The Chindwin River, up till now only accessible by larger ships in the monsoon, can be explored year round on a small ship like the Kha Byoo. This has to be the loveliest river in Asia with a varied landscape and many exciting river features including gorges and whirlpools set amidst jungles, forests and high mountains. There is a rich cultural life in the Upper Chindwin valley with delightful old colonial towns like Mawlaik, or bustling India border towns like Kalewa. Homalin is the capital of Burmese Nagaland. Some of the oldest teak carved monasteries may be found around the ancient royal town of Mingin.

 

Brief Itinerary

 

Day 1: Homalin

Day 2: Toungdoot – Paungbyin

Day 3: Sittahaung – Yuwa

Day 4: Mawlaik – Kalewa

Day 5: Mingin – Kanee

Day 6: Monywar

Day 7: Pho Win Taung        

Day 8: Monywar

 

The Kha Byoo Pandaw      

 

At forty meters long and with only ten cabins, Kha Byoo is essentially an enlarged version of the Kalay Pandaw. The design shares the same features including an owner’s stateroom on the upper deck. The other nine cabins have louvered French windows that open to the promenades on either side of the ship so they are very light and airy and much larger than the traditional Pandaw cabin. There is an indoor bar/dining area but many passengers choose to live and dine on deck outside. 

 

Like all the other ‘K-class’ ships this vessel is named after one of the original Irrawaddy Flotilla Company (IFC) ships of similar class and design. The original Kha Byoo was built in 1882 by Denny of Dumbarton and attained some notoriety in 1899 when it spent three days caught in a whirlpool in a narrow channel on the Irrawaddy River between Katha and Mandalay. The then young captain’s hair turned completely white over these three days. For the people of Myanmar this makes it a very lucky ship, because it survived the ordeal. Unfortunately we cannot guarantee our intrepid adventurers such an experience but as with all Pandaw expeditions we can assure you that it will not be uneventful.

Day 1: Homalin                                                                                [-/L/D]

 

You transfer from Homalin airport to the jetty at Homalin, the furthest navigable point on the Chindwin for vessels of our size. Alister McCrae wrote of his visit there in 1935 ‘I loved the atmosphere of quiet and peaceful living there. At night I could hear graylag geese as they came in to the flooded land around us from far away north’. Bird in 1897 says little other than that Homalin is the headquarters of a township, but has very little trade’. Until we get there and explore the place there is not much we can say!

 

Day 2: Toungdoot - Paungbyin      [B/L/D]

 

Toungdoot or Hsawng-hsup in Thai is an ancient Shan enclave, which, in British times still had a ruling sawbwa complete with palace and court. It will be interesting to see what has become of the royal family and their home and to see these Shan people so far from their Thai-Shan homelands. On the way to Paungbyin, Patha was an important oil refinery belonging to the Indo-Burma Petroleum Co (Steel Brothers).

 

Day 3: Sittahaung – Yuwa                                                   [B/L/D]

 

Sittahaung was the final resting place of a number of IFC steamers scuppered there in 1942 in an ‘act of denial’ from the advancing Japanese who were a matter of hours behind. We hope to find remains of these ships as we have in the past at Katha on the Irrawaddy. It was from here that the survivors of the Japanese invasion marched out to Tamu on the India border. We pass the mouth of the Yu River, which drains the Kubu valley that provided the route for Lieutenant Grant to march to the relief of the Manipur garrison when the chief commissioner of Assam was massacred in a local rebellion.

 

 

 

Day 4: Mawlaik - Kalewa                                                    [B/L/D]

 

We explore Mawlaik, which replaced Kindat as the administrative capital but ironically the Myanmar people refused to move there from upstream Kindat. It was mainly settled with the company houses of the Scottish owned and run Bombay Myanmar Trading Corporation in the 1920s and 1930s. There are many splendid ‘Dak Bungalows’ set around a verdant golf course. Mawlaik and the other towns of the Upper Chindwin can only be reached by boat so cars are few. There is a dreamy otherworldly quality to such places and truly one feels that one has travelled there in the Pandaw time machine! Next we move on to the gateway town for the Chin State, Kalewa with its markets and quaint wooden architecture.

 

Day 5: Mingin – Kanee                                                        [B/L/D]

 

Mingin was rediscovered by Paul Strachan in 1987 and described in some detail in his book Mandalay: Travels from the Golden City. It remains for Paul the most historically interesting site in Myanmar (more so than the now spoilt Pagan) with its Konbaung court style teak monasteries sumptuously decorated. Mingin may be described as the Luang Prabang of the Chindwin. And we pass a number of attractive villages like Kanee where we can stretch our legs.

 

Day 6: Monywar                                                                               [B/L/D]

 

Entering the lower Chindwin where the river widens and the forested hills fall away from farmland, we pass a number of attractive villages. We will explore Monywar and make a trip to the Thanboddhay Temple with its million Buddha images.

 

Day 7: Pho Win Taung                                                                                [B/L/D]

 

In the morning, we go by coach to the Phowin Taung Caves, where we can see many beautiful mural paintings and Buddha statues.

 

Day 8: Monywar                                                                               [B/-/-]

 

We disembark at Monywar jetty at 08.00 am and transfer to Mandalay with a 3-hour drive.

 

 

 

Included:

 

•          Domestic Flights Yangon - Homalin or Mandalay - Homalin or Homalin - Yangon or Homalin - Mandalay

•          Entrance fees           

•          Guide services (English language)

•          Port dues      

•          Main meals   

•          Locally made soft drinks and alcoholic beverages           

•          Filter coffee and selection of teas

           

NOT INCLUDED IN TRIP COSTING

•          International flights, no flights included out of Mandalay for cruise ending in Monywar/Mandalay

•          Port dues (if levied),

•          Laundry,

•          All visa costs

•          Fuel surcharges (see terms and conditions),

•          Imported beverages such as wines, premium spirits and liqueurs, fancy soft drinks

•          Visa to Myanmar (note that pre-arranged visa is required for tourists)

•          International airfares or domestic air fares  (always quoted and mentioned separately from tour package price)

•          Tips & gratuities        

 This tour is private and can be tailor-made to suit your travel needs. As a result the price is quoted in US dollars and shown on a per-person basis. The ‘Price From’ quoted is for a party of 6 to 8 people and for accommodation in 3 star hotels. The final price will be privately quoted, based on the number in your party, your preferred time of travel, grade of hotel and any additional services requested. Please click on the BOOK NOW button and fill in the booking form, after which one of our travel consultants will customize the best value holiday for you.

 TBA