Pandaw River Cruises

2007 Marks the 12th anniversary since we started running river expeditions. Reviving the old Irrawaddy Flotilla Company in 1995, we were the first since the Second World War to offer pioneering cruises on Myanmar's spectacular Irrawaddy River, attempting to reach Bhamo, one thousand miles from the sea. In 1998 we pioneered the stunningly attractive Chindwin River. In 2001 were the first since colonial days to offer a complete cruise from Rangoon to Mandalay. The Irrawaddy Flotilla Company was established by Scots merchants in 1865. By the 1920s the company ran over 650 vessels on the rivers of Burma. It had become the largest privately owned fleet of ships in the world. Mainly paddle steamers, the largest class of vessels were 350ft long and licensed for 4,000 passengers. In 1942 the fleet in its entirety was scuppered as an Act of Denial when the Japanese invaded. The Irrawaddy Flotilla was in 1995 revived by the Burma historian Paul Strachan. First restoring an original Clyde-built steamer called the Pandaw, and then going on to build four brand new replicas, a unique concept and style of river cruising was created. In 2002 we took our Pandaw concept to the Mekong River in Indochina where we now have two Pandaws plying between Saigon in Vietnam and Angkor Wat in Cambodia. Here the Pandaws broke the seemingly impenetrable river border between two very different countries. In high water our vessels accomplished the first cross navigation of the Tonle Sap, an inland sea previously un-navigated by anything other than local speed boats. We now have four beautifully crafted Pandaw ships in operation that we built ourselves. Each ship, hand finished in brass and teak by traditional craftsmen are in themselves objects of great beauty. The secret of our success is that on our ships, whilst luxury and comfort are discreetly present, it is the colonial character and friendly atmosphere that predominate. All our Pandaws have ultra shallow drafts and can travel to remote areas, which would be unreachable by other vessels, let alone overland. Both the Irrawaddy and Mekong rivers traverse mountains, jungles and plains and each empty into the ocean through vast deltas. A variety of cultures, ways of life and religions are dissected by these great water systems. Along their banks may be found a number of the most significant centres of art and architecture in the world including Pagan in Myanmar and Angkor in Cambodia. Myanmar was once the jewel in the British Imperial crown; the countries of L'Indochine were once French protectorates. Today the respective colonial legacies of both the British and the French may be found in the towns along these rivers. Pandaw Cruises are honoured by the fact that so many past passengers return on a regular basis. It is always a pleasure for our crew to see familiar faces once again. We are constantly striving to make our cruises more and more interesting, enhancing and embellishing itineraries wherever possible. In fact, the itineraries that follow are skeletal - in reality we see and do far more than indicated. Many old passengers tell us that no two cruises are ever the same. We very much look forward to seeing our old friends again, on old or new rivers. Our success is not just in the beauty of our ships, the comfort and service offered, or even the fascinating lands we journey through. Much of our success over the past 12 years is the consequence of carrying such intrepid and generously spirited passengers.