Mekong Cruises on the Vat Phou

The elegant deck of the Vat Phou on the Mekong River in Laos.

PHOTO: Courtesy East West Siam

Boarding the Vat Phou for a cruise down the Mekong River takes one back to an age when ladies carried parasols and gentlemen drank gin slings. However, the Vat Phou, which sails from Pakse, in Laos, to the 4,000 islands near the Cambodian border, has comforts unheard of then: each of the twelve cabins is air-conditioned and has its own bathroom with a toilet and a shower. Meals are served in the dining room by a staff that does its utmost to please. The exceptional food combines the cuisines of Vietnam, Thailand and Laos and features such Lao specialties as chicken laap and watercress salad. An experienced guide leads shore expeditions that include the remote Wat Phou, a Khmer temple that predates Angkor Wat and where you may be the only visitors. But perhaps the best parts of the three-day trip are the moments spent on deck watching the river flow past villages where life has scarcely changed in centuries. Rates from $399 per person for three days and two nights, including meals. For details, visit asian-oasis.com. To book, call Absolute Asia, 800-736-8187.