U Bein Bridge at sunset

U Bein bridge at sunset (c) 2018 by David Ourisman, all rights reserved

The oldest and longest teak bridge in the world, U Bein Bridge is three-quarters of a mile long and over 170 years old, built with teakwood. It is quite a popular tourist attraction, and the crowds were there when we arrived on Friday afternoon. We did not walk out onto the bridge due to (1) it being so crowded and (2) the fact that the bridge has no side rails. But not walking the bridge was not a disadvantage.

To enjoy the best view of any attraction, it's necessary to get some distance from the attraction itself. In our case, the Sanctuary Ananda had rented a number of rowboats for us, one for each cabin. Claire and I sat in our own boat as the oarsman rowed us out into the river. We settled some distance from shore to look upon the the view above.

A special surprise arrived after awhile on the water... a rowboat rowed by with two Ananda staff members, serving glasses of Tattingers Champagne to their guests. It grew close to sunset and, as we waited, the sun lowered in the western sky, eventually turning into a brilliant red ball. The photograph above will share a sense of the experience.

copyright  (c)  2018 by Ourisman Travel LLC.  All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell, a Virtuoso® member. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

our first river cruise — cruising the Irrawaddy

River cruising is the hottest new trend in foreign travel, and it's easy to understand why.

You pack and unpack just once.

Your ship docks right in the center of things, not in an ocean port many miles away.

Meals and touring opportunities are all included.

Claire and I will soon experience three nights aboard the Sanctuary Ananda during our week in Myanmar, cruising the Irrawaddy from Bagan to Mandalay. We'll have a chance to visit pagodas, markets, a monastic center, and the intriguing U Bein Bridge, the world's longest teak bridge.

Not all river cruises are created equal. If you contact us, we'll be happy to share some comparisons among the major river cruise lines. To whet your curiosity, here are some interesting data points for European river cruises on the Rhine and Danube rivers. While these ships are the same size, most have 150 guests (or more) on board. More guests means less space, crowded restaurants, and smaller cabins. Most river cruise cabins are smaller than 225 sq. ft.

Luxury travel means having space to call your own and the experience of exclusivity. To find out the identities of all six cruise lines in this chart, just get in touch!

copyright (c) 2018 by Ourisman Travel LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell, a Virtuoso® Member. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.