SINGAPORE, 6 January 2026: Pandaw, an Asian specialist river cruise operator, is constructing a second vessel to sail the Kerala Backwaters in India.
The brand new RV Kerala Pandaw will debut at the end of 2026, joining its sister ship, the RV Kochi, which pioneered the Kerala Backwater cruises in 2025.
Due to their ultra-shallow draft design, the two ships will remain the only cruise vessels able to navigate the full 900 km of Kerala’s canals and backchannels.
The new ship will follow the same seven-night itinerary as RV Kochi, blending cultural performances, temple visits, village walks, and explorations of Kerala’s palm-lined waterways.
Kerala Pandaw will operate a weekly eight-day circular sailing from Kochi, visiting Fort Kochi, Munroe Lighthouse, and the ancestral house of Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara. There will be visits to Hindu temples, artisan villages and the legendary beaches of the Malabar coast.
The nearest airport, Cochin, offers convenient connections to Europe via leading Middle Eastern carriers, direct flights to major cities across Southeast Asia, and domestic services to most of India’s gateway destinations.
(Source: Pandaw)
