Pandaw · All Pandaw ships · Pandaw K class, shallow-draft Upper Mekong ship, 28 guests
Sabaidee Pandaw: ship guide
Pandaw’s 14-stateroom Laos ship, built in 2018 for the rapids of the Mekong gorges.
Best for: Couples and small groups who want Pandaw’s Laos Mekong expedition with an upper-deck stateroom and a slightly larger ship than Laos Pandaw. Sails from Vientiane, Chiang Khong in 2026 and 2027.
About Sabaidee Pandaw
Sabaidee Pandaw is the newest and largest of Pandaw’s three Upper Mekong ships in Laos. Launched in 2018 as the seventeenth ship in the Pandaw flotilla, she was designed around the navigational challenge of the Laos gorges, where the river narrows and runs fast, and was originally built to serve the route north toward the Chinese border. At 171 feet with 14 staterooms for 28 guests, she offers a little more space than her 2015 sister Laos Pandaw without losing the shallow draft that makes this river possible.
Staterooms are split eight on the main deck and six on the upper deck, each about 170 square feet in teak and brass with a panoramic French window, Nespresso machine, complimentary minibar and individually controlled air conditioning. Public rooms are the classic Pandaw set: an air-conditioned bistro dining room with outside tables, an open-air lounge and bar on the upper deck, a 24-hour hospitality bar, an onboard bakery, a library and wrap-around promenades for watching the limestone cliffs slide by.
In 2026-2027 Sabaidee Pandaw sails The Laos Mekong, the ten-night expedition between Vientiane and Chiang Khong, with upstream and downstream departures from October through March and festive sailings over Christmas and New Year. The route takes in Luang Prabang, the Pak Ou caves, Kuang Si waterfalls, Hmong and Khmu villages, the Pak Beng Elephant Sanctuary and the Golden Triangle. She is the pick for guests who want an upper-deck stateroom on this river.
- Largest of Pandaw’s Upper Mekong ships: 14 staterooms for 28 guests on two decks
- Built in 2018 for the rapids and gorges of the Mekong in Laos, with a draft of about six feet
- Six upper-deck staterooms, the only way to sleep on the top deck on Pandaw’s Laos route
- Ten-night Laos Mekong expedition between Vientiane and Chiang Khong, October through March
- Three days around Luang Prabang plus the Pak Ou Buddha caves, Kuang Si waterfalls and the Golden Triangle
- All excursions, entrance fees, English-speaking guides and crew gratuities included
- Open-air lounge and bar, 24-hour hospitality bar, onboard bakery and bistro-style al fresco dining
- Mountain bikes on board for independent exploring at village stops
Staterooms and suites
Main Deck Stateroom
Eight staterooms of about 170 square feet on the main deck, finished in teak and brass with a panoramic French window onto the promenade, individually controlled air conditioning, premium mattresses with beds that convert from twin to double, a Nespresso machine, a complimentary minibar, glass bottled water, expedition flasks, spa-branded amenities, an electric safe, kimonos, slippers, a hair dryer and yoga mats; evening canapes and nightly turndown are standard.
Upper Deck Stateroom
Six staterooms of the same 170-square-foot layout and fittings on the upper deck, a few steps from the open-air lounge and bar, with the higher vantage point over the river that regular Pandaw guests ask for first.
Sabaidee Pandaw deck plans
Deck by deck, straight from our booking engine: the plan, the stateroom categories on that deck and the public rooms. Pick a deck.
Upper Deck
Bar/Dining Room, Wheel House, Staterooms.
- Dining RoomLocal master chef heading an experienced international culinary team.
Plans are the cruise line’s current drawings as supplied to our booking engine. Layouts change with refurbishments; your SmartCruiser advisor confirms the exact stateroom when you book.
On board Sabaidee Pandaw
Dining on Sabaidee Pandaw
Dining RoomIncluded
Air-conditioned bistro-style dining room with outside seating, where a local master chef leads semi-buffet breakfasts and lunches, seated theme dinners and daily lean-and-light options, with fresh bread and rolls from the onboard bakery.
Upper Deck Lounge and BarIncluded
Open-air lounge and bar for the welcome cocktail, evening talks and the farewell dinner with Thai dance on the last night.
24-Hour Hospitality BarIncluded
Local mineral water, jugged coffee, teas and tisanes available around the clock at no charge.
Bar DrinksSpecialty
On the Laos Mekong only water, coffee and tea are included in the fare; local beer, spirits, soft drinks and wine are charged on board, and Pandaw offers pre-bookable Free Flow Drinks and House Wine packages. The cabin minibar is complimentary.
Private DiningSpecialty
A pre-bookable private dinner on deck, priced as an add-on.
Entertainment and activities
- Open upper deck and wrap-around promenades for the gorges, cliffs and rapids of the Upper Mekong
- Onboard presentations on the Lao language and river culture from the cruise guides
- Pha Lak Pha Lam dance-drama and a traditional Thai dance performance on board
- Cooking and candle-making workshops in Luang Prabang and a fruit-carving demonstration on deck
- All excursions included: village walks, the Xayaburi dam lock, Pak Ou caves, Kuang Si waterfalls, Pak Beng Elephant Sanctuary and the Golden Triangle
- Riverside sandbank barbecue with a paper-lantern release
- Library of classic and contemporary titles and mountain bikes for independent exploring
- No spa on board; Pandaw offers massage only on its Lower Mekong ships
Families and who it suits
Pandaw does not accept children under 8 because the open decks have no safety netting and the rail gaps are wide; children 8 to 17 need their own berth, and some Laos Mekong dates are flagged Family Friendly. There is no kids program.
Best for: Couples and small groups who want Pandaw’s Laos Mekong expedition with an upper-deck stateroom and a slightly larger ship than Laos Pandaw.
Sails from: Vientiane, Chiang Khong · Regions: Upper Mekong (Laos)
Sabaidee Pandaw questions we answer every day
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Facts checked against Pandaw: RV Sabaidee Pandaw, Pandaw: The Laos Mekong expedition, Pandaw: Laos Mekong cruise dates, Pandaw: Frequently asked questions on October 14, 2026. Ship details change with refurbishments; your SmartCruiser advisor confirms the current layout when you book.
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Stack any filters, then pick a sortPrices are per person, double occupancy, in US dollars, and include cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses as published by the cruise line at the moment you load this page. Fares are capacity controlled and change daily; the fare is confirmed when you book. Flights, hotels and transfers are extra unless the line’s offer says otherwise. Onboard credit shown on a sailing is per stateroom and applies to the lowest category offered unless stated otherwise.