A Pandaw Tribute from Heidi & Ted

Farewell — A Pandaw Tribute

By Ted Scull & Heidi Sarna, QuirkyCruise co-founders

Dec 17, 2021

UPDATE! … Pandaw announced Dec 17, 2021 that thanks to overwhelming support, they are back!! Yesssss!!!

Company statement below.

Pandaw Company Update: Dec 17 2021

So our “farewell,” below, has now turned into a celebration of Pandaw!

Enjoy our reminisces!

Dec 10, 2021

We were both extremely sad when we heard Pandaw River Cruises was ceasing operations in late October (2021), due to the challenges of ongoing pandemic restrictions and the political situation in Myanmar.

For us, the company always represented the heart of what attracts us to unusual small-ship cruising — an intimate, authentic, friendly, quality travel experience with great local guides, food inspired by local dishes and ingredients, and intriguing fellow passengers interested in the same things we are.

Plus, a family-operated business like Pandaw was built and inspired by a love and passion for the heritage of Burma and the region, making for a rich origin story that further adds to the appeal.

Here, we each share our Pandaw tributes.

A Farewell to Pandaw

By Ted Scull

My historic bent does not permit me to accept the demise of Pandaw River Cruises slipping away without some serious introspection.

A deep-sea sailing vessel shares the Rangoon River with an Irrawaddy river steamer. * Photo: Irrawaddy Flotilla Company

DALLA & KOBE under construction. * Photo: Irrawaddy Flotilla Company

The origins of Pandaw begin at what once was known as the Irrawaddy Flotilla Company, the largest fleet of riverboats in the world.

This phenomenon, developed under British rule, used Burma’s network of navigable rivers to establish a dense system of passenger and cargo services.

Future King George V aboard the first vessel. Photo: Irrawaddy Flotilla Company

One could travel from northern districts just below the Chinese border, south along the entire length of the country to the open waters of the vast Indian Ocean.

The largest riverboats took aboard up to 3,000 passengers while cargo was carried on flats tied alongside. * Photo: Irrawaddy Flotilla Company

The best-known rivers that linked up with the Irrawaddy were the Chindwin and Bhamo, names that will be familiar to residents and former residents, geography aficionados, and the many thousands of Pandaw passengers.

Staff of the riverboat DALLA. * Photo: Irrawaddy Flotilla Company

At its peak, the colonial fleet numbered some 600 units. Most were built in Scottish shipyards famous for providing the world’s inland waterways with reliable and often graceful paddle steamers.

Sadly, when the Japanese were about to overrun Burma at the outset of World War II, nearly the entire fleet was scuttled to keep it out of enemy hands. Two, carrying refugees, managed to escape to the safety of Calcutta.

The war over, the company and British colonial government began the task of reviving the fleet to restart essential services. The units looked very much like the original design, though eventually without traditional side-wheels.

There was no need to reinvent the basic design as it had successfully served so well over many decades.

Riverboat painted white for a royal visitor.in 1904. *Photo: Irrawaddy Flotilla Company

With independence from Britain in 1948, the services continued where parallel roads did not or could not penetrate.

It was a unit of this post-war fleet that became the first vessel for the new Pandaw river cruise line.

The legacy thrived and developed into a substantial number of colonial-style boats that plied the rivers of Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia and later India.

Their presence gave thousands of visitors a captivating style of yore to explore this fascinating region. Pandaw effortlessly linked the present with the past, and provided hundreds of Southeast Asians a living wage while acting as welcoming ambassadors for their respective countries.

I hope this beautiful fleet will not be lost a second time. I truly hope that a creative new owner can take on the task of at least operating some of the famous fleet to carry on the proud tradition of the Irrawaddy Flotilla Company and Pandaw River Cruises, the latter an experience that my wife and I so enjoyed.

Here’s my QuirkyCruise review of a Pandaw Mekong River cruise I took about a decade ago.

Mekong River Cruising with Pandaw through Cambodia & Vietnam (November 2015)

By Ted Scull

“Throughout my many years of traveling, I’ve found that river journeys have often provided deeper insights into a country’s culture and history than more hectic travel by road or flying from city to city over so much interesting territory.

Outstanding examples that I treasure are cruises along the Upper Amazon in Peru and Brazil; the Danube, Elbe, Rhine and Rhone in Europe; the Volga and connecting waterways in Russia; the eternal Nile in Egypt; the vibrant Yangtze in China; and our own Mississippi, Ohio, Columbia and Snake here in the U.S.A.

