‘The Chindwin is the loveliest of rivers…’ so wrote my late friend Alister McCrae of his 1930s trip up the great tributary as a young assistant of the Irrawaddy Flotilla*. And so it remains. I have been up a few rivers in my time and the Chindwin without a doubt remains the loveliest of them all. The Laos Mekong, with its gorges and rocks the size of apartment blocks is on a grander, almost intimidating, scale. The Irrawaddy is a magnificent beast as it expands and contracts through a series of vast shimmering water filled plain and tight defiles. Nothing could beat the Brahmaputra for bird and wildlife and nothing could beat the great Mekong Delta for human life.

I returned this year to the Chindwin to find it little changed in a world of great change. Timeless, soulful, the river meanders through range upon range of forested hills, through rocky narrows and great open spaces. You are up against towering bluffs to one side and shimmering seas of elephant grass on the other. Our course is punctuated by pristine villages that have not visibly changed in a millennia. On the Chindwin, you will find the real Burma: a quietly prosperous riverine economy, self-sufficient and at one with its self.

I first explored the Chindwin in 1986 when I travelled up river on a small motorboat. I was twenty-five then and spent the better part of a week sleeping on sand banks as the boatmen tried to coax our overladen vessel off these sand banks. This was in April and the river was so shallow you could walk across. I fell in love with the river and marvelled at the art treasures that awaited in long forgotten wood carved monasteries, one of which at Mingkin I believe to be the oldest in Burma.

The best places to stay, when not on the sand banks, were in the village monasteries. At Kan I formed a friendship with the spiritual, yet at the same time highly capable sayadaw (abbott), that lasts to this day. The Kan Sayadaw ran the village as a sort of benign theocracy and it was the tidiest, cleanest and most quietly prosperous village in Burma. His aura of authority was such that he was able to keep out the hordes of rapacious officials lying in wait in the nearby township of Mingkin.

The Chindwin is the Irrawaddy’s greatest tributary flowing down 700 miles from the Patkai Hills in North-East India, said to the be the wettest place in the world, which accounts for a monsoon rise of water levels of 100ft and sometimes the river can rise thirty feet in a night. In the low water season from mid-October onwards, the water level drops to three feet or less and is navigable only by vessels with the shallowest of drafts. The river is navigable from its confluence with the Irrawaddy as far as Homalin which is 400 miles.

Photos courtesy of Barry Broman and Paul Strachan

I did not return till the late 90s on our first Pandaw and there was virtually no change from when I had been up there fifteen years before. Roads were few and cars fewer. The Chinese ‘colonisation’ of Burma was just beginning and had yet to reach these remote parts. It was a joyful reunion with the Kan Sayadaw, witnessed by bemused guests on board. I have been lucky enough to do the trip a couple more times in the intervening years and it just seems to get lovelier and lovelier.

This year I took my family on our Kalay Pandaw, the five cabin so called ‘Pandaw Owner’s Yacht'; not that we get to go in it very much as it is usually fully booked. The Kalay followed the nine cabin Zawgyi. In December the weather is just perfect, the temperature ranging from 15C at night to 25C by day. No one used the air conditioners and most meals were taken outside, though fleeces are a must at breakfast time.

On both the Zawgyi and Kalay every single guest, bar one couple, had been with Pandaw before, many several times. Everyone was up for an adventure and had many a tale of past groundings, evacuations and the other dramas associated with a Pandaw river expedition. Perhaps to some people’s regret, this expedition went quite smoothly, as, though low water, the channels were very clearly defined and we never hit the bottom once. Both these ships draw just under three feet and being small can manoeuvre tight bends. A couple of years ago at the same time of year, the water got so low that a number of key channels blocked and there were queues of boats waiting to get through. We had a lot of complaints that year.

Things have changed now since the 80s and 90s. For one thing, there was 3G for the entire length of the river. I am not sure that is such a good thing as one of the joys of Burma river travel was going ‘offline’. Likewise, on the Irrawaddy you are now ‘wired’ the whole way. As a result, every local you meet, from fisherman to ploughman, has a smart phone and seems to be on Facebook. New roads run parallel to the river and you see cars in the village; as with everywhere in Burma today, everyone is dashing around on a scooter. Even, there is grid power in the larger villages, yet despite the march of modernity, the intrinsic atmosphere of these Chindwin towns and villages remained the same – very friendly, very polite and still with their original wooden houses, very pretty.

