Passenger Feedback

This was our third Pandaw Cruise and we were delighted as usual with the standard overall and the courtesy of the crew at all times. A couple of comments and suggestions. . . Visa information needs to be quite specific to the individual cruise. For example, advance information stated Laos visas could be applied for on line or in person (our e visas were not applicable for Friendship bridge 4) We ended up paying twice for the visas!As members, we were informed of the laundry benefits and also the 'drinks package'. What could be clearer is exactly what is and what is not included in the 'drinks package'. The Mekong River film with Sue Perkins was interesting and well produced but was shown late in the evening of the day in which we were up very early to take part in the alms giving. Most people fell asleep or left during the film to go to bed! Consider scheduling it at a different time of day. As for the 3 documentaries about the origins of the Pandaw cruises and how Paul Strachen started the current flotilla, they were out of date and frankly embarrassing. Not only were we appalled, as Brits, at the references to the 'glorious colonial days' but each of the 3 documentaries was highly repetitive even to the point of showing identical footage. I had to leave the room (as did others) due to the inappropriateness of some of the content. Please limit this information to one short film and we suggest that it is the second one which showed some historical footage and update the rest of it.

So glad that Pandaw is back! This trip on the Laos Mekong was my third Pandaw trip and I hope to do more. Excellent trip, great staff, wonderful riverboat. We had to leave the boat a day before reaching Vientiane due to low water, but the staff arranged alternative transport on a really nice longboat that ended up being even better than another day on the large boat, in my opinion. And the hotel they arranged for us in Vientiane was very good. The whole situation could have been a disaster with a lesser tour operator but as usual Pandaw took care of everything perfectly. My only suggestion for improvement - the coffee onboard was not very good (a pot of instant coffee). On the last day, I learned that there was much better coffee available onboard, but you had to know this and ask for it and the crew would brew it and serve it. This info would have been good to know. Or better yet, just don't put out the bad instant coffee at all and just brew the good stuff. Other than this one little item, everything was fantastic. Thanks for the great vacation!

Start of cruise disappointing as no advance notice that would spend first night in hotel in Vientianne. . The hotel wasnt good quality (we had been staying at Crowne Plaza which much nicer) and poor dinner with just european food. it was a shock for everyone and could have been handled much better by giving advance notice . The guide and other staff put in difficult position as they thought we knew of problem. In fact the next day with slow boat trip was a real treat!!Also better if a light lunch option was offered!Although local dinner food good felt not as good as on previous cruises . Disappointing too that wine no longer included as part of club free drinks option ( we bought wine each evening though)Overall a super relaxed trip on mekong - made special by your brilliant crew!