Recently, I added the Mekong River in Cambodia and Vietnam to my life-list.

Ted relaxing aboard the 64-pax Mekong Pandaw on the Mekong River. * Photo: Suellyn Scull

And although this river trip is still fresh in my mind, it probably ranks number one when combining all its alluring aspects — the heavily trafficked waterway scenes, varied sights along the banks, intriguing riverside market towns, and the wonderful conveyance, a stylish riverboat that replicated an early 20th century Burmese steamer — with air-conditioning…”

READ MORE HERE about Ted’s Pandaw Mekong River cruise.

Pandaw Hooked Me on Small-Ship Cruising

By Heidi Sarna

I first discovered Pandaw quite by chance — googling. I loved what I saw online. Traditional-looking river boats covered in teak wood with lots of open deck space. They had character written all over them. And they went to some really cool off-beat places.

The company was founded by a passionate lover of Burmese culture and history, Paul Strachan. More than 25 years ago, he set out to offer adventurous travelers a memorable experience on the rivers of Southeast Asia aboard classic-style river boats that seemed plucked from a different era.

As Ted mentions above, the Pandaw fleet was inspired by a rich historical context that only added to the allure.

My Connection to Asia

I had moved to Singapore from New York City with my family in 2006, and soon started exploring the region. Southeast Asia is incredibly rich in heritage and culture; it’s your choice to skim the surface or do a deep dive.

For my work as a travel writer, I had sampled big-ship cruising in the region, which if you only have a few days or a week to spare, is pretty much limited to cruises from Singapore to a handful of points along the western coasts of Malaysia and Thailand.

Honestly, the big ships and sprawling beach resorts were great when my sons were young (under 10), with their play rooms and sporty activities.

But my heart has always been in more small-scale and unusual travel experiences that lend a deeper understanding of a place.

So, I began seeking out the small quirky travel companies in Asia a few times a year, doing Pandaw and other small-ship cruises with a lucky friend as eager as I was to pursue this kind of  experience — Sheila, Sue and Rachael were as touched by Pandaw as I was.

For me, these Pandaw trips provided much of the inspiration to create QuirkyCruise.com, to share such incredibly special small-ship cruises with the world.

Heidi & her friend Rachael on the gangway of the Angkor Pandaw.

Historical Context & Old-School Charm

Inheriting a love of history from my dad and being an active person who enjoys dusty hikes, sweaty bike rides, smelly wet markets and getting my feet wet, Pandaw ticked all my travel boxes.

When I recall the Pandaw river cruises I’ve done, I think of unvarnished experiences and magical moments.

For me, real travel.

I think of boats tied up to trees (who needs a fancy dock!) and passengers making their way down muddy river banks to get to the boat. Of removing our shoes at the top of the gangway so the crew could clean them (and deposit them soon after at our cabin doors), while almost simultaneously being handed a chilled fragrant face towel and a refreshing glass of juice.

Of relaxing on a teak deck chair and cooling down from the ambient breeze as the boat slowly moves through the water, the life on and along the river unfolding before us.

The 60-pax Orient Pandaw with its stubby bow nudged up against the muddy banks of the Mekong River. * Photo: Heidi Sarna

Exploring on Shore

So many memorable Pandaw excursions, I store them in my mind like slideshow of temples, monasteries, markets and village walks.

Where do I start?

There was an amazing day exploring the mind-blowing (in both number and architecture) expanse of stupas, pagodas and temples that carpet Bagan, Myanmar, just minutes from the Irrawaddy River where our boat was tied up.

Another mental snapshot I cherish is the beautiful arc of 54 white Buddha statues in golden robes set in a hall of green tiles in the U Min Thone Se Pagoda outside of Mandalay.

The 54 Buddhas of the U Min Thone Se Pagoda. * Photo: Heidi Sarna

Yet one more vivid remembrance is a visit to a traditional long house in the jungles of Borneo, a wooden communal dwelling with dusty old sculls still hanging from rafters recalling past headhunting practices.

And cruising through the craggy forest of limestone rocks in Vietnam’s Halong Bay at sunset, long after the mob of day-tour boats had gone, was as special as a travel moment gets.

There are so many memories; a collage of dragon dances, water puppet shows, tea ceremonies and peeks into the workings of small family-run businesses like a rice-noodle maker who hung his vermicelli on lines to dry like laundry.

