THE GOLDEN LAND REVIEW

DAPHNE HOSSLE, SWITZERLAND, THE GOLDEN LAND, FEB 2018

The trip down the Irrawaddy on the Pandaw 2 was a most memorable experience, made so not only by what we saw and experienced but by the crew. The crew was always friendly and helpful and considerate and flexible.

Because of the nature of the river, the Irrawaddy presents a number of challenges when it comes to mooring the boat safely and it was interesting to watch the crew while performing this task. Sometimes it was a gently sloping bank other times a steep one and they always made sure that the gangplank was positioned as safely as possible and in a manner that made it easy for us to cross. Crew were always standing by to give any assistance necessary transferring from the boat to the road.

The food was delicious and the biggest problem was not over-eating as a result! Tun's smiling face was there to welcome us at each mealtime and within a very short space of time he knew all our names and cabin numbers without having to ask, even though it was free seating and we moved around from meal to meal. Most impressive. The menus were varied and the galley was flexible in providing something different if someone's stomach was out of sorts and in serving small portions if requested.

We soon got used to seeing the crew multi-tasking and helping our local guides when we were on an excursion. They were most useful helping us with our purchases in the markets if one of the guides wasn't nearby and just being there to make sure we didn't get lost.

I can thoroughly recommend a trip on the Irrawaddy with Pandaw and would consider this company first if I take another river cruise where they are operating.

DH, March 2018