I am glad to say that the Kan Sayadaw, now in his eighties, is thriving. Lots of new houses seemed to be under construction around the village and he complained to me, somewhat ironically, that now the once draconian laws of the military dictatorship were relaxed, people were cutting down trees for wood. However, he had won the argument by telling the villagers that tourists want to see the trees and the place would not be so attractive without them.

The Chindwin was first explored in 1881 by two Scots, Fred Kennedy of the Irrawaddy Flotilla and Annan Bryce of the Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation, who had timber concessions up there from the Burmese king. Upper Burma was then ruled by King Thibaw whilst Lower Burma was British. The IFC ran paddle steamers from Rangoon, the colonial capital, to the royal capital of Mandalay and had agents there and upstream as far as Bhamo. The Chindwin, flowing up to the border of British India was of considerable strategic and commercial interest. However, the main barrier to any development of these opportunities were the water levels with, as said, an average dry season depth of about three feet and in the monsoon, a flow rate strong enough to stop any ship.

Fred Kennedy reported back to Glasgow where the legendary ship builder Peter Denny was one of the company directors. Denny went back to his drawing board in Scotland and came up with a radical new design – the Kha Byoo. In order to maintain trim, the boiler was situated in the bow and the paddles on the stern. One hundred and seventy-foot-long, it drew just two feet! The furnace was wood fired and the company went on to set up fuelling stations at regular intervals so the ship would not be weighed down with its wood pile. The loading was done by girls who would sing as they daintily stepped down the gangplank with stacks of wood beautifully balanced on their heads.

The IFC opened the Chindwin valley to trade and this rich hinterland was able to send its produce by steamer to market. In fact, the Chindwin then, as now, was agriculturally far richer than the Irrawaddy valley and had a far denser population in the arable flat lands. There were oil fields around Mawlaik and of course the rich forests, managed on a strict conservation basis, yielded many a raft of teak logs, floated down river to the great sawmills of Rangoon.

It was up the Chindwin that the British retreated in 1942 with the Japanese hot on their tail. In some instances, the Japanese would enter a town a mere twenty minutes after the British had vacated it. IFC ships were used to evacuate the British civilian population and then used to ferry the retreating army across at key points. The ships were scuppered at Shitthaung lest the Japanese use them to supply their planned invasion of India. In 1943 the Chindwin was crossed again as part of Operation Loincloth, the first Chindit campaign that wreaked havoc on the up till then seemingly invincible Japanese. And it was again down the Chindwin valley that in 1944 Bill Slim and the 14th Army marched back and turned ‘Defeat into Victory’.

Our fellow passengers were a fit bunch, preferring to go exploring on our village stops by mountain bike. (All our ships carry mountain bikes now.) I was amused to see a possy of mountain bikes bombing off down some jungle track being followed by a tuk tuk containing the rather portly local guide. I could see that our intrepid passengers were really enjoying a feeling of ‘exclusivity’, being the only foreign visitors on the whole length of the river. The great thing about the river being so shallow is that only very small, ultra-shallow draft ships can make it and none of the big white cruisers that congest the waterways between Pagan and Mandalay can get up here.

We travelled with our teenage son Toni and a friend of his – living proof that these expeditions are a great experience for younger people. There is just so much to see and do and they get a real insight into another culture and way of life. Each evening the crew would set up a badminton net for a crew vs kids session. This would generally disintegrate into a football knock around in which locals would join in. We had some trainees on board and it was suggested to Toni he might do something useful and teach them some English. He roped them into a marathon Monopoly game, conducted in English of course. There were great shrieks of mirth emanating from the saloon all afternoon.

It was with a heavy heart that we disembarked at Mingkin leaving our guests to continue to Mawlaik. We drove back to Pagan in just seven hours along a freshly cut mountain road, unthinkable a few years ago when the river was the only form of communication.

The Kha Byoo runs on the Chindwin weekly from September to February from Kalewa to Homalin (high water) Monywa to Kalewa (low water). Berths can be booked through Symbiosis Custom Travel who can also advise on and plan your travels before and after your cruise.

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Step back in time and be mesmerized by spirituality and pace of life of modern day Burma. From temple hopping, exploring the countryside, and discovering the coastline, touring Burma by bike is one of the best ways to experience this truly unique destination.

