Passenger Feedback

Hello Paul

We have just returned from a wonderful week aboard the RV Orient Pandaw. Thanks so much to you and to all the team of Pandaw and especially the officers and crew of the RV Orient Pandaw, we couldn't have asked for more. Our transfers from and to the airport were excellent. Comfortable, on time and on the way from Mandalay to Bagan our driver bought us a cold drink at a coffee shop, how kind. The shore excursions were faultless, so interesting and very well paced. Ronald, our guide, was very knowledgable and helpful. Mau, the purser, arranged a private guide for us in Bagan on our first full day in order that we didn't miss anything which the other guests had seen on their first day. Very thoughful of him and much appreciated. His organisation and helpfulness is a credit to him and to you.

We loved the places we called at, it was so lovely to walk round the villages and the Myanmar people were so welcoming to us.

What really made our trip so wonderful was being on your boat. We were welcomed home by the officers and crew each time we boarded and it really did feel like home. The food was excellent and plentiful, great variety each day, we particularly loved the Myanmar salads served at lunchtime and the local food options whenever available. Service in the restaurant was excellent and always served with a smile by both the waiting staff and the kitchen staff. Special mention for Soe Moe and Lin Lin on the sun deck. Very attentive, great cocktails and they went the extra mile, even tethering my phone to theirs when the boat wifi was playing up.

As a measure of how much we enjoyed it , on returning, in fact en route home when changing flights at Bangkok, I was in touch with your staff to book another expedition. The Laos Mekong in November. Many thanks to Huong for helping me to book this members only expedition. She displayed what we have now come to think of as the Pandaw exemplary service.

You have exceeded our expectations and we will now be regular guests of Pandaw.

Kind regards
Martin and Maureen Whitehead
Kuala Lumpur

I have spent over 30 years in the travel profession - namely airlines so I am very familiar with how important it is to ensure that a customer is treated appropriately from the moment they contact the company to moment they end their trip. Quite often those who take care of the guest(s) prior to their arrival are forgotten so I would first like to express my thanks to Mr Duc Nguyen and Andre Dreyer. Both of these employees answered all of my questions and ensured that any changes regarding my booking were clear. They responded quickly and with kindness. Traveling 14 hours into the future over a two day period can be a little daunting even for someone like me who is a seasoned traveler (Dallas, TX, USA to Mandalay, Myanmar). It was comforting to know that I could reach out to your Pandaw staff for assistance. Traveling as a single person and woman has it's challenges as well and thanks to this staff I had less thing to worry about.

Next, the staff on board the RV Kha Byoo Pandaw was/is exceptional. While we were a small group of guests (7 for most of the trip) this team made sure that everyone felt cared for. Several of the guests had some challenges either with illness or physical needs. A couple of the guests experienced some stomach issues and the staff made every effort was made to ensure their comfort from making pots of ginger tea to dietary needs. One our trip mates had difficulty navigating from the ship to where our transportation waited or if a lot of walking was involved. The crew either provided additional assistance to help this passenger traverse from the boat to transportation or some local transportation while navigating a village. Without the additional help this passenger would have missed out on many of the magical and wondrous sites we encountered. This would have been unfortunate not only because of the sites themselves but our guide's (Harry Behite) intimate knowledge of Myanmar and the places we visited. He is amazing to listen to and I swear may be a walking encyclopedia! It very obvious that Harry takes the time to ensure that he is knowledgeable not only about the history of, but also the current state of the country. Not only that, but he actively works to increase that knowledge while he is providing guide services. Asking questions for us as we visited villages and spoke with local people.

I was reading in your Pandaw Flotilla News brochure that you have in the cabins regarding the efforts of your food and beverage Manager Stuart Hickman to continuously raise the standard of service and food on board to new heights. Please let Chef Hickman know that his chef on board the RV Kha Byoo did not disappoint. Every meal was absolutely delicious and beautifully presented. We all really enjoyed the night we had a family style meal. This might be something to offer more often during a cruise. Please let me know when the cookbook is available. My son-in-law is a Chef and we have been cooking together for over 10 years. We would welcome the opportunity to share some of those amazing meals with our family and friends.

I truly hope that I will be able to enjoy another cruise with Pandaw. It was one of the most wonderful experiences in all of my travels. To make sure that others experience it as well, I have posted your website information on two airline employee travel websites along with a recommendation. One site is airline specific and the other caters to all US airline employees and travel. I am already getting questions about travel to and from Myanmar. I hope that that you will see more of my fellow airline employees and their families traveling to spend time with your crews on your spectacular boats.

