RV Katha Pandaw Cruise 15 days 14 nights

Boarding and going up the Rangoon River and entering the Twante Canal, which connects the Yangon River to the Irrawaddy Delta. We stop en route at Twante Township and explore the town centre.

Rangoon River

In the morning, we walk to visit the lively Maubin market and the surroundings of the city. In the afternoon, we explore the Delta region and visit NyaungDon town to see the country lifestyle. Overnight in Zakagyi.

Maubin Market

We continue our exploration of the coves of the Delta and stop at Donabyu, another little-known town with a busy port and bustling markets. In the First Anglo-Burmese War of 1825, Burmese General Maha-Bandoola was defeated here after a long and disastrous campaign by the British. In the afternoon, walk in the town of Zalon to visit the beautiful image of the Golden Buddha and return to the boat. Overnight in Henzada.

We sail all day and stop to visit the markets and see the old colonial buildings in the sleepy Delta town of Manaung. We enter the Irrawaddy River.

Early in the morning, we cruise slowly up and down the Kaut Taung area, to see the Buddha carvings on the side of the mountain, from the upper deck or the Sundeck. We reach Prome in the afternoon and travel by coach to the archaeological site of Thiri-ya-kittiya, dating from the 5th to 8th centuries, the ancient center of the Pyu civilization with a fascinating museum of artifacts and sculptures ancient Buddhists.

Buddha carvings

This pleasant colonial town once guarded the border between Royal Myanmar and British Myanmar after the Second Anglo-Myrian War of 1855. Many buildings, including the covered market, date from this period. Thayet also has the oldest golf course in Myanmar (1885). We visit the market, see the colonial houses and go by horse cart to the golf course, passing by the old British botanical garden.

Minhla – We visit the two forts built by the Italians to prevent the British from approaching Royal Myanmar. The battle for the Minhla Redoubt was the only serious action of the war, and the death of a young subordinate inspired Kipling to write a poem. We ride trishaws to reach the magnificent Magwe Myat-thalon Pagoda, built of solid gold bricks. The many nat shrines and hermitages within the temple grounds are interesting.

Magwe Myat-thalon Pagoda

We visit here the Yout-saun-kyaung monastery with its spectacular wooden carvings; we also explore an area of splendid colonial-style houses and continue sailing upstream

In the morning, climb to Tan-Chi-Taung Mountain and enjoy the view. Continue with one of the highlights of your trip as you visit a selection of the 3,000 listed monuments at this World Heritage Site, Pagan.

Pagan

Continuation of the exploration by coach of the monuments followed by a lacquer workshop and the visit of the local markets. Navigation at noon upstream. Evening walk to Oh Ne Kyaung village to see local life in this typical riverside community.

This small rural village specializes in making pots. We visit Pandaw School, built with past donations from Pandaw passengers.

Making pots in Yandabo

Visitors will take a tour of central Mandalay visiting Mahamuni Pagoda and the teak carved monastery of Shwe Nan Daw Kyaung. In the afternoon, we will visit Sagaing. The real charm of Sagaing lies in its 1000 hermitages and shrines, rich in woodcarvings and religious art. Then we explore the ancient capital of Amarapura by coach, take a boat ride along Taungthaman Lake and observe the tranquility and serenity of this beautiful lake and its famous U-Bein Bridge at sunset.

Mahamuni Pagoda

We stop at Mingun to see the largest bell in the world and the unfinished pagoda which is the largest mass of bricks in the world. We also visit the Mingun Buddhist Home for the Aged, originally established with the help of the Irrawaddy Flotilla Company in the 1930s.

The Mingun Buddhist Home for the Aged

Cruise upstream and visit the spectacular potteries near Kyauk-myoung where the famous 50-gallon water pots are handcrafted. We’ll see every step of the making, from turning the pots to firing for a week in huge kilns. Afternoon, sailing to Mandalay.

Disembark at Mandalay.