An enigmatic country with golden pagodas and a jungle covered with fog, Burma was once described by Rudyard Kipling as a place "completely different from,what do you know ».
Burma
The road to Mandalay
Description
An enigmatic country with golden pagodas and a jungle covered with fog, Burma was once described by Rudyard Kipling as a place "completely different from,what ... do you know".
Isolated for years from the outside world, remains an enigma to many. Those who enter this mystical destination will discover a timeless land of colonial elegance and Buddhist tradition that has changed little in recent years.. Across the plains of Bagan we can gaze upon a seemingly endless sea of temples and pagodas, while between the bustling streets of Yangon and Mandalay the old world and the new collide in a vibrant explosion of color and sound. We will walk in the footsteps of local pilgrims and adventurers, as we travel through the city streets of old Yangon (Rangoon) to the stunning scenery around Inle Lake, exploring the beauty of wild landscapes and some of the most revered religious sites in Southeast Asia.
Interests
Unforgettable experiences
Contact with culture
From woven villages to rural monasteries, meet the local communities and learn more about their daily life and traditions
Irrawaddy River Cruise
Cruise the Irrawaddy River by private boat, passing local villages and abandoned temples.
Exploring the pagodas of Bagan
Explore the temples and pagodas that decorate Bagan's famous plains, one of the world's most spectacular locations
In summary
MEALS
13 x Breakfast
13 x Lunch
11 x Dinner
TRANSPORT
On this tour we will use a train, buses, boats and domestic flights.
NUMBER OF PEOPLE
Maximum:
ACCOMMODATION
Itinerary
This is a suggested route. All our experts have traveled extensively in the area and will be happy to tailor any of our itineraries to suit your tastes or create a trip from scratch just for you..
Detailed program and map
The tour departs today at noon at Yangon Airport to the city center. This afternoon we will visit the Shwedagon Pagoda, whose famous golden stupa dominates the city skyline. The holiest Buddhist pagoda in Myanmar, the Shwedagon(also known as the Great Dakon Pagoda and the Golden Pagoda,)estimated to be over the age of 2.500 years. It is believed to hold the relics of past Buddhas. The pagoda is a popular shrine for local pilgrims, making it an exciting spot in which to enjoy the sunset in the late afternoon. Arrival at the hotel, room reception, Accommodation at the hotel.
Breakfast, Dinner
We take a morning flight to HEHO from where we cross the Shan Plateau to Pindaya. The trip, takes us up into the hills and through a network of rice paddies as we make our way into the heart of the people of Taung Yoe. Our destination is the magnificent complex of limestone caves that occupy the ridge overlooking Lake Pindaya. The Pindaya Caves are home to thousands of Buddha images, made of alabaster, tick, marble, lacquer and even cement, which have been placed here over the centuries creating a labyrinth in the hills. We will have the opportunity to explore some of this fascinating scenery, even taking time to visit some local homes to witness traditional Shan paper making, before we then proceed to the nearby old Kalaw Hill Station. Arrival at the hotel, dinner, overnight.
Breakfast, Free time until lunch, Dinner
A short drive today will bring us to the Green Hill Valley Elephant Sanctuary, whose main objective is to provide care for elephants who are no longer fit for work. After a welcome update, we will take a short walk to see the elephants and the life of the mahouts with their families. Watching the feeding and bathing offers a great insight into these intelligent and sensitive creatures and you can choose to help wash the elephants if you wish. There will also be time to explore some of the surrounding woodland with opportunities to spot butterflies, birds and orchids in the conservation area. This afternoon we will return to Kalaw to explore the local market. Dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight.
Breakfast, Free time until lunch, Dinner)
This morning gives us the opportunity to do a relatively easy but rewarding walk in the hills around Kalaw. We will start by walking towards Hlwan Zedi, from where we will follow a path through a wonderful pine forest and orange groves. We will continue to the village in Pein Ne Bin, where we can experience a bit of the Silver Palaung life: watching traditional crafts and enjoying the panoramic view from the pagoda on top of the village hill. Returning to town, this afternoon we will take a classic train ride to Heho from where we will transfer to Nyaung Shwe, our gateway to the calm waters of Lake Ilne. From here we will board a boat to reach our accommodation for the next three nights. Arrival, Accommodation at the hotel.
