Aboard RV Katha Pandaw with Pandaw
Cruise Overview
There can be no river in the world as sacred as the Ganges and an expedition on the Lower Ganges or Hooghly is one of the prettiest river journeys imaginable.
The river wends its way through the lush countryside of West Bengal with its culturally significant towns crammed with temples and palaces.
A rich and vibrant rural life abounds and there is never a dull moment as we sedately ply this pleasant waterway.
Combine this with the mighty Brahmaputra river in Northern India which originates high in the Himalayas before flowing through the scenic Assam Valley where UNESCO protected national parks and remote rural communities provide the traveller with the most wonderful and authentic expedition.
The river wends its way through the lush countryside of West Bengal with its culturally significant towns crammed with temples and palaces.
A rich and vibrant rural life abounds and there is never a dull moment as we sedately ply this pleasant waterway.
Combine this with the mighty Brahmaputra river in Northern India which originates high in the Himalayas before flowing through the scenic Assam Valley where UNESCO protected national parks and remote rural communities provide the traveller with the most wonderful and authentic expedition.
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)
