As I mentioned on another post, I am hoping to do another China/Vietnam in early 2010, accompanied by two friends. There is a possibility, however, that these friends will not be able to make the trip due to financial concerns. If that is the case, I will likely carry on with an Asia trip of my own. While I continue to muse about China, the idea of taking a Pandaw cruise is also of interest.

I have made one previous trip to Burma, in the early 1980s, when I spent a week visiting Rangoon and Pagan. (No guide except one local person in Pagan; one travel companion) This still ranks among my favorite travel experiences.


So--I would love to hear your thoughts on a possible Burma trip.

First: Opinions on doing a Pandaw trip vs mapping out a solo trip. Pros and cons of both. Any thoughts on Pandaw for a single person?

Second: Which Pandaw cruise? Options for early 2010 appears to be:

8 days Mandalay to Prome
14 night Irawaddy (not too long to be cooped up on a ship?)

(There are no 2010 dates posted for the Chindwin/Upper Irawaddy cruises--not sure if these will be posted in future; if you recommend one of these, I will e-mail Pandaw and inquire, if I do decide on Burma)


http://www.pandaw.com/cruises-myanmar-c-21_22.html



Thanks!!

Hi ek: this just happens to be something I know about. I've spent 42 nights on the rivers of Burma - mostly with Pandaw.

Bottom line: perfect; for a single traveller, as a way of getting around, as a way of seeing the sights - either with the group or on your own.

caveat: there are some really dumb tourists out there. Some of them go on Pandaw. As a single traveller you'll get to meet them all. lol.

Things to know: you needn't be stuck with group touring. I'll tell you how later.

You will see EXACTLY the same stuff, whether you do it on your own or with Pandaw.

You can easily cover Yangon, Mandalay, Bagan as part of a Pandaw itinerary. Add on a side trip to Inle Lake. You've done the basics.

I've done the Mandalay/Prome trip twice, going down and coming back up. I loved it. But I didn't have to do that 4/5 hour shlep to/from Yangon by bus to connect.

Chindwin is a true wonder. Very special, only once, twice a year. I was there two year ago. Absolutely do it if you have the chance. But you'd need to go to Yangon/Man separately. Chindwin is a very different experience. Very pure. Very strange.

Very strange indeed.

Pandaw doesn't have vicious single suppliments. I recommend the downstairs cabins, up the front [as a way of meeting the crew and 'cos it's closer to the water and the people.

Do it. I'm a big Pandaw fan - and you KNOW what an evil, curmudgeonly sod I can be.

I the the Pandaw cruises in Burma would be perfect for you. I've wanted to do one of the cruises since they were first offered (it was then called the Irrawady Flotilla Co.). In fact, we were on the verge of booking one of the cruises for the end of this year, but we couldn't get the rest of the logistics to work. I'd even corresponded with Paul Strachen about it...

So go - and I will be endlessly jealous until we finally get our Pandaw cruise.

You'd love it Kathy. Why not edge your way into India for the first time on the Ganges one? Perfect way to start...

Oh, this is great! Evil curmudgeonly sod and all! (I only wish I could get to meet this ECS in person someday--I would even wear a muu-muu tent dress if I had to!

I find myself almost hoping that the friends will bail out for the other trip!

Since the Chindwin is not listed as of now, I am guessing that this will not be on for next winter..

Ok..will dig up the Burma guidebook and come back..

Kathie--Where is your next trip?

lol ek: I quite like my invisible mongrel persona. I'd only disappoint.

The Chindwin only happens each year when the rivers are high. Basically, the dates for this year will be same as for next year. Only one shot at that cruise.

Best short cut is to go to Diethelm or Santa Maria - one of the larger tour agencies, check out their itineraries and copy them.

Actually, better still, just decide on an itinerary that fits, Pandaw-wise, and build a trip around that. Much simpler.

Basically; you'll never get under the surface. Just be a tourist. That'll be entertaining enough - that, and the eccentric passengers on the Pandaw.

No question, dogster, I know I'd love many of the Pandaw trips - Burma, India, Sarawak... In fact, I'm sure I'd love them all. Unfortunately, the logistics have been impossible this year. We hoped to book the Irrawaddy cruise (14 days) but couldn't make the trans-Pacific flights work. I really want to do the Chindwin cruise, but Pandaw only offers it once a year, this year in August, I believe. That just doesn't work for me, unfortunately. Some day, when I'm retired, the logistics will be easier.

Where to this year, Eks? Good question. We now have our tickets in and out of Bangkok. There are still many options we are considering: Lijiang, Thai and Khmer temples in Thailand, and Burma are the current leading contenders. We had to eliminate Java for this year (logistics again). Working is interfering with my traveling.

ekscrunchy, I would consider doing the cruise from Prome on the edge of the Delta to Katha and the 2nd Defile on the Upper Irrawaddy.

We did the Upper Irrawaddy late last year (m arked by having to abandon ship on the first night when we were hit by a savage force 3 hurricane - it was a freak and the first time any such mishaps had happened in more than 10 years of operations!

The cruise was splendid after stopping at Mandalay for repairs and then continuing.

There were several people travelling solo, and only 28 on the entire voyage. It was 10 nights, but we could easily have accommodated another 4 nights!

I have photos of the trip at http://jmprphotography.com

You are right. The Upper Irrawaddy cruise is not happening - and the Pandaw IV (on which we travelled) has been renamed and is now doing the Ganges trip.

But the Irrawady cruise is basically the same as what we did, although we boarded further upstream in Bagan - which explains the four aditional nights of the current trip.

