A Voyage to Nagaland (Downstream)

Fly to Homalin and embark your Pandaw for your 7-night cruise.
PLEASE NOTE: The itinerary for this expedition is indicative only and subject to reconnaissance. As we travel to remote areas, changes to the itinerary will inevitably occur. A flexible approach is required if you book this cruise.

Sail northbound into Nagaland, a remote and fascinating tribal area. As we will be the first luxury vessel to venture this far north, we will stop at villages not used to receiving international guests. Our arrival will no doubt be something of an occasion.

Visit Khamti, known as ‘the land full of gold’ due to the prevalence of gold panning in the nearby tributary of the Chindwin. We visit the town, the monastery meet local Tai speaking peoples. Later sail downstream to Homalin.

Today we explore Homalin, an interesting town close to the Indian border with attractive forested mountains on either side – some rising to over 9,000 feet. Irrawaddy Flotilla Company used to visit here and during World War II, Homalin was occupied by the Japanese. We continue to Toungdoot or Hsawng-hsup in Tai, is an ancient Shan enclave who in British times still had a ruling Sawbwa complete with palace and court. It will be interesting to see what has become of the royal family and their home and to see these Shan people so far from their Tai-Shan homelands. Alistair McCrae wrote of his visit there 1935 ‘I loved the atmosphere of quiet and peaceful living there. At night I could hear greylag geese as they came in to the flooded land around us from far away north’.

An enjoyable day exploring the lesser visited villages along this beautiful stretch of the Chindwin River. We sail to Paungpyin village and take a walking tour including a visit to the market and the attractive wooden houses. Continue to Sitthaung, the final resting place of a number of Irrawaddy Flotilla Company steamers scuppered there in 1942 in an ‘act of denial’ from the advancing Japanese who were a matter of hours behind. Remains of these ships can be found here. It was from here that the survivors of the Japanese invasion marched out to Tamu on the India border. Pantha was an important oil refinery belonging to the Indo-Burma Petroleum Co (Steel Brothers). We continue downstream and moor up overnight at the village of Yuwa.

Morning walking tour of the tiny village of Yuwa and sail to Kindat (translated in Burmese meaning a military outpost), with its old colonial post office (now a school) and friendly welcoming villagers.

Morning visit to Mawlaik, the former seat of the Bombay Burma Corporation’s timber extraction operations for the Chindwin Area. The old Headquarters building still stands here. We then cruise to Kalewa, and explore the area of the gateway to the Chin State. Kalewa has beautiful wooden architecture. We will visit the local market and enjoy panoramic views over the Chindwin from top of a hill.

Disembark after breakfast and transfer to the airport in Kalay for your domestic flight.