Laos River Cruise

Board in the morning at the ship's mooring in the center of Luang Prabang and sail upriver to the Pak Ou caves, where about 4,000 Buddha images fill two grottoes in the cliff. Kayak on the Nam Ou afterward, or visit the silk weavers and whisky makers of Ban Muang Keo. The night's mooring is at Khok Luang, a Khmu village of stilt houses among the rice fields, where the elders welcome you with a Baci and the evening starts with cocktails on deck.

A talk on the Lao kings and on Chao Anouvong, the last king of Vientiane, whose name the ship carries. At Ban Baw the women weave cotton and silk on hand looms, and the village temple offers a short meditation with the monks. After a talk on the peoples of the river, you meet Hmong, Khmu and Lao Loum families at Khok Aek. Dancers perform on the terrace deck, dinner is a barbecue on a sandbank, and the film is Chang, made in northern Siam in 1927.

The elephant sanctuary across the river from Pakbeng, home to elephants born in Laos that once worked in the logging camps. After lunch, a cooking class in a Lao and Thai dish to take home. The last mooring is beside a sandbank near Khok Mwe, where drinks go out on the sand at sunset before the farewell dinner on the terrace.

A slow morning, with a light breakfast ahead of a late brunch. A talk traces the history of the Golden Triangle, where Laos, Thailand and Myanmar meet: opium, colonial borders and war. The ship threads rocks and rapids past the mouth of the Nam Tha and docks at Huay Xai in the afternoon, and the crew takes you to the Lao immigration office. We can book the drive on to Chiang Rai or a hotel in the Golden Triangle.

The crew meets you at the Lao immigration office at Huay Xai in the morning and takes you to the pier. In the afternoon, Ban Pak Sith, a Khmu farming village where some families still forge their own tools and the blacksmith shows how when he's home. Before dinner, a talk on the old Lao kingdoms, then Chang, the 1927 film made in northern Siam by the two men who went on to make King Kong.

Yoga on the terrace deck, then the elephant sanctuary in the forest across the river from Pakbeng, home to elephants born in Laos that spent years in the logging camps. After lunch, a talk on Lao bamboo weaving. At Khok Aek, Hmong, Khmu and Lao Loum families share one village, and a family from each shows how their households differ. Villagers play the khene on deck before dinner, and the film is The Rocket.

A morning at leisure or in the spa, then Khok Luang, a Khmu village of stilt houses among the rice fields. Downriver, the Pak Ou caves and their 4,000 Buddha images, with a kayak on the Nam Ou or a visit to the weavers of Ban Muang Keo afterward. You reach Luang Prabang in the early evening, with time for a walk through town after dinner.

Coffee at sunrise and yoga on the terrace deck, moored below one of the town's temples. A guide walks you through the UNESCO-listed old town on its peninsula between the Mekong and the Nam Khan, and after lunch through the former Royal Palace, now the National Museum, before the climb up Mount Phousi for the view. Back on board, a talk on Lao life, a Baci with village elders and dinner on the terrace facing the riverfront.

Before dawn, the alms round, when monks in saffron walk the streets collecting sticky rice. The ship then heads downstream to the Laos Buffalo Dairy, a farm that makes cheese, yogurt and ice cream from buffalo milk, and on to the Kuang Si falls, a run of turquoise pools in the forest where you can swim. A talk on hydropower and the plan to make Laos the battery of Southeast Asia comes before the night's mooring near the Xayaburi dam.

Early in the morning the ship passes the Xayaburi dam, 32.6 metres high, through its lock. A cooking class fills the morning as the banks turn rockier and the channel narrows. At Don Saynhan, tuk tuks take you inland through the forest to Khao Cave, home to a colony of bats whose droppings fertilize the village fields. Dinner is a barbecue on a sandbank, with a film outdoors.

Pha Liep sits below limestone mountains, and its Lao Loum families build the longtail boats that still do most of the river's work, by hand. The same village runs a still for Lao whisky, with a tasting. In the afternoon, a talk on Laos today, or time on deck as the ship sails on. The farewell dinner is on the sun deck.

Yoga and a last breakfast on the terrace deck as the ship makes her final miles. You check out by nine at Pak Lay, and a group transfer by road brings you to your hotel in central Vientiane at about half past twelve.

A minivan collects you from your hotel in Vientiane in the morning for the drive to Pak Lay, where you board around lunchtime. The afternoon is for settling in as the ship heads upstream, with a talk on the Lao kings and on Chao Anouvong, the last king of Vientiane, who gave the ship her name. Cocktails on the terrace deck at sunset, then a film in the lounge.

Pha Liep sits below limestone mountains, and its Lao Loum families build longtail boats by hand and distill Lao whisky, with a tasting. In the afternoon at Don Saynhan, tuk tuks take you inland through the forest to Khao Cave, home to a colony of bats whose droppings fertilize the village fields. The ship moors here for the night, with reflexology in the spa after dinner if you like.

Morning yoga, then Pak Yan, a hillside village of Hmong, Lao and Khmu families with long views over the Mekong; many of its Hmong families came back from Thailand under the repatriation that began in 1993. A talk on hydropower and the plan to make Laos the battery of Southeast Asia comes in the evening, moored near the Xayaburi dam, and the film is The Rocket.

The ship rises through the lock at the Xayaburi dam, and the captain shows you the wheelhouse on the way. A slow day on board follows: a cooking class, a tasting of Lao fruit, herbs and spices with fresh smoothies at the bar, and time in the spa. In the afternoon, Ban Hatsok, a village of corn and cassava farmers, and the steps up to its pagoda to meet a monk.

The Laos Buffalo Dairy, where buffalo milk becomes cheese, yogurt and ice cream, then the Kuang Si falls, a run of turquoise pools in the forest where you can swim. A late lunch on board as the ship sails on to Luang Prabang, arriving in the late afternoon with time to walk the town at sunset before dinner on board.

Coffee at sunrise and yoga on the terrace deck, moored below one of the town's temples. A guide walks you through the UNESCO-listed old town between the Mekong and the Nam Khan, and after lunch through the former Royal Palace, now the National Museum, before the climb up Mount Phousi. Back on board, a talk on Lao life from a professor of the region, a Baci with village elders and dinner on the terrace facing the riverfront.

Before dawn, the alms round, when monks in saffron walk the streets collecting sticky rice. Then upstream to the Pak Ou caves, with a talk on the peoples of the Mekong on the way and, afterward, a kayak on the Nam Ou or a visit to the weavers of Ban Muang Keo. The night's mooring is at Khok Luang, a Khmu village of stilt houses among the rice fields.

A talk on Lao textiles, then the weavers of Ban Baw and its village temple, where you can join the monks for a short meditation. At Khok Aek, Hmong, Khmu and Lao Loum families show how their households differ. Dinner is a barbecue on a sandbank, with a film under the stars.

The elephant sanctuary in the forest across the river from Pakbeng, home to elephants born in Laos that once worked in the logging camps. Then a second cooking class as the ship sails on to the last mooring, near Khok Mwe, and the farewell dinner on the sun deck.

A late breakfast and a long last stretch of river. A talk on the Golden Triangle as the ship passes the mouth of the Nam Tha, which rises near the Chinese border 325 kilometres away, and threads the rocks and rapids above it. Brunch, then Huay Xai in the afternoon and the transfer to the Lao immigration office.