The Pandaw Story
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 six 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.
This year we inaugurate new cruises on the Rajang in Borneo and
Ganges in India. Another two magnificent Asian rivers, rich in things
to do and see, with varied topography of great beauty.
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.
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