What’s good about a river cruise

A river cruise along the great waterways of Southeast Asia is a wonderful way to see rural life in many countries without having too big an impact on the environment.
They’re especially good for mature people who have done their share of backpacking and now appreciate a little more luxury along with the adventures.
That’s what you get with a Pandaw cruise. The thrills, and occasional spills, occur on the daily excursions but passengers chill out and enjoy being pampered on board the ships.

River cruise ships

The Orient Pandaw is one of the largest in Pandaw’s fleet of river cruise ships with 30 cabins.

Pandaws are beautiful. They’re replicas of ships that plied the Irrawaddy from the 1930s until they were scuttled in the second world war to stop them falling into the hands of the Japanese army. Small, elegant with teak woodwork and brass fittings, the look harks back to colonial days but we cruisers enjoy modern-day comforts.

A warm welcome

A warm welcome awaits travellers when they reach their Pandaw ship for a river cruise in Southeasat Asia.

Pandaw expeditions go to many remote areas so you might have several hours on a coach before reaching your ship. This could be tied up in a busy harbour, on a quiet wharf, a muddy riverbank or on the far side of a derelict freighter. But once you arrive you’ll get a warm welcome. a refreshing towel, a cool drink and plenty of smiles before heading for your cabin (or stateroom as Pandaw calls them).

These are also finished in brass and teak, and can be configured as two twin beds or a double. There are no TVs, mini-bars or internet in the room, but there’s a multifunction socket: I always take a power strip to charge all the electronic bits and bobs I travel with.
The number of staterooms ranges from 10 to 30 but, comfortable as they are, most people don’t spend much time in them.

The decks

Passengers love to relax on the decks of Pandaw river ships in Southeast Asia.

Being out on deck in various open-air lounge areas is much more interesting.
If you’re sailing along the Irrawaddy, the Mekong, the Chindwin or the Red River you want to watch the scenery rolling by: mountains and forests, rocks and rapids, villages and towns, fields and floods.

The rivers act as highways in remote areas. You’ll see ferries and fishermen, barges, dredgers, coal carriers and waterborne vegetable stores.
In some areas you’ll sail for miles without seeing any habitation while in others pagodas dot the hills.
In warm weather you can lean on the rails and watch the world drift by.
And if it’s cold you can snuggle up in a blanket, sip a cup of tea and nibble some of the delicious cookies the chef makes daily.
Not that you’ll need any extra food – Pandaw chefs and kitchen staff serve up superb meals three times daily (and that’s not including the canapes at cocktail hour).

Meals

When the weather turned chilly on the Pandaw Mekong river cruise in Laos we were able to move into the lounge for dinner

Outdoor dining on Pandaw’s Chindwin river cruise in Myanmar. Passengers combined tables so we could get to know each other better.

The dining areas vary from ship to ship. In the larger ones the windows can be closed at night to allow air-conditioning while the smaller ones have open air dining spaces on deck.
Breakfast is a buffet with everything you would expect – Continental to full English options – but including local specialties such as pho when you are cruising through Vietnam. It’s available for an hour and a half so late risers can take their time.

The chef on the Andaman Explorer in the Mergui Archipelago outdid himself with this range of special lunch dishes.

Passengers enjoy the evening meal options on the Pandaw’s Andaman Explorer in the Mergui Archipelago in Myanmar.

Lunch and dinner are announced by a gong. At lunch you can look forward to a buffet of breads, soups and salads. Main courses usually include a meat, a fish and a vegetarian option, served at the table and followed by a help-yourself dessert.

The meals use fresh ingredients, feature characteristic dishes of the country we sail through and are beautifully presented. These days though I stick to soup and salads at lunchtime, all the better to cope with the afternoon excursion and appreciate our evening meal.
Dinner is a three course meal served at the table.

The lunch and dinner menus on Pandaw river cruise ships offer fish, meat and vegetarian options.

