The Yunnan will join the Laos Pandaw sailing on the Upper Mekong from Vientiane (Laos) to Jinghong (China), or visa versa, on a 14-night journey and will bring the fleet to 16.

The ship will have 12 air-conditioned main deck and two upper deck staterooms, while public areas will include an observation deck and dining room.

It will be built in Pandaw’s traditional teak and brass and have an ultra-low draft and high powered engines to enable navigation on the Upper Mekong.

Pandaw’s founder Paul Strachan said: “The journey from Vientiane to Jinghong is only possible with Pandaw so we are very excited about the addition of the Yunnan Pandaw to our fleet. Pandaw’s current departures on the Laos Mekong, from Vientiane to Jinghong always sell out, so we are building Yunnan Pandaw in response to demand.”

In China, the journey includes visiting the Menglun Botanical Garden, tea plantations and minority communities in Yunnan Province.

The Upper Mekong cruise can also be combined with Pandaw’s seven-night Classic Mekong cruise between Saigon and Siem Reap, which includes a complimentary three-night stay in Siem Reap, including guided visits to Angkor Wat.

In Laos, the trip includes Ban Paklay, Pak Lai, Luang Prabang, Pak Ou Caves, Nam Ou River and Pak Beng. In Thailand, the cruise stops off in Chiang Saen to visit the Golden Triangle and opium museum and then cruises a Burma stretch of the Mekong. Back in Laos, passengers will be able to visit the Aka tribal villages of Muang Long, before heading into China.

Pandaw operates cruises in Burma, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and China from June to April.