Along the Mekong China, Thailand & Laos

ALONG THE MEKONG CHINA, THAILAND & LAOS

October 23 – November 9, 2020 | 18 Days | Aboard the Sabaidee Pandaw

Expedition Highlights Kunming • Cruise the Upper Mekong River aboard CHINA the luxurious 24-guest Sabaidee Pandaw.

• Discover the Buddha-crammed Pak Ou Caves, an important religious site for the Laotian people set in spectacular limestone Jinghong cliff faces. • Enjoy timeless river scenes as you drift past dense jungles, steep-sided gorges, MYANMAR emerald rice paddies, and tiny, Guan Lei traditional villages.

MEKONG • Spend two days exploring beautiful RIVER LAOS Luang Prabang, a UNESCO World Chiang Pakbeng Heritage Site. Saen Pak Ou Caves • Step ashore in remote, rural villages to Luang Prabang meet with locals and learn about their Muang Khay Village culture and daily life along the river. Xayaburi Dam

• Itinerary...... page 2 > Vientiane THAILAND • Flight Information ...... page 3 > • Ship, Deck Plan & Rates ...... page 4 > • Meet Your Leader ...... page 5 > • Know Before You Go...... page 5 > MAP NOT TO SCALE KUNMING

Wednesday, October 28 Itinerary JINGHONG / GUAN LEI / EMBARK SABAIDEE PANDAW / MEKONG CRUISING (LAOS) After breakfast, drive to the port of Guan Lei and board the Based on the expeditionary nature of our trips, there may be ongoing enhancements to this itinerary. Sabaidee Pandaw. After lunch on board, take a walking tour around Guan Lei. Set sail this evening.

Friday & Saturday, October 23 & 24, 2020 DEPART USA / KUNMING, CHINA Thursday, October 29 Board your independent flight to China. Arrive in Kunming in MEKONG CRUISING the late evening on October 24 and transfer to the Green Lake Spend the day cruising along the Upper Mekong, savoring Hotel for overnight. magnificent scenery of dramatic hillsides and cliffs—Laos will be on your left and Myanmar on your right. Arrive at Ban Na Kor, a remote sand bank where the ship will moor for the night. Sunday, October 25 Enjoy an evening of canapés and cocktails on the sandbank, KUNMING followed by local Lao folklore and traditional floating fire Explore the mysterious Stone Forest this morning, a series of lanterns. limestone karst formations that have eroded into a series of pillars that resemble trees. Keep a lookout for the Ashima stone that resembles a girl with a scarf on her head and a Friday, October 30 basket on her back. After lunch, visit with people from the Yi CHIANG SEAN, THAILAND (GOLDEN TRIANGLE) ethnic group to learn about their unique language, customs, Arrive in Chiang Saen, Thailand and visit the center of the and cuisine. Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight. Golden Triangle where you can see both Laos and Myanmar across the river. Visit the fascinating Hall of Opium Museum, which chronicles the history of opium in the region. Monday, October 26 KUNMING / JINGHONG After breakfast and a brief city tour and lunch, transfer to the Saturday, October 31 airport for our flight to Jinghong. Upon arrival, check in to the MEKONG CRUISING (LAOS) Wanda Vista Resort Xishuangbanna for dinner and overnight. Cross the Thai border back into Laos and continue the journey downstream. Time permitting, after lunch, take a walking tour of a village set in the surrounding jungle. Tuesday, October 27 JINGHONG Jinghong was founded in 1180 by Thai king, Phanya Coeng. Sunday, November 1 Its long history has been influenced by Thailand, Myanmar, PAKBENG / PAK OU CAVES and China, which is reflected in its unique architecture and This morning, take a walking tour of Pak Beng, a small trading the local language. This morning, visit the fascinating Tropical town perched high on the banks of the Mekong. Continue Plant Institute, a vast garden with over 13,000 plant species. cruising downstream and transfer to a local boat for a visit to Continue to Manting Park, which dates back 1,300 years. the extraordinary Pak Ou Buddha Caves. Admire spectacular This evening, attend a cultural show at Maxmumbani, where limestone cliff faces and the thousands of miniature Buddha dancers from 38 different ethnic groups display their traditions sculptures within the caves that have been left by local people with music, dances, and acrobatics. over hundreds of years.

ZEGRAHM EXPEDITIONS | ALONG THE MEKONG: CHINA, THAILAND & LAOS < 2 > KHUANG SI WATERFALL LUANG PRABANG VIENTIANE

Monday & Tuesday, November 2 & 3 Saturday & Sunday, November 7 & 8 LUANG PRABANG VIENTIANE Spend two full days exploring the beautiful temple city of Pass through a dramatic landscape of jungle and mountain Luang Prabang, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visit several where the river flows fast and wild. Amazing rock formations of the city’s pagodas and temples, such as Vat Xieng Thong, straddle the riverbanks. Then enter the cultivated plains of Vat Visoun, and Vat Aham, as well as the Royal Palace, which Vientiane province, arriving mid-afternoon in Vientiane, the now houses the National Museum. The evening is at leisure to capital of Laos. There will be time this evening for independent explore the buzzing night market, or perhaps grab a drink or a exploration of this delightful, French influenced city. The snack at one of the many delightful cafés and restaurants. next day, get better acquainted with the city with visits to Early the next morning, join a walking tour to observe the Sisaket Temple, the President’s Hall, Wat Prakeo Temple, morning alms offering by local people to the hundreds of and the Phatouxay monument. The rest of the day is free for monks who walk around the city every morning. Passengers independent exploration to enjoy the many cafes and bistros are invited to join with the offerings we provide for the alms in this charming little corner of L’Indochine. Attend a farewell giving. Mid-afternoon traditional dance performance on cocktails and dinner on your final night aboard the Pandaw. board the Pandaw.

