Special Products

Malikha Cruise Trip

Malikha Lodge offers an exciting range of half day or full day soft adventure excursions. All our excursions are led by informative local or foreign guides, and provide a unique insight into local village life, as well as the opportunity for outdoor exercise in a pristine wilderness environment. All our excursions and activities are suitable for all ages and can be arranged on site with our GM the evening before, or in the case of an afternoon excursion, that same morning.

:: Malikha cruise: Full Day

This full day excursion combines a scenic river gorge cruise with a visit to the picturesque village of Manchanbaw. From there we venture downstream by long tail boat onto the Malikha River through forested hills and past white river beaches, where villagers may often be seen panning for gold. A picnic lunch is prepared in a spectacular riverside beach inside the gorge, before our return by vehicle to Malikha Lodge in time for sunset.

:: Elephant trek and kayak adventure – by special prior arrangement: Half Day

This exciting half day adventure starts off with a short trek up into the forested hills behind our lodge, with the special option of an hours trek by elephant through terraced fields and pockets of jungle with sweeping views back over the whole Putao Valley. Before long we descend into the Namlang Valley a few miles upstream from the lodge where our kayaks and river guide will be waiting. From there it is a leisurely half hour’s kayak through the occasional gentle rapids back to the lodge on the clear and fast flowing waters of the Nam Lang River.

:: Nam Lang kayak and mountain bike circuit : Half Day

After brief instruction from our qualified river guide, we kayak gently downstream from our lodge and past the village of Mulashidi. En route we pass through cultivated rice fields into the broad Putao Valley and there is ample opportunity to enjoy the areas prolific bird life before we come to a rest under a bamboo suspension bridge. We are met by our retrieve crew, and for those who still have energy, a set of mountain bikes for the hour long return back through a series of beautiful Lisu riverside dwellings.

:: Yegyawdi village and mountain trek : Half Day

This slightly longer half day trek starts early in the morning and takes us over the Nam Lang River and up through the terraced rice fields to the village of Yegyawdi opposite our lodge. From there we follow an ancient hunting path up into the dense forested hills behind the village. Just over an hours climb we reach the summit for a spectacular view of the Phonekanrazi range and Nam Lang River gorge. After drinks, light refreshments and a chance to rest in the cool mountain air we descend back through the jungle in time for lunch.

:: Putao cultural tour : Half Day

This full morning excursion takes a closer look into village society and some of the cottage industries within the remote Putao Valley. Our first stop is the Putao market, where at sunrise traders from the outlying Rawang and Lisu villages descend to market their vegetables, dried fish, fabrics and basket ware. Later there will be the opportunity to visit their homes and observe these handicrafts being produced at firsthand. There is also the chance to try a steaming bowl of Shan noodle soup in the early morning chill and to practice your haggling skills over spectacular Rawang village headman woven hats, colourful sarongs and fine baskets.

:: Something Special!

If you would like us to put together any special activities, contact us one month in advance of your arrival. With advance notice, Malikha Lodge can arrange challenging, innovative and team building programs for small groups of senior executives or individual couples. We can arrange bamboo raft building competitions, local crossbow instruction, or for the really active a mini mountain bike, kayak and jogging course and so on.

Hot Air Balloons Ride Over Bagan

Now visitors to Myanmar can view what Marco Polo described as 'one of the finest sights in the world' - from the unique and enchanting platform of a hot air balloon basket.

The magic of Bagan has inspired visitors for many centuries. One of the most remarkable sights in Asia, ancient temples dot the landscape as far as the eye can see. Now 'Balloons over Bagan' affords visitors a unique opportunity to see this ancient kingdom as it has never been seen before. Our champagne flights take place early in the morning, at sunrise or an hour or so before sunset. Light winds and stable weather conditions are needed, the speed of the balloon and the length of the flight are governed by the strength and velocity of the wind.

Ordinarily an average of 45 mins of flight duration is expected. However, the entire experience will last about 2 1/2 hours. On landing, our fully trained Myanmar ground crew will pack the balloon whilst passengers enjoy a glass or two of celebratory champagne.
Balloons over Bagan is a private Myanmar company that is committed to the preservation of Bagan and its environment. A contribution from each flight will be donated to community programmes that directly benefit the local population.

The balloon has room for 8 passengers in four separate compartments plus a pilot. Our largest balloon can accommodate 12 passengers also in four compartments.

For the morning flight, passengers are usually picked up at their hotels by our Balloons over Bagan bus between 05h30 and 06h00 in the morning depending on the location of your hotel and the hotels of other passengers. The exact time will be given to you the evening before after you come to our sales desk at the Bagan hotel to re-confirm your flight. In the morning flight, passengers are usually back at their hotels by 8.30 am.

1. Capacity
Our capacity will remain unchanged from last season. We will continue to operate a maximum of three balloons at any one time. Total capacity will therefore remain at 28 passengers per flight from the 20th October to 31st March, and will be 20 passengers per flight during the first half of October.

2. Season
Next season will run from October to March.

3. Pricing
a) Published price USD 275 per person
b) The Standby price in Bagan USD 250 per person.
Rates are subject to change without price notice and will confirm upon receipt of enquiry.

This price includes transfers from your hotel, balloon flight and a light champagne breakfast.
Please note that stand-by tickets (which are unsold tickets for the following morning's flight) are only available 24 hours before flight, at our sales desk in Bagan.