Special occasions on a river cruise

If you are lucky enough to celebrate a special occasion such as a birthday or wedding anniversary on a Pandaw river cruise in Southeast Asia the crew will treat you to a cake, a present and a birthday serenade. The cake, of course, is shared with everyone.

Evening cocktails

Passengers enjoy cocktails on a Pandaw riverboat on the Mekong River in Cambodia while waiting for the evening briefing to begin.

Dinner comes after cocktail hour on the deck. Pandaw barmen produce a different cocktail each evening, so with glass in hand we can listen to the briefing on the following day’s events by the purser and tour guide.

Sandbank cocktails

A bonfire on the Mekong riverbank in Cambodia makes a great backdrop for evening cocktails
canapes

Weather permitting, we may tie up on a sandbank or river’s edge for cocktails on the beach or a barbecue dinner.

A Pandaw chef prepares satay for a sandbank barbecue along the Irrawaddy River in Myanmar.

The crew provide entertainment – singing, dancing, lighting fire balloons and fireworks. And on one memorable occasion in Laos Hmong villagers joined us: several children in beautiful embroidered costumes while one old man performed on a traditional musical instrument, a reed pipe called a qeej.

Young Hmong girls in beautifully embroidered traditional costumes visited our Pandaw ship on the Mekong River in Laos.

Culture performances on deck

At least once per trip a cultural performance takes place on board the ship: Burmese folk tales acted out by enthusiastic dancers or the marionette theatre; classical Cambodian performances by stately dancers in intricate costumes and lively shows by Cambodian children; Vietnamese musicians and singers; Laos costumes and dances from some of the many ethnic groups as well as the Baci ceremony to welcome us.

Most of these nights take place when we are anchored in large towns or cities where troupes often entertain tourists, but the Chindwin expedition finished in Homalin. That’s well off the beaten track and doesn’t have any local culture groups.
Even so we were treated to a show put on entirely by our crew. Apparently the (all male) crew members take it in turn to become dancers (both male and female) and it’s yet another demonstration of how versatile Pandaw people are.

Art and craft demonstrations

A watermelon turns into a beautiful flower at the hands of a skillful Pandaw worker.

While most people are happy to relax on deck, the crew and tour guides always organise demonstrations and talks. Fruit carving, cooking and towel/napkin tying are pretty standard on most trips, as are lessons on how to wear the local costume. Language tips are useful and the (sometimes bloody) history of whichever country we are in can be sobering.

Our guide Kyaw (Joe) on the Zawgyi Pandaw told us that the checked patterns on longyi material are related to Myanmar regions and ethnic groups and many have only been in use since colonial times.

In Laos we learned about the many different ethnic groups and in Myanmar about the time of the 8888 Uprising (8 August 1988). Hundreds of thousands of monks, children, university students, housewives, doctors and common people protested against the government. The uprising ended on 18 September after a bloody military coup.
By the way, the number 8 in Burmese is pronounced ‘shit’ which makes the day of the uprising ‘shit, shit, shit, shit’. Easy to remember for both Burmese and English speakers.

Time to say goodbye to your river cruise

The last night of a cruise is often party night. The crew – sailors, engineers, chefs, kitchen staff and waitstaff – all line up to take a bow and then the music starts and everyone gets to let their hair down and dance.
Next day it’s all over. We say goodbye to friends old and new and pack the bags and head home but with plenty of great memories backed up by lots of photos and video.
And now it’s time to start planning the next expedition.

Coronavirus situation

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected tourism worldwide as countries move to close their borders.
Pandaw have cancelled all departures up to (for now) June 2020.
They say, “We very much regret any inconvenience caused by these cancellations but hope to welcome you back to complete your expedition in the new season once the global situation has returned to normal.”
Check here for the latest information.

More information about Pandaw river cruises

Posts about Pandaw cruises
Red River roving
Journey along the Chindwin River
Cruising the mighty Mekong River in Laos
Myanmar monkey moments at Pho Win Taung
Caves and temples in a North Vietnam water wonderland
Vietnamese unicorn and lion dance
Cruising down the river