challenges of the Upper Mekong. Hereby, it ensures Southeast Asia’s first expedition across the “four country” river. It was constructed and completed in a special shipyard on the Burmese Mekong with the highest conditions of engineering and craftsmanship in comparison with other ships on Asian waterways including the Irawaddy, Chindwin and Mekong rivers. Its engine is very low and extra power with 1400 horsepower which is twice the power of other vessels in the Pandaw fleet.

Pandaw 2

When a passenger in Pandaw’s four-country river expedition, you will have great experiences with not only aquatic sceneries but also pristine jungle and attractive villages. The popular destinations for visitors are the Golden Triangle, the water heaven of Kuang Si Waterfalls and the crystal blue water of the Mekong in China’s Yunnan. According to the schedule of the journey, passengers will stop for a rest and have an opportunity to enjoy attractions at Vientiane, Luang Prabang, Chiang Saen and Jinghong.

Paul Strachan claimed that discovering the Mekong in Laos and China River Cruises is “a fascinating and unforgettable off the beaten track adventure” and the passengers in the expedition will step into the “exciting new territory”. Are you ready to enter the fresh land?