Vietnam’s gorgeous Halong Bay from the decks of a Pandaw boat. * Photo: Heidi Sarna

Relaxing & Soaking it all in On Board

On board as the boats moved to the next adventure, there was nothing better than sitting on deck and looking out over the scene with a refreshing local beer in hand — Angkor, Saigon or Chang come to mind.

There was always so much to see.

All manner of small boats zipped through the river like water bugs, some with rattling outboard motors and others hand paddled by a solitary soul in a conical hat. They transported fish, coconuts, mini-markets and schools kids.

A floating sampan store paddled by a solitary figure. * Photo: Heidi Sarna

Also in the mix were long rust-colored barges heaping with sand dredged from the Mekong (bound for Singapore no doubt) and others piled high with giant logs cut from the jungles of Borneo.

Clumps of water hyacinths floated with the current, sometimes muddied from a recent tropical rain.

Gilded pagodas and massive stone temples perched on hills above the rivers.

Folks did washing along the banks as children splashed and played.

The ambient sounds were a cacophony of boat engines, bird song, gongs, bells, and priests and politicians on loud speakers lecturing their flocks.

The best view in the Pandaw house! * Photo: Heidi Sarna

The Best Kind of Small

Carrying just 10 to 66 passengers each, Pandaw boats had shallow enough drafts to slip into remote places and tie up just about any where along the way.

There was always one or two excellent local guides sailing along for the cruise to teach passengers something about the places we were seeing and also sharing bits about their own lives too. A friendly and capable crew was always on hand to create a comfortable and welcoming floating home for the week.

Heidi & the Angkor Pandaw cruise director. * Selfie: Heidi Sarna

And the boats were comfortable too. Roomy air-conditioned en-suite wood-paneled cabins were welcome respites after a long hot thoroughly enjoyable day of touring.

My Four Pandaw River Cruises + 1

And so you can see why I have greatly enjoyed my four Pandaw river cruises over the years.

Before the COVID pandemic struck, I was planning on doing two more — a Pandaw river cruise on the Upper Mekong, in China and Laos, and a short River Kwai Pandaw cruise in Thailand to be combined with lots of cycling.

I still hold out hope that the Pandaw fleet will be resurrected in some form, some day.

In the meantime, I look back and relive some cherished travel experiences.

Mekong River Cruise

This was my first Pandaw river cruise. It sailed from near Siem Reap in Cambodia down river to Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam.

Slowing Down the Mekong on a Pandaw River Cruise (June 2010)

By Heidi Sarna

“…When we reached the port, we walked to the riverbank and peered down at the Orient Pandaw, its stubby bow nudged up against the muddy banks of the Mekong River. A smile spread across my face at the thought of our impending adventure on this Pandaw river boat.

The gangway was a wooden plank connecting the boat to the bank, where it was moored not to a concrete pylon or pier, but to the sturdy trunk of a tree. Our home for the next week resembled an old-time steamboat, minus the paddle wheel, with three main open-sided decks and an air of utility…”

READ MORE HERE about my first Pandaw cruise on the Mekong River.

One of the serene faces of the Bayon Temple in Angkor. * Photo: Heidi Sarna

Borneo River Cruise 

Sarawak Sojourn (October 2011)

By Heidi Sarna

“…A vast expanse of dense rainforests, meandering rivers and sprawling caves, Sarawak’s allure lies in its raw natural beauty and in a fascinating cultural legacy of warring headhunters and exotic customs.

I booked my Sarawak adventure with Pandaw River Cruises; five days cruising on Sarawak’s mighty and muddy Rejang River (Malaysia’s longest) and two days trekking in and around enormous caves in Sarawak’s Mulu National Park. [Sarawak is a Malaysian state on Borneo, a huge island also occupied by the tiny nation of Brunei and the Indonesian territory of Kalimantan.]

We boarded the 60-passenger Orient Pandaw in Sibu, relieved to leave the gritty port town and head into the jungle…”

READ FULL ARTICLE BELOW (Note: This article appeared in Singapore’s Expat Living magazine several years before QuirkyCruise came into existence. Pandaw stopped offering Borneo cruises a few years after my trip; though I share this article as it represents how Pandaw was always innovating and trying out new itineraries, even in places that posed many challenges.)

