Aboard RV Katha Pandaw with Pandaw
Cruise Overview
In 2019 we inaugurated an 'all Ganges' voyage of one thousand miles from Kolkata to Varanasi.
Due to the challenges of navigation and the obstruction of numerous pontoon bridges it has been decided to sail as far as Patna and then overland to Varanasi.
The sailing does though cover the best of the Ganges from the colonial splendours of Kolkotta, through the enchanting rural arcadia of West Bengal along the Hoogly and the great expanse of the Ganga itself with its pristine bird and wildlife and cultural treasures dotted along the banks.
Though in the days of the British Raj paddle steamers plied this route on a regular basis, with the advent of the railways in India river navigation was abandoned and the rivers were allowed to silt up.
Now thanks to a multi-million dollar investment from the Indian Government channels have been dredged and buoyed and hi tech GPS based aids installed enabling seasonal navigation.
Varanasi, said to be the oldest inhabited city on the planet is the most sacred city of Hinduism and a place of overwhelming beauty at the same time poignantly moving with its cremation ghats.
Varanasi is surely the goal of any 'passage to India' and at the other end of the holy river stands Kolkata, in all its Raj-like magnificence.
Between lies several of the most important Buddhist sites in the country, fascinating cities great and small as well as expanses of empty river teeming with bird life, not to mention the Gangeatic dolphin.
No vessel could be more appropriate for a voyage on 'All the Ganges' than our ultra shallow draft Pandaw K class ships.
Important Notice: The cruise schedule includes the latest information regarding your program, but last minute adjustments may occur.
The schedule may shift due to the weather or to take advantage of unexpected opportunities.
The exact time for each activity will be announced or posted by the onboard tour staff.
Please Note: This itinerary passes through the state of Bihar.
In this state it is illegal to serve any drinks containing alcohol.
For this reason we will not be able to serve alcohol onboard the ship while in the state of Bihar.
This will affect the Upstream itinerary from day 8 until arrival in Varanasi and for the Downstream itinerary upon arrival to Patna until day 8.
Due to the challenges of navigation and the obstruction of numerous pontoon bridges it has been decided to sail as far as Patna and then overland to Varanasi.
The sailing does though cover the best of the Ganges from the colonial splendours of Kolkotta, through the enchanting rural arcadia of West Bengal along the Hoogly and the great expanse of the Ganga itself with its pristine bird and wildlife and cultural treasures dotted along the banks.
Though in the days of the British Raj paddle steamers plied this route on a regular basis, with the advent of the railways in India river navigation was abandoned and the rivers were allowed to silt up.
Now thanks to a multi-million dollar investment from the Indian Government channels have been dredged and buoyed and hi tech GPS based aids installed enabling seasonal navigation.
Varanasi, said to be the oldest inhabited city on the planet is the most sacred city of Hinduism and a place of overwhelming beauty at the same time poignantly moving with its cremation ghats.
Varanasi is surely the goal of any 'passage to India' and at the other end of the holy river stands Kolkata, in all its Raj-like magnificence.
Between lies several of the most important Buddhist sites in the country, fascinating cities great and small as well as expanses of empty river teeming with bird life, not to mention the Gangeatic dolphin.
No vessel could be more appropriate for a voyage on 'All the Ganges' than our ultra shallow draft Pandaw K class ships.
Important Notice: The cruise schedule includes the latest information regarding your program, but last minute adjustments may occur.
The schedule may shift due to the weather or to take advantage of unexpected opportunities.
The exact time for each activity will be announced or posted by the onboard tour staff.
Please Note: This itinerary passes through the state of Bihar.
In this state it is illegal to serve any drinks containing alcohol.
For this reason we will not be able to serve alcohol onboard the ship while in the state of Bihar.
This will affect the Upstream itinerary from day 8 until arrival in Varanasi and for the Downstream itinerary upon arrival to Patna until day 8.
Cruise Itinerary
Aboard RV Katha Pandaw
Launch Year: 2011 Length: 40 Width: 9 Currency: USD Capacity: 28 Crew Count: Deck Count: 3 Cabin Count: 14
This was a radical new design, based on the old K class used in Burma from the 1880s on. This ship is the third Katha to run on the Irrawaddy. The first was built at Dalla in 1887 but lost on the Chindwin in 1889. The second was built by Denny of Dumbarton in 1904 and decommissioned in 1937 and the third was built by us in Vietnam in 2012.
We ran her a year on the Mekong before sending to Burma. With only two decks these smaller K class ships have lower air draft so can get under bridges and supposedly a shallower draft, though in fact the Vietnam ship yards were not as successful in achieving this as the Burmese yards and later Burmese-built K class ships achieved remarkable reductions in draft.
The Katha general arrangement was radical in that we eliminated the formal indoor dining room. This led to great protests from regular passengers and indeed our staff. In the end all agree it is far more pleasant to eat outside than in a stuffy, noisy enclosed dining room and the bugs are really not that bad. Up river in Burma it can be a little cold in winter but currently we deploy this ship in Middle Burma where the cold is less of an issue.
Refitted for expedition sailings in India from September 2019, we have reduced the number of staterooms from sixteen to fourteen to create an enlarged indoor saloon / dining area as winter cruising in India can be chilly first thing.
RV Katha Pandaw Facilities
RV Katha Pandaw Includes
Cabin Details
The Pandaw stateroom is the most celebrated feature of our ships, combining splendid colonial-era character with exquisite contemporary comfort.
Finished in brass and teak, the main and upper deck rooms are a spacious 168 square feet (15.6 sqm), with the exception of the Zawgyi Pandaw which is 150 square feet (14 sqm). As the space is much loved by all our passengers, we have ensured that with each ship we build, the stateroom remains essentially the same. Be advised: our cabins do not have mini-bars, satellite TV's, internet access or telephones. Passengers tend to choose Pandaw in order to escape from the tiresome features found in international business hotels.
All our cabins are the same size and all contain Pandaw's signature amenities. Passengers can choose from the Main Deck or Upper Deck.
- Fruit and flowers on arrival
- Kimonos and slippers
- Spa-branded amenities
- Unlimited mineral water
- Free use of mini DVD player on request and selection of DVDs from our library (subject to availability)