The pasengers on our cruise were about 70 percent Australia, with the balance being American, Scottish and English.

The Pandaw also operates along the Mekong, and this year gets a run for its money with the introduction of "Le Marguerite" - a plush new vessel that makes its maiden voyage in September. One of the operators is formerly the manager of the Pandaw in Vietnam and Cambodia.

Hmmmm.....a few typos in the response *lol* I apologise! Blame it on excitement!!!

Two friends of mine did the Pandaw about 5 or so years ago and loved it. They were lucky and there were very few people on their cruise and the ones who were on it they liked. They've been independently traveling S.E. Asia for at least 20 years and it wasn't their first trip to Burma. They had gone many years prior to their Pandaw cruise experience. Happy Travels!

Thanks for all of the info! Mitch: Your photos: Incredibly fabulous.

Kathie: I will be so excited to hear about your plans. When you say Lijiang, do you mean to just dip your toe into China here?

OK--now I am going to recommend another book, especially for Dogster but I think you all will like it; the author, Taras Grescoe, has some very funny comments on the tourist/traveler issue:


http://tinyurl.com/b3m9yu


Thanks Guenmai: I am glad to hear of your friends' experience. The whole idea of being cooped up with strangers has me a bit scared. I took one tour about 10 years ago, to West Africa, and sadly I did not bond with any of my fellow travelers.. But the Pandaw people sound like they are a good bunch, based on what I've read here and on the few reviews I read..

I even sent the Pandaw site to my friends--maybe they will surprise me and decide to do this trip with me!

Kathie glad to see Burma is on your list, if you do choose to go you'll not regret it.

Has anyone done both the Pandaw and The Road to Mandalay in Burma? I'm torn. I'm trying to see if I can squeeze in both next year (Maybe do the Pandaw in Borneo). I enjoyed the RTM so much, I'm considering a repeat trip to Bhamo, or should I do the Pandaw and the Chindwin? Decisions, decisions...

Oh Femi I did not remember that you did the RTM cruise!

I have to look for your trip report..


I was in Burma so long ago (more than 20 years ago!!) that it would feel like exploring a "new" country.

I am getting so excited about this that I am almost hoping that my friends bail out for the other trip we were discussing..

Eks, if we go to Lijiang, we will just explore that area. I've traveled in China before, but that's an area I haven't visited.

Those of you who know me from my multitude of posts here know that I have debated Burma for more than a decade, booking trips, then canceling when the government re-arrested ASSK or whatever. I really want to do a Pandaw cruise there, but we cannot make it work this year. So if we opt for Burma, it will be to visit areas we wouldn't see or wouldn't have enough time in on a Pandaw cruise (at least that's my concept now). I know I will love Burma - I've wanted to go there since I was a child. Thanks Eks and Femi for your words of encouragement.

BTW, Femi, in looking at a Burma trip, I researched the RTM and the Pandaw and thought I'd prefer the Pandaw. Of course, the RTM looks fabulous.

I've been on both, Femi. 2 cruises with RTM, four with Pandaw.

Totally different experiences. RTM for very good food, endless grovel and a TV in your cabin but total sausage factory excursions of the worst, most insulting kind. Very glam tho', very nice ship. Very Europe cruising. Totally perfect if you want to skim through, have Myanmah-la-la tourism and leave thinking you've been there.

You can do that on Pandaw too, but you'd look a bit silly. Pandaw is rather more intrepid. I just prefer it - 'cos there is SOME hope of getting just a little outside the sausage-factory. Just look at the two boats. The pictures say it all.

I'd try Pandaw now, Femi. But it's for the more 'interested' traveller. Is that you? I bet it is. Perfectly comfortable, the food is not as good but better than O.K., less formal, less grovel but much more personal service. I got the feeling that these guys on the Pandaw MEANT it - I never once had that feeling in my 17 days, all up, on RTM.

I think that's the difference.

Just heard from one of my friends, who is expressing interest in the Pandaw idea. He is very interested in ships and shipping and I think that the idea of the Irawaddy Flotilla company replica ship is part of the draw here!

So before I speak with my friends in detail, let me understand that there is now one Pandaw ship that travels the Burma rivers. I think it is going to be difficult to convince them to take the longer cruise, since they want to see many places in 3 weeks (!!)..

The 8-day itinerary seems a lot less exciting than the longer one--has anyone taken this? Does it really get a bit off the tourist trail?

Eks, there must be two boats running in Burma, as during the time I'll be in SE Asia, there is the long cruise we wanted and lots of 3 day cruises. On the website, you can see the various cruises, and when you select it, it will show the dates it runs. Several of the cruises run only once a year, some run several times a year, some much more frequently.

Bon Voyage and I can't wait to read of your tales again. Hope all goes as smoothly(or not, as you like it) and please give us ALL the details!

I just came back from Burma and can't recommend it highly enough-can't do a trip report since the last time I started one of those, my life fell apart and I'm very superstitious.

That was Bon Voyage to Dogster and whoever else is leaving soon!

Well my apetite's certainly whetted now! The stops along the Irrawaddy by the Pandaw and RTM are surprisingly similar. I plan to do the Pandaw in Borneo, haven't quite decided what to do the second half of the trip. I don't see either a Chindwin or Irrawaddy cruise posted on the RTM site right now, that may solve my dilemma.

All this with the caveat that no irresistable deals to anywhere else pop up. Am I the only one waiting for those bargains in Asia? I haven't seen anything exciting yet.

Great thread Eks.