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14 Day, 13 Night Burma Adventure. Guaranteed departures 12 February and 17 December, 2017.
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7 Day, 6 Night Burma Heritage by Bicycle. Available Departures : 6 February, 10 April, 10 July, 04 September, 20 November, 04 December 2017.
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5 Day, 4 Night Shan Hills by bike. Departures every Monday, 2017
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14 Day, 13 Night Bangkok to Yangon by bike. Available dates: 12 February, 12 November and 10 December 2017
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Contact Symbiosis Custom Travel now for full information and to book your space.

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Bicycling Bangkok to Phuket
Ride along the Gulf of Thailand and see some of the best coastal scenery in Thailand! Rest in resorts, eat fabulous seafood, go barefoot in the sand and ride a mixture of flat road and rolling hills while enjoying the view of endless beaches.
10 days / 9 nights in August 7

Burma Heritage by Bicycle
Bike from Mandalay to the temples of Bagan and be one of the lucky few to experience this up-and-coming travel destination. Be captivated by the people, culture and landscape of Burma.
7 days / 6 nights in August 8

Saigon to Bangkok by Bicycle
Visit three of Southeast Asia’s most interesting countries on this trip- Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia! Explore the best that all these countries have to offer with this SpiceRoads rider favorite tour!
14 days / 13 nights in August 28

Bali Mountain Biking Adventure
Ride the rims of volcanoes, enjoy great off-road tracks and chill out on some of the most beautiful beaches in the world.
7 days / 6 nights in September 4

Sri Lanka Spice trails
Explore inland Sir Lanka through a multitude of Buddhist and Hindu monuments, enjoying a resulting curious mix of ancient cities and atmospheric colonial architecture that have been influenced by ancient dynasties, Indians, Portuguese, Dutch and British.
12 days / 11 nights in September 25

Road Biking from Saigon to Angkor
See the best of two countries as you cycle from the bustling Vietnamese capital, then cross the border to the serenity of Cambodia and the temples of Angkor.
13 days / 12 nights in September 25

Sri Lanka Heritage by Bicycle
Visit five of Sri Lanka’s UNESCO World Heritage sites while cycling through the rural tranquility of local life. This tour will enrich you with the history and heritage of central Sri Lanka.
7 days / 6 nights in September 26

North of Thailand by Bike
An off-road adventure through the hills of the Golden Triangle, where Thailand borders Burma and Laos. Visit remote villages in the beautiful north of Thailand using a combination of bikes and boats.
10 days / 9 nights in October 9

Yunnan Discovery
Discover the diverse culture and ancient architecture of the southern Chinese province of Yunnan, from its snow capped mountains to lush green forests. Prepare for breathtaking scenery and an incredible cultural experience.
12 days / 11 nights in October 9

Thailand to Singapore by Road Bike
Tackle three countries and ride 1,391 kilometres in 15 days on this epic cross-country road bike trip, and discover Thailand’s scenic south, charming Malaysia, and the booming city-state of Singapore!
15 days / 14 nights in October 16

Cycling Sikkim’s Tea Trails
Rugged and remote Sikkim is steeped in history and Buddhist culture. This challenging ride through the Kanchenjunga mountain range offers breathtaking scenery and countless cultural experiences.
10 days / 9 nights in October 23
Get Inspired here!

Contact Symbiosis Custom Travel today to get riding.

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Panic ensued in Yangon but to date there are no reports of injuries.

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CAMBODIA
May 10 – May 12: Angkor Explorer (C)
Jul 4 – Jul 10: Cambodia Heritage by Bicycle (C)
Jul 17 – Jul 23: Biking Bangkok to Angkor Wat (C)

VIETNAM
April 26 – April 29: Meandering the Mekong Delta (C) (one more rider to depart)
May 8 – May 24: Saigon to Hanoi (C)
May 23 – May 29: Vietnam Heritage by Bicycle (C)
Jun 20 – Jun 26: Vietnam Heritage by Bicycle (C)
Jul 3 – Jul 19: Saigon to Hanoi (C)
Jul 5 – Jul 7: Ha Long Bay Cycle and Cruise (M)
Jul 12 – Jul 15: Meandering the Mekong Delta (C)

INDONESIA
May 9 – May 11: Bali Explorer (M)
Jul 10 –  Jul 16: Bali Mountain Biking Adventure (M)

