Pandaw Ships


RV Indochina Pandaw

Pandaw II

RV Mekong Pandaw

RV Tonle Pandaw

RV Orient Pandaw



RV Saigon Pandaw

RV Bassac Pandaw

RV Katha Pandaw

RV Angkor Pandaw

RV Bengal Pandaw

By 2012 we will have ten 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.

The Pandaw stateroom is the most celebrated feature of our ships. Finished in brass and teak, the main and upper deck rooms are very spacious at 168 square feet (15.6 sqm). Much loved by all our passengers we have ensured that with each ship we build the stateroom remains the same. Our cabins do not have mini-bars, satellite TV’s, internet or phones.Pandaw passengers usually want to escape from the tiresome features found in international business hotels.

Many passengers describe life on board a Pandaw more like being a guest on a private motor yacht than a cruise ship. Where we go and what we see is intrepid in extreme. What you come back to is a floating base of discreet comfort, caring service and all the good things one looks for in life.

The Pandaw dining rooms are designed to open up along the sides and only at night do we close them up and use air conditioning.  We know our passengers want fresh air not chilled air. The new Katha and Angkor Pandaws, designed according to feedback from our passengers, actually have open air dining on deck.


We offer a great choice of local cuisine and exotic foods.  We source supplies as locally as possible, given environmental health regulations. Breakfast is a buffet whilst lunch has a buffet soup, salad and desert table with the main course served at the table and dinner is served at the tables. Passengers who do not like hot or spicy foods are offered European alternatives and vegetarians are well catered for. Special diets may be catered for by prior agreement. Our chefs know that the majority of passengers want to eat the best of each country they pass through.

• All meals are single seating
• Table service is complimented with fresh salads, fruits and deserts (at lunch) on our buffet
• Attire is smart casual
• Breakfast and lunch are open-air
• Dinners are candlelit and indoor dining rooms are air-conditioned
• At least two theme dinners, in addition to our Farewell Gala Dinner

Currently only available on our Mekong ships, the Pandaw Spa offers head massage, foot massage and body massages in dedicated spa areas on each ship. Due to lack of space we only carry one spa lady on each ship so be sure to book in advance as they can be in good demand.

Whilst the peace and tranquility of our passengers is our priority and many passengers prefer to read, write or engage in painting or photography we do offer a number of unobtrusive activities that have become a traditional part of any Pandaw river expedition. These include: cooking, fruit carving and napkin arrangement demonstrations; exploring local markets with our chefs; talks from our on board guides; film presentations, with documentaries on local history and culture as well as movies; tours of the working ship and many other activities.

During the expedition there will be at least one cultural performance on board  whether the Royal Khmer Ballet in Cambodia, the Marionette Theater in Burma or Iban tribal dances in Borneo. On longer cruises there will be at least two performances per cruise.

There are a number of social events during an expedition which will include a welcome dinner, cocktail parties on deck, a farewell gala dinner and dinners themed with local menus and costume. In the Burma dry season we often tie up on a sandbank and have a barbeque beach party on the sands, usually around a bonfire in winter.

 

Excursions ashore a key part of any Pandaw river expedition. These may be in the form of a good walk through countryside and villages; further explorations by speed boat going deeper into jungle or up river; horse cart rides in Burma or cyclos in Cambodia. We try not to used cars or coaches wherever possible and in some places only the most basic of local transportation is available, like at Katha in Burma where you may find yourself in the back of a truck looking for a working elephant camp.

We stop at least once a day, usually twice. On the Mekong we will spend a day and a night in exciting Phnom Penh; in Burma we need at least a day and a half in both Pagan and Mandalay. Our expert guides will accompany you on these explorations ashore or you are welcome to make individual excursions as there are no issues of safety or security in any of the ports or stops we visit.

 

 

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