Travel Myanmar Boat

Huge fleets of river travel Myanmar boat, remnant of the old Irrawaddy flotilla Company (IFC), still ply Myanmar's major rivers, where the bulk of traveler-oriented Myanmar boat travel gets done. Some travel Myanmar boats are ramshackle (but certainly lively) Myanmar government ferries, some date from the British era and other are old style IFC liners that run Myanmar luxury cruises. Myanmar River ferry is, without doubt, one of the most enjoyable ways to cover long distances in Myanmar. For an itinerary suggestion that goes down the Ayayarwaddy (Irrawady) river the main drawback is speed; a Myanmar boat typically takes three to four times as long as road travel along the same route.

There are 800km of navigable river in Myanmar, with the most important Myanmar river being the Ayayarwaddy. Even in the dry season, Myanmar boat can travel from the delta region (dodging exposed sandbars) all the way north to Bhamo, and in the west they can reach Myitkyina. Other important Myanmar rivers include the Twante Chaung (Twante Chancel), which links the Ayeyarwaddy to Yangon, and the Chindwin River, which joins the Ayeyarwaddy a little above Bagan in Myanmar. The Thanlwin River in the east is only navigable for about 200 km from its mouth at Mawlamyine, though the five-hour trip to Hap-an is one of Myanmar country's most scenic waterway travel Myanmar boat journeys.

It takes great expertise to navigate Myanmar's waterways. Rapidly changing sandbank and shallow water during the dry season mean the Myanmar captains and pilots have to keep in constant touch with the changing pattern of the river flows. For example, seven pilots are used on the stretch from Mandalay to Pay (Proem). Each is an expert on his own particular segment of the river.

In the addition to the Myanmar rivers, it's possible to travel along the Bay of Bengal between Sittwe and Taunggok (north of Ngapali Beach) with travel Myanmar boat.

Note that higher-priced Myanmar cruses are either privately run beats on lease from Myanmar government or a joint-venture operation in Myanmar.

Although the obstacles standing in your way are daunting, it may be possible to travel along Myanmar's coastline via Myanmar Five Star Line (MFSL; in Yangon 01295279; fax 01-295174; 132/136 Theinbyu St), Myanmar government owned ocean Myanmar boat transport enterprise. MFSL maintains just 21 craft, which sail north and south from Yangon about twice a month. Only eight Myanmar vessels sometimes offer passenger service: MV Taunggyi, MV Hakha, MV Myitkyina, MV Hpa-an and MV Htonywa.

Southbound MFSL ships from Yangon sail regularly to kawthoung, a two-day and two-night voyage (at least), to pick up goods shipped through Thailand's Ranong Provinces, with stops at Dawei and Myeik (Mergui).

Northbound Myanmar ships call at thandwe (a full day from Yangon), Taunggok and kyaukkpyu (one night ashore) before docking in Sittwe (five hours later) for cargo from India and Bangladesh.

Schedules can be irregular. If you were bent on trying for a Myanmar boat ticket, it would be best to have Myanmar local make inquiries on your behalf.

A thousand or so Myanmar private cargo and passenger Myanmar boat travel the waterways of Myanmar. That is just a pile shadow of the former glory of the original Glasgow-owned IFC, which ceased operations in 1948. We have tried to give preference to Myanmar private ferries throughout our Myanmar travel site www.guideformyanmar.com.

Inland Water Transport (IWT, in Yangon 01-284005; Strand St) is the Myanmar government owned Water-transport Corporation it has over 500 boats totaling nearly 1.5 million tones and carrying at least 14 million passengers annually with travel Myanmar boat.

Today most of the Myanmar IWT boats are rather run down and ramshackle. Many of the passengers on the long-distance Myanmar ferries are traders who make stops along the way to pick up or deliver goods. Along the heavily traveled 423km long Yangon-Pyay-Mandalay route, there are 28 ferry landings, where merchants can ply their trade in Myanmar.

Only a few river Myanmar boat routes are regularly used by visitors new "tourist boat" carry foreigners on the upper deck and Myanmar locals on the lower. Key routes:

Mandalay to Bangan
Mandalay to Myitkyina via Katha and Bhamo
Mawlamyine to Hpa-an
Sittwe to Mruk U
Yangon to Pathein

There is no direct service between Yangon and Mandalayto do the trip; you'll need to change Myanmar boat in Pyay, a two day trip south of Bagan and two days north of Yangon with travel Myanmar boat.

IWT offices are usually near the jetty in Myanmar. They can offer Myanmar boat information, schedules and fare details, and usually travel Myanmar boat tickets. IWT offices, officially, accept US dollars and FEC only.

Be aware that the higher-priced cruises are either privately run boats on lease from the government or a joint-venture operation. You can book services with travel agents in Yangon, but keep in mind that many trips are booked out by tour groups.

Several luxury ferries travel the upper and lower reaches of the Ayeyarwady River. One Orient Express Cruises (E&O, Landon) liner, the joint-venture Road to Mandalay (www.orient-expressstrains.com/tplanner/rtm/index.html) offers three, four, seven, nine and eleven day trips (ringing from US$1950 to US$4200 per person) that centre on Mandalay. The most popular connect Mandalay with Bagan. The three-day trip downriver from Mandalay leaves on Wednesday (weekly from October to April, monthly July to September), and the four-day return trip from Bangan goes on Saturday (weekly from October to April, monthly July to September). Longer trips venture further north, up the Chindwin past Kalaymyo. Yangon travel agents can help arrange this, but ships are often booked in advance.

A locally run operation is Pandaw Cruises (02-44256; www.pandaw.com; 13/14 Strand Rd, btwn 35th & 37th Sts, Mandalay), which offers three 12 day trips in ships done up like the original teak and brass IFC fleet. The Golden Land trip goes from Pyay to Mandalay via Bangan; price run from US$3150 to US$3450, and ships depart weekly from early November to March. The Upper Ayeyarwady trip, heading north of Mandalay to Bhamo, is US$3450 to US$3950; ships depart weekly from mid-September to early November. A lone September trip up the Chindwin River for 12 days is cheap, at US$1950. At the time of research, Pandaw Cruises permit to operate was up in the air, but apparently things are being worked out.

Similar trips are offered by (Pandaw 1947 Ph: 01 376109, www.pandaw1947.com) apparently run by a Yangon travel agency.

A far cheaper option (US$ 170 per per-son), yet retaining a little luxury and going where fewer tourists go, is available aboard the privately run Delta Queen (PH: 01 246 752; www.myanmar-rivercruises.com) which travels between Yangon and Pathein in about 20 hours.