Breakfast, Free time until lunch, Dinner)
The second largest lake in the country and one of the highest, Inle Lake covers approx 116 square kilometers of the scenic Shan Hills. Home to many ethnic minorities, including the Inthas, Shan, Taungyo and Danu, the lake offers us a wonderful scenic backdrop for all our activities. Transportation for the next two days will be done by small traditional open narrow boats, enjoying the calm waters and floating gardens of the lake, formed by a combination of mud and weeds, which over time form a thick layer of rich soil on which there is fertile ground for growing fruits and vegetables. The Inthas tend these gardens from long banana-shaped boats, the same boats they use to fish in the lake's waters for the area's abundant carp. The locals have a somewhat peculiar way of rowing these sturdy boats, standing at the stern of the boat and wrapping one leg around the oar. It's a stance that gives them an unobstructed view of the floating rods and leaves them with two free hands to handle their nets. We will also visit Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda, site of the holiest temple in southern San. We then proceed to In Paw Khone to observe some unique lotus fiber weaving and visit a local silversmith. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Breakfast, Free time until lunch, Dinner
After breakfast we will visit a local market that offers another aspect of the color and spectacle of lake life. Subsequently, we will continue on a beautiful canal to the small village of Indin, located on the western shore of the lake. Passing by the monastery of Phe Chaung, the boat takes us into a narrow cove, taking us through a patchwork of rural areas and ancient ruined pagodas. After a chance for a short walk to Pa-O village, we return to the main tributary and the expansive waters of Inle Lake. where we stop for lunch, you will have time to take a short stroll by the lake before returning to our hotel for the night.
Breakfast, Free time until lunch, Dinner
2 hours by coach from Inle Lake is Kakku. There we will visit some recently discovered stupas(Stupa-is a hemispherical mound-like architectural structure that contains Buddhist relics). There are almost 2500 Buddhist stupas located in parallel rows in an area of about one square kilometer outside the city center of Pa-O. It is a truly remarkable place and still unexplored by tourists. Later we will drive to Taunggyi, the capital of Shan State and then to Heho for a short flight to Mandalay. Mandalay is located on the eastern banks of the Irrawaddy River, the city is considered the cultural heart of the country and an important center for Buddhist learning and Burmese culture. Arrival at the hotel, Overnight.
Breakfast, Free time until lunch, Dinner
We will begin today with a visit to the gilded splendor of the Kuthodaw Pagoda at the foot of Mandalay Hill. Here we will find the "world's largest book", consisting of a series of marble slabs, each of which is written on both sides with pages of text from the Tipitaki. The standard collection of scriptures of the Theravada Buddhist faith. What makes this book so unique is that each plate is housed in one of the 729 stone stupas located on the pagoda grounds. From here we proceed to the elaborate teak carvings of Shwenandaw Monastery, the last major structure remaining from the original wooden Royal Palace. Later this morning we will depart Mandalay for Ava, the former capital of the country, which on 500 for about years it was at the center of Burmese power and culture. Ava was founded by King Thamdominbya in 1364 on an artificial island at the confluence of the Irrawaddy and Myitnge rivers. We board a local boat to cross the river to Ava, where we will take a relaxing carriage ride through the sights of the old town. There may also be an opportunity to walk among the rice paddies to visit the Maha Aungmyae Bonzan Buddhist Monastery, where it was built 1818 by King Bodawpaya's wife. After lunch we will rejoin our bus and drive to another former royal capital, Amarapura, where we visit the U Bein Bridge, 140 years, with teak wood, which extends to Thaungthaman Lake. We will enjoy the sunset from small boats on the lake, before returning to central Mandalay. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Breakfast, Free time until lunch, Dinner
This morning we visit Sagaing, the last of the ancient capitals of Mandalay and one of the most important religious and monastic centers of the country. The slopes that rise from the river are lined with many monasteries and pagodas and we will visit some, including U Min Thoneze Pagoda (Thirty Caves) and the central pagoda of Soon U Pon Nya Shinwill. Leaving Mandalay behind, we make a stop at Kuang Madaw, the largest dome in Myanmar, dating from the 17th century and inspired and influenced by the Great Stupa in Sri Lanka, before we depart for the Chindwin Valley. Traveling through an interesting rural area, en route we will visit the second tallest and the second most reclining Buddha in the world. Both are located in the monastery that contains the most Buddhas in the world - 582.363 actually! We will also stop to admire the nearby Boditahtaung Pagoda, with the huge garden with more than a thousand Buddhas, before we reach Monywa, on the east bank of the Chindwin River. Arrival at the hotel, Accommodation at the hotel.
