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 Halong Bay, which has been hugely commercialized over the last few years. Already here Pandaw did a clever thing: By setting a route that bypasses the masses. Going up the Red River and the Black River gives an insight into true Vietnam. The day going through the vast harbour area of Haiphong might be a bit boring and the widespread dredging in the rivers, which will ultimately lead to erosion and extinction of river-life, saddening. The cultural events and the multitude of artisans visited on the shore excursions were just great. On board there was the typical Pandaw offering: Breakfast and Lunch buffets with table service for dinners. A good choice of western and local dishes and all with attentive service. The cabins on Pandaw, although called „state rooms“ are in fact cabins as you would have had them in colonial times, think „Teak and Brass“. Read Less

I had travelled on a Pandaw cruise previously and could not fault it for style, comfort, friendly crew, variety of villages and other attractions to visit, the food, the guides and the comfort of the cabins. I like the small number of fellow travellers these ships accommodate, and the range of countries they come from. It leads to a friendly, relaxed atmosphere. The first cruise was the downstream Mekong trip which I found very interesting, but the Red River/Halong Bay upstream trip was even better, providing us with an interesting variety of villages and towns to visit as well as the chance to enjoy the spectacular scenery of Halong Bay and other areas off the regular tourist beat. The teak construction and shiny brass fittings give the ships a timeless and classy look. The ships and excursions may challenge those with very limited mobility as there are no lifts but apart from that small inconvenience the cruises cater for most abilities. I can highly recommend Pandaw as a great company to travel with. Read Less

This was our first Pandaw River Cruise and it was outstanding. We started in Viet Tri, Vietnam on the first day of tourist season 2016. We were welcomed by TV cameras and photographers before seeing a beautiful traditoinal dance by women and children in Viet Tri. We felt like rock stars but had been warned by the ships crew it might happen. That was the start of what turned out to be a most interesting 10- night cruise to villages with blacksmiths, carpenters, water puppeteers and conical hat makers where tourist rarely go. We were warmly welcomed wherever our small group of 18 ventured. Because our trip started mid-January we were unprepared for the unusually cold weather but that did not affect the warm and inviting staff who cared for our dining, cabin care and touring. Low water conditions on the Lo River caused us to start downstream but that did not affect the tour because buses were there to take us where the boat could not go. We cannot say enough about the cruise overall except to say it would have been nice to have a few more heaters in the dining room. We ended our tour in magnificent Halong Bay for two nights which was awesome. At the end we were efficiently delivered back to Hanoi. I want to compliment the staff because we had one man with significant mobility challenges. Our ports were often out-of-the-way with difficult egress. The crew was always there to help the man experience everything that we did. It was impressive. Read Less

I just returned from Pandaw's "Halong Bay and the Red River" cruise (from Hanoi) aboard the Angkor Pandaw. Everything about the cruise was perfect, especially the visits to small towns and villages and two wonderful guides. I'm retired but traveled with two college-age relatives. We all enjoyed every moment of the trip and learned a lot about Vietnam and its culture. This was my third Pandaw cruise (others: Mekong and Irrawaddy) and I love the way the Pandaw staff develop good relations with villages along the rivers of Southeast Asia, allowing their passengers to enjoy frequent delightful visits to them and see small town life and encounter folks who seem equally thrilled to meet and chat with foreign visitors. And their boats are run faultlessly with great accommodations and delicious Vietnamese, Asian, and international food. I've traveled extensively through more than 75 countries and find Pandaw cruises to be fun, educational, well-paced, comfortable, and economical. Read Less

Joined the ship in Saigon for a 3 night / 4 day cruise to Phnom Penh. Cost was approximately £500 (GBP) per night for a double cabin. Passengers met for registration at the Intercontinental Asiana in Saigon. It was disappointing that Pandaw did not arrange for coffee to be available during what turned out to be a 2 hour wait for transport to the ship. Not a good first impression. That said, instead of the expected 2 hour bus ride to My Tho on the Mekong delta to meet the ship we had a 10 minute ride to Saigon Port and the bonus of an extra half day on the water as we proceeded down the Saigon River to the Mekong delta from there. This included a spectacular sunset. The ship itself is very beautiful and well maintained. There are 16 double cabins - and our cruise had 28 passengers. All were middle aged (or older) Europeans, Australians or Canadians. The atmosphere was friendly and enjoyable throughout with free seating at meals and all local beers and spirits included. Cabins are spacious and the bathrooms amazingly large and functional with an excellent shower. Without exception, the staff are wonderful. On the downside, the excursions and the food were slightly disappointing, especially given the price paid for what is classed as a "top of the range" cruise. The fact that the cruise took place during the lunar New Year (Tet) meant that the river was not its normal bustling self and the floating market had everything except any floating markets!! The excursions ashore were not particularly interesting (and not as advertised) - again maybe due to Tet - though it was always good to get off the ship and stretch ones legs for a couple of hours. The food was OK but nothing to write home about - interestingly we had much better on a 1 night cruise in Halong Bay (which cost half as much per night). We also thought it slightly mean that a "house wine" could not be provide for dinner. All-in-all a very enjoyable experience, though a little expensive for what it was. For us, 3 nights was certainly enough. Read Less