OUR SHIPS

We currently operate 12 Pandaw ships constructed by our team in Southeast Asia. Each vessel is hand-finished in brass and teak by skilled local craftsmen, blending timeless colonial-era character with modern comfort. Every ship is specially designed with an ultra-shallow draft, enabling us to reach remote destinations that are inaccessible to larger vessels or overland travel.

Looking ahead, we’re expanding our fleet with one ship ready for service in November 2025 (RV Kochi Pandaw). This addition reflects our continued commitment to discovering new routes and bringing guests even deeper into the heart of Asia, where few travelers venture.

K Class

The K-class dated back to the 1880s and were comprised of stern wheelers designed to reduce draft, their boilers placed in the bow to improve trim. Smaller than the great line steamers of the age, the K-class ships were used on the Chindwin and upper reaches of the Irrawaddy. Where possible we have reused the old IFC names and many of these original K-class ships had fascinating histories, through times of war and peace.

RV Angkor Pandaw

RV Champa Pandaw

RV Kalaw Pandaw

RV Katha Pandaw

RV Kindat Pandaw

RV Kochi Pandaw

RV Laos Pandaw

RV Sabaidee Pandaw

P Class

The original P-class ships were built by Yarrows of Glasgow in the late 1940s to replace the ships of the old Irrawaddy Flotilla Company lost in the war. The design was based on earlier 1930s designs with side paddles and the addition of a flying bridge. All the ships had a name beginning with a P and one of these was the original Pandaw that we acquired in 1998 and lovingly restored. The P-class ships with their broad beam and shallow draft were all deployed on the Bhamo to Mandalay routing.