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ANANDA TEMPLE FESTIVAL TOUR
TOUR OF ANCIENT TEMPLES AND LACQUER
INDUSTRY
YANGON – BAGAN – YANGON
11 January – 14 January 2007
What makes this 4-Day Tour enticing?
Take time to enjoy the Ananda Pagoda Festival, the rendezvous of
fun-loving pilgrims and their bullock carts.
Enjoy the tours in the following destinations:
- Yangon, the capital of Myanmar and home of the
world-famous Shwedagon Pagoda.
- Bagan, the birthplace of Myanmar's art, Buddhism, history,
religion and so much more.
Savor the tastes of Myanmar with our varied dining experiences.
- The local cuisine at restaurants in Yangon and Bagan.
- Dinner with folklore show in Bagan.
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Day 1 Yangon 11 - January 2006, Wednesday
 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 – Bagan - 12 January 2006, Thursday
 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 will continue to explore the monuments and the festival centered
on Ananda Temple, the rendezvous of fun-loving pilgrims. 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. Visit the festival site, once again, and overnight in
Bagan. (B, L, D)
Day 3 Bagan (Ananda Temple Festival) - 13 January 2006, Friday
 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 champagne is
served during the flight. You will be back at your hotel for the
breakfast.
This morning, be present at the alms-giving ceremony on the full moon
day at Ananda Temple to witness a large congregation of devotees
donating various offertories to the Buddhist monks. Later, balance of
the day is yours to visit private lacquer craftsmen's workshops 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.
Enjoy a dinner at your hotel and overnight in Bagan. (B, L, D)
Day 4 Bagan – Yangon - 14 January 2006, Saturday
 You will be assisted to the airport for your flight to Yangon.
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 have a
vehicle with driver and tour guide at your entire disposal for further
sightseeing or shopping. Enjoy a lunch at a local restaurant.
Opportunity to 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). You will be assisted to Yangon International Airport for your
departure by international flight in the evening. (B, L)
If the guests would like to travel at leisurely
pace, we would suggest that they spend an additional night in Yangon
on Day 05 so that they can take a morning flight homeward.
If the guests have not been Myanmar before, it is also
recommended to
include other destinations, namely Mandalay and Inle Lake into this
tour.
(B = Breakfast L = Lunch D = Dinner)
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