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Myanmar’s smiles can’t be suppressed, a lasting memory I will have from my first (and not last) trip to Myanmar is of an aching face at the end of the day – from smiling! The trip on the RV Kalaw from Bagan to Mandalay was everything I had dreamt it would be. The crew were exceptional, every one of them from the sailors who cleaned our shoes and helped us disembark and embark, the staff who manned the bar and served at the tables who were also ready with the Myanmar smile and a joke. A special thank you to Myo Naing the purser who went out of his way to make sure everyone had a wonderful holiday. Myo and three other crew took me and another passenger to their favorite tea house one afternoon, a great experience.
It was my birthday on board and I truly appreciated the cake, the entire crew singing happy birthday to me and my special present; it will be treasured always. Only negative I can think of was the 10-minute trip to a silk “factory” followed by over an hour in the retail outlet. In the factory there were 14 – 16 year girls working from 8am till 9pm five to six days a week. Our guide Brian was asked how old the girls were and he said 24. I did not believe this and asked through another crew member who questioned a girl and was told 14 – 16 years old. I understand that children often support families and this is a necessity in some countries, but I also understand that the silk industry is controlled by the “generals” and being forced to spend over an hour in a shop making purchases was unnecessary I thought. Perhaps we could have spent time in a local market as is done on other trips. The trips to the local pottery making village, lacquer-ware workshop and silver workshop were fine, although a lot of the silver jewellery in the shop was Indian not Burmese.
I was told that Pandaw cruises can be habit forming and I can understand why, I know I will be back. Your staff make the cruise so special, but then again so do all the Burmese people I had the opportunity to meet.
ThanksSally
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YVONNE AND JOHN ELLISON, UK, MANDALAY PAGAN PACKET, FEB 2019 MRS G L WILKINSON, UK, MANDALAY PAGAN PACKET, FEB 2019 JAN AND TONY HEMBLING, UK, MANDALAY PAGAN PACKET, NOV 2018 KERRIE AND STEPHEN, AUSTRALIA, MANDALAY PAGAN PACKET, NOV 2018 ELAINE WATTERS, UK, MANDALAY PAGAN PACKET, AUG 2018 CATHY, UK, MANDALAY PAGAN PACKET, AUG 2018 SUZY LAMONT, UK, MANDALAY PAGAN PACKET, MAR 2018 RICHARD AND KAY RANKIN, MALAYSIA, MANDALAY PAGAN PACKET, DEC 2017 CATHERINE WHEELER, USA, MANDALAY PAGAN PACKET, JAN 2019 MARTIN AND MAUREEN WHITEHEAD, UK, MANDALAY PAGAN PACKET, JAN 2018 GERALD MALCUIT AND ANDREE POMERLAU, CANADA, MANDALAY PAGAN PACKET, OCT 2017 MARIAN CULLWICK AND CATHERINE MACDONALD, UK, MANDALAY PAGAN PACKET, SEP 2017 KEVIN BARLOW, THAILAND, MANDALAY PAGAN PACKET, OCT 2017 LYNDA BROWN, UK, MANDALAY PAGAN PACKET, OCT 2017 VC, UK, MANDALAY PAGAN PACKET, OCT 2017 DAVID AND LIZ FOTHERGILL, UK, MANDALAY PAGAN PACKET, SEP 2017 MS MEGAN ROWE, AUSTRALIA, MANDALAY PAGAN PACKET, SEP 2017 JANE BELL, AUSTRALIA, MANDALAY PAGAN PACKET, SEP 2017 KAREL ZIJLSTRA AND SON SIMON, NETHERLANDS, MANDALAY PAGAN PACKET, MAR 2017 KAREL ZIJLSTRA, NETHERLANDS, MANDALAY PAGAN PACKET, MAR 2017 MARCUS WILLIAMS, UK, MANDALAY PAGAN PACKET, MAR 2017 JOHN AND NOLA DAVIES, AUSTRALIA, MANDALAY PAGAN PACKET, FEB 2017 PETER MORGAN, UK, MANDALAY PAGAN PACKET, FEB 2017 RT, MANDALAY PAGAN PACKET, FEB 2017 RICHARD WILLIAMS, UK, MANDALAY PAGAN PACKET, JAN 2017 ROBYN OGDIN, AUSTRALIA, MANDALAY PAGAN PACKET, JAN 2017 MR RODGER GLENN FRENCH, USA, MANDALAY PAGAN PACKET, DEC 2016 CLARE WOOLDRIDGE, UK, MANDALAY PAGAN PACKET, OCT 2016 JENNIFER WYLIE, UK, MANDALAY PAGAN PACKET, OCT 2016 PATRICIA SOMERSET, UK, MANDALAY PAGAN PACKET, OCT 2016 ANNE HINDS, UK, MANDALAY PAGAN PACKET, OCT 2016 MELINDA, UK, MANDALAY PAGAN PACKET, MAR 2016 SANDRA SCOTT, AUSTRALIA, MANDALAY PAGAN PACKET, MAR 2016 KITTY C, USA, MANDALAY PAGAN PACKET, FEB 2016 SHELDON R, USA, MANDALAY PAGAN PACKET, FEB 2016 ROBYN WATERS, USA, MANDALAY PAGAN PACKET, FEB 2016 MARGARET BERRY, UK, MANDALAY PAGAN PACKET, JAN 2016 FLO LOO, USA, MANDALAY PAGAN PACKET, NOV 2015 MARION & HERMANN OBERREITER, AUSTRIA, MANDALAY PAGAN PACKET, NOV 2015 ROBYN WATERS & GARY SPRINGER, MANDALAY PAGAN PACKET, SEP 2015 BILL PAGE, MANDALAY PAGAN PACKET, AUG 2015 CATHERINE MIRRLEES, MANDALAY PAGAN PACKET, MARCH 2015 EDDIE TAYLOR AND PIETRO OVATTA, BAGAN TO MANDALAY, FEB 2015
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