Swegu to Bhamo - Fast Boat

From online research and the last 2 editions of the Myanmar LP guides I take it that there are no fast boats from Swegu to Bhamo, only from the opposite direction. Can anyone who has been there within the last 12 months or so confirm this?

If it is possible, how long does it take? I would assume it is longer than the 2.5 to 3 hours going from Bhamo to Shwegu stated in the guides since it would be going upstream.

can't confirm it...but you would think that is there are fast boats downriver between the Bhamo and Swegu then they would also have to go upriver.....

One would think. The latest LP guide edition (12th) states that there are fast boats from Bhamo to Shwegu. But in the Shwegu section states that "foreigners are technically barred from fast boats" and only lists IWT ferries from Shwegu to Katha (no mention of any boats to Bhamo). The previous edition (11th) does mention fast boats between Shwegu and Bhamo both ways.

It may simply be another example of LP's inexactness that drives me crazy. But, I wanted to be sure before planning a trip to Shwegu. We just want to visit Shwegu from Bhamo, spend the night and then head back to Bhamo and catch a flight to Mandalay. We don't want to continue on to Katha.

Possibly the LP book lists them as ^fast^ boats simply because they are travelling with the flow of the River as opposed to a boat going against the flow of the river which is obviously going to take Longer! There is definitely a boat from Katha to Bhamo if that is any Help? Don't know if it goes via Shwegu Though! If so then it must almost certainly travel in both directions.

Possibly the LP book lists them as ^fast^ boats simply because they are travelling with the flow of the River

I don't think so because in the Bhamo section they make a distinction between the "fast boat" and the IWT Ferry as it is shown in a table with separate columns for IWT Ferry and Fast Boats to Shwegu. Both the time and price are different too. The table shows the fast boat as taking 3 hours to Shwegu and the IWT Ferry as 6 Hours.

In the Katha section the current edition show a table and that there is an ITW Ferry from Katha to Shwegu and Bhamo, but in the "Express Boat" column it shows N/A for both. Maybe it has something to do with going against the current and fast/express boats cannot manage it. Just guessing though.

I guess I will have to wait and see what information I can find when I am in Myanmar. I might try calling the hotels and guest houses to see if they know.

I was in Katha in April and the ITW ferry was still running then. To be honest , I didn't notice if any boats went via Shwegu or not but they were definitely running to Bhamo. The problem in April is that the river had almost dried up because it is the end of the dry season and this affects were some boats can or can't Go! After the rainy season has finished the water level is much higher and that makes it easier and faster for boats to travel the various routes.

We would rather not take the IWT Ferry from Shwegu back to Bhamo since it takes twice as long (6 hours). We will be there mid-January 2017. The water level won't be as low as April, but it will still be low.

Anyway, I'm not getting much response and it is pretty clear traveling to Shwegu and back from Bhamo is rarely on people's itinerary. I will see what I can dig up between now and January before I decide if Shwegu and maybe even Bhamo makes it in to ours.

I guess the reason it isn't on many people's itinerary is because the areas around Bhamo are considered as current conflict Zones! For example, you can't travel north from Bhamo by boat (which used to be a popular thing to do)or by road anymore, only by flying. I intended to go to Bhamo earlier this year by boat from Katha, but it would of meant having to double back by boat to leave Bhamo, or fly out of Bhamo, which I didn't want to Do! I'm not sure if you can leave Bhamo in any direction by road, so I wasn't prepared to waste lots of time getting there when I had no idea of how I was going to get away from the place. Katha is worth a visit if your in that part of the country. Good luck.

Thanks chris1965. I will post back if I found out more about the boat and if we actually make it to Shwegu.

Difference between 'fast' boat and slow boat (ferry) has nothing to do with direction of travel or water flow...they are 2 different types of boats. Both boat types will go slightly slower upstream than down.
Thrive - anything in the LP editions is out of date before they even go to print.
Try asking on Trip Advisor as there have been a few posts on there re the fast boats between Bhamo and Mandalay (and the various stops on the way).
If fast boats go downriver, they HAVE to go upriver again...how else can they continue to send fast boats downriver....??