Monday, November 9 VIENTIANE / DISEMBARK / USA Wednesday, November 4 Disembark and board your independent homeward flight. MUANG KHAY VILLAGE This morning will be spent exploring the deep jungle pools at the picturesque Khuang Si Waterfall with the chance to enjoy a dip in the cooling pools. Stroll through the teak forest trails and visit the butterfly farm. Time permitting there may also be time to visit the Flight Information elephant camp. Enjoy lunch followed by a cooking demonstration You will need to purchase airfare from your home city/Kunming on board while cruising onwards down the mighty Mekong. and Vientiane/home city. The flight from Kunming to Jinghong is included in the cost of the expedition. Please contact our in-house Air Department for fare quotes, reservations, or other air-related questions. Thursday, November 5

XAYABURI DAM Pass through the Mekong water control lock at Xayaburi Hydro PAK OU Electric Power Plant (itself an interesting and perhaps contro- versial tourist attraction). In the afternoon, join a walking tour of a local village.

Friday, November 6 PAK SAO This morning, visit Ban Pak Huoang, an interesting local village on the Thai/Laos border. Continue to Pak Sao for an excursion to a plantation village where you may mingle with locals. © Paul Allen

ZEGRAHM EXPEDITIONS | ALONG THE MEKONG: CHINA, THAILAND & LAOS < 3 > The Sabaidee Pandaw

The 24-guest Sabaidee Pandaw, launched in late 2018, was purpose-built for cruising the upper Mekong, with a shallow draft and powerful engines. Her beautifully designed public spaces include a single-seating dining room, an outdoor seating area, and 24-hour hospitality bar. All suites are stylishly finished in teak and brass, and have panoramic French windows, en suite bathrooms, twin beds that can be reconfigured as a queen bed, spacious wardrobes, and writing desks. The Sabaidee Pandaw has an ultra-shallow draft for accessing the upper reaches of the Mekong and visiting tiny villages that are inaccessible by larger vessels.

Visit www.zegrahm.com/sabaidee-pandaw for more information about this ship.

Deck Plan

UPPER DECK

201203205 Covered Obervation Deck Dining Room & Bar 202204206 Bridge

MAIN DECK

107 105 103 101

108 106 104 102

CATEGORY 1 CATEGORY 2

Rates Solo Travelers: Accommodations are limited. Please call our CATEGORY 1 $10,980 CAT 1 / SOLO $13,880 office for availability. CATEGORY 2 $13,280 CATEGORY 4 $20,780

INCLUDED: NOT INCLUDED: • All excursions in the company of a world-class expedition • Airfare from your home city/Kunming and Vientiane/home city leader and local guides • Excess baggage charges • Domestic flight from Kunming/Jinghong • Airport arrival and departure taxes • All gratuities • Transfers for independent arrivals and departures • All accommodations • Passport and/or visa fees • All group meals, including selected beverages with lunch and dinner • Travel insurance • All entrance fees • Items of a personal nature such as laundry, alcoholic beverages • Arrival and departure transfers on group dates (other than listed at left) and other incidentals • Gift certificates for recommended expedition gear • Email/Internet/fax/telephone charges • Medical expense coverage and emergency evacuation insurance

A 25% per person deposit will secure your space on this expedition. All rates are per person, based on double occupancy, quoted in US dollars, and must be paid in US dollars. Rates and itineraries are subject to change. Please review our Terms & Conditions online at www.zegrahm.com/terms, or call our office for a printed copy.

ZEGRAHM EXPEDITIONS | ALONG THE MEKONG: CHINA, THAILAND & LAOS < 4 > Meet Your Expedition Leader

SHIRLEY CAMPBELL – Shirley is a social anthropologist and Research Fellow at the Australian National University, with a special interest in the indigenous peoples of Australia, Melanesia, and the Pacific. More than three decades of academic research and university teaching have led to a sound knowledge and understanding of many cultures around the world and the theoretical foundations that human societies share. Widely traveled, she has had firsthand experience of the ways in which communities form and develop distinct, yet interrelated cultures. Related to this has been research into the origins and dispersal of Austronesian-speaking peoples from Taiwan and their eventual colonization of the South Pacific, Madagascar in the Indian Ocean, and their only colonization of the southeast Asian mainland in Vietnam. Shirley has specialized in studying the anthropology of art, convinced that understanding the way people represent their ideas through art and architecture provides valuable insights into our perceptions and relationships with the world around us. Her studies have led to degrees from Stephens College Missouri and the Australian National University. She has contributed several academic papers to peer-reviewed journals and books, and has written a book recounting her research and experiences in the Trobriand Islands titled The Art of Kula.

Know Before You Go Please note: this is strictly a cultural tour. For most activities, a relatively moderate level of exertion is required. You must be able to walk distances of one to three miles, sometimes over rough and uneven surfaces, such as unpaved roads, and climb stone steps that at times may not have handrails. You may be required to remove your shoes while visiting temples, homes, and a number of other sites. Expect high heat and humidity throughout this expedition, with temperatures ranging from the low 80s to low 90sºF. Though this expedition is timed for the end of the monsoon season, some precipitation can be expected.

To reserve, visit www.zegrahm.com/mekong or contact your travel consultant. < 5