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The Ship Shin Arahan paddle steamer on the Irrawaddy in Burma (Myanmar)

Overview

Launching Year: 2014

Number of cabins: 20

Standard: 

Port of call :Shwe Kyet Yet Jetty

Operation area: Irrawaddy, Chindwin

Contact

Email: info@shinarahancruises.com

Operation: Shwe Kyet Yet Jetty, Mandalay, Myanmar

Sales in Hanoi: +84912217448 (Mr. Tran Quoc Long)

Yangon: (+95-1) 544 500

For Sales

the domain www.shinarahancruises.com is for sales at US$ 1,350. Contact me at info@shinarahancruises.com to send inquiry. 

The Shin Arahan is the embodiment of luxury and grandeur, much like the majestic Irrawaddy that it cruises on. Where Burmese tradition – ancient and everlasting - meets British colonial elegance. This dream-like ship could well be straight out of a Huckleberry Finn’s quixotic novel as this paddle wheeler marries romance with adventure Shin Arahan also pays tribute to the country’s deep-seated affection for Buddhism. The Burmese accents, artefacts, patterns and ornaments on the boat will inspire you to immerse yourself in the real Burma. And then, British flavour is thrown into the mix, colonial touches of an imperial era.

The Shin Arahan boasts of the largest cabin floor space on the Irrawaddy. Four kinds of cabin categories are offered - each with its private balcony. The two enormous suites (53sqm) sit grandly on the terrace deck with a front view of the bow and the gorgeous Irrawaddy. Wide glass doors open to an extra large teak wood balcony where a private jacuzzi extends that extra floating feeling. Four signature rooms – slightly smaller - accompany the suites on this floor like their adjutants. However, they are equally impressive as their splendid interior design, peppered with fine Burmese artefacts, is visually captivating. 

Formerly known as Burma, Myanmar is a rare jewel - an untarnished diamond in Southeast Asia. There is a decidedly languid pace that flows through this undiscovered country. Gently stirred by the Burmese people who go about their quiet ways. Welcome to Myanmar. Age-old traditions and culture have stood the test of time. Monks in flaming red, walk cheek by jowl with cars and motorcycles. Pagodas and temples – in gushing devotion to the nation’s fervent belief in Buddhism – line the nation’s landscape. 

Squeezed between India and Thailand, Myanmar stills holds as much romance today as it did for George Orwell whose book - Burmese Days - gave the outside world a glimpse of this beautiful country. Resource rich, this Southeast Asian country has gold in abundance and the Irrawaddy river yields this precious metal. As Buddhism is the dominant religion of this country, most of the Irrawaddy gold ends up on Buddha statues and pagodas. No description of Myanmar is complete without a paean to the Irrawaddy. Myanmar’s longest and most important commercial waterway, it flows from the northern tip of this landlocked country into the southern delta. The Irrawaddy’s history is steeped in myth. According to a legendary tale, the Great Spirit of the world on the icy Himalayan peaks poured water from two gold cups: the Mai Kha River flowed from the cup in his right hand and Mali Kha, from the left. The two rivers were twins - male and female – and they merged at the confluence, giving birth to the Irrawaddy river. Throughout its voyage of 1240 miles, the Irrawaddy acts with divine generosity, infusing life into a livelihood, a people and its economy. Huge rafts transport teak wood downstream. Entire families – from wizened grandmothers to knee-high grandchildren – live on board bamboo rafts. The Irrawaddy is also impeded by a series of three defiles. Those defiles are narrow points - gorges - of which the one close to Katha is the most spectacular. The Chindwin river, the largest tributary of the Irrawaddy spills its strength into t mother of rivers not far from Mandalay. What it lacks in length, it makes up in the spectacular scenery of lush jungles and sheer cliffs, misty-blue mountains and charming towns and villages, proudly running through a region of abundant natural resources and fertile meadows. 

The benevolence of Myanmar and the Irrawaddy benefits all – journey with us as it is time to explore the latest jewel of South East Asia. 

The Shin Arahan Story Buddhism of Shin Arahan Legacy of Shin Arahan Reforms of Shin Arahan Shin Arahan Shin Arahan visit to Pagan

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A Boat Trip to Maungdaw

It’s a five-hour boat ride and then a short drive from the Arakan State capital to Maungdaw, a predominately Muslim township in the country’s west that became a major concern for the Burmese government following allegations that dozens of people were killed there last month.

Setting off from Sittwe early in the morning, a boat winds north along Kaladan river, packed with hundreds of passengers, and then connects with Mayou River as it heads west. Most passengers are Arakan State natives, traveling to a destination where foreign tourists are banned, and where international NGOs have sought access in recent weeks but have largely been denied.

