| Zambezi |
Oct 27th, 2014 05:45 PM |
From looking at this site online, I see that it acts as a go-between for cruise companies it considers luxurious and prospective clients. I suppose gathering information about several companies in one place has its advantages, although that strategy leaves out other cruise companies that might offer competitive advantages, but I myself would rather deal with an individual line rather that going through a proxy.
Having said that, I recommend that you consider the Pandaw company that I used in September, 2014, for a twenty-night cruise on two rivers in northern Burma. (You can read my report on this site.) I met some of the staff members who oversee the entire operation and are helping to plan the expansion of trips on the Mekong, along the Burmese coast, and elsewhere. They seemed competent and enthusiastic.
I have also a recommendation about the length of a trip. From my memory of scanning the Mekong trips that Pandaw offers, this issue probably won't matter, but I found my trip too long. Were I to do it again, I would go on a ten-night cruise, up either the Chinwin River or the Irrawaddy, but not both. There is too much sameness to make twenty nights interesting. A final suggestion to you as you consider cruises, think about the configuration of the boat. I saw three or four other Pandaw boats close-up (sometimes we were docked next to each other). My boat, the RV Pandaw II, had an enclosed air-conditioned dining room, with a sun lounge on the top deck (the boat could hold 48 passengers, but there were only 30 on my cruise). There was also an air-conditioned enclosed lounge. Other Pandaw boats were smaller, dining was al fresco, and, as best as I could figure, lacking in air-conditioned lounges. Considering the humidity and, in the monsoon season, the torrential rains, I would not have liked the latter accommodation.
There are probably other cruise lines comparable in quality to Pandaw, so choose what you believe is best for you. ZZ
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