Teak & Tales

Welcome to Teak & Tales, your podcast for river cruising in Southeast Asia. From local culture to life onboard, we explore the people, places, and stories that define the region. We’re joined by travel journalist Judi Cohen to explore what makes river cruising through Southeast Asia so different from other styles of travel. Having sailed the Irrawaddy, Mekong, Brahmaputra, Laos Mekong, and mos...

Welcome to Teak & Tales, your podcast for river cruising in Southeast Asia. From local culture to life onboard, we explore the people, places, and stories that define the region. Pandaw Founder & CEO Paul Strachan rejoins the podcast following his recent return to Myanmar, a country that has long shaped both his personal story and the origins of Pandaw Cruises. Traveling from Rangoon to Ma...

Welcome to Teak & Tales, your podcast for river cruising in Southeast Asia. From local culture to life onboard, we explore the people, places, and stories that define the region. Vichea Tes, Deputy Director of Sales and Marketing at Phare Ponleu Selpak's Circus in Cambodia. What began as an arts school founded by refugees returning to Battambang after the Khmer Rouge era has grown into a c...

Welcome to Teak & Tales, your podcast for river cruising in Southeast Asia. From local culture to life onboard, we explore the people, places, and stories that define the region. In this episode, we sit down with Arun Srinivas, Purser onboard the RV Kochi Pandaw, and one of the key people behind our Kerala Backwaters route. From scouting jetties and mapping narrow canals to building relationsh...

Welcome to Teak & Tales, your podcast for river cruising in Southeast Asia. From local culture to life onboard, we explore the people, places, and stories that define the region. In our latest episode, Barry Broman, a long-time American embassy officer to the Asia region, recounts Pandaw’s inaugural voyage on the Mekong back in 2002. As one of the first to sail from Vietnam into Cambodia, Barr...

Welcome to Teak & Tales, your podcast for river cruising in Southeast Asia. From local culture to life onboard, we explore the people, places, and stories that define the region. In today’s episode, we sit down with Si Thu , Pursuer onboard the RV Bassac Pandaw . As the person who keeps both guests and the ship running smoothly, Si Thu manages everything from guest care to ensuring the vessel...

Welcome to Teak & Tales, your podcast for river cruising in Southeast Asia. From local culture to life onboard, we explore the people, places, and stories that define the region. Ever wondered what it’s like to walk through Cambodia’s past with someone who’s lived its history every day? In our latest episode, Somaly, one of Pandaw’s expert local guides , shares stories that bring Phnom Penh’s...

Welcome to Teak & Tales, your podcast for river cruising in Southeast Asia. From local culture to life onboard, we explore the people, places, and stories that define the region. As one of the 2025 Pandaw Blog Competition Winners , we sit down with Jayne Seagrave to discuss her experience as a solo traveler and what she learned sailing the Ganges River in India. Read Jayne's full blog arti...

Welcome to Teak & Tales, your podcast for river cruising in Southeast Asia. From local culture to life onboard, we explore the people, places, and stories that define the region. In this episode, we speak with Mayurima Kakati from Salaam Baalak Trust about the impact of their City Walk Program, a guided walking tour through the streets of Delhi led by young adults who formerly lived on those v...

Welcome to Teak & Tales, your podcast for river cruising in Southeast Asia. From local culture to life onboard, we explore the people, places, and stories that define the region. In this episode, we're joined by Stuart Hickman , Country Manager at Pandaw Cruises . With over a decade of experience spanning Laos, Thailand, Myanmar, India, and Vietnam, Stuart shares insights from his time on...

Welcome to Teak & Tales, your podcast for river cruising in Southeast Asia. From local culture to life onboard, we explore the people, places, and stories that define the region. As one of the 2025 Pandaw Blog Competition winners , we sit down with Richard Smith-Morgan to discuss his experience on the Classic Mekong. From the quiet kindness of strangers to reflecting on the simple yet powerful...

Welcome to Teak & Tales, your podcast for river cruising in Southeast Asia. From local culture to life onboard, we explore the people, places, and stories that define the region. Ock Pop Tok , meaning East meets West in Lao, was co-founded by Joanna (Jo) Smith over 25 years ago. We sit down with her to discuss their goal of keeping the textile traditions of Laos alive and how the team built a...

Welcome to Teak & Tales, your podcast for river cruising in Southeast Asia. From local culture to life onboard, we explore the people, places, and stories that define the region. As Pandaw Cruises begins its 30th year of operations, we sit down with CEO and Founder Paul Strachan to explore his journey into the cruise business. In this conversation, he shares the biggest highs and lows of leadi...