For entertainment on a journey earlier this month, a video played from a television on board. The program of choice was a Buddhist dhamma talk, featuring a senior monk who was a member of the nationalist 969 movement, which opposes interfaith marriage and urges people in Buddhist-majority Burma to shun Muslim businesses.

Passengers listened as the monk spread messages of fear, warning that Muslim men were trying to bolster their numbers in the country, in part by marrying multiple wives and having many children. “Look at Pakistan, which was Buddhist in the past. It has become a Muslim country because the Muslims have such a large population. Our people need to be careful,” the monk said.

Anti-Muslim rhetoric has become common in Arakan State, especially since 2012, when two bouts of inter-communal violence between Buddhists and Muslims left scores dead and about 140,000 people displaced. The majority of victims were Rohingya, a Muslim minority that faces severe discrimination because local Buddhists allege that they came illegally from neighboring Bangladesh, although many trace their roots in Burma back generations.

“We feel we are going to have a war with them. We heard their armed groups have been active along the border, and that this will spread,” says Thein Tun Aye, an Arakanese Buddhist in Sittwe, referring to government claims that the Rohingya Solidarity Organization (RSO), an Islamist militant group, was involved in the killing of a policeman in Maungdaw last month.

In Sittwe, a coastal town of some 180,000 people, Buddhists and Muslims have been segregated since the violence in 2012, with many Muslims confined to a ghetto-like neighborhood known as Aung Mingalar. That’s where Rohingya rights activist Aung Win must go whenever he wants to visit his parents, offering money to officials in order to enter. “I pay security forces a bribe of 20,000 kyats [US$20] every time,” he tells The Irrawaddy, adding that his own home is in Bume Quarter, also in Sittwe.

About an hour’s drive from the town, thousands of people continue to take shelter in camps after being displaced by the violence. They have received limited assistance from the government and international humanitarian organizations, but some say they struggle to feed their families.

“We do not have enough food here. I’m especially worried for my children,” says Zohra, a 30-year-old Muslim woman who lives in Thetkepyin camp. She says she is afraid to return to her home in Sittwe and will continue to live in the camp, despite the poor conditions.

In many ways, Sittwe seems a world away from Maungdaw, where Buddhists are a small minority compared with Muslims. The township is known in the state as the “western gate,” with Buddhists claiming that it is the entry point for illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.

A river demarcates the two countries, and Rohingya fishermen work on boats to haul in their daily catch with nets.

During The Irrawaddy’s visit earlier this month, a teenage boy said he earns about 2,000 kyats ($2) per day but can sometimes make about 5,000 kyats if he’s lucky. In a group of about 20 people, only two fishermen spoke Burmese.

The Burmese government built a fence to block illegal immigrants from entering the country. The fence included barbed wire at a security compound, but not far away the wire had been removed, with large gaps between the poles in the ground. A police officer with the border guard security force, speaking on condition of anonymity and requesting not to be photographed, said the fence stretched for almost 5 kilometers.

About 15 minutes away from the river by motorbike is the town of Maungdaw, home to 23,000 people, of whom about 20,000 are Muslim. At the call to prayer, bearded men in long white tunics walk together to a mosque, while women wear black niqabs that leave only their eyes visible. Earlier this month, the town appeared busy but peaceful during the day. At night, however, the roads were quiet. After dark, Buddhists could be found walking the streets, but most Muslim residents remained inside.

Tensions have lingered after allegations of violence in Du Chee Yar Tan village, about 45 minutes away from Maungdaw town by motorbike. The village in southern Maungdaw Township was allegedly where more than 40 Rohingyas were killed by a Buddhist mob last month, according to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. The Burma government has vehemently denied these killings, but Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), a medical humanitarian organization, says it treated 22 wounded people in the village in the days following the alleged attack.

Security officials warn outsiders not to enter Du Chee Yar Tan alone.

“They do not trust other people except Muslims. So, if you are going inside the village, it will be dangerous for you,” police lieutenant Wai Phyo Zaw told The Irrawaddy, adding that he would send no less than 10 well-armed officers into the area for any operation.

