YANGON, 21 March 2019: Despite relocating three of its riverboats to India during the first quarter of this year cruise specialist, Pandaw says it will invest in a new vessel in Myanmar.
Pandaw confirmed this week a new fourteen-cabin K-class ship is under construction that will sail in Myanmar.
This ultra-shallow twin decked K-class vessels can go where other ships cannot and are perfect for Pandaw’s style of soft adventure river expeditions.
Recognising the political situation in Myanmar caused a “decline in mainstream routings” the company affirmed that demand for small ship expeditions was still on the increase.
“With the recent departure of three K-class vessels to India it has proved necessary to order one more to meet this demand,” the Pandaw bulletin said.
The new vessel will sail the Upper Irrawaddy, Chindwin and Delta expeditions and explore remote parts of Myanmar.
In the tradition of naming all K-class ships after original Irrawaddy Flotilla vessels, the new ship has been named Kanee Pandaw and is currently being fitted out at Pandaw’s own yard in Mandalay.
These safari-style vessels offer outdoor or indoor dining, promenade decks with cabins that are slightly smaller than on Pandaw’s larger ships.
Like all Pandaw’s expedition ships the Kanee will carry mountain bikes for land excursions and will target a younger demographic and family travel beyond the main urban tourist destinations.
Pandaw founder, Paul Strachan reiterated his confidence in and the company’s commitment to the country’s tourism.
“To me, it is a personal mission to ensure that our business in Burma, despite recent political setbacks, continues to prosper.”
Pandaw claims to enjoy one of the highest repeat rates in the industry and much of the growth for remote river cruising is coming from its loyalty club which now has more than 10,000 members.
