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Pandaw Cruises is expanding its Kerala Backwaters programme following strong demand for its inaugural sailings, introducing a second vessel and a new selection of 3- and 4-night itineraries designed to offer greater flexibility for travellers exploring southern India.
The expansion follows the successful launch of the company's Kerala cruises, with initial departures selling out shortly after bookings opened. The new itineraries are intended to make it easier for guests to combine a river cruise with broader travel programmes that include destinations such as Rajasthan, Delhi, Mumbai, Darjeeling and Assam.
The shorter voyages also build on Pandaw's recent introduction of flexible itineraries on the Hooghly River in West Bengal and form part of the company's wider strategy to diversify its river cruise offerings across India.
Operating through Kerala's interconnected network of lakes, canals and waterways, the cruises focus on the region's cultural and historical heritage rather than its more traditional beach and resort tourism. Once serving as important trade routes linking inland communities with the port of Kochi, the backwaters now provide access to destinations including Fort Kochi, historic churches and temples, traditional Kathakali performances and waterside villages where local customs and lifestyles have been preserved for generations.
Pandaw stated that the positive response from guests had confirmed the Kerala Backwaters as one of the company's strongest emerging products, providing the confidence to expand capacity with an additional vessel while maintaining the small-ship experience that has characterised the brand for more than three decades.
To support the expansion, the company has completed the traditional launching ceremony for RV Kerala Pandaw, marking the first time the vessel's hull entered the water ahead of its scheduled debut in 2027. Purpose-built for Kerala's narrow inland waterways, the 10-cabin expedition ship will feature spacious open decks, locally inspired cuisine and shore excursions designed to immerse guests in the region's culture and heritage.
Once in service, RV Kerala Pandaw will operate alongside RV Kochi Pandaw, enabling Pandaw Cruises to increase capacity while preserving its boutique-style river cruising concept.
The new three- and four-night Kerala Backwaters itineraries are already available aboard RV Kochi Pandaw, with RV Kerala Pandaw scheduled to join the programme in 2027. The expansion represents the latest stage in Pandaw's investment in India's inland waterways, where the company now operates one of the country's most extensive portfolios of boutique river expeditions across the Upper and Lower Ganges, the Brahmaputra and the Kerala Backwaters.
