Passenger Feedback

We have recently returned from an amazing holiday, the service we received was far and above what we expected. The cruise was excellent with staff who could not do enough for us, especially our purser Sokhom. We were very fortunate to also have on board Pandaw's executive chef so the food was an absolute treat, excellent cocktails at cocktail time and cabins were very comfortable, clean and airy.

We met lots of people and had enjoyable evenings on deck chatting with our new friends. The guides we had throughout our holiday were so good, so informative about their country and culture. We received a water blessing from the Buddhist monks - it was very moving and rather effective as the following morning the heavens opened! We left the boat to make our way to Seam Reap in a mighty thunderstorm but it all added to the fun of the holiday. Siem Reap was another wonderful experience - again with an excellent guide who was extremely knowledgeable and enjoyed taking photos of us!

Wendy Evans, dedicated Pandaw fan and traveler, has provided this outstanding account of her recent expedition on board RV Angkor Pandaw sailing the Red River and Halong Bay. Wendy has perfectly captured the many contrasts to be enjoyed along this route.

Greetings!

I just wanted to say how fantastic our journey was with Pandaw. We joined the ship on April 1st, and every moment was wonderful for the next 11 days. In particular, we were very impressed with your crew and guides - so professional, personable, and helpful. Tuan and Duoc were fantastic guides, offering insights into Vietnamese culture that were amazing and enlightening.

The excursions, the surprise treats, the variety of experience, and the comforts aboard were all ideal for us. When we needed something a bit out of the ordinary we knew we were in very good hands and trusted your crew and guides in every detail.

Thank you so much for your attention to every small thing. We have been recommending Pandaw to everyone, and hope to perhaps book another trip sometime.

With regards and thanks
Carolyn and Craig

I joined my 23-year old son Simon in Yangon who had been backpacking through Asia for six months and at the end of this we travelled together for two and a half weeks.

We went on the Pagan-Mandalay journey and we had an unforgettable time thanks to Pandaw! What a beautiful country Myanmar is, with its lovely, friendly people, the 'wealth' of its culture and the Buddhist philosophy. So photogenic.

The RV Kalaw Pandaw crew were amazing; very, very attentively caring and of course the amazing food on board: unforgettable! Thank you Kalaw crew!! Head of Food and Beverage Stuart Hickman told us that Simon was the youngest Pandaw guest this season.

I have to say Simon enjoyed Myanmar intensely. I challenge parents to take their adult children on a Pandaw journey - a real educational treat!

Our guide Yan was so good, he explained so much about his culture.

After our Myanmar adventure, I had an exhibition with my sculptures in Dubai and the last five days of our journey we stayed in Dubai…the contrast couldn’t be bigger...

I hope to return to this wonderful country, and of course with Pandaw!

Click Here to view more photo's of Karel & Simon's Mandalay Pagan Packet river cruise in Burma

Click Here to watch Karel's Mandalay Pagan Packet river cruise in Burma video

My husband and I recently had the wonderful experience of doing the 14 night Burma Irrawaddy Cruise leaving on the 19th December from Yangon to Mandalay and we really had to contact Pandaw to comment on our experience. The itinerary was relaxing yet covered most areas of interest on the river and the boat was beautiful, clean, relaxing and the food offered was way above what we expected in choice and taste.

But the crew of the boat were what really amazed us. They were absolutely amazing!! From the captain all the way to the lovely smiles and welcome back on board from the crew who had dug stairs up very steep river banks. We were spoilt beyond anything we have experienced. The crew went above and beyond and this is our greatest memory of our trip. The crew of our cruise deserve to be congratulated!!

Due to their amazing service and attitude we are only looking at doing Pandaw cruises in the future.

My husband and I recently returned home after cruising the Irrawaddy River on the RV Pandaw II, from March 7-22nd. We thoroughly enjoyed the cruise and your staff made us feel special.

We were especially impressed with the care the staff took to ensure that each guest was able to leave and return to the ship safely while navigating some difficult river banks. Several times, I counted up to 10 staff members ready to assist us. This was a remarkable difference to some of the other cruise lines who only had 2 or 3.

The addition of two extra staff members to assist the guide on our excursions was exceptional. We thought the service of cleaning our shoes and returning them to our cabins within an hour of our return was outstanding.

