The road to Mandalay

The Road to Mandalay, which is operated by Orient-Express, is more than just a luxurious cruise down one of Asia's greatest waterways. It's a cultural bridge that allows a unique insight into the communities for whom the river is, and always has been, vital. It's a journey which captures the imagination—from the fields of temples in Bagan, down to the monasteries and markets of Mandalay— and one which is helping to breathe life into this once closed country.

The river's silty yellow waters swirl around the ship; in low season the current is a steady three knots, which gives the impression The Road to Mandalay is sailing at full pelt upstream. The Captain later tells me that in the height of the rainy season, that current can increase to a torrential six knots.

Excerpt from the May issue of epicure.