Back from Pandaw 11, Myanmar

[vada_9]

We have been home now for over 1 month from our 14 night repositioning cruise along the Irrawaddy River in Myanamar. We cruised from the capital Yangon to Mandalay over the time.

 

Our cabin on the Pandaw 11 was the same as the cabin on the Orient Pandaw - all teak and brass fittings. 2 single bunks with ample storage below for suitcases etc night stand reading lights etc 2 whicker chairs outside. Spent little time in cabin prefered either the sundeck or if too hot the lounge area. All meals of excellent quantity and quality. Included wine with dinner also free local spirits, local beers and softdrinks and tea/coffee all day. Great to get a cold beer when returning to boat after morning excursions.

 

We visited many small towns - walking to markets, travelling by bicycle rickshaw /horse carts to many pagodas and stupas. Wonderful being in towns villages that only see a tourist boat every couple of years.

Had a bus in the larger towns of Bagan and Mandalay.

 

Myanmar is truely a wonderful country to visit as so few tourists as yet - whole village would come to wave as we motored by. Remember to wear respectful clothing and easy to remove footwear. I alternated several pairs of flipflops/thongs as all temple complexes/monastries etc are shoes and often socks off.

 

Wifi hard to get on the river a few internet cafes in towns where we were. Wifi free zone in some temple complexes.

[travelinjudy]

Thank you for your review. I am leaving a GCT Myanmar cruise in Dec. and I have a couple of questions. Did you get a typhoid shot before you left?

Did you take Malaria pills? I'm trying to decide what kind of "preventative"

measures I need to take. I also understand that Myanmar has one of the highest drug resistant TB rates in the world. None of this is dampening my enthusiasm for this trip, but I would appreciate your thoughts/response on this.:) Thanks in advance.

[vada_9]

travelinjudy,

 

We have been travelling in SE Asia the last few years. Have had our Hep A shots. We had to update our Thyphoid as they only last 4 years. Our Dr also updated our Diptheria/Tetnus as we had not had them for 10 years - you do a lot of walking/climbing in bare feet in temple complexes/monastries (many are either teak boards or block work) would be easy to cut your feet etc. We also got updated Polio as Bangladesh still has Polio and it is next door.

 

We were taking Doxy for Malaria as were most people on the cruise - but saw very few mosquitoes.

[travelinjudy]

travelinjudy,

 

We have been travelling in SE Asia the last few years. Have had our Hep A shots. We had to update our Thyphoid as they only last 4 years. Our Dr also updated our Diptheria/Tetnus as we had not had them for 10 years - you do a lot of walking/climbing in bare feet in temple complexes/monastries (many are either teak boards or block work) would be easy to cut your feet etc. We also got updated Polio as Bangladesh still has Polio and it is next door.

 

We were taking Doxy for Malaria as were most people on the cruise - but saw very few mosquitoes.

 

Thanks so much. I have had my Hep A & B shots, Yellow Fever and Tetnus, so I guess I will go ahead and get the Typhoid and Doxy. I'll talk to my doctor about the Polio. It's just so many shots and pills, but I guess that's all part of traveling to "exotic" locations. :D

[deec]

It seems that December or January are the best months for weather (lack of rain). Are there any other considerations to be made when choosing when to do a cruise in the area? On the GCT boat were you able to convert twin beds to one bed?

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Thanks for the info ...

[travelinjudy]

It seems that December or January are the best months for weather (lack of rain). Are there any other considerations to be made when choosing when to do a cruise in the area? On the GCT boat were you able to convert twin beds to one bed?

 

Hi,

I am in a single room on the chartered Pandaw boat--with a single twin bed. It's a much smaller cabin (710 sq. feet), but it's o.k., since it's only for sleeping--most of the time is either off the ship or eating/drinking, etc.;)

[travelinjudy]

I made a big mistake when I said I was going on a Pandaw boat. (Sorry about that!) It actually is the R.V. Paukan, which is a relatively new ship (2012) that GCT chartered.

It looks similar to the Pandaw boats, and only holds 34 passengers. The Paukan line has been around for quite some time, offering a variety of cruises

in Myanmar.