 

 

More details at http://www.shinarahancruises.com/blog/aboattriptomaungdaw

Daily adventures

Set your own pace on shore excursions. Enjoy the full attention of your guide. AmaWaterways ensures that you’re treated with personalized attention, on land as well as on the river. Our complimentary Small Group Shore Excursions provide a world-class land tour in every destination. We hire the top local guides in every location. We’re confident that you’ll find no more intensive and immersive introduction to the culture and heritage of the region you’re visiting. With First Choice, you will enjoy  to take a tour of central Mandalay visiting the Mahamuni Pagoda and Shwe Nan Daw Kyaung teak carved monastery; journey to explore the ancient capital of Amarapura by coach and sampan and crossing the U Bein Bridge to see paintings in a temple. They’re but a few examples of the shore excursions included in your cruise

More details at http://www.shinarahancruises.com/blog/dailyadventures

Dolphins Imperiled as Irrawaddy River’s Fisheries Decline

MANDALAY — Researchers say the depletion of fish stocks in Burma’s largest river is threatening a vital source of food for the Irrawaddy dolphin, an endangered species whose population is estimated to number less than 100.

Environmental degradation along the Irrawaddy River is to blame for declining fisheries, as are fishermen who use electrical shockers to boost their catches, affecting the river’s small Irrawaddy dolphin population in ways both direct and indirect.

“Fishermen nowadays use high-voltage electrical shockers to get more fish, and this is how some dolphins get directly shocked and die. For some, they are only slightly shocked, but later die [as a result],” said Kyaw Hla Thein from the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Burma program, who is involved in Irrawaddy dolphin conservation efforts on the river.

According to the New York-based Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), which is working jointly with Burma’s Department of Livestock, Fisheries and Rural Development for the preservation of Irrawaddy dolphins, the population of a designated protection zone in the upper region of the Irrawaddy River is in decline.

In early 2012, WCS said the total population stood at around 86 dolphins, but by January of this year it had fallen to an estimated 63.

The area, between the riverside towns of Kyauk Myaung and Mingun in Sagaing Division, spans about 230 miles (370 km) of freshwater in which Irrawaddy dolphins can be found, and was established as a protection zone in 2005.

Measures to protect Irrawaddy dolphins include the prohibition of mercury use in gold mining operations, and a ban on catching or killing of the dolphins, or trading in their meat. Electro-fishing is also forbidden, as is the use of gillnets more than 300 feet (91 meters) long, or spaced less than 600 feet (180 meters) apart. The release of dolphins entangled in fishing nets is mandatory.

Despite these efforts, environmental destruction, deforestation and a growing number of mining operations continue to negatively impact on the river’s ecosystem. Mercury contamination from gold mining is said to be a leading cause of the waterway’s declining fish stocks.

“In 2012, fishermen using normal methods caught more than 25 kilograms of fish, which provided enough for a day’s earnings. But nowadays they can catch only 2 to 5 kilograms of fish, so they are forced to use electricity and gillnets,” Kyaw Hla Thein explained.

“Even though the Department of Fisheries, in collaboration with us, has caught and fined the fishermen, use of prohibited methods to fish is still happening. We can’t blame them alone, as we’ve witness the scarcity of fish stocks. If we can’t control the environmental destruction, the situation will worsen,” he added.

Dwindling fisheries are not only affecting the livelihoods of Irrawaddy dolphins and fishermen. A centuries-old tradition of man-porpoise cooperation is also under threat. Conservationists say the number of locals who practice a form of symbiotic fishing with the dolphins is falling.

“Fishing with the Irrawaddy dolphins is now just for show to foreigners, and you will sadly witness only a few fish caught this way,” said Su Hlaing Myint, an independent researcher on Irrawaddy dolphins, who works in collaboration with the Mandalay-based NGO Green Activities.

“This lovely tradition is dramatically fading away and we fear for its extinction, together with the Irrawaddy dolphins. … To save the Irrawaddy River and Irrawaddy dolphins, urgent attention is needed,” she added.


More details at http://www.shinarahancruises.com/blog/dolphinsimperiledasirrawaddyriver%E2%80%99sfisheriesdecline

Impeccable service on Shin Arahan

RV Shin Arahan takes pride in providing the finest onboard service of any river cruise line, with a professional and friendly staff that guests consistently cite as a highlight of their cruise. All onboard staff go through a rigorous selection and training process that ensures that only the “crème de la crème” work aboard the RV Shin Arahan

More details at http://www.shinarahancruises.com/blog/impeccableserviceonshinarahan

On board services RV Shin Arahan

Enjoy a traditional Burmese puppet show and other cultural performances or discussions in the Lounge, a fun and memorable way to delve into the heart and soul of Burmese culture                       More details at http://www.shinarahancruises.com/blog/onboardservicesrvshinarahan

Spa on board RV Shin Arahan

A journey through beautiful Myanmar offers many opportunities to experience regional specialties, such as traditional Asian spa treatments. The Shin Arahan offers a number of expert spa services that are guaranteed to relax the body and rejuvenate the spirit.

More details at http://www.shinarahancruises.com/blog/spaonboardrvshinarahan