Pandaw River Expeditions launches new cruise along the Upper Mekong River …

This has a floor made of silver and a life-sized Buddha made from solid gold and decorated with more than 2,000 diamonds.

A two-night stay in a hotel at Siem Reap, with a full day at the UNESCO-listed temples of Angkor Wat is also included in the £2,495 per person price, which is based on two sharing.

However, first-time Asian river cruisers might want to opt for Pandaw’s Mandalay Pagan Packet.

At £1,995 per person, two sharing, the seven-night cruise includes return flights and explores Burma’s ancient capitals, sleepy villages and the temples of Pagan.

Pandow was founded in 1998 by Scotsman Paul Strachan, with the re-building of an original Clyde-built steamer called Pandaw.

The company can trace its roots back to the original Irrawaddy Flotilla Company, founded by Scots merchants in 1865, and is still a family-run company, operating cruises in Burma, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and China.

For more information call 0203 773 8796 or go to www.pandow.com.