The folks behind The Strand, a luxurious colonial hotel in Yangon, will be holding two special four-night cruises over the coming festive period. The Strand Cruise (www.thestrandcruise.com) sets off along the scenic Irrawaddy River from Bagan to Mandalay this Christmas, Dec 22-26, and New Year, Dec 29-Jan 1, 2016.

The ship has 27 luxurious cabin suites, which come with charming colonial Burmese furniture, teakwood floors, Wi-Fi, 24/7 butler service and floor-to-ceiling windows. Oh, and there are spa treatments on board as well. 

While rates are advertised at a hefty B106,509 per person (which includes a special Christmas or New Year’s dinner), The Strand is currently offering a special promotion where you can bring a plus-one for free (yep, free!), which kind of changes everything.

The first 10 reservations also score a complimentary hot air balloon ride to see over 20,000 temples in Bagan. Those are usually worth upwards of B13,000 alone and fully-booked months in advance for Christmas and New Year.