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BURMESE TREASURES
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Code: |
MAD 04 |
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Routes: |
Yangon -
Bagan - Mandalay - Mingun - Amarapura -
Sagaing. |
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Duration: |
12 Days |
Itinerary in brief
Day 1 : ARRIVAL - YANGON
Day 2 : YANGON - MANDALAY - MINGUN
Day 3 : MANDALAY - AMARAPURA -
SAGAING - AVA
Day 4 : MANDALAY - MONYWA
Day 5 : MONYWA - PAKKOKU - BAGAN
Day 6 : BAGAN
Day 7 : BAGAN
Day 8 : BAGAN - MOUNT POPA - KALAW
Day 9 : KALAW - INLE LAKE
Day 10 : INLE LAKE
Day 11 : INLE LAKE - YANGON
Day
12 : YANGON - DEPARTURE
There's much in Burma to capture the imagination
and win the heart: at Bagan the thousands of pagodas
studding a vast plain by the muddy Irrawaddy River; on
Inle Lake the delicate ballet of an Intha fisherman
leg-rowing his slender craft; and everywhere in this
magical land the gentle, generous and long-suffering
people who delight so in visitors from abroad.
Detail Itinerary
DAY 1: ARRIVAL - YANGON
Arrive at Yangon
Airport by flight. Welcome by our local tour guide and
transfer to Hotel for check-in. Lunch at local
restaurant. After lunch, sightseeing to SHWEDAGON
PAGODA
- world famous golden stupa in the dome shape rises 98
meters above its base and covered with 60 tons of pure
gold. Welcoming Dinner and Cultural show at KARAWEIK
PALACE FLOATING RESTAURANT built in a style of Royal
Barge used by the old days Kings. Your first night of
stay in Yangon.
DAY 2: YANGON - MANDALAY - MINGUN
The
following destination of our trip is Mandalay . After a
short flight, we arrive in this city and transfer
straight to the jetty for a boat trip on the mighty
Irrawaddy River. The lively waterfront with working
buffaloes offers a spectacular backdrop as we cruise
upriver to Mingun. On arrival, we wander around and
visit the unfinished huge pagoda, the world’s largest
bell of Mingun and the beautiful white Hsinbyume Pagoda.
We then drive back to Mandalay City. Here is plenty to
see, some of which are the Mahamuni Pagoda, the fabulous
Kuthodaw Pagoda often called "the world's largest book"
and the wooden monastery of Shwenandaw Kyaung. This
structure is still standing over centuries, despite of
all vicissitudes of the city. We include these sights in
a half day city tour which also gives us a chance to
ascend Mandalay hill for a beautiful sunset view of the
surrounding areas. O/N in Mandalay. (B)
DAY 3: MANDALAY - AMARAPURA -
SAGAING - AVA
The great
cultural city of Mandalay was a former capital of Burma;
however many outlaying towns could lay claim to the same
title at some stages in the past. Today we head out of
the town to one of these ancient cities, Amarapura. The
spectacular teak bridge of U Bein and the famous
Mahaganda Monastery are a highlight of our visit to
Amarapura. We then cross over the mighty Irrawaddy River
to the picturesque Sagaing Hill. This lush area is
covered in 600 white painted pagodas and monasteries,
and is therefore regarded as the religious centre of
Myanmar. After seeing Sagaing, we continue on to the
ruin of Ava and embark on a horse and carriage to
explore the old wooden Bagaya Monastery and the remains
of the Royal Palace. O/N in Mandalay. (B)
DAY 4: MANDALAY - MONYWA
The
journey south begins as we depart the town and travel
through the scenic countryside towards Moniwa. Along the
way, we visit the impressive Thanboddhay Pagoda. The
wall and archway of this structure are delicately
decorated with over 500,000 Buddha images. Another
enjoyable stop is Bodihtataung Pagoda which houses the
largest reclining Buddha in Myanmar. After short rest in
Monywa Towm, we cross the Chindwin River and embark a
local jeep for a short hour drive to Po Win Daung. This
extraordinary complex containing 947 sandstone caves dug
out of the hills has been to claimed by archaeologists
to be the richest collection of mural paintings and
Buddhist statues in South East Asia. O/N in Monywa. (B)
DAY 5: MONYWA - PAKKOKU - BAGAN
An early
morning departure to Pakkoku, a lively town by the
confluence of the Chindwin River. The first stop of our
trip is Pakhangyi which houses one of Myanmar’s oldest
teak monasteries. Here we have an opportunity to visit
the typical local market as well as the traditional
production of local blanquets. We change the pace while
we board a boat for a leisurely trip down the mighty
Irrawaddy River to Bagan. The river trip can take
anything from 2 or 4 hours depending on conditions. No
matter how long it takes us, this is still a wonderfull
experience as we pass by the spectacular landscape and
see the rural life close up. O/N in Bagan. (B)
DAY 6: BAGAN
The
charming town of Bagan flourished from the 11th
till 13th century when religious fervors
launched a 200 year building of thousands huge stupas
and temples, many of which are still standing today on
the banks of the Irrawaddy River. We visit the vibrant
market of Nyaung U before taking a short drive to the
archeological zone. The sightseeing tour enables us to
explore many magnificent structures including Shwezigon,
Nanbaya, Htilominlo, Ananda, Thatbyinnyu, Sulamani,
Dhammyangyi. These temples and pagodas bear statement to
a glorious past. The perfect way to round off the day is
watching the spectacular sunset from the upper terrace
of Myaukguni Temple. O/N in Bagan. (B)
DAY 7: BAGAN
Today we
enjoy a full day tour of Bagan, seeing some temples
scattered around the tranquil village of Minnanthu.