If fast boats go downriver, they HAVE to go upriver again...how else can they continue to send fast boats downriver....??

Understood. However, I am more concerned about the comment in the Shwegu section that "foreigners are barred from taking the fast boats". It sounds like there are fast boats, but for some reason in Shwegu and Shwegu only, we aren't allowed to take them. Since in less touristed areas issues concerning tourists can get quirky in Myanmar, I was hoping someone can report recent experience that contradicts the LP guide.

I will try asking on Trip Advisor and see if anyone knows there.

A possible explanation for foreigners not being allowed on certain boats could for this reason- when I enquired about leaving Katha by boat, I was told that certain boats don't actually stop at certain places or pull into a jetty as such. What happens is that a smaller boat pulls alongside the bigger boats or ferries in mid-river and you literally have to jump from one boat to the other in the middle of the River! I'm guessing that the boat owners wouldn't want to have the responsibility of a foreign tourist attempting this and potentially Drowning! For me to get to the small place I was trying to get to by boat I would of had to jump boats in the middle of the river, which sounded a very scary (and stupid) thing to Attempt! Admittedly, I wasn't actually told that I wasn't allowed on the boat, but I guess the final decision could be down to each individual boat owner as to whether they are willing to take foreigners or Not! Bearing in mind the boat from Katha goes to Bhamo via Shwegu and various other small towns, this could be the reason why foreigners aren't allowed on Shwegu bound Boats! Hope this has been of some use to You?

I have done the jump from boat to boat several times in Myanmar and other countries. Once in Thailand we had to jump across 6 different boats before actually getting to ours. Most times it was fairly easy and there was always someone to pass my bag on to so I didn't have to try and jump across with it. Only once was it a challenge because the water was rough and making the boats bob more than usual. However, I am sure this and other logistics could be a reason boat owners don't want to take on tourists in Shwegu yet are fine with it elsewhere.

Anyway, I am hoping someone out there can confirm through personal experience whether tourists can or cannot get a fast boat from Shwegu back to Bhamo.

Hi all - I took a fast boat from Bhamo to Katha and then another from Katha to Mandalay - only last week I did this. It is ok. They go everyday and are open to foreigners. And yes, I believe the same can be done the other way, except of course they take longer because they are against the flow of the river. I had no troubles - was fun although the Katha to Mandalay trip was LOOONG. But gave me time to get to know my fellow travellers. I was the only foreigner on board. I think it was K10,000 from Bhamo to Katha and K25,000 to Mandalay. I definitely remember the Mandalay price, it might have been K9,000 Bhamo to Katha. Something like that.

Oh and sorry - just reading the jumping boat bit. Yes - that is definitely true and I think Shwego is one of those. One of my fellow travellers was going there, and while I was asleep he left :). I think he jumped boat.

Loong trip...???
Try the slow ferry....especially when river level is low.....the supposed 3day/2night trip when I did it one January took 5 days/4 nights...got stuck on sandbanks a few times.....that is a good stretch to hang out with the locals over cheap Myanmar whisky...

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I have done long boat rides before in Myanmar and other countries and I definitely don't need or want to do it anymore. I guess what is puzzling is that I cannot find any information on the internet about tourists taking the fast boat from Shwegu to Bhamo or going upriver in that area, only going downriver. The very few post and blogs I have found about people stopping in Shwegu only mention going on to Katha, never back to Bhamo. I guess I am the only tourist that has ever wanted to just go to Swegu, then back to Bhamo for a flight to Mandalay. Adding that with the comment in the LP guide that foreigners are barred from fast boats at Shwegu, but not in Bhamo or Katha and I am just a bit too concerned about trying it. I don't want to go all the way to Bhamo and find I cannot go to Shwegu and back. I'm already looking at plans "B" and "C".

Thrive...my comment about taking a boat trip was a light-hearted response to Lazza (saying the fast boat Katha-Mandalay was a 'long' trip)....I thought that would have been obvious...

I took no offense and meant none in response. I was only attempting to say that I am feeling (dare I say it) too old for it anymore.

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