As it reaches the end of its second season sailing the Ayeyarwady River in Myanmar, The Strand Cruise will be resuming operations in September 2018 with a number of new options, including a special departure that coincides with Myanmar’s Thadingyut Lighting Festival in October 2018, a new, two-night cruise option from Mandalay and Bagan, and a lowered minimum age requirement for more family-inclusive sailing.
The Thadingyut Lighting Festival coincides with a full moon and is a three-day celebration to mark Buddha’s descent from heaven. The religious festival is closely intertwined with the spiritual life of Burmese people, with streets, houses and public buildings decorated with hundreds of colored electric bulbs or candles and offerings made to monks.
The Strand Cruise’s Lighting Festival cruise is a four-night voyage from Bagan to Mandalay departing on October 22, 2018. During the trip, passengers will participate in traditional activities to mark the festival such as floating candles on the waters of the Ayeyarwady at night and watching them drift away, and joining local communities for their celebrations, which usually involve fireworks and fire crackers.
From September 2018, The Strand Cruise will also be offering passengers the option of a two-night itinerary from Mandalay to Bagan in addition to its current three-night cruise from Mandalay to Bagan and four-night cruise itinerary from Bagan to Mandalay. This two-night/three-day option, departing Mandalay each Friday and arriving in Bagan on Sunday, is ideal for passengers seeking a shorter cruise option to fit into a longer tour of Myanmar, or alternatively looking for a long weekend option from elsewhere in Southeast Asia.
Additionally, the minimum age requirement for passengers on The Strand Cruise has recently been lowered to four years old, meaning the experience is more accessible for family groups.
Rates for the new two-night journey on The Strand Cruise between Mandalay and Bagan is from $650, rates for a three-night journey on The Strand Cruise between Mandalay and Bagan is from $900 and the low-season rates for a four-night journey on The Strand Cruise between Bagan and Mandalay is from $1,050. All prices are per person, based on double occupancy and include accommodations, all excursions and activities, three meals during full sailing days, breakfast on day of disembarkation, soft drinks and local beer, house wine during meals, port charges, English-speaking guides and Wi-Fi.
For more, visit www.thestrandcruise.com.
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