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The Road to Mandalay

 

Today the Road To Mandalay continues to ply the waters of the Ayeyarwady River giving passengers the opportunity to see this fascinating and ancient land while traveling in traditional comfort.

 

Please select the journey you would like to take:

+ 7 Night - Mandalay-Bagan-Mandalay
+ 7 Night - Bagan-Mandalay-Bagan
+ 4 Night - Bagan-Mandalay
+ 3 Night - Mandalay-Bagan

 

With its inaugural voyage in January 1996 the Road To Mandalay marked a new venture for the famed Orient-Express. With the Union of Myanmar (formerly Burma) gradually reopening its doors to the outside world, the Road To Mandalay became the ideal way to explore the undiscovered beauty of this long-hidden land. 

The ship itself originally began life as a Rhine cruiser in Germany and made her maiden voyage on 6th July 1964. Originally built to very high standards for its day, the ship was purchased by Orient-Express Hotels, Trains & Cruises in 1994 following a period as a floating hotel in Dresden.

The ship underwent a major refurbishment programme at Lauenberg/Hamburg at a cost of US$6 million. This mostly consisted of reducing the number of cabins from 98 to 72, and installing decorations that blend contemporary designs with traditional Burmese, plus a state-of-the-art sewage system to preserve the purity of the Ayeyarwady River. Once the refurbishment was completed the ship was transported, courtesy of a specialist transporting ship, via the English Channel and the Suez Canal to Myanmar, arriving towards the end of 1995. The Road To Mandalay was unloaded in Yangon and, after attracting a great deal of local interest, sailed up the Ayeyarwady River to Mandalay.

Once in Mandalay local craftsmen added final decoration and fittings including locally woven furniture for the Observation Lounge, and carvings for the Restaurant. Local antiques were also sought and carefully chosen to provide a true Burmese atmosphere on board. 

The inaugural cruise departed Mandalay on 31st January 1996 and arrived in Bagan on 5th February 1996, guests included HRH Prince Michael of Greece, Helena Bonham Carter, HRH Princess Michael of Kent and HRH Princess Marina of Greece.

Life on Board: The Road To Mandalay incorporates elegant Burmese materials and unique styles with high standards in decor and modern comfort. Air-conditioned throughout, the ship has 4 decks and accommodates 108 passengers. All of the 56 spacious cabins are sympathetically decorated using Burmese style fabrics. 
Facilities on board include a Restaurant, Piano Bar, Boutique, Beauty Room, small Library and a spacious Lounge, where local entertainment and cultural lectures take place during the cruise.
The Observation Deck has a swimming pool, bar and sun deck area and provides, quite simply, the best views in Myanmar.
The reception area on board the Road To Mandalay contains a small Library with a variety of books in different languages, games and magazines as well as a small seating area.

Cabin: New plans, photos and details of the exquisitely refurbished Road to Mandalay cabins will be available very shortly. Please check back to this page very soon for an exciting glimpse of our superb new cabins. 

Inside this graceful river cruiser the emphasis will rest on traditional comfort. The spacious en suite cabins will be air-conditioned and furnished with the most beautiful fabrics, finest linens and softest towels.

Five types of cabin are available, Single, Deluxe, Superior, State and Governors Suite, all with en suite shower and WC facilities.

 

Restaurant: No journey to Asia would be complete without sampling the regional cuisine and on board you can enjoy an acclaimed menu of Eastern and Western delicacies, which are served with natural Burmese courtesy and charm. Buffet-style lunch is served on the Observation Deck or in the Restaurant in seven different themes: Burmese, Shan, Thai, Indonesian, Chinese, Indian and European.

Dinners are served in the Restaurant, at a time to suit you, and offer a choice of dishes to suit all tastes from the flavours of Asia and A la carte menus. A selection of European and Australian wines are available to compliment your meal.

The buffet breakfast is augmented by an A la carte selection of hot items cooked to order.

 

Observation Deck: As the Road To Mandalay meanders along the Ayeyarwady River, you can gaze at the surrounding beauty from the canopied Observation Deck, cool off in the on-deck pool or enjoy a cool refreshing drink from the top-deck bar, which is open all day and evening.

Cane and teak furniture allows you to relax in comfort and to observe the unfolding river life or watch the beautiful sunsets. Buffet lunches and afternoon tea are also served on the Observation Deck, weather permitting.

 

Bar and Lounge
Piano Bar
At the end of a day of discovery, retire to the Piano Bar for an evening in the company of your fellow travellers. Decorated with a mixture of light wood and Burmese lacquerware, the Piano Bar offers guests a range of delicious local and international cocktails while enjoying the musical talents of the local pianist.

The Observation Lounge
The Observation Lounge has a colonial ambience with its woven-cane furniture and wooden-slated Venetian blinds. Its large windows provide an excellent view of the Ayeyarwady River. A variety of local entertainment takes place here in the evenings, and during sailing days lectures on a variety of Burmese topics are given by guides.

Entertainment
A variety of local entertainers perform in the evenings, ranging from the traditional Burmese marionettes to amazing acrobatic feats and traditional dances. Extend your knowledge of Burmese culture with a lecture given on sailing days by our expert guides. Learn how to tie a longyi and apply thanka.

The small Library of topical books in several languages is available in the Reception, along with a selection of games. Your remote-control cabin TV offers satellite channels and there are two video channels showing in-house movies. Please note that TV channels are only available when the ship is moored at Bagan or Mandalay.

 

The Beauty Room: 'La Source’ Beauty Room offers guests a relaxing and luxurious escape from the days' travel and excursions.  Located on Deck B, the beauty room is an oasis of calm for those who wish to be spoiled and pampered. 

Indulge in the many treatments available from customized aromatherapy massages and facials to sumptuous manicures and pedicures. 

 

Boutique: As a finishing touch, our exclusive on board boutique, situated on the main deck, offers luxury gifts and mementoes to take home - a lasting reminder of your cruise on the Road To Mandalay. You will find a range of lacquerware as well as traditional Burmese cloth, silver and gold jewellery and objets d'art.

There is also a range of international gifts exclusively designed for the Road To Mandalay. Camera film and batteries are also stocked. However, the range of film is limited and if you require a special type of film it is recommended that you bring your own supply.


CRUISING THROUGH MYANMAR BY THE ROAD TO MANDALAY

COMPARING WITH OTHER CRUISES IN SAME CATEGORY

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