by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 10:50 AM ET, Tue October 26, 2021
Today, October 26, Pandaw Expeditions has announced it will not be returning to service in 2022 or 2023, but will instead cease operating indefinitely due to a lack of funding and the closure of key destinations in Asia.
The expedition river cruise line that operated in Vietnam, Burma, Cambodia, Laos, India and Myanmar began in 1995, sailing key rivers in Asia like the Mekong, Irrawaddy and the Red River. The COVID-19 pandemic brought its positive growth to a halt, however.
While Pandaw Expeditions had seen strong numbers of future bookings for 2022, the company lacked the funding to restart key operations and could not find the financing or investors necessary to do so.
The company's charity, the Pandaw Charity, will continue its work under a board of trustees.
"This is a very sad moment for me, my family, our crews and clients," sail Pandaw Expeditions founder Paul Strachan. "It marks the end of an era for all of us after twenty-five years of real adventure. We are truly sorry to disappoint our regular passengers who were so looking forward to making a trip after the lifting of travel restrictions. We are also heartbroken for our three hundred plus crew members and shoreside personnel who have stood by Pandaw and were hoping to get going again next year."
Many of the destinations Pandaw Expeditions sails through have been closed to international travelers throughout the pandemic. Myanmar, another key destination, has been undergoing serious political conflict for some time.
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