Hopefully the last few licks of paint are being applied to Orcaella, the second of the Orient-Express Hotel group’s river cruiser to launch in Myanmar next month.
Named after the dolphins who inhabit the Ayeyarwady River, the 1920s-era Irrawaddy Flotilla ship has a swimming pool plus 25 cabins and suites — all decked out with works of art by Burmese artists and balconies, with floor-to-ceiling windows to maximise beguiling waterside views.
The maiden voyage sails along the Chindwin River, the main tributary of the Ayeyarwady, often called “The Road to Mandalay”, after Rudyard Kipling’s poem, and the foothills of the Himalayas before winding its way from Mandalay via Mingin, home to the Mahar Minkyaung Monastery and the ancient capital of Bagan. The journey culminates in the former capital, Yangon, where the boat was built, near the Indian border.
First departure July 11, with 11 nights from £3,660pp full board, including all excursions, transfers and domestic flights, orcaella.net