Again many thanks for a marvelous experience! I have one more request, to whomever receives this this email please ensure that it is forwarded to the Management personnel that guide these teams of people. It is important to say thank you and I would be grateful if the individuals who took such great care of all us from beginning to end were recognized.

Have a wonderful day!

Kind Regards
Catherine Wheeler

Hello Sven,

Just a note to let you know of the fantastic time we had on our trip with Pandaw on the Irrawaddy. I must let you know it went far beyond my expectations and the additional treat for Kay’s birthday was most wonderful. The whole crew (including the Captain) came on the rear deck and sang Happy Birthday , complete with a cake!

Then followed a most memorable New Years eve celebration.

The whole trip was first class, the meals were wonderful the crew went above and beyond at all times, the visits to the villages were perfect.

My thanks to you and your team for your assistance in helping us though the booking process, all very well done.

I am recommending Pandaw to my friends and family.

Please pass this note to the owners , what a great job to create such a wonderful experience from scratch!

Kindest Regards to all the Pandaw team,
Richard and Kay Rankin.

Dear Paul and company,

My husband and I just made our first trip to Southeast Asia and our first Pandaw cruise. (We've traveled extensively in India and China as well as Europe but have never taken a cruise.) It was a remarkable experience. We returned last night and amidst the hustle bustle of unpacking and picking up the work and life pieces, I wanted to make sure I took time to let you know how much we enjoyed the cruise. The excursions were wonderful. It was imperative to experience the killing fields and Tuol Sleng, and our guides were extremely appropriate, encouraging us to go, giving us accurate information, giving us time on site for reflection, and being gentle but clear with the challenging facts. Very powerful.

I would particularly like to comment upon our guide, Kunthul Vann. He created a family atmosphere in our small group and was knowledgeable, approachable, informative, warm and gracious. His English was quite good. He shared stories of his life at appropriate times and greatly added to my sense of beginning to understand Cambodia.

Altogether, thank you for your attention to detail and your evident care for Southeast Asia. We will take another river cruise on Pandaw!

regards,
Joan Stockbridge

Everything about this trip was so good that it is difficult to know where to begin.

So, let us start with the boat...RV Pandaw II. It has an old world charm although it is relatively new. The cabin is comfortable. The shower is hot. The boats facilities are very good and all are comfortable. The crew are amazing. They work together so harmoniously to get the job done, whatever that job may be or its difficulty. They are always there to assist with a friendly smile and a greeting...Mingarlarbar! Tun, in the dining room has the service running so smoothly. You never have to ask for anything a second time. Everyone remembers your preferences.

The Chefs do a remarkable job. The food is varied. Over the 10 days of our trip a repeat dish was never on the menu. The wine selection is varied and offers something for each palate. The food is always served hot on warm plates.

The shore excursions are varied and educational as well as thoroughly enjoyable. One of my strongest memories of the trip will be able to wander through villages, chatting with the village residents with the assistance of our guides, Mr San and Mr Brown. Both gentlemen were very knowledgeable and were tireless in sharing their knowledge. It was inspiring. The person who was always everywhere at any time of the day was the Purser. It was fun to hear his 'Welcome Home' when we all returned from a shore excursion.

Thank-you to all at Pandaw who created and implemented a trip that has created so many special memories.

Catherine

Dear Sven,

We just departed the Laos Pandaw yesterday here in Vientiane and want you to know that the trip was fantastic. We love your new ship and especially the wonderful crew members. Your Captain Houm Phan was great to all of us and we certainly respect his knowledge of the Mekong River. He was always looking out for our safety. He is especially caring person and gave us a great farewell speech. We cannot say enough good things about him.

In addition, Our Senior Purser, Mr Saroueng Em and guide Mr Bee, did an outstanding and I repeat, OUTSTANDING job of taking care of us. These men and the rest of the crew are a great credit to your company. Jimbo and I look forward to another trip on one of your ships in the very near future. Please give our great regards to all these men and women.

Thank you again for a wonder vacation with your family,
Capt. Gerald Salvo
Mr. James Graf

As usual, Pandaw delivered with a wonderful river cruise.

This was our third cruise with Pandaw and they continue with their tradition of superb service from a delightful crew, delicious and varied food and an itinerary that allowed a nuanced exploration of a fascinating country touching on many of the less travelled areas after a beginning with two days in the spectacular Halong Bay.

