2011 Floating Lanterns - The Road To Mandalay

The Road To Mandalay riverboat was all but destroyed during Cyclone Nargis in 2008 - by a quirk of fate the vessel had been moved south to undergo a refit and was caught in the storm. Had it stayed in its operating locale it would have escaped the destruction.

The attention to detail during the riverboat's refurbishment was evident everywhere - a luxurious but understated vessel and a comfortable home for the next four days.

Boarding in Bagan we were treated to a personal tour of the vessel by the Hotel Manager - as luck would have it Road to Mandalay was less than half full for this sailing and we would have the run of the vessel - which lucky for us included an upgrade to a beautiful, much larger cabin than we had booked. The bathroom was beautiful with one wall a mass of thin jade tiles in various shades of pale green.

Our fellow passengers were a mix of nationalities and everyone participated in the extensive tours and activities that had been arranged with their own language guides which included temple hopping, market browsing, cooking demonstrations, longyi tying and thanat khar face marking.

Shipboard life while we lazily travelled the river from Bagan to Mandalay brought a whole new meaning to relaxation - comfortable upholstered rattan chairs under an extensive awning, teak sun loungers, beautifully presented meals on the top deck and attentive, low-key service.

The dining room on the deck below where breakfast and dinner was served was pure, understated elegance. The food was very enjoyable and one could not ask for better.

We returned to our cabin on Valentine's Day to find rose petals in the shape of hearts on the bed, complete with hand made chocolates.

One of highlights of the voyage was the "surprise on the river". We were anchored mid-stream enjoying a cocktail party on the top deck.
Upstream multicoloured lights on the water came into view, moving towards us and finally passing us with the current. All this set to beautiful music. Each light was a floating lantern and there were 2011 of them!

The Road To Mandalay riverboat was such an enjoyable experience and the gracious service provided by absolutely everyone on board underscored our entire experience in Myanmar.

Go visit - but you should go soon!