Kindat Pandaw Review

Pandaw ceased operations in October 2021

Kindat Pandaw has two walk-around passenger decks with identical cabins of 170 square feet. All have twin beds, air-conditioning and French windows opening out to personal deck space with two wicker chairs. Cabins provide desks and safes, as well as bathrobes, hair dryers and slippers in the bathrooms. There is an onboard laundry and crew clean shoes after excursions.

Passengers spend their leisure time on the aft section of the covered upper deck, where they can take in the sights from teak loungers and wicker furniture. This deck also has a small covered deck forward.

Meals are served bistro-style outdoor or indoor on the upper deck, the former a pleasant alfresco experience affords backdrops such as passing vessels and sounds from nearby villages. Breakfast is buffet style but preceded by coffee, tea and light bites for early risers. Lunch is served either buffet style or standard sit-down, while dinners are four-course affairs. The line's produce is fresh, regional and seasonal.

Coffee, tea, soft drinks, beer and domestic spirits are complimentary and served at the bar/library on the upper deck. An open-bridge policy is in place.

Wi-Fi is slow due to the remote areas traveled, but some of the riverside towns have Internet shops.

Kindat Pandaw has two guides giving briefings at cocktail hour every night and accompanying all excursions, which are daily and free. Some local entertainment, such as folkloric dancing and puppet shows, also are offered. A therapist is onboard for massage treatments. Tipping is optional.

Overnights usually involve stopping at a riverbank and securing the ship with lines attached to stakes hammered into the sand. As on other ships, part of the gangway tends to be little more than a plank and sandbags, and the trip can be tough for those with disabilities. But plenty of willing crew hands always are there to assist. Most passengers see Pandaw as a world away from conventional cruising and take such measures in stride.