Restarting our cruises in Burma after a six year break has been both an emotional and an exhilarating experience.
I have just returned from the first voyage of the RV Kanee Pandaw, a seven day circuit round the great Irrawaddy Delta, and here is a short update on how it went.
The ship had been renovated to perfection by a dedicated crew who during the voyage worked tirelessly to ensure very high standards of comfort, care and cuisine. I simply could not fault a thing.
We were a mixed bunch of Americans, Brit's, French and Aussies not to mention a Kiwi, a Thai, a Viet and a Catalana. All but one had sailed with Pandaw before, in many cases several times. Such seasoned Pandaw travellers tend to have very high expectations, but I think everyone would agree with that it was a resounding success.
The cruising really was very beautiful as we wended our way through the Delta backwaters and channels, sometimes through lush jungle and at others through great swathes of rich cultivated land. Once out of the Rangoon area, there was little in the way of industrialization other than the occasional rather picturesque rice mill dating from the late 19th century.
The Delta ports we stopped at were full of interest with bustling markets, grand pagodas, old colonial houses, and a number of fascinating 19th century mosques and Hindu temples. We were well received by the locals wherever we went with incredible friendliness. I think we all felt that we were in the old timeless Burma.
We did witness considerable poverty, far worse than say 10 years ago, which is a reflection of the country’s current political and economic situation. We were on several occasions, followed by plain clothed security men but I think they will soon get bored of us once they have worked out that we are not a threat. Otherwise, we were not impeded by red tape. The current conflict in Burma seemed very far away, and we never saw any troops or evidence of tension.
Traveling on foot, by cyclo or tuk tuk, we all had enormous fun exploring these places, a highlight being Bassein with its umbrella factories and where we enjoyed tremendous performance of Burmese classical dance on deck. We also had nights of Burmese classical music and a pop band performing on deck.
Sailing in and out of Rangoon and mooring in the heart of the city created a buzz at the beginning and end of the cruise. Many passengers chose to spend an extra day or two before or after the cruise at one of our partner hotels.