4. Confirmation and Payment
1. Pre-bookings can only be made up to 72 hours in advance.
2. Payment and confirmation: Balloons over Bagan must receive payment from the tour operator in order to issue the tickets and confirm the flight. If they are unable to pay to confirm at this stage, the reservation will not be considered as confirmed, and maybe cancelled and given to other clients who are able to make immediate payment.
3. Cancellation fees will only apply upon payment and issue of tickets. Cancellation fees
Have now been amended as follows:
:: Cancellation 56 working hours before the flight - no refund
:: Cancellation between 80 and 57 working hours before the flight - 50% refund
:: Cancellation between 80 hours and 9 working days before the flight - 75% refund
5. Standby tickets at the standby rate can only be purchased 24 working hours or one full day in advance at our Sales desk in Bagan.
6. Our general policy will be to accept morning flights only as a pre booking. However, evening flights will be considered with a minimum of 6 persons.

Pandaw II Cruise Trip

2007 marks the 12th anniversary since we started running river expeditions. Reviving the old Irrawaddy Flotilla Company in 1995, we were the first since the Second World War to offer pioneering cruises on Myanmar's spectacular Irrawaddy River, attempting to reach Bhamo, one thousand miles from the sea. In 1998 we pioneered the stunningly attractive Chindwin River. In 2001 were the first since colonial days to offer a complete cruise from Rangoon to Mandalay.

The Irrawaddy Flotilla Company was established by Scot's merchants in 1865. By the 1920s the company ran over 650 vessels on the rivers of Burma. It had become the largest privately owned fleet of ships in the world. Mainly paddle steamers, the largest class of vessels were 350ft long and licensed for 4,000 passengers. In 1942 the fleet in its entirety was scuppered an Act of Denial when the Japanese invaded. The Irrawaddy Flotilla was in 1995 revived by the Burma historian Paul Strachan.

First restoring an original Clyde-built steamer called the Pandaw, and then going on to build four brand new replicas, a unique concept and style of river cruising was created. Each ship, hand finished in brass and teak by traditional craftsmen, is in itself an object of great beauty.

In 2002 we took our Pandaw concept to the Mekong River in Indochina where we now have two Pandaws plying between Saigon in Vietnam and Angkor Wat in Cambodia. Here the Pandaws broke the seemingly impenetrable river border between two very different countries. In high water our vessels accomplished the first cross navigation of the Tonle Sap, an inland sea previously un-navigated by anything other than local speed boats.

We now have four beautifully crafted Pandaw ships in operation that we built ourselves. Each ship, hand finished in brass and teak by traditional craftsmen are in themselves objects of great beauty. The secret of our success is that on our ships, whilst luxury and comfort are discreetly present, it is the colonial character and friendly atmosphere that predominate. All our Pandaws have ultra shallow drafts and can travel to remote areas, which would be unreachable by other vessels, let alone overland.

Both the Irrawaddy and Mekong rivers traverse mountains, jungles and plains and each empty into the ocean through vast deltas. A variety of cultures, ways of life and religions are dissected by these great water systems. Along their banks may be found a number of the most significant centres of art and architecture in the world including Pagan in Myanmar and Angkor in Cambodia. Myanmar was once the jewel in the British Imperial crown; the countries of L'Indochine were once French protectorates. Today the respective colonial legacies of both the British and the French may be found in the towns along these rivers.

Pandaw Cruises are honoured by the fact that so many past passengers return on a regular basis. It is always a pleasure for our crew to see familiar faces once again. We are constantly striving to make our cruises more and more interesting, enhancing and embellishing itineraries wherever possible. In fact, the itineraries that follow are skeletal - in reality we see and do far more than indicated. Many old passengers tell us that no two cruises are ever the same.

We very much look forward to seeing our old friends again, on old or new rivers. Our success is not just in the beauty of our ships, the comfort and service offered, or even the fascinating lands we journey through. Much of our success over the past 10 years is the consequence of carrying such intrepid and generously spirited passengers.

Pandaw 1947 Cruise Trip
An Original 1947 Built Colonial Steamer

The RV Pandaw and other 5 similar so called "class P" design vessels was commissioned after the end of the Second World War by the Inland Water Transport Board of the government of the Union of Burma with the technical expertise of the Irrawaddy Flotilla Company at that time acting as Agents to the I.W.T. Board under an agreement.

Rv Pandaw was built in Scotland on the Clyde by the famous ships builder Yarrow & Co on 1947 with the same design of the pre-war Quarter Wheeler steamers of the Irrawaddy Flotilla Company. After being boarded up in order to protect her from the sea waves, she left Scotland for the delivery voyage to Burma on the 1950. On the 12th January 1951 she started to serve the Inland Water Transport (Irrawaddy Flotilla was nationalized on the 1st of June 1948) on the route Mandalay- Bhamo for both cargo and passengers transportation.

Road to Mandalay Cruise
" This is burma, and it will be quite unlike any land you know about " Rudyard Kipling

Few places on earth remain untouched in their natural beauty and charm from one century to the next. The ancient land of Burma, now known as Myanmar, is however, an exception to the rule.

A journey along the Ayeyarwady River with the Road To Mandalay is a voyage of a lifetime. From this mighty river, which runs the length of the country, treasures can be admired which have for so long been hidden from the world’s gaze.

Travel further into Asia's mysterious heart and find out more about our journeys through Myanmar.
7 Night - Mandalay-Bagan-Mandalay
7 Night - Bagan-Mandalay-Bagan
4 Night - Bagan-Mandalay
3 Night - Mandalay-Bagan