PETER MORGAN, UK, MANDALAY PAGAN PACKET, FEB 2017
The itinerary organised for me by PANDAW met my brief and excelled in so many ways. Having been met and given a half day tour of the main sights of Yangon followed by two days pre-cruise at Inle Lake, a seven day cruise from Bagan to Mandalay and a five day post-cruise to Hsipaw in the North Shan district with a day in Mandalay, each element in its own way contributed towards a memorable holiday which was both relaxing and rewarding.
The visit to Inle Lake was like a breath of fresh air, I didn't know what to expect but it certainly didn't disappoint and it set the tone for the rest of the holiday. The cruise up the Irrawaddy was like taking a step back in time to the colonial era, the ship was very well maintained and had a traditional comfortable aura about it and the crew seemed to be telepathic, knowing what you wanted before you had asked for it.
Being a retired seafarer myself, I found the whole cruise fascinating, as were the places visited. Finally, my trip to Hsipaw was a kaleidoscope of activities, each one special in its own way. I cannot praise too highly the appointed guides, and the bar was set very high by Aye Aye at the Inle Lake, Ko Tin on board the Orient Pandaw was always smiling and had an encyclopedic knowledge of all the places visited and finally, when I went to North Shan I was on my own and it was necessary to have a local guide, Ohm, as well as the Phyu Phyu the guide who escorted me to and from Hsipaw, both spoke excellent English, were very attentive and had a wonderful sense of humour which only went to confirm that the nature of the Burmese is really something very special. Many years ago, I visited South East Asia on a regular basis but never managed to get to Myanmar, yet it is a country that has long held a fascination for me, and I was not disappointed.
Thank you PANDAW.
Peter Morgan