THAILAND
May 16 – May 22: Thailand Heritage by Bicycle (C)
May 17 -May 20: Central Thailand Explorer (C)
May 29 – Jun 5: Kanchanaburi Hills  (R)
Jul 3 – Jul 12: Bicycling Bangkok to Phuket (R)
Jul 12 – Jul 15: Central Thailand Explorer (C)
Jul 17 – Jul 24: Road Cycling Southern Thailand (R)
Jul 26 – Jul 29: Central Thailand Explorer (C)

BURMA
Jul 17 – Jul 30: Burma Adventure (C)

MULTI-COUNTRY
April 17 – April 30: Saigon to Bangkok by Bicycle (C)
May 8 – May 21: Saigon to Bangkok by Bicycle (C)
Jul 3 – Jul 16:Saigon to Bangkok by Bicycle (C)
Jul 31 – Aug 13: Saigon to Bangkok by Bicycle (C)

Check the Symbiosis Custom Travel website for more details of contact us direct at enquiry@symbiosis-travel.com. We can also make your travel arrangements pre and post cycle trip.

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Road Bike Tours
Feb 14 – Feb 24: Cycling Chiang Mai to Bangkok 
Mar 13 – Mar 22: Bicycling Bangkok to Phuket 
Mar 20 – April 1: Road Biking from Saigon to Angkor
 
Heritage Bike Tours
Feb 15 – Feb 21: Thailand Heritage by Bicycle 
Mar 21 – Mar 27: Vietnam Heritage by Bicycle

Classic Bike Tours
Feb 14 – Feb 27: Burma Adventure
Feb 16 – Feb 19: Meandering the Mekong Delta
Feb 21 – Mar 2: Cycling Coastal Thailand 
Feb 21 – Feb 29: Wilds of Cambodia 
Feb 21 – Feb 28: Wilds of Sarawak by Bicycle
Feb 21 – Mar 3: Sri Lanka Spice trails
Feb 23 – Feb 26: Meandering the Mekong Delta
Feb 28 – Mar 12: Saigon to Bangkok by Bicycle
Mar 6 – Mar 16: Authentic South Thailand
Mar 13 – Mar 29: Saigon to Hanoi
Mar 20 – Mar 28: Wilds of Cambodia 
Mar 20 – Mar 26: Cycling Colourful Kyushu Island
Mar 22 – Mar 25: Meandering the Mekong Delta
Mar 26 – April 3: Kyushu’s Hot Springs and Volcanoes (one more rider to depart)
April 10 – April 22: Island Hopping the Philippines 

For full information contact Symbiosis Custom Travel today.

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CAMBODIA
Dec 20 – Dec 28: Wilds of Cambodia (M)
Jan 4 – Jan 10: Cambodia Heritage by Bicycle (C)
Jan 31 – Feb 13: Cambodia Adventure (C)
Feb 21 – Feb 29: Wilds of Cambodia (M)

BORNEO, MALAYSIA
Feb 21 – Feb 28: Wilds of Sarawak by Bicycle (C)
 
VIETNAM
Dec 20 – Dec 29: Cycling Vietnam’s Central Coast (C)
Dec 20 – Jan 5: Saigon to Hanoi (C)
Jan 10 – Jan 20: Road Biking the Ho Chi Minh Highway (R)
Jan 31 – Feb 9: Cycling Vietnam’s Central Coast (C)

PHILIPPINES
Jan 3 – Jan 15: Island Hopping the Philippines (C)
April 10 – April 22: Island Hopping the Philippines (C)

THAILAND
Dec 21 – Dec 27: Thailand Heritage by Bicycle (R)
Jan 3 – Jan 12: Bicycling Bangkok to Phuket (R)
Jan 3 – Jan 16: River of Kings Ride (C)
Jan 10 – Jan 17: Road Cycling Southern Thailand (R)
Jan 10 – Jan 20: Cycling Coastal Thailand (C)
Jan 17 – Jan 27: Cycling Chiang Mai to Bangkok (R)
Feb 14 – Feb 24: Cycling Chiang Mai to Bangkok (R)
Feb 15 – Feb 21: Thailand Heritage by Bicycle (C)
Feb 21 – Mar 2: Cycling Coastal Thailand (C)
Mar 13 – Mar 22: Bicycling Bangkok to Phuket (R)