One evening, we had 4 staff members in our room at 10:30. The Purser, Guide, Head of Housekeeping and our Cabin Attendant took the sink apart in order to help us locate two gems stones which had broken from a ring.

These were just a few of the little differences that set Pandaw apart from the other cruise lines. In summation, I would like to say that Pandaw Cruise Line, has raised the bar for future cruises my husband and I may take. We have recommended Pandaw Cruise Line to our friends.

Sincerely
Sue and Dave Garskey

Hi again,

Our third Pandaw expedition met the high expectations that had been set by our two previous journeys. In March 2017, we had the good fortune to explore Laos, a fascinating land with much beauty in its landscape and people. Highlights on this trip were wandering around Luang Prabang and meeting our Captain's father. The Laos Pandaw was a lovely boat and we were truly spoiled onboard! As in the past, my food restrictions and allergies were conscientiously addressed by the kitchen. Upon our return, we were met with the good news that more dates would be added to the expeditions in Laos...hurray!

Since we regularly visit the Pandaw website, we read Paul Strachan's article about the Chindwin. As a result, we are now booked in August 2017 for a trip up this river and a journey to Nagaland. We are so excited to anticipate this new adventure. Myanmar has captured our hearts and this will be our third trip to this "enchanted" land.

Thank you so much for another wonderful experience,
Solveig Lalla
Krishna Lalla & Lindsay Isaac-Lalla

Our afternoon excursion visited the Thay & Tay Phuong Pagoda and for the fit, a climb up the 237 steps to the Pagoda. The rest of us wandered through the village and met a delightful 95yo man, living alone and determined to show us his home and offer hospitality.

A barge had taken us to the river bank from our overnight mooring on a sandbar, and just as our bus got back to the river bank, down came the rain!! Members of the Crew appeared from seemingly nowhere with huge umbrellas so on to the barge, and back to our boat.

As we moved closer, we could hear music and then as we rounded the stern we were greeted by a huge bonfire and trails of lights set in the sand. Our wonderful crew were there to greet us with savouries and our "welcome home" drink of the day, "whiskey sour". The atmosphere was fantastic, the fire, the music, the dancing - what a welcome, and who cared about the rain.

The crew of RV Angkor Pandaw, are amazing and are to be congratulated. Each member of the happy crew is always cheerful and happy to help in any way - even remembering, after the first morning, which particular tea to offer an "early riser". With this wonderful care and attention to detail, the comfort of each guest is paramount. Please pass on my thanks to Peter and the fantastic RV Angkor Pandaw crew.

I'm attaching a photo, taken early this morning, of the view of Ha Long Bay.

Kind Regards
Meredith Wise

Although this response is somewhat delayed, I do want to comment on the river cruise my wife and I took from March 22 to 31, 2017 on board the RV Pandaw Indochina.

Put simply, our Pandaw cruise was excellent, 5 out of 5. I would recommend it highly as the best way to see the emerging Myanmar. It allows one to visit towns and villages along the Irrawaddy River, while engaging locals as they go about their daily lives. This is our third Pandaw cruise. However, the previous two were booked with Uniworld on Pandaw vessels in China and Vietnam/Cambodia. Their lead crew and staff were Westerners, whereas our Myanmar cruise booked directly with Pandaw was all Burmese, most notably the Purser, two superb tour guides, and the amazing chef. The result was an intimate insight into all things Burmese, including wonderful food and interesting lectures. Each of the locations we visited provided memorable experiences. Some highlights included the U Bein Bridge at sunset, numerous artisan workshops, the terracotta potteries in Yandabo, the temples and stupas of Bagan, the children at the Pandaw supported school in Myan Aung, and the colourful markets in several towns.

Pandaw began in Burma and appears to have a positive reputation throughout the country. Our cruise was the last one of the season. We only had 31 passengers on board most of whom were from Australia, a few from the UK, one American couple and ourselves as the only Canadians. We've sang the praises of Myanmar and Pandaw since returning home, so hopefully more Canadians will choose to visit this amazing land in the future.

Congratulations to you, your staff and crew on a truly fabulous experience. Every good wish for success in the future.

Jerry Lampert

PS. We followed our river cruise with a two day visit to Inle Lake. It is a must see and do and was a relaxful way to end our visit to Myanmar.