Pandaw River Ships
There are thirteen beautifully crafted Pandaw ships in operation. Each ship is hand finished in brass and teak by traditional craftsmen, and offers luxury and comfort with a colonial character. The ships have ultra shallow drafts and can travel to remote areas unreachable by other vessels or even by land.
On a Pandaw ship the atmosphere on board is very friendly and informal, and there is no dressing up for dinner. Everyone can dine together, alfresco style in an open-air environment. Nearly everything is included in the price and there are no hidden extras for excursions. Even drinks and crew tips are included. With a crew passenger ratio of 1:2 there is an incredibly high level of personal service and care aboard.
Sailing on a Pandaw is essentially an outdoor experience. Whilst the staterooms are very comfortable and roomy, passengers prefer to spend their time sitting outside, on the promenade decks or on the observation deck. With at least one stop and excursion per day, you’re never cruising for long uninterrupted periods of time.
Cabins
The Pandaw cabin is a renowned feature of our ships. Finished in brass and teak, the main and upper deck rooms are very spacious at 168 square feet (15.6 sqm), and on each ship we build the cabin remains the same. Our cabins do not have mini-bars, satellite TVs, internet or phones. If you’re feeling in need of refreshment there is a bar service on the sundeck open from dawn to dusk.
Dining
The Pandaw dining rooms are designed to open up along the sides and only at night do we close them up and use air conditioning. Our chefs know that the majority of passengers want to eat the best of each country they pass through, so we offer a great choice of local cuisine and exotic foods. European alternatives are available and vegetarians are well catered for. Special diets may be catered for by prior agreement.
All meals are single seating. Breakfast is a buffet and buffet lunch has a soup, salad and desert table with the main course served at the table. Dinner is served at the tables. Breakfast and lunch are open-air, dinners are candlelit and any indoor dining rooms are air-conditioned. New smaller ships have outdoor dining. There is no captain's table at dinner.
Excursions
Excursions ashore accompanied by expert guides are a key part of any Pandaw river expedition. These may be in the form of a good walk through countryside and villages, further explorations by boat going deeper into jungle or up river, horse cart rides in Burma or cyclos in Cambodia. We try not to use cars or coaches wherever possible. Our included excursions are optional, so you can create your own adventures if you wish.
We care about the towns and villages we cruise through, and support a variety of community projects. All meals are prepared onboard and nearly 100% of supplies are sourced from local producers.
Full details of Pandaw river ships are shown in the details of the relevant cruise.