The Strand is launching its own cruise ship

More than one hundred years after the Sarkie brothers opened The Strand in British-occupied Burma, the historic five-star Yangon hotel is setting sail.

The Strand Cruise, which will ferry passengers between Bagan and Mandalay, is scheduled to launch three and four night trips on the Ayeyarwaddy River from January next year.

With a pool, lounge bar, cocktail lounge and butler service it’s a pretty luxe deal – if you’ve got $1,782 to spare, the starting price for a three-night journey.

The boat, built locally from scratch, will be decked out with 27 cabins, each boasting floor-to-ceiling Juliette balconies.

According to Hotel Chatter, they’ll serve guests a private farewell dinner on the banks of the Ayeyarwady River. 

The Sarkie brothers, the duo behind Raffles, opened The Strand in 1901. During the Japanese occupation of World War Two the bar was famously used to stable horses.

Cruise Critic quoted Jerome Seban, general manager of Strand Cruise, as saying: “Having operated The Strand Hotel in Yangon for the past decade, we know that there has been a steady growth in demand from luxury travellers to explore the ancient monuments of Myanmar by using the Ayeyarwady’s [also known as Irrawaddy] waterways. This demand presented us with an opportunity to reinvent the legendary style and unique personality of The Strand Hotel within a contemporary river cruise experience.”

Photo: Strand Cruise

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