RV Pandaw II

Whilst the peace and tranquillity of our passengers is our priority and many passengers prefer to read, write or engage in painting or photography, we do offer a number of social activities that have become a traditional part of any Pandaw river expedition.

There are a number of social events during an expedition which will include a welcome dinner, cocktail parties on deck, a farewell gala dinner and dinners themed with local menus and costume. In the Burma dry season we often tie up on a sandbank and have a barbeque beach party on the sands, usually around a bonfire in winter.

Sun deck for watching the world go by.

Spacious, air-conditioned saloon bar with nightly entertainment

The Observation Saloon can be found at the front of the ship.

On board, there’s plenty to keep young explorers engaged—from cookery demonstrations to classic board games. We also carry badminton nets, often setting them up when moored for the night, creating opportunities for fun and connection between crew, kids, and locals alike. Certain school holiday departures are specially designated as 'family friendly', making it easier than ever to enjoy a relaxed yet enriching journey across some of Asia’s most fascinating waterways. And to make your family adventure even more accessible, one or two children aged 5 to 18 can travel for free on most departures (excluding the RV Kalay Pandaw).

With small group sizes and expert local guides, guests are invited to go beyond the typical tourist trail and explore daily life in rural communities. Each experience is thoughtfully curated to showcase the diversity of each region while allowing plenty of time to absorb it all at a relaxed pace. Excursions are included in your sailing and are designed to be flexible, with options available for different levels of mobility and interest.

Highlights of Pandaw excursions often include:

• Guided walks through riverside towns and local markets
• Visits to historical sites and temples
• Artisan demonstrations in traditional crafts
• Bicycle rides through scenic countryside (by request where available)
• Speedboat or sampan excursions into jungle backwaters
• Opportunities to meet with local community members and visit Pandaw Clinics projects

There is no better way to explore a country than by bike. All our ships in Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Burma carry trek mountain bikes for guest use. Guests have the chance to opt out of our scheduled excursions and explore villages, temples and the countryside on two wheels (no extra charge and no prebooking necessary).

You should check with your doctor that you are fit for travel and your doctor would check with the relevant organization in your country as to whether any prophylactic drugs or inoculations are required. We do not have facilities for disabled people or wheel chair access. There are no stair lifts. River banks can be steep and slippery. If a passenger is seen to be unfit or unable to access a ship and mount stairs unaided then the management reserves the right to refuse to carry that passenger.

We carry first aid equipment and some medicines. All our senior staff has attended First Aid courses. On the river we are never far from a local medical station and we have found that some local doctors usually speak English or French and practice a good standard of field medicine. In the event of serious illness or accident we are never more than 2 hours by car or speed boat from a hospital or clinic (NOTE: this does not apply for the remote Burmese coast). In the Conditions of Carriage you are required to take out an insurance policy that includes repatriation in the event of an emergency.

Please make sure you have sufficient travel and health insurance. Some hospitals refuse treatment if there is not coverage by an insurance.

Breakfast is a buffet, lunch and dinner served at the tables. We offer a selection of Southeast Asian and Western cuisine and there are always vegetarian dishes available. Special diets may be catered for with advance notification and agreement. Our policy is to use as much locally purchased produce as possible to help the economies of the villages and towns we stop at but ensuring highest hygiene standards. We try and avoid imported products and give our passengers a real taste of the lands through which they pass. Exotic fruit, fresh organic vegetables, locally caught fish and prawns are the preference of most of our passengers.

Please note we will always try to cover any food request even Vegans but there are 2 food requests impossible to supply on our boats. They are Halal Food and Kosher Food. Unfortunately our boats are not setup to provide these two options.

External doors and the gauze windows should be kept closed at all times, day and night. At night, if on deck or going ashore make sure to rub ankles and other exposed parts with repellent. However, outside urban areas mosquito is less of a problem than other forms of insect life. Make sure to switch off lights when leaving your cabin so as not to lure them in. Between January and March insects, but not mosquito, can be a real problem and invade the ship. Fortunately these are relatively harmless. Mosquito on the river, which is fast flowing, are rarely to be seen.

Complimentary WiFi is provided on the main sun deck and inside the dining & saloon area only on all Pandaw Cruises ships. For guests who bring their own WiFi enabled devices please note that due to the rural nature of some of our river cruise destinations WiFi may not be stable and not always available in some areas.

South-East Asians are generally tolerant and easy going. Please try to avoid political discussion and remember that the Vietnamese national hero “Uncle” Ho Chi Minh enjoys near divine stature and any disrespect shown to his name or memory can cause extreme offence. Despite opening the door to Capitalism Vietnam remains a fervently Communist society with a dominant Communist Party. Likewise in Myanmar please do not raise political issues with people – let them raise them with you. You could compromise people and even get them into trouble by talking politics.