These structures are Tayokepyay, Payathonezu and
Namdamanya which reveal some exquisite murals of the13th
century. The following sight is Kyat Kan Cave Monastery,
a famous meditation retreat in Bagan. We also visit the
interesting Archeological Museum and the Myingaba Gu
Byaukgyi Temple. This impressive and well protected
structure is decorated with many delicate mural
paintings. Heading out of the town, we take a short
drive to a local village to observe the lifestyle of
people and the traditional hand weaving. O/N in Bagan.
(B)
DAY 8: BAGAN - MOUNT POPA -
KALAW
Upon
leaving the town, we set off on our journey to the
imposing Mount Popa. This extinct volcano boasts the
region’s highest peak, but the main attraction in this
place is the smaller one, Popa Taungkalar, which is
dedicated to the local legendary "nat" spirits. After a
two hour drive, we arrive at this site and ascend the
Popa Taungkalar for a beautiful panoramic view of the
surrounding area. There are 777 steps which wind around
the outcrop and lead to the gilded stupa and monastery
at the summit. We then travel by roads to the Shan
Plateau, through the stunning countryside and rolling
hills to Kalaw, a pleasant hill station. O/N in Kalaw.
(B)
DAY 9: KALAW - INLE LAKE
The
fascinating walk of today will enable us to explore the
surroundings of Kalaw and encounter many hill tribe
people. We get well off the beaten track as we trek into
this mountain region and pass throuh the stunning
scenery on our way to Taryaw village, home to the
Paluang people. These ethnic minorities were amongst the
earliest inhabitants in Myanmar and still retains their
old age cultural traditions such as the hand weaving,
cheroot leaf making and the longhouse with several
extended families. After few more hour trek, we meet up
with our vehicle for a senic drive towards Inle Lake, a
famous wander of Myanamar. O/N in Inle Lake. (B,L)
DAY 10: INLE LAKE
The
picturesque scenery blending with the sky and floating
gardens rising from the clear water of the lake is
nothing short of spectacular. Today we board our boat
for a leisurely trip on Inle Lake to explore some
gardens and catch a glimpse of the local Intha fishmen
famous for their rowing technique. These people power
their narrow boats by twisting their legs around their
oars, a remarkable feat of agility and control. Along
the way, we anchor to visit the Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda,
the Jumping Cat Monastery with a beautiful collection of
antique Buddha statues and the local market. This
colourful congregation is held in different villages
every five days, and attracts numerous ethnic minorities
who converge from the surrounding villages to trade
their goods. O/N in Inle Lake. (B)
DAY 11: INLE LAKE - YANGON
After
breakfast we drive to Heho airport for a short flight
back to the capital city. Today we complete our
impression of Yangon with a visit to the colossal
reclining Buddha of Chaukhtatgyi in a quiet, open air
pavilion and the National Museum with a lovely
collection of artefacts reflecting the richness of
Burmese culture. Upon leaving this landmark, we embark
on rickshaw excursion through the colonial area and the
famous Strand road to the bustling harbour, giving a
chance to explore the city close up. The oldest Chinese
temple of Kheng Hock Keong in China Town is also visited
before we spend the remainder of the day at the lively
Bogyoke Aung San Market, formerly Scott’s market. O/N in
Yangon (B)
DAY 12: YANGON - DEPARTURE
There is
free time for your own exploration of the city or
catching up on some shopping areas. The trip ends after
transfer to Mingaladon airport for departure. (B)
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HOTELS USED ON THIS TRIP |
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CITY/ AREA
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Standard Class
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First Class
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Superior Class
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Yangon
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Panorama hotel, Yuzana Garden hotel or
similar one
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Summit Park View hotel or similar one
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Grand Plaza Park Royal
, Kandawgyi Palace or Nikko hotel
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Bagan
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Thirimarlar hotel or similar one
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Thazin Garden hotel or similar one
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Bagan Golf Resort , Bagan hotel
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Mandalay |
Wood Land Hotel or similar one
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Swan hotel or similar one
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Mandalay Hill Resort, Sedona hotel
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Inle Lake
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Paradise Ny. Shwe hotel, Royal Orchid hotel
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Shweinntha hotel or similar one
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Paradise Inle Resort, Golden Island Cottages
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Kalaw
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New Shine hotel or
similar one
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Hill top Villa,
Pine Hill Resort |
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HOTEL NOTES
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+ The higher hotel category in Yangon, Bagan
, Madanlay and Inle Lake can be
arranged upon request. + The hotels in
Inle Lake and Bagan do not match tour
classification since some of them may be
simple but remember that Myanmar is a
developing country.
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