CHINDWIN & NAGALAND 14 NIGHTS

DAY 1 HOMALIN

Fly to Homalin and embark your Pandaw for your 7-night cruise.

PLEASE NOTE: The itinerary for this expedition is indicative only and subject to reconnaissance. As we travel to remote areas, changes to the itinerary will inevitably occur. A flexible approach is required if you book this cruise.

DAY 2 NAGALAND

Sail northbound into Nagaland, a remote and fascinating tribal area. As we will be the first luxury vessel to venture this far north, we will stop at villages not used to receiving international guests. Our arrival will no doubt be something of an occasion.

DAY 3 KHAMTI

In the afternoon, Visit Khamti, known as ‘the land full of gold’ due to the prevalence of gold panning in the nearby tributary of the Chindwin. We visit the town, the monastery meet local Tai speaking peoples. Later sail downstream to Homalin.

DAY 4 HOMALIN

Today we explore Homalin, an interesting town close to the Indian border with attractive forested mountains on either side – some rising to over 9,000 feet. Irrawaddy Flotilla Company used to visit here and during World War II, Homalin was occupied by the Japanese.

DAY 5 TAUNGDOOT - PAUNGPYIN

Morning visit market to Toungdoot or Hsawng-hsup in Tai, is an ancient Shan enclave who in British times still had a ruling Sawbwa complete with palace and court. It will be interesting to see what has become of the royal family and their home and to see these Shan people so far from their Tai-Shan homelands. Alistair McCrae wrote of his visit there 1935 'I loved the atmosphere of quiet and peaceful living there'.

An enjoyable day exploring the lesser visited villages along this beautiful stretch of the Chindwin River. We visit to Paungpyin village in the evening and take a walking tour and the attractive wooden houses.

DAY 6 SITTAUNG - YUWA

Continue to Sitthaung, the final resting place of a number of Irrawaddy Flotilla Company steamers scuppered there in 1942 in an ‘act of denial’ from the advancing Japanese who were a matter of hours behind. Remains of these ships can be found here. It was from here that the survivors of the Japanese invasion marched out to Tamu on the India border. Pantha was an important oil refinery belonging to the Indo-Burma Petroleum Co (Steel Brothers). We continue downstream and moor up overnight at the village of Yuwa.

Morning walking tour of YUWA and then Kindat (Burmese for ‘military outpost’), with its old colonial post office (now a school) and friendly welcoming villagers.

DAY 7 MAWLAIK - SHWETAUNG

Sail on to Mawlaik, the town that replaced Kindat as the administrative capital but ironically the Myanma refused to move there from upstream Kindat. It was mainly settled with the company houses of the by the Scottish owned and run Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation in the 1920s and 1930s. There are many splendid ‘Dak Bungalows’ set around a verdant golf course. Mawlaik and the other towns of the Upper Chindwin can only be reached by boat so cars are few. There is a dreamy otherworldly quality to such places and truly one feels that one has travelled there in the Pandaw time machine!

DAY 8 KALEWA

Explore ashore visiting the local market and enjoying panoramic views over the Chindwin from top of a hill.

DAY 9 KALEWA - MA SEIN

Sail the Myittha River by country boat to Kalaymyo on the border with Chin State and if permitted continue by coach into Chin State to view Mount Kennedy Peak at 2,703 meters, the second highest peak in Chin State and site of a famous WWII battle. Packed lunch and return to ship by coach.

DAY 10 MAWLAIK ELEPHANT CAMP

Morning excursion by tuk tuk or coach to visit teak forests beyond Mawlaik. Continue to the Pya Swe Elephant Camp, a working camp where the elephants are protected in natural surroundings.

DAY 11 MAWLAIK - SHWETAUNG

Morning excursion by Tuk Tuk or coach to view the teak forests outside Mawlaik. In the evening, visit to Shwe Taung village. We then sail to Kalewa where we overnight.

DAY 12 MINGKIN - KIN YWA

We visit Mingkin in the morning. Rediscovered by Paul Strachan in 1987 and described in some detail in his book Mandalay: Travels from the Golden City. It remains for Paul the most art historically interesting site in Myanmar (more so than the now spoilt Pagan) with its Konbaung court style teak monasteries sumptuously decorated. Mingkin may be described as the Luang Prabang of the Chindwin. Afternoon cruising on the Chindwin, including a stop at a local village where we are the main attraction!

DAY 13 KANEE - SHWE SA YAE VILLAGE

Delightful morning cruising the Chindwin downstream towards Kanee village, where we explore on a late morning walking tour and evening Shwe say ae village. Moon overnight near Monywa.

DAY 14 PHOWIN TAUNG - BAWDITAHTAUNG - MONYWA

Morning Excursion by coach to Phowin Taung Hill where we visit the Phowin Taung Caves with beautiful mural paintings and Buddha statues dating back to the 14th and 18th centuries. In the afternoon, where we visit Moe Hnyin Than Boaddai Temple with over five hundred thousand Buddha statues and probably the longest (over 330 ft / 100 m) reclining and the tallest (412 ft / 125 m) standing Buddha in Myanmar. After lunch, enjoy a walking tour of Monywa.

DAY 15 MONYWA

Disembark at Monywa IWT jetty and transfer to Mandalay (3 hour drive by road).