Breakfast, Free time until lunch, Dinner
After breakfast we will spend some time in the busy market of Monywa, where they trade in Indian goods carried up the Chindwin River. Later we will drive to Pakkoku, stopping at various farm houses on the way, from where we will take a private boat to Bagan. The trip takes about three hours and we are sure it will be another highlight of the trip, as the riverside temples emerge. Covers approx 41 square kilometers, the ruins at Bagan are one of Asia's most impressive holy sites, which is considered equal to the magnificent temples of Angkor, Cambodia. Once the capital of the First Burmese Empire, the golden period of Bagan covered the years between the 11th and 13th centuries, when its vast plains were dotted with over 13 thousands of temples, pagodas and religious structures. The time, the earthquakes, Mongol armies and the flood of the Irrawaddy River destroyed much of the original city, but there are still more than 2200 structures, offering visitors one of the most unforgettable sights anywhere in Southeast Asia. In Bagan: If you are interested in taking a sunrise hot air balloon flight over the temples of Bagan, we recommend that you make a reservation in advance. Contact us to book the tour, as this is a very popular activity with limited availability. Dinner and overnight at our arrival hotel.
Breakfast, Free time until lunch, Dinner
This morning we begin our exploration of the magnificent temples of Bagan at the famous golden stupa of the Shwezigon Pagoda, arriving early to observe the local villagers making their daily offerings. We will admire the 12th century frescoes that adorn the cave temple of King Kyansittha before visiting the temples of Htilominio and Ananda, the latter of which is considered a masterpiece of Mon design. Late afternoon, we enjoy a carriage ride in Tharaba town, in fields and villages, passing the 12th century Thatbyinnyu temple (at 61 meters, the tallest in the city), before ending the day watching a golden sunset from the surrounding hills of the Bagan temples. Return to the hotel, dinner, overnight.
Breakfast, Free time until lunch, Dinner
After breakfast we take a boat across the Irrawaddy to Kyun Thiri Island where we will enjoy a visit to the local monastery. Then we will spend the rest of the morning with the people of the island, learning about their unique rural lifestyle. Later this afternoon we will make our final visit to the temples of Bagan, exploring the magnificent plasterwork of the Gubyaukgyi temple in Myinkaba village, before visiting the Nanpaya Hindu Temple, type Mon. It is said to have been built by the captive King Mon, Manuka, the temple contains some particularly fine sculptures of Brahma. We will also get the four Buddha images at the Manuha Pagoda, before proceeding to the Myazedi stupa, Myanmar's own 'Rosetta Stone'. A four-sided pillar, the stupa inscription, written in four different languages (Pew, Mon, Old Burmese and Pali), allowed archaeologists to decipher the Pyu written language. Dinner and overnight at our hotel.
Breakfast, Free time until lunch, Dinner
With a midday flight to Yangon, this afternoon we will have plenty of time to discover Yangon's high concentration of colonial architecture with a stroll through the busy streets of the city center, wandering Pansodan Street, admiring the faded Victorian architecture of the former Supreme Court and General Telegraph Office. We will head to Nanthida Jetty, from where ferries depart for the Delta region and the towns along the Irrawaddy River. Nearby is the colonial elegance of the Strand Hotel, one of the most famous hotels in Myanmar during the days of British rule. Tonight we will go out to enjoy the last supper together.
Breakfast, Free time until lunch, Dinner
This morning provides an opportunity for personal exploration and perhaps a chance to visit the famous Scott's Market for some last minute souvenir shopping. Those on the proposed group flights will be transferred to the airport this afternoon.
Breakfast
Dates and prices
Tailor-made experience
Our excursions are also offered as tailor-made, that is, they can be customized by you.
An enigmatic country with golden pagodas and a jungle covered with fog, Burma was once described by Rudyard Kipling as a place "completely different from,what do you know ».