Multi-Country

Nov 29 – Dec 12: Saigon to Bangkok by Bicycle (C)
Dec 13 – Dec 26: Saigon to Bangkok by Bicycle (C)
Jan 3 – Jan 16: Saigon to Bangkok by Bicycle (C)
Jan 10 – Jan 23: Cultural Road from Hoi An to Siem Reap (C)
Jan 10 – Jan 23: The Emerald Triangle (M)
Jan 10 – Jan 23: Remote Vietnam and Laos by Bike (C)
Jan 10 – Jan 23: Saigon to Bangkok by Bicycle (C)
Jan 17 – Jan: Saigon to Bangkok by Bicycle (C)
Jan 31 – Feb: Saigon to Bangkok by Bicycle (C)
Feb 14 – Feb 27: Saigon to Bangkok by Bicycle (C)
Feb 28 – Mar 12: Saigon to Bangkok by Bicycle (C)

Key: M = Mountain Bike Tour; R = Road Bike Tour; C = Classic Bike Tour

To book your space on any of these trips contact Symbiosis Custom Travel now. Most rides have a maximum participant number of 16, so don’t wait too long…

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During the trial run, applicants are required to fill out an online visa form, verify that all the information entered is correct and make an online credit card payment. Applicants will receive a visa approval letter via email and are then eligible to have their passport stamped upon arrival by presenting a print-out of the electronic approval letter.

Following submission of an application, the approval process will take up to five days and the online visa costs US$50 per applicant. From the date that the approval letter is received, applicants have up to 90 days to enter Burma, where they can stay for a maximum of 28 days.

Previously, travellers to Burma were required to apply in person at a Burmese Embassy abroad.

The launch of the e-visa system comes tourist numbers to Burma continue to swell. Foreign arrivals through the first seven months of this year rose 43 percent compared with the same period in 2013, the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism announced last week.

January through July 2014 tallied 1,604,746 arrivals, compared with 1,121,795 over the first seven months of 2013.

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Pyay (Prome) to Kalay, 14 nights on the Irrawaddy and Chindwin rivers
Vessel: RV Katha Pandaw
Departs: August 16th, 2014
Offer: 20% off
Price: starting at USD 3,508 per person sharing, main deck cabin
Vessel: RV Pandaw 2
Departs: August 21st, 2014
Offer: 20% off
Price starting at USD 3,508 per person sharing, main deck cabin

The Chindwin and Upper Irrawaddy, 20 nights into remotest Burma
Vessel: RV Pandaw 2
Departs: September 4th, 2014
Offer: 20% off
Price: starting at USD 6,271 per person sharing, main deck cabin

Ancient Arakan, 7 nights from Sittwe on the Kaladan and Lay Myo Rivers
Vesel: RV Katha Pandaw
Validy: starting October 2015 onwards
Offer: Early Bird bookings – 10% off
Price: starting at USD 3,150 per person sharing, main deck cabin

The Golden Land, 10 nights from Mandalay via Pagan to Rangoon
Vessel: RV Katha Pandaw
Departs: January 4th, 2015
Offer: 20% off
Price: starting at USD 3,112 per person sharing, main deck cabin

For bookings and further information contact Symbiosis Custom travel now

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All hotels in these cities have received an order from the government to “block rooms”, without mentioning the exact number of rooms. Hotels in Bagan and Inle are not involved, so far.

There will be approximately 7000 Athletes and 2500 officials from South East Asian countries, and the total room capacity is just 8314 in Yangon, 3268 in Mandalay and 2022 in Naypitaw!

If you were hoping to visit Myanmar during this period, think again. Even if rooms are confirmed now, it’s possible that the Government’s will ask the hotels to cancel existing reservations. No alternatives are likely to be offered in such case. We also predict that domestic flights confirmations will be pretty much impossible.

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YANGON 30 April 2012: Business visas on arrivals will be introduced by Myanmar, 1 June, Union Minister for Immigration and Manpower, U Khin Yee, reported in a briefing to local press, yesterday, held at the Ministry of Industry in the capital, Naypyitaw.

The visa will be issued on arrival at Yangon Airport and cost US$40 with a 70-day validity.

Read full story at TTR Weekly

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The area’s diversity is so astonishing that a new species is found every two days, but regional cooperation and decision-making must take centre stage to preserve its richness, the group added.

Read the full story from Reuters.

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