MYANMAR IN DEPTH

TOUR OF ANCIENT TEMPLES, EXTINCT VOLCANO, CENTER OF CULTURE, HILL STATION, NATURAL CAVES AND SERENE LAKE
YANGON–GOLDEN ROCK–YANGON–BAGAN–MT. POPA–BAGAN–MANDALAY–MONYWA
– MANDALAY–MINGUN–MAYMYO–MANDALAY–HEHO–INLE LAKE–HEHO–YANGON

Day 1 Yangon

Your Ah Nyar Thar Tour Guide will meet you on arrival at Yangon International Airport to accompany you to your hotel. This afternoon, an orientation drive acquaints you to the Historic Buildings of Colonial-Days and the Sule Pagoda, in the heart of Yangon. Take a short walking tour of the downtown and browse the hundred stalls of Bo Gyoke Aung San Market (also known as Scott’s Market). Afterwards, you will head for Chauk Htat Gyi Temple; there is time to marvel at a gigantic reclining Buddha image. Stop for photos at the Kandawgyi Gardens beholding the Karaweik Hall, a royal floating barge, and a backdrop of lush trees and an idyllic lake. The day ends at Shwedagon Pagoda, one of the fairest place and most spectacular religious monuments in the world, surrounded by an array of temples, shrines and pavilions. Take your time to be at this truly spectacular and remarkable highlight. Enjoy the dinner and overnight in Yangon. (D)

Day 2 Yangon-Bago-Kyaikhtiyo (Golden Rock)

You will be picked up at your hotel in Yangon and drive to Kyaikhtiyo or Golden Rock Pagoda (195 km - 5 hours). En route, visit the Allied War Graves cemetery near Htauk Kyan, and a handicraft village that produces woven bamboo wares. After lunch at a simple local restaurant in Kin Pun "base camp", continue onward to Kyaikhtiyo (the "Golden Rock"), a huge boulder weighing 600 tons, precariously balanced at the edge of a crag of Paung Laung Mountain Chain. From Kin Pun Base Camp, a steep and rough 11-km dirt road leads to the middle point, also known as Rashee Hill Camp, where the journey in open trucks terminate. From the "middle point", travelers must walk the final stage (about 4 kilometers) up steep paths, which ascend some 500 meters to the "Golden Rock". As an easier alternative to walking, there are some porters who carry visitors in sedan chairs at an extra cost of approximately US$ 10 per person per way. On arrival, enjoy the fabulous sunset at this marvellous pilgrimage site. Enjoy the dinner and overnight near Kyaikhtiyo. (B, L, D)

Day 3 Kyaikhtiyo (Golden Rock) – Yangon

Rise early for the return to Yangon (300 km – approximately 7 driving hours). A stop is made in Bago for lunch at a local restaurant. In Bago, sightseeing includes the Shwemawdaw Pagoda, which is over a thousand years old. Its spire is even taller than that of the great Shwedagon Pagoda of Yangon. En route to Yangon (80 km – 1½ hours), stop at KYAIK PUN PAGODA, famous for its four giant seated Buddha images. Upon arrival in Yangon, transfer to hotel.

Important note: The region around Kyaikhtiyo is still undeveloped for most aspects of tourism. We will make every possible effort to obtain the best available accommodation, transport and facilities for guests, but would ask for their understanding for any practical aspects that do not come up to expectations and for delays or changes in the itinerary. Due to road conditions, travel in this region is not recommended during the monsoon season (June - September).

Day 4 Yangon – Bagan

Rise before daybreak and you will be assisted to the airport for your flight to Bagan. Upon arrival in Bagan, transfer to your hotel for check-in. Highlights on this morning's tour include Shwezigon Pagoda, the prototype of pagodas in Myanmar, Wetkyi-in Gu Byauk Gyi Temple with fine tempera mural paintings depicting the life stories of Buddha, and Ananda Temple, the most aesthetically beautiful monument in Bagan. Enjoy a lunch at a riverside restaurant. In the afternoon, you may take a siesta or visit a lacquer craftsman’s workshop to discover the intricate process of making lacquer wares. Continue to Manuha Temple with a large seated Buddha Image, enshrined in a relatively small sanctum, illustrating the melancholy of a confined king, and Nanbaya Temple with noted perforated windows and friezes, a unique sandstone monument that is said to have been the residence of King Manuha. Next, you will proceed to Myingaba Gu Byauk Gyi Temple, a Mon-style temple renowned for its fine frescoes, preserved by UNESCO. A visit to Bupaya on the bank of Ayeyarwaddy River, a perfect spot to enjoy a magnificent sunset, will conclude the day. Enjoy a dinner at a local restaurant and overnight in Bagan. (B, L, D)

