SINGAPORE, 22 September 2022: Pandaw is back sailing the rivers of the Mekong region after a two and half year hiatus.
This week, RV Angkor Pandaw, which has 16 rooms on two decks, completed its first 10-night expedition of the season along Vietnam’s Red River with an overnight visit to Halong Bay.
Tourists booked on the inaugural Pandaw cruise embarked at Halong on 9 September and completed the cruise 10 days later. They were welcomed on board by the crew of RV Angkor Pandaw, including Purser Myo, who has been with Pandaw for decades. A native of Myanmar, he is now ensuring the ‘Pandaw Spirit’ is maintained on river cruises elsewhere in Southeast Asia.
The two Vietnam cruise itineraries are the first to resume with commercial passengers. Sailings on the Mekong River in Laos, Cambodia, and India should resume in October. In Myanmar, where the fleet is still in drydock, the outlook remains grim, and it is unlikely river boat sailings will return in 2023.
