Myanmar/Burma river cruise.

[vada_9]

The answer to this is yes, but depends on your river. You will note that Pandaw only offer their Chidwin River cruise during rainy season. The Irrawaddy - towards the delta is a great flood plain - but probably only a metre deep but maybe a kilometre wide in places. There were local river guides that would join the boat - and the crew were often out with a bamboo pole measuring depths. There is no need to worry about low bridges as there are very few river crossings on both Irrawaddy and Mekong. On the Mekong you can not enter the Tonel Sap lake when the levels are low (hence the bus ride to/from Siem Reap). You can get the specifications of how much water the boats draw on the web sites.

[Wingtips56]

The current issue (Sept./ Oct) of Cruise Travel magazine has a trip report of the new AmaWaterways ship AmaPura. On the Irawaddy. Might make interesting reading. EM

 

I need to see if that's available online somewhere. We're on AmaPura for 14 nights in January. We booked it with our whole group almost 2 years in advance, while we were mid-river on the Mekong on AmaLotus. AmaPura hadn't even started building yet at that point.

[Host Jazzbeau]

I need to see if that's available online somewhere. We're on AmaPura for 14 nights in January. We booked it with our whole group almost 2 years in advance, while we were mid-river on the Mekong on AmaLotus. AmaPura hadn't even started building yet at that point.

 

I doubt you'll find it (legally). It's a very expensive magazine ($38.95 for 6 bi-monthly issues) and they want everyone to pay the freight (no deals that I've been able to find).

[NowRose]

Can anyone give me information about what attire is appropriate for supper

[3littlepigs]

Casual/Smart casual...it's not like a cruise ship.

[3littlepigs]

Thanks 3littlepigs.

 

Do you know if water levels is ever an issue re itinerary?

 

There wouldn't be major issues on the one week Irrawaddy cruise from Prome to

Mandalay unless there were major floods in the rainy season. On the cruise that goes north from Mandalay they use local speed boats to access the second defile if the river level is low.

 

A local pilot travels with the boat, changes every 50 miles so they have expert local knowledge. It was always fun to watch the pilot changes. Often a small boat pulls out from the bank with the new pilot onboard, his family waving goodbye, and waving hello to everyone onboard, the new pilot climbs the access ladder to board and the previous pilot climbs down into the little boat with his bag of goodies for dinner from the cruise boat..waving happily back to the passengers!

[Mark_T]

I doubt you'll find it (legally). It's a very expensive magazine ($38.95 for 6 bi-monthly issues) and they want everyone to pay the freight (no deals that I've been able to find).

 

They appear to have it available on iTunes...

 

3 back-issue bundle: £8.99/ US$12.99

6 months: £8.99/ US$12.99 (3 issues)*

12 months: £17.49/ US$24.99 (6 issues)*

 

The subscriptions come with a free 30 day trial which includes the current issue...

 

As usual, you need to remember to cancel before the end of the 30 days to avoid paying :)

[Mark_T]

... and having read the article in my free copy of the magazine I'd say it is certainly worth reading.

 

There was also a piece on the Viking Star as well...

[HDS]

Harking back to water levels and rainy seasons on the Irrawaddy.

The heaviest rains are expected from about June to October.

The depth sounder is an old fashioned striped bamboo pole because the river carries so much sediment that a modern (ultra-sound) depth sounder could not function. I wondered what else was equally antiquated but a fellow passenger who operates a large fishing fleet in USA assured me that everything else in the Pandaw wheelhouse and engines was spot on.

The sand banks in the river are continually shifting, sediment being washed from one spot to another with the current. Pilots taken on board and dropped off a day later are experts in the local conditions, the currents and shifting sands.

If the river is low, crew will take to a small boat with the bamboo pole to find a safe passage for the cruise boat through the sand bars.

I was told, while in Myanmar, that a huge dam on the China/Myanmar border generates hydro power for China and Chinese industries in China and in northern Burma. The water flow down the Irrawaddy is determined by the Chinese demand for power. The Chinese owned industries on the upper reaches of the river were on a huge scale compared to the local operations.

The cruise boats have a very shallow draft and, as stated by another poster, these are on the company websites.

Chemmo, I saw an ad for your Ananda cruise line (I may have misspelt that) in an Australian newspaper and it looked very swish. As I said before we travel for destinations and good guiding, not luxury and are happy with a quiet clean en-suite cabin, and freshly prepared food.

[deec]

The ship chartered by Vantage had the same very hi tech depth sounder. Also their docking along the river banks by tying the ship to a few posts pounded onto the sand. Then watching a spontaneous game of cane ball played among the crew....priceless! Fantastic trip ,take it before the country changes.

[ReturnCruiser]

They appear to have it available on iTunes...

 

3 back-issue bundle: £8.99/ US$12.99

6 months: £8.99/ US$12.99 (3 issues)*

12 months: £17.49/ US$24.99 (6 issues)*

 

The subscriptions come with a free 30 day trial which includes the current issue...

 

As usual, you need to remember to cancel before the end of the 30 days to avoid paying :)

 

I was able to retrieve a copy of the Sept/Oct publication via Google's Play Store for $4.99. You need to download the free Cruise Travel app first and then make your purchase through the app.

[Mark_T]

I was able to retrieve a copy of the Sept/Oct publication via Google's Play Store for $4.99. You need to download the free Cruise Travel app first and then make your purchase through the app.

 

Glad you got it, but it was completely free on iOS as long as you cancel the subscription before the end of the 30 day trial, so if anyone else has the option of going that way it will save a few $$$ :)