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Pandaw expands India cruises

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BANGKOK, 17 July 2018: Pandaw is set to ramp up its Indian cruise by deploying more ships following a decision, last May, to position a Pandaw ship in the country for the first time.

Earlier the company confirmed it would offer a Lower Ganges sailing starting this December as the first cruise option in India.

The latest plans for sailings in India include deploying more ships, adding three new itineraries, or itinerary combinations and launching new pre and post cruise tours in India.

Brahmaputra river

RV Orient Pandaw

Cruises on the Lower Ganges River start 23 December and subsequently cruise options in India and on the Andaman Sea will increase dramatically Pandaw founder, Paul Strachan, confirmed.

“Pandaw will place two more river cruise ships in the country, sailing two new routes; the Upper Ganges, all the way to Varanasi, and the Brahmaputra, one of Asia’s major rivers,” he explained. “We are also planning to take our sea-going vessel, Andaman Explorer, to the region, to sail amongst the Bay of Bengal’s beautiful Andaman Islands.”

Brahmaputra

“This expansion of our India programme is a key objective for Pandaw and we will raise the bar in the region for cruising excellence.”

Pandaw announced earlier the launch of ‘The Lower Ganges’ itinerary, sailing from Kolkata to Farraka, and vice versa. The river cruise will wend its way through the countryside of West Bengal, with its culturally significant towns crammed with temples and palaces.

The ‘Upper Ganges’ itinerary, a 14-night voyage from Kolkata to Varanasi, the spiritual capital of India, will begin in October 2019.

The full itinerary covers destinations on the ‘The Lower Ganges River’ cruise, calling at Kalna, Matiari, Murshidabad, Jangipur and Farakka, before continuing towards the Upper Ganges, calling at Bateshwarsthan, Sultanganj, Mokama, Patna, Doriganj, Buxar, Ghazipur and finally, Varanasi.

India Varanasi

Prices start from USD4,671pp*, based on two people sharing a cabin.

RV Katha Pandaw

To explore the Upper Ganges, Pandaw needs to position a ship that can suitably navigate the shallow waters and this requires a smaller vessel than chosen for the Lower Ganges.

With 14 cabins, RV Katha Pandaw will undergo a refurbishment ahead of the Upper Ganges cruise launch in October 2019.

Indochina Pandaw

RV Indochina

Pandaw has also announced that from October 2019, it will add a seven-night cruise on the Brahmaputra River, a major river that flows through China, India and Bangladesh. The downstream departure of the ‘Brahmaputra’ cruise will depart from Nimati Ghat, using RV Indochina Pandaw, a 30-cabin ship, which will be positioned in India for the first time.

The destinations visited include Sibsagar, Majuli, Auniati Satra, Bishwanath, Silghat, Kaziranga National Park and Guwahati. The ‘upstream’ departure offers the same in reverse. This wildlife-rich region is a must for passengers keen to combine a cruise with the chance to spot tigers, elephants, rhinoceros, a myriad of birdlife and Ganges River dolphins. Prices start from USD2,601*, based on two people sharing a cabin.

Pandaw has previously offered Brahmaputra sailings via a partner cruise operator, but this is the first time the cruise pioneer will place its own ship in the region.

Katha Pandaw

MY Andaman Explorer

Pandaw have announced that their first sea-going vessel, MY Andaman Explorer, a 1960’s motor yacht beautifully restored, will sail to and through the Andaman Islands.

From February 2020, Pandaw will offer two 10-night expeditions across this sea, exploring both Myanmar’s Mergui Archipelago and India’s Andaman Islands.

The 10-night cruise ‘Passage Across The Andaman Sea’ begins in Thailand, crossing the river border to Kawthaung in Myanmar. It explores Coxcombe and Boulder Islands, and then crosses into the Bay of Bengal. After arriving in Port Blair, the capital of the Andamans, the ports of call include South Andaman Island, Havelock and Lawrence Islands, Diglipur and Mayabunder.

Passengers start their homeward, or onward journey, with a flight from Port Blair. Prices start from USD4,800 pp* plus port taxes, based on two people sharing a cabin.

In February and March 2020, ‘The Andamans’ cruise will sail the waters around the islands and into the interior of the larger islands to view the rainforest rich in orchids. Prices start from USD3,980 pp, plus port taxes, based on two people sharing a cabin.

Orient Pandaw

All of Pandaw’s new India itineraries are combinable, via a nonstop flight between Kolkata and Port Blair.

Pandaw has also launched pre or post-cruise tours of some of India’s other key cultural highlights and ‘bucket list’ hotspots.

*All Pandaw prices include local transfers, excursions, entrance fees, guide services, all main meals, local drinks (soft drinks, water, tea, spirits & beer), crew gratuities and cycling equipment (water sports equipment available on Andaman Explorer).

International flights are additional.

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