Fleewinter

Cambodia has quickly established itself as a river cruise destination and Pandaw was one of the original vessels to take to the water. Completely refurbished in September 2013, it remains a popular option for the Mekong, despite a growing number of ships now operating.

Taking its name from the river it travels, The RV Mekong Pandaw sailing between Ho Chi Minh City (also known as Saigon) in Vietnam and Siem Reap in Cambodia, which takes seven nights. It also offers a shorter three and four night trip between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap in Cambodia, and between Phnom Penh and Saigon.

The ship is designed with ultra-shallow drafts, allowing it to travel during low water and through areas that would be unreachable by deeper-drafted boats. The focus of these cruises is the river and its surroundings.

The ship is decorated in the colonial style, finished in brass and teak. Cabins are the same size throughout the ship at 168 square feet, with reconfigurable twin beds and panoramic French-doors, opening to the promenade deck with private seating. Cabins include safes, hair dryers, phones (only emergency phones, no calls outside of the ship) and Thann bath amenities, including shampoo, conditioner, soap and lotion. Because of the exotic itinerary, Mekong Pandaw sails, satellite television reception is spotty, so cabins don't include TVs. Wi-Fi is available throughout the ship.

Pandaw operates all-inclusive cruises: so all excursions, full board, snacks, local soft drinks, local spirits, tipping for crew and wi-fi are included.(Wine is not included but local beers and spirits are).

Passengers receive attentive service, with a crew-to-passenger ratio of 1:2, and the bulk of the activity onboard is geared toward quieter pursuits. The dining room is, in keeping with the line's focus on the outdoors, a convertible open-air space, with retractable walls that only close at night. The top deck space has arranged seating, a billiards table and a bar serving complimentary ice cream.

Dining onboard Mekong Pandaw offers both local and western options. Breakfast is a buffet, and lunch is a mix of soup and salad at the buffet with mains served at the tables. Dinner is table served, and there are vegetarian options as well as more traditional European fare for passengers who aren't partial to local cuisine. Cruises of seven nights or more offer two theme dinners in addition to the farewell gala dinner.

As noted, activities are typically low-key and consist of talks from onboard guides, film presentations - both documentaries complementing the itinerary and mainstream movies - as well as cooking classes. The line offers a minimum of one "cultural performance" during each sailing with acts such as the Royal Khmer Ballet in Cambodia performing onboard.

Excursions on Mekong Pandaw are included in the price of the cruise and the ship stops at least once per day and often twice. Shore excursion offerings include explorations of local markets with the onboard chef, guided walks with the regional expert onboard, river and jungle trips by speedboat or city sightseeing trips via cyclos (three-wheeled rickshaw) in Cambodia.

The cost listed here is based on the seven-night tour, which can cost up to £3,680 for two-people, depending on the season. A four-night cruise can cost up to £2,160 for two people.