Ayeyarwady Riverboats

Given Myanmar’s poor transport infrastructure, one of the most pleasant and rewarding ways to see the country is aboard a luxury riverboat. This has been a favorite trip of Hideaway Report readers for many years.

Aside from the reliable level of comfort, the leading riverboats provide well-organized excursions to pagodas, monasteries and culturally significant sites, allowing passengers to experience relatively remote and unspoiled areas of the country that would otherwise be inaccessible. Of course, just watching the life of the river from the observation deck is endlessly diverting.

The usual journey on the Ayeyarwady River takes four days/three nights to travel the 128 nautical miles downstream from Mandalay to Bagan, or five days/four nights to sail upstream from Bagan to Mandalay. The Belmond Road to Mandalay regularly plies this route, accommodating up to 82 guests in either “State” or slightly smaller “Deluxe” cabins, both with en suite baths. Amenities include a fine-dining restaurant, a more casual bar/grill, a small swimming pool and a fitness center and spa.

This year a new boat came into service, operated by The Strand hotel in Yangon. The R.V. Strand accommodates 54 passengers in four categories of cabins and suites. All come with full-length sliding windows, Juliet balconies and butler service.

For those who wish to follow a more adventurous itinerary, or simply to spend longer on the river, I recommend two other vessels. The Belmond Orcaella takes up to 50 passengers on nine-day cruises from Yangon to Bagan, 12-day journeys on the Ayeyarwady as far north as Bhamo in Kachin State (about 40 miles from the border with China), and 13-day trips on the Chindwin River, the main tributary of the Ayeyarwady (with which it merges south of Mandalay). An alternative is provided by the stylish and intimate Sanctuary Ananda, which has 20 spacious suites, all with balconies. Cruises include a 12-day journey from Yangon to Mandalay, an 11-day trip on the Chindwin and a 12-day exploration of the upper Ayeyarwady.