Hi

I would just like to say how much I enjoyed the above cruise on the RV Kalaw beginning on the 14th March.  The boat was lovely, kept wonderfully clean, the food was excellent and the staff were absolutely marvellous, looking after us all so wonderfully.

People are always so ready to complain about things, but do not always praise when things are good.

Thank you for a lovely experience.
Carolyn Parnell

Response from Pandaw

Many thanks for taking the time to write to us. Your feedback means much and I have passed it on to Sai and all the crew on the Kalaw Pandaw.  Both positive and negative criticism helps us keep the show on the road. The positive encourages us to do even better and the negative to fix things where they go wrong. But thank you all the more for your positive comments.

Having read some of the comments on your website, it is hard to find a different set of words to describe the wonderful experience we had on our cruise up the Irrawaddy. With only 23 passengers on board the atmosphere was very friendly and welcoming. It is clear that after many years' experience, Pandaw truly understands how to ensure their guests travel in comfort and experience all the fascinating sights the Irrawaddy has to show.

For example, on the whole, the morning and afternoon tours were 2 - 3 hours duration so one was not left feeling utterly exhausted and it was lovely to come back to the boat at lunchtime and relax before the afternoon tour. The standard of service by the crew was outstanding - nothing was too much trouble and they were always around on the tours to help you up a steep slope or hand out the very welcome chilled wet wipes to clean your feet after visiting a temple. I don't think they saw it as service they had to do, but rather they treated us as if we were their parents/grandparents and they always did it with a smile and so willingly.

This review would not be complete without mentioning the excellent array of food offered each day - everything we ate was delicious and beautifully presented. We particularly enjoyed the local dishes they prepared and it was obvious everything was freshly made right down to the croissants for breakfast.

There were so many highlights but perhaps the one I most enjoyed was the surprise beach party when all the crew and guests joined together for dancing and canapes - it was such fun and lovely to be able to be at one with the crew - it really was like a big family occasion. Again on the final evening when we said thank you and farewell to the crew, we all danced together and said out goodbyes.

I thought the cruise was excellent value for money and hope that Pandaw can continue to maintain their high standards as they grow their excellent product.

My husband and I have just returned from a wonderful 10 days on the Laos Pandaw. We were so well looked after by the very professional crew with great travelling companions (just 16 of us) from three countries. The scenery was magnificent, we marvelled at the skill of the Captain and First Officer as they steered the ship through the amazing waters of the Mekong. Each visit to a village was different and we learnt so much about Laos culture from our Purser, "Mr B". The sunsets over the river were spectacular.

This was our second river cruise with Pandaw. We could not think of travelling with any other company if we want to continue to explore Asian and other river systems. The crew are so careful and helpful with ageing passengers (including us!) and we thank them all for their care and concern. This is a great way to relax and to learn. The ability and planning of the Pandaw ships to nudge into banks along the Mekong (and other rivers) to visit villages is a highlight. Where else could one experience a cocktail hour with barbeque snacks sitting on a sandbar! Our stops at larger towns and cities allowed us to see more of Laos culture. Thank you Pandaw for another memorable experience.

Val Gribble