Kolodin – Kaladan river Expedition 2012

Not till very far back in times; Rivers were the main source of transport, till the roads were made and extensively used.
Slowly rivers, our natural highway were forgotten and so were the people living on it. A whole life style along the rivers was left behind. RIB Expedition and Adventure, has been trying to bring back the focus on the forgotten rivers of the world, and most importantly, the forgotten people, who live on and along the rivers.

Andy Leemann, a Swiss boating expert has lead successful expeditions on Amazon, Orinoco, Mekong, and Zambezi. In India he has traveled Ganges, Brahmaputra and Gomati River.

Andy and his team of International river enthusiast have got together this time to travel Kaladan/Kolodin River this time.

From its source in Mizoram, India, the Kaladan – Klondike River flows into Chin and Rakhine states of Myanmar (Burma). It forms the international border between India and Myanmar. Kaladan River empties into the Bay of Bengal at Sittwe (town) in Arakan State in Myanmar.  It is estimated that above a million people live in townships along the 400km Kaladan-Kolondine River.

India has extended co-operation in development to Myanmar as part of its ‘Look east policy’.  This friendship has opened up many opportunities between the two neighbors.  Also, there is a streak of similarity in the diverse ethnic cultures that have developed along the corridor of Kaladan in India and Myanmar.  Our expedition will be the first, since 1946, to navigate the Kaladan river and witness this unique cultural.

Kaladan is a tricky river to negotiate, using special inflatable boats with aluminum bottoms, with 40 hps engines. Like all the expeditions; in order to experience the river to it’s fullest, team will live, and cook on the banks.

Our daily activity will be posted daily on our website. And People from across the world regularly follow our journey. Kindly do check our website to read more about this and our past experiences.

Objective of Expedition

The aim of the project is to improve awareness, to showcase the potential of the region for tourism and to emphasize the need to preserve the unique biodiversity along the riverbanks. The expedition wants to bring a deeper knowledge and understanding of the whole region, its culture, natural beauty and diversity to a broader public.