Day 5 Bagan

The morning sightseeing will start with a visit of local market in Nyaung U. Then, you will visit Tayokepyay Temple in Min Nan Thu Village, Phaya Thone Zu and Nandamanya Temples (noted for exquisite 13th century murals) and Kyat Kan Cave monastery, a famous meditation center in Bagan. Later, time to witness the lives in the villages around Bagan by horse cart. After lunch at a local restaurant, you may either continue with your sightseeing to see some more temples or take a siesta at your hotel. The tour guide and vehicle will remain at your entire disposal. Enjoy a dinner at your hotel and overnight in Bagan. (B, L, D)

Day 6 Bagan – Mount Popa – Bagan

Optional tour: For an once-in-a-lifetime experience, take a balloon ride to have a bird-eyes view over the pagoda-studded plain of Bagan. Before the daybreak, you will be picked up from your hotel. The balloon flight takes approximately 30 - 45 minutes depending on the prevailing weather condition and wind speed. A glass of sparkling wine is served during the flight. You will be back at your hotel for the breakfast.

This morning travel on a scenic route (50 km – 1½ hours) to Mount Popa, an extinct volcano and an oasis in the scorched Myingyan Plain. It is, among Myanmar people, widely known as the abode of “Nats”, animist spirits. For the energetic, there is time to climb the 777 steps to the shrine at the top of the volcanic plug. Enjoy a lunch at the Popa Mountain Resort with magnificent views across the ravine and lush trees. Return to Bagan for an afternoon at leisure to pursue your individual interests. Enjoy a dinner at local restaurant with a folklore show and overnight in Bagan. (B, L, D)

Day 7 Bagan – Tada Oo – Amarapura – Mandalay

After breakfast, you will be assisted to the airport for your flight to Mandalay. Upon arrival at Mandalay Airport, you will drive directly to Amarapura to visit Mahagandayone Monastery, home to some 800 monks and one of the most prestigious monasteries in Myanmar. Afterward, you will take a stroll over a historic bridge, known as U Bein Bridge and originally built in 1851, spanning over the Taungthaman Lake. Proceed to your hotel for check-in. Enjoy a lunch at a local restaurant. On this afternoon's sightseeing, a visit is firstly made to Mahamuni Pagoda, Mandalay's most fabled religious monument where you will have an awe inspiring view of a Buddha image covered with chunky layers of gold foils. Continue to Shwe Nan Daw Kyaung (or Golden Palace Monastery) to marvel at a superb traditional wooden building and Kuthodaw Pagoda (also known as the world’s largest book), consisting of 729 marble slabs engraved with Buddhist scriptures. If time permits, visit a craftsman’s workshop to see Kalaga tapestries being created. Be sure to watch the sunset from Mandalay Hill. Enjoy a dinner at your hotel and overnight in Mandalay. (B, L, D)

Day 8 Mandalay – Monywa

This morning, drive by road and cross a rivulet by a ferry to visit the former royal capital of Inwa (Ava). Visits by horse-drawn carriage include Nanmyint Watch Tower, the remains of a palace building nicknamed the "leaning tower of Ava", Maha Aungmye Bonzan Monastery (built of brick and stucco) and Bagayar Monastery, famous for its impressive ornate woodcarvings and teak posts. A lunch at taken at a simple local restaurant, Later, traverse across the patches of farms (150 km – 4 hours) to Monywa, en route visiting the incredibly ornate Thambuddhay Temple, built from the dream designs of a noted monk. Monywa is a trading center and the gateway of export/import business between Myanmar and India. If time permits, a visit is also made to a local market. Enjoy a dinner at your hotel and overnight in Monywa. (B, L, D)

Day 9 Monywa – Sagaing – Mandalay

This morning, cross the Chindwin River by ferry and proceed (45 km - 2 hours) by road to Phowin Taung, a seldom-visited complex of cave temples and shrines, some of which dating back to the 15th century, home of an abundance of Buddha images and some very fine mural paintings. Return to Monywa. A lunch at a local restaurant is followed by the return drive to Mandalay (140 km – 4 hours), en route visiting Kaung Mu Daw Pagoda. Proceed to Sagaing Hill, a retreat for Buddhist devotees, and stop for a splendid scenery of the river and surroundings at sunset. Drive to your hotel in Mandalay for check-in. Enjoy a dinner at your hotel and overnight in Mandalay. (B, L, D)