In Myanmar and Cambodia, one thing that does cause upset is any form of disrespect for the national religion, Theravada Buddhism. Unlike many faiths, Buddhists make their temples open to us foreigners, permitting the snapping of cameras and invasion of their sacred space. They ask only one thing: that we take our shoes off. Even socks are forbidden in Myanmar. In addition please observe the following:

• Try not to point with your feet.
• In the company of monks or elders never cross your legs.
• Do not touch people on the head or upper body.
• When beckoning someone to come over do not flap your hand in the standard Western
• ‘come here’ motion; instead turn the hand round so that your palm flaps down towards yourself.
• Do not shake hands with monks or nuns as people in general rarely shake hands;
• rather smile and nod away.
• Ladies should never sit down next to a monk.
• Shorts and skirts should be longish (below the knee) for both sexes but it is OK to expose arms.

In the event of an emergency the ship’s whistle will blast repeatedly and the alarm bells be rung. If either in or very close to your cabin, put on your life jacket and proceed immediately to MUSTER STATION ONE, and await instructions. On the back of your cabin door is a plan of the ship showing the position of your cabin in relation to the Emergency Muster Stations.

MUSTER STATION ONE in all ships is located on the MAIN DECK mid ships (where the main gang plank is). In the event that MUSTER STATION ONE is not safe you will be directed by the crew to MUSTER STATION TWO on the SUN DECK.

Both muster stations are clearly indicated with signs. If you are not in your cabin when you hear the alarm, do NOT return to it, but proceed at once to the Muster Station to await instructions. There will be an Emergency Drill during your voyage. Note that as with inland water class cruise ships on European rivers we are not required by Class Societies to carry life boats – the reason for this is that it is far quicker to beach the vessel on the nearest sand bar or river bank and evacuate by foot than to transfer passengers onto ship’s boats.

Smoking is not permitted in your cabin or any internal areas. Smoking is permitted in outside designated areas only. But please be considerate of people sitting down wind. This is a wood-finished ship and the danger of fire should never be ignored.

• Kimonos and slippers
• Spa-branded amenities
• Electric mini safe
• Central AC with individual control
• Hair dryer
• Nightly turndown service
• Complimentary evening cocktail hour
• Complimentary evening canapés
• Breakfast, lunch and dinner
• Daily lean & light menu options
• Admissions on all excursions
• Complimentary local mineral water, jugged coffee, teas & tisanes
• Series of cultural performances, educational talks, cooking classes
• Welcome drink on arrival and farewell reception
• Spacious, air-conditioned saloon bar with nightly entertainment
• Onboard bakery with daily freshly baked breads and rolls
• Trek mountain bikes on board, most ships
• Shoe cleaning after excursions
• Cold towel service after excursions
• First aid trained assistant guide to follow all tours and excursions

These areas are clearly indicated as ‘Crew Only’. We ask you to respect these areas as the crew may be working there and your safety can not be guaranteed. These areas include: Main Deck bow area, galley, engine rooms, crew accommodation, gang ways aft of Sun Deck. Crew have been instructed to escort any unauthorized persons from these areas and make a report to the Captain.

Complimentary tea and coffee are available from 6 a.m. on the Sun Deck for throughout the day. Mineral water (local) is provided in all cabins daily. Additional bottles are available on request. Water is provided at all meals. Local mineral water, jugged coffee, teas & tisanes are also complimentary, all other drinks will be charged.

All bills on board the ship will be in US$ in cash or credit card. We take Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Maestro, Discover, Diners Club, JCB and China UnionPay. You can pay in your own curreny if you pay with a credit or debit card. We do not take personal cheques or traveller's cheques.

Card Fees for Onboard Bill

A fee of 4% will be charged for card payments. You can pay in your own currency and will not pay foreign card usage fees from your bank, and we use pure exchange rates with no hidden commission.

Bank fees for using a card abroad or getting cash from an ATM are typically 3-5%. We always clearly show the fee next to the currency rate on our payment app, and on email receipts.

Please note if you wish to pay your onboard bill with a credit/debit card please ensure you have spoken with your bank to setup payment authentication (3DS). This is where you are asked for a password or to confirm the payment being made via your phone banking app or by entering a password sent to your phone by SMS.

Local mineral water, jugged coffee, teas & tisanes are free of charge, other drinks will be charged. A complimentary daily cocktail will be served made by local spirit.