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For more than three decades, Pandaw Cruises has been redefining luxury river travel across Southeast Asia and India. With a fleet of 13 handcrafted teak-and-brass ships, the company sails into some of the region’s most remote waterways, from Vietnam and Cambodia to Laos, Thailand, and India.

The upcoming 2026 season unveils a host of enhancements: a new mobile app designed to elevate the guest experience, ultra-luxurious suites aboard the RV Tonle Pandaw, and expanded itineraries that now include the serene Kerala Backwaters and a three-day city-to-city journey along the Mekong.

Phone: +84 (0)28 4458 2618

E-mail: information@pandaw.com

Address: 117 Nguyen Cuu Van, 17 Ward, Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Website: www.pandaw.com

The Pandaw team celebrating 30 years of Pandaw Cruises.

The dining room on board a Pandaw Cruise ship.

The interior of a Pandaw Cruise cabin, resplendent in brass and teak.

Nightly cultural entertainment on board a Pandaw Cruise.

Who are Pandaw Cruises?

Some companies begin with business plans; Pandaw began with curiosity. Long before a cruise line existed, Scottish historian Paul Strachan was trying to understand Myanmar as a student, exploring its history, its rivers, and the stories that moved along them. Working in the country on a gap-year job at a power station, he began publishing work on Burmese history before discovering an original colonial-era steamer named the Pandaw, once operated by the Glasgow-owned Irrawaddy Flotilla Company (IFC), a fleet that ran more than 600 vessels across Burma at its peak, and eventually undertook its full restoration.

After completing the restoration of the Pandaw in 1998, Paul and his wife Roser became the first operators since colonial times to run cruises on the Irrawaddy, more than a thousand miles from the sea. What began as a single voyage evolved into a different way of traveling by river, one focused on exploration rather than transport. More than 30 years on, Pandaw remains family-run and carries over 5,000 travelers each year on small ships designed for narrow channels and shallow waterways, with just 10 to 30 cabins onboard. The draw is not only the scenery, but access to remote rivers, rural communities, and historic routes that existed long before roads or airports reached them.

What makes Pandaw special?

Pandaw pioneered river cruising between Vietnam and Cambodia along the Mekong, extended journeys deeper into Northern Vietnam through Halong Bay and onward to Hanoi via the Red River delta and its tributaries, and opened long, uncharted stretches of the Ganges to international travelers.

The fleet is purpose-built for expedition river travel. Shallow-draft ships are designed to navigate narrow channels and shifting sandbanks, allowing itineraries to reach remote villages, river islands, and historic trade routes far beyond major ports or road networks. Routes are shaped by the rivers themselves, not by conventional cruise infrastructure.

This expedition approach has allowed Pandaw to reopen historic river routes. The company became the first operator to connect Vietnam and Cambodia by river on the Mekong, opened deep stretches of the Ganges to international cruising, and developed expedition itineraries in regions such as the Kerala Backwaters.

Watching the sunset on the sundeck of a Panda Cruise ship.

The RV Mekong Pandaw, a classic river expedition ship form Pandaw Cruises, designed to navigate the Mekong River through Cambodia and Vietnam.

A Pandaw Cruises waiter in traditional Burmese attire, including a white shirt and dark longyi, stands on a sun-drenched teakwood deck holding a tray with two colorful tropical cocktails.

A close-up shot of a gourmet meal on a Pandaw Cruises table, featuring a beautifully plated local Southeast Asian dish with fresh ingredients, served in an open-air teakwood dining room with a view of the river landscape.

A close-up of a wooden side table in a Pandaw Cruises cabin, featuring a woven wicker lamp, reusable metal water bottles, Pandaw magazines, and a small vase with red roses.

With just 10 to 30 cabins per ship, life on board is informal and personal. Guests quickly connect with both one another and with the locally recruited crew, whose knowledge and lived experience add depth to every journey. This close-knit atmosphere, often called the “Pandaw spirit,” is a direct result of the small-ship format and is reflected in strong guest loyalty, with around 45 percent of travelers returning to sail again.

That commitment to place extends beyond the voyage itself. Through the Pandaw Clinics, the company helps fund and operate free medical services in remote river communities, providing thousands of consultations each year in areas where access to healthcare is limited. Together, the ship design, onboard atmosphere, and community focus create a style of river travel that prioritizes access, connection, and long-term impact over scale or spectacle.

What’s new for Pandaw Cruises in 2026?

Broadening its focus beyond new routes, itineraries, and ship development that reflect how river cruising is evolving in Asia, Pandaw introduces a new suite of enhanced guest experiences and sustainable initiatives that continue its vision as a community-centered company deeply connected to the land it explores.

For 2026, Pandaw has launched a three-night Saigon to Phnom Penh cruise offering a shorter, more flexible way to experience the Mekong, designed for travelers looking to integrate river travel into wider regional itineraries. The sailing creates a city-to-city link with rural village visits, sampan trips through the Ben Tre mangroves, fruit orchards, and floating fish farms near Chau Doc, offering depth without the commitment of a full week onboard.

Three traditional thatched-roof houseboats navigating a calm, palm-fringed tropical river filled with green water hyacinths under an overcast sky.

In India, Pandaw remains the only operator offering a continuous expedition through Kerala’s Backwaters. Strong demand for inaugural sailings has prompted the launch of a second vessel, the RV Kerala Pandaw, at the end of 2026. The additional ship expands access to this 900-kilometer network of narrow rivers and lagoons, with itineraries shaped around village life, temple visits, and cultural performances on board.

Guest experience enhancements extend beyond routing and hardware. A new mobile app gives travelers access to daily programs, excursion details, destination insights, and onboard services before and during their cruise, allowing for more personalized planning while reducing reliance on printed materials. The update supports a smoother, more self-directed experience without changing the informal, crew-led atmosphere that defines life on board.

The RV Tonle Pandaw introduces the new Tonle Suites, expanding the brand into the luxury segment while maintaining its small-ship ethos. The suites feature private decks, generous living space, locally inspired design, and dedicated butler service, reflecting growing demand from long-haul markets for higher-spec accommodation without sacrificing intimacy or access.

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This article was brought to you by DestinAsian and Pandaw Cruises.

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