Irrawaddy Gorges Cruise - Heritage Lines

Cruise through the gorges of the Upper Irrawaddy aboard Heritage Line Cruises luxury Anawrahta and be amongst the very few to have explored the upper reaches of the Irrawaddy River.

The cruise passes through the most dramatic scenery of the entire Irrawaddy River, reaching it's peak in the drama of the Second Defile.

Walk in the footsteps of George Orwell in Katha, the real-life setting for his Burmese Days, before visiting a nearby elephant logging camp.

Savour the peace and tranquility of a remote island monastery and on board, learn from cultural demonstrations & lectures and enjoy the luxury on board spa.

Heritage Line's Anawrahta operates the Upper Irrawaddy cruises. With the largest cabin space on the Irrawaddy, and the highest crew to passenger ratio, The Anawrahta offers the finest on-board experience in Myanmar.

This impressive vessel was named after the founder of the Burmese nation, modern day Myanmar.

Day 1: Depart the UK

Fly from UK to Mandalay.

Day 2: Mandalay

Arrive Mandalay and transfer to your chosen hotel. The rest of the day is at leisure.

Overnight Mandalay. Breakfast included.

Day 3: Nwe Nyein

Transfer to the Anawrahta in the morning and sail upstream, through the Dolphin Sanctuary.

Enjoy a morning lecture on Myanmar culture entiled “Myanmar Ways of Life”, followed by a Myanmar Traditional Dress demonstration early in the afternoon.

In the cooler air of the late-afternoon make a tour of the pottery village of Nwe Nyein where you can see traditional techniques still being used to produce a wide variety of decorative pots.

Tonight a longyi Cocktail Party will break the ice with your fellow guests.

Overnight: On board
Meals: All meals included

Day 4: Dagaung

Enjoy a morning yoga/meditation session if you wish.

Today's sailing is through the rolling hills of the Third Defile.

Passing bamboo villages and even smaller fishing settlements, you will be amazed at how tranquil life is along this stretch of the river.

Join the Chef for a Cookery Demonstration in the morning and attend an informal Burmese language lesson in the afternoon.

Reach Dagaung for another late-afternoon tour, which will show you life on the riverbank and introduce you to this small town with its ancient fortifications, archaeological area and famous nat or spirit shrines.

Overnight: On board
Meals: All meals included

Day 5: Katha

In the early afternoon, reach the enchanting colonial town of Katha, the setting for George Orwell’s Burmese Days where little has changed since then.

Of interest are the fire station’s collections of the Irrawaddy Flotilla Company’s ship’s bells taken from sunken ships in the Second War.

Katha was the final resting place for much of the old flotilla as over a hundred ships were scuppered here in 1942 - an act of denial before the advancing Japanese.

Today's tour will take you around all the places that appear in the book and give you the opportunity to really imagine how life was in this far-flung corner of the British Empire.

Overnight: On board
Meals: All meals included

Day 6: Katha & Schwe Gu

n the morning disembark for a visit to Katha's colourful, bustling and noisy market before going on to visit an elephant logging camp in the hardwood forests of the hills that surround the town.

Afterwards, call into the old Golf Club before returning to the ship for lunch.

Is this a Private Tour or a Group Tour?

All of our tours are private tailor made itineraries, customised for you - we can amend things to entirely suit you around the cruise itinerary.

You will have your own private car, driver and guide on any additional excursions you choose to do before or after the cruise.

All shore excursions from the cruise are done on a group basis with other cruise passengers.

What are the departure dates?

Let us know your preferred dates of travel and we will find the best and most suitable flights to fit your itinerary.

We will organise dates around departure dates with Heritage Lines Cruises.

Which Airlines do you use?

We work with all the major airlines flying to this part of the world.

Typically for Burma, Thai Airways, Singapore Airlines and Emirates would be airlines we would often use.

However, just let us know your preferred airline if you have one. We can organise flights from any regional destination in the UK.

There are no direct flights from the UK to Myanmar currently.

Which Hotels do you use?

We're careful with our choice of hotels, but we're guided by our customers also. If you have some preferred hotels, just let us know.

We specialise in boutique hotels and so we will often suggest some of our favourite smaller hotels where we think these will be suitable.

We keep on top of hotel developments in Burma from our office in South East Asia and regularly inspect the hotels we use.

Do you cater for Solo Travellers?

Yes, we have many solo travellers and Burma is a very safe, friendly and welcoming destination for those travelling alone.

River cruises in Burma are a popular option for solo travellers. Heritage Lines sometimes have no Single Supplements on some departures - ask us for details.