Sarawak Soujourn, by Heidi Sarna (as published in Expat Living Magazine in 2011)

Sarawak Soujourn, by Heidi Sarna (as published in Expat Living Magazine in 2011)

Sarawak Soujourn, by Heidi Sarna (as published in Expat Living Magazine in 2011)

Sarawak Soujourn, by Heidi Sarna (as published in Expat Living Magazine in 2011)

Irrawaddy River Cruise

Meandering Down Myanmar’s Irrawaddy River on a Pandaw Cruise (April 2015)

By Heidi Sarna

“I finally managed my first visit to Myanmar and its Irrawaddy River last spring, after inexplicably being rejected for a visa to go in early 2011, to see some of the country’s tens of thousands of Buddhist monasteries, shrines, temples and stupas. I wasn’t disappointed.

My friend Sheila and I booked a 7-night river cruise in April between Bagan and Mandalay aboard Pandaw River Cruises’ new 40-passenger Kalaw Pandaw, one of 13 nearly identical Pandaw boats built in Myanmar and Vietnam to cruise in Southeast Asia…”

READ MORE HERE about my amazing Pandaw Irrawaddy River cruise.

Along the banks of the Irrawaddy. * Photo: Sheila Healey

Brahmaputra River Cruise

I first read about the 46-pax Mahabaahu on the Pandaw website, as they had partnered with the river boat’s parent-company, Far Horizon Tours. Just as Pandaw river cruises are wonderfully unusual and immensely enjoyable, so was my Brahmaputra River cruise.

A Unique Week Cruising on India’s Brahmaputra River (October 2016)

By Heidi Sarna

“I have been to India many times, but I had never taken a river cruise there, until the Mahabaahu. The week I spent cruising on the Brahmaputra River would leave an indelible impression on me and offer a fresh take on a country I thought I knew so well. For my friend and travel mate Sue, it was her first time to India and she fell in love.

After several days in Delhi enjoying a family wedding, we flew east to the state of Assam to start our cruise. We and other passengers were met at the airport by friendly crew and ushered to our convoy of comfortable taxis. When we reached the muddy riverbanks of the Brahmaputra, a creaking bamboo gangway connected us with our home for the week, the 46-passenger Mahabaahu.

Not sleek like Europe’s riverboats, this one was appealingly quirky with its stubby funnel and red cargo davits poking out from the stern, and a hull cluttered with a necklace of tires. I loved it already…”

READ MORE HERE about my excellent Brahmaputra River cruise.

A lovely Brahmaputra River sunset aboard the 46-pax Mahabahuu. * Photo: Heidi Sarna

Red River & Halong Bay Vietnam Cruise

My last Pandaw river cruise was another fabulous travel experience that I remember so fondly.

I’m still in touch with several passengers, as we share a travel bond that runs deep.

12 Reasons to do a Pandaw Red River & Halong Bay Cruise (May 2018)

By Heidi Sarna

“I recently returned from a wonderfully quirky 10-night Vietnam Red River cruise aboard Pandaw Cruises‘ 32-passenger Angkor Pandaw, sailing some 650 kilometers from Halong Bay westerly towards Hanoi and beyond. My bestie Rachael and I sailed along the Red River (or Song Hong) and its various tributaries, including the Black River (Song Da) and the Clear River (Song Lo).

The offbeat adventure was appealing and memorable in so many ways, including these 12 reasons.

1.  Two Days in Halong Bay. The highlight of any visit to northern Vietnam is cruising around Halong Bay’s sea of limestone karsts that pop out of the bay like mushrooms. The ancient forest of crumbling mountain peaks feels otherworldly and prehistoric, especially when you kayak through the grottos and passages. Pandaw knows where to go to avoid the mobs of other tourists that flock to Halong Bay. Sailing there at sunset is especially magical.

2.  The Local Food. Angkor Pandaw’s Vietnamese chef and his staff prepared delicious fresh meals with lots of local ingredients, from banana leaf, pomelo (like grapefruit), lotus and cashew nuts to glass noodles and heaps of basil, mint and other greens. We were treated to the nation’s famous pho noodle soup and Vietnamese-style spring and summer rolls (there were western options too), and refreshing glasses of local Bia Hanoi and 333 beer whenever the mood struck…”

READ MORE HERE about my Pandaw Red River Vietnam cruise.

We’ll miss you Pandaw. * Photo: taken in Vietnam, by Heidi Sarna

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