We have always found the people who staff the Pandaw cruises to be dedicated to meeting our every need while maintaining a warm, friendly attitude. Every member of the crew was exceptional as were our two guides. The food was consistently delicious with plenty of opportunities to experience fine Vietnamese cuisine alongside well prepared western options. The daily salads were a welcome treat and always tasty and creative.

We really loved everything about this cruise and will continue to travel with Pandaw in the future.

Stephen Winter

Dear Paul

My wife, Barbara, and I were guests on the Laos Pandaw cruise from Vientiane to Chiang Saen from the 2nd to 12th December. On sorting the papers out I find a note asking for some feedback and ideas for improvements. I’m afraid we are going to disappoint you.

There is absolutely nothing that I can imagine to improve upon our experience. The delights of exploring the quiet country of Laos, the superb boat, the wonderful crew – all with different regional backgrounds and skills – all made it an unforgettable trip. That part of Asia was a somewhat unfamiliar destination which we wanted to explore by river, but we rapidly got depressed by the package tours and the larger river cruises on offer on the lower Mekong. (We tend to travel independently, but enjoy the company of a small group of people; otherwise, I would prefer to chew a leg off than go on an organised cruise). As I gather is common, an old friend then recommended that we try a Pandaw cruise. I will still never “go on a cruise” but Pandaw doesn’t count – it belongs to its own unique category.

Perhaps the only comment worth making is that some tour dates were not available to us as they were apparently block booked by tour operators. For us, one of the great pleasures was sharing the trip with 14 other people from 8 countries, who had all booked independently, with a wide and varied lifetime of experiences to share. I suspect if we were on a voyage with 9 other couples like us from similar backgrounds, we would rapidly tire of our company! I think a significant part of the charm of the cruises would be lost if they became just another homogenous package tour group offering.

With many thanks and very best wishes,
Frank and Barbara Almond

Dear Mr Strachan

I just wanted to let you know how much my wife and I enjoyed our two cruises with Pandaw in 2017.

It was almost by accident that we came across you in the first place. We were looking for a Mekong trip in February which fitted our travel plans and found the up-stream trip on the Mekong Pandaw from Saigon on 12th February.

As our first ever river cruise we were delightfully surprised with everything from the food and accommodation to the professionalism and helpfulness of the crew. What particularly impressed us was the ability to get off the normal well-worn tourist track and meet local people who were simply getting on with their lives on and alongside the river. We even gave an English lesson at a local school!

It was during this trip that we learned the history of Pandaw and its origins in the Irrawaddy Flotilla Company.

Our trip was from Bagan to the Upper Irrawaddy on the Kindat Pandaw on 25th November. Again we thoroughly enjoyed the ten days and have nothing but praise for the crew who looked after us with patience, helpfulness and good humour. As with the team on the Mekong, they genuinely enjoy their work and are very proud to represent the Pandaw brand with all that it means for local people and their economy.

Ian and Catherine Robertson

Back home now and I write immediately to congratulate you enormously on the calibre of the crew on Zawgyi last week. Happy and efficient. We have used ships of many companies in many places and never have we been so well looked after. The staff got to know our names and preferences on the first day - it felt like the Ritz - and were unfailingly courteous, attentive and pleasant. Great food. And special praise for our extrovert and personable guide, Patrick, who clicked with crew, passengers and villagers alike, getting the best out of everybody. For example, we gate-crashed a village wedding….and he very smoothly turned away their pressing invitation to sit down to a meal with them! And the crew gave a really great beach bbq party with a totally fun atmosphere - not the forced thing lesser companies do and which gets a groan from people of our age.

But what I would really like you to know - events at a settlement of river gypsies - Kyar Inn in Mawlaik township. They had not been visited before. My doctor wife noticed a 2yr old boy with hare lip, eminently operable. 24 hours later your people had arranged for him to be operated on in Sagaing next month, having found a specialist clinic, worked out accommodation and transport and discussed it with the mother - a most impressive feat of organisation by, I think, Patrick and the purser, Tun Tun Lin. We passengers were delighted to underwrite the cost, some $350 - and thanks to email we can look forward to hearing how it works out. And if that's not enough, the 4-strong Swiss group gave money to replace a family’s hut which had been burnt down by an aggrieved father [we think….. ].

The downside to cruising with Pandaw is feeling guilty! - living in comfort surrounded by poverty [even if the Burmese don’t look put out by it] - it is great to get close and be able to do something worthwhile.

With great good wishes and congratulations on your achievements in setting up a most enjoyable and innovative company,
David and Janet Knowles