THE IRRAWADDY

In March 2015, my family was introduced to Pandaw and Myanmar and we fell in love with both. Our seven days on the RV Kindat Pandaw were magical as we explored the areas around Mandalay and Bagan under the knowledgeable guidance of Harry. Experiencing the Irrawaddy was exciting……from getting stuck on a sandbar to spotting the dolphins (albeit at a distance). We had the good fortune to meet Stuart Hickman when we boarded and I was reassured that my food allergies had been shared extensively with the kitchen staff. This made for a very relaxed journey onboard and we could appreciate this extraordinary adventure to the fullest. A few weeks later we embarked on a classic Mekong River journey with another line which had a great reputation. While we enjoyed this experience, it could not compare to the magical trip we had on the Irrawaddy.

In March 2016, we returned to Myanmar and embarked on another Pandaw adventure. For 14 days on the Pandaw II we explored more areas of this enchanting country and river. Our travelling companions came from a wide range of backgrounds, making this trip even more interesting, rewarding and lots of fun from the time we boarded until we parted company! Once again, we met Stuart on the ship and we immediately knew that we would be well looked after. Another familiar face was Peter, our bartender from the Kindat who welcomed us warmly. We really felt like part of a special family.

As I write this, I am planning and packing for our March 2017 getaway from the Canadian winter. Our little family is again going to explore Southeast Asia and a Pandaw adventure is on the itinerary. On March 4th, we will be starting a ten day journey in Laos and we are so looking forward to it. As a real bonus, a couple from our March 2016 trip will also be onboard.so there will be ABBA again! (which was referred to in another testimonial).

In closing, I would like to thank you for the wonderful, authentic journeys that Pandaw offers and hope we may have many more opportunities to explore your world.

In appreciation,
Solveig Lalla, Krishna Lalla & Lindsay Isaac-Lalla