Pandaw, the Asian river cruise company, has revealed plans to launch its first sailings in a remote part of Borneo.
The company confirmed that the newly-renamed Kapuas Pandaw vessel will arrive in Borneo later this month, in time for the launch of its inaugural expedition on the Kapuas River in West Kalimantan, which is due to commence in February 2017.
The company had planned to send the larger Tonle Pandaw vessel to Borneo, but concerns over the vessel’s ability to clear two bridges prompted the change of plan. It then decided to purchase the former L’Amant boat, which was built in Vietnam and has been sailing in the Mekong Delta since 2006. The 12-cabin vessel has now been refitted in line with Pandaw standards.
The seven-night “Into the True Heart of Borneo” expedition will take passengers along a seven-night journey in the western part of Borneo, flying into the Malaysian city of Kuching and then heading across the border into Indonesia for a river cruise along the Kapuas between Tayan and Lanjak.
“Borneo is not for the faint-hearted,” warned Pandaw’s founder, Paul Strachan. “No-one has done this before and these are real expeditions in every sense of the word.
“Passengers will have to be flexibly-minded and prepared for a change of plan but as a river experience, with diverse bird life, enriching scenery and a real sense of wonderment as we press on up unchartered waters, it will be extremely rewarding,” he added.
Pandaw operated on the Rajang River in Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo, from 2009 to 2011, but had to withdraw due to what it called “shortcomings in the shore excursions” and “environmental issues”.
The company added that its return to the island followed a series of passenger requests, and that its Borneo cruises for 2017 are already almost fully booked.
Comments are closed.