Pandaw Cruise Reviews

A 14-day river cruise on the Ganges from Varanasi to Kolkata aboard a luxury shallow-bottomed river boat with fascinating daily excursions - if only! We had signed up for an "adventurous expedition" and were to be prepared for the unexpected. So I guess we should not have been shocked when we arrived at the hotel in Varanasi with bags packed ready to go on board to be told there's been a ...

Pandaw is an excellent company and the Ganges has more to offer in the way of palaces, temples and ancient ruins than any other river in Asia. We knew that the ship would actually be run by an Indian management company but the standards were as good as other Pandaw cruises: a lovely boat, replica of the 19th century river boats of Asia, excellent Indian food, friendly and highly competent staff. ...

Third Pandaw cruise after Irrawaddy & Mekong & very disappointing but we were forewarned after many bad reviews. All 19 pax were return custom & we departed in KATHA PANDAW on one engine which precluded us transitting the Farraka lock 11 Dec so we transferred to the KALAW PANDAW 10 Dec to continue. The ship went aground on the afternoon of 14 Dec & remained stranded for 42 1/4 hrs until freed by a ...

As previous very happy Pandaw clients, when the opportunity arose to cruise the Ganges we jumped at it. Did not comparison shop or explore other options such was our faith in Pandaw. First mistake on our part. After paying the balance of our not insignificant account, alarm bells started ringing when on 28/10 a message appeared advising that due to problems they were experiencing they would ...

We have been on eight Pandaw cruises so far and are trying to do a river cruise alternately with ocean cruises. Pandaw is pioneering cruises to places where no one else goes and that’s my kind of stuff: I‘m sick and tired of the run-of-the mill touristic „offerings“ that are the same with all operators on the same routes. This is where Pandaw delivers, also in Vietnam. The cruise starts at ...

My wife and I have thoroughly enjoyed 3 prior river cruises with Pandaw, Mekong, Irra waddy and Red river/Halong bay, plus optional Pandaw land tours. On 12th October all that credibility crumbled to dust and blew away. Whilst in transit from Delhi to Kolkata afternoon of the 11th we received an email from Brett Lemish, Indian area manager of Pandaw, advising due to flooding our 14 day river ...

We have travelled extensively on ocean and river over the last 20 years and have, with the exception of our October Pandaw India trip, always enjoyed our adventures. On two occasions plans went astray but we were adequately compensated. This is the first time I have voiced my dissatisfaction in a public forum and I have endeavoured to report the issues as accurately as possible. We arrived in ...

We travelled to Kolkata on 10 October , looking forward to Pandaw’s inaugural 14 day cruise up the Ganges to Varanasi. Late in the afternoon of 11 October ( the day before departure ) we were told that the cruise was not going to take place . We later found out that the stated reason , namely a closed lock at Farraka , had been known to Pandaw since 4 October ( at the latest ) . Pandaw ...

This was a new cruise for this boat which was apparently brought from another country and it showed. The crew had little knowledge or interest in their jobs. Their command of English was little to poor. The decks were dirty yet never cleaned. The bar and coffee area was always a shambles. The barman, when at the bar, could not understand the wine labels. Self-service was the often required ...

This cruise was chosen as way to see the more rural side of Vietnam and Cambodia and did not disappoint. In fact it went way beyond our expectations. The itinerary is new with many small villages visited, often being transported by local tuk tuk, ox cart or horse cart.The excursions are varied and well run, with a lot of local content , including making pots, basket weaving, cooking pancakes and ...