Day 10 Mandalay – Mingun – Pyin Oo Lwin (Maymyo)

This morning, take a boat trip on the Ayeyarwaddy River to Mingun, situated about 11 km (one hour each way) upstream from Mandalay. Visit the unfinished Mingun Temple , originally built with the intention of being the world's biggest pagoda, the Mingun Bell, weighing 87 tons and being the world's largest intact bronze bell, the elegant Hsinbyume Pagoda, and Myatheindan Pagoda with its ornate 7 circular terraces. Return to Mandalay for a lunch at riverside restaurant. After lunch at a riverside restaurant, drive (80 km – 2 hours) on a scenic route to the cool hill station of Pyin Oo Lwin (Maymyo) with its charming lake, gardens and water cascades, and British colonial remains. Enjoy the dinner and overnight in Pyin Oo Lwin. (B, L, D)

Day 11 Pyin Oo Lwin (Maymyo) – Mandalay

Morning sightseeing in Pyin Oo Lwin includes the colonial-era buildings, Purcel Clock Tower and the central market to browse the various commodities and fresh seasonal vegetables. Continue to B.E. Water Cascades and Peik Khyin Myaung, a Buddhist shrine in a cave of stalactite and stalagmite. Return to Pyin Oo Lwin for a lunch at a simple local restaurant. Afterward, stop at the Candacraig Hotel, previously an English country home built in 1905, a perfect spot for a coffee or tea break and to take photos of this nostalgic venue. Continue to the Chinese Temple, where you will have your fortune read by shaking out the bamboo sticks out of a cylinder by yourself and compare the outcome from a Chinese book. Brightly painted stagecoaches, drawn by lively team of horses, await the passengers for the journey for approximately 20 minutes to the Kandawgyi National Park (formerly known as Botanical Gardens). The cool weather around the year helps grow blooming flowers and diverse trees, commonly found in temperate climates. Later, stop at a “winery” before returning by road to Mandalay. Make sure to stop at the viewpoint to enjoy the panoramic view of the Mandalay plain from afar. Dinner is taken at your hotel and overnight in Mandalay. (B, L, D)

Day 12 Mandalay – Heho – Inle Lake

Transfer to Mandalay Airport for your flight to Heho. Upon arrival in Heho, travel on a scenic route Inle Lake (25 km - 1½ hours) and by boat to the hotel on the lake. A lunch at a local restaurant on the lake is followed by the continuation of excursion seeing the famous leg-rowers, typical floating gardens, local methods of fishing and village life. The highlights on the lake are Phaungdaw Oo Pagoda, Nga Phe Chaung Monastery with a collection of ancient Shan-style Buddha images and other sights such as blacksmiths, silversmiths, weaving looms, etc. Enjoy a dinner at your hotel and overnight on the lake. (B, L, D)

Day 13 Inle Lake

Visit a colorful local market in the Inle Lake region. Travel by boat to the eastern shore and hike up about 2 hours to the of Tha Le Oo Village to explore the simple life of the Pa-O tribe. Return to Inle Lake via a mountain pagoda offering panoramic views of the region. Afterward, take an excursion by boat to the Indein Pagoda Complex. Follow a stair path lined up with magnificent columns to the top. Balance of the day at leisure to relax and take a delight in the tranquil ambience. Enjoy a dinner at your hotel and overnight on the lake. (B, L, D)

Day 14 Inle Lake – Heho – Yangon

Time this morning to relax in your hotel before the transfer by boat and road to Heho Airport (25 km - 1 hour). If time permits, you will make a brief stop at a monastery en route. Enjoy a lunch at a simple local restaurant. Relax during the flight with distinctive and varied aerial views over the mountain ranges with lush trees, the fertile plain, the rivers and the paddy fields of delta region. Upon arrival, you will be assisted to your hotel. Balance of the day at leisure to pursue your individual interests. Enjoy a dinner at your hotel and overnight in Yangon. (B, L, D)

Day 15 Yangon – Departure

The tour ends this morning after breakfast. Transfer to Yangon International Airport for departure. (B)

 (B = Breakfast L = Lunch D = Dinner)