• Adventure 1
Myanmar Delight (13 days/12 nights)
 Day 1 - Yangon Arrival
: Arrive in Yangon where you will be
welcomed by your local tour guide and
transferred to your hotel to drop off you
luggage. If you arrived by mid day flight,
we may proceed for lunch. After lunch, a
walk through “downtown” Yangon, a diverse
mix of faded colonial architecture from the
British times, and high-rises built by more
recent investors; Sule Pagoda, built in the
early 3rd century is a landmark in the city
centre. Late afternoon visit the magnificent
Shwedagon Pagoda of Rudyard Kipling fame and
one of Myanmar’s most sacred places. The
massive bell shaped stupa is plated with
gold and the tip of the stupa is set with
diamonds and rubies, sapphires and topaz – a
stunning sight as the sun sets and a most
fitting place to begin our trip in this
“Golden Land”. Overnight at the Hotel.
Day 2 - Yangon / Kyaikhtiyo ( GOLDEN ROCK )
: After
breakfast, proceed by coach to Kyaikhtiyo (
the Golden Rock ) about 160 km from Yangon,
stands on a gilded boulder precariously
perched on the edge of a hill. Lunch and
dinner at outside local restaurants and
overnight in Kyaikhtiyo.
Day 3 - Kyaikhtiyo ( GOLDEN ROCK ) - Bago -
Yangon
: After
breakfast, return by coach to Yangon. Before
proceed on to Yangon sightseeing at Bago,
the ancient Mon Capital, 80 Kilometers
northeast of Yangon. Sightseeing tour
highlights include Shwemawdaw Pagoda, one of
the most venerated pagodas in Myanmar,
Shwethalyaung, the world's most beautiful
Reclining Buddha; Wood curving industry and
Kyaikpun Pagoda. Lunch at outside local
restaurant in Bago. On the way back to
Yangon visit the Allied War Cemetery at
Htaukkyant. Upon arrival at Yangon transfer
to Hotel.
Day 04 - Yangon / Heho / Inle Lake
: In the
morning transfer to the airport for the
flight to Heho. From Heho, enjoy a scenic
drive to Inle Lake, one of Myanmar
best-known sights. The Intha people, a tribe
of Mon descent, mostly inhabit the
lakeshores and floating villages. On arrival
at Nyaung Shwe village, transfer by boat to
start a sightseeing tour of Inle Lake
including a chance to see the leg-rowing
fishermen. Continue to see the floating
gardens, built up from strips of water
hyacinth and mud and anchored to the bottom
with bamboo poles. There are also floating
villages like Ywama, the lake’s downtown,
where a floating market is held every five
days. In the afternoon continue to Phaung
Daw Oo Pagoda, the weaving village of
Inpawkhon and the jumping cat monastery.
Check into hotel in the afternoon. Overnight
at Inle Lake
 Day 5 - Inle lake / Indein
: After
breakfast, transfer by motorboat to In Dein,
an off-the-beaten-track site in the south of
the lake. From Ywama, the boat leaves the
lake and enters a narrow canal leading to a
small Pa O tribe village. From the market
place of the village, follow an old covered
path to a 13th century monastery and the
very impressive ruins of hundreds of ancient
pagodas, some hidden in the vegetation. The
main stupa-area on the top of the hill
offers breathtaking views over the
surrounding mountains and down to the valley
and the lake in the far distance. Return to
the lake and transfer back to hotel in the
afternoon. Overnight at Inle Lake.
Day 6 - Inle Lake / Pindaya / Heho /
Mandalay
: After
breakfast at the hotel, leave by boat and
car to enjoy a scenic drive to Pindaya
through the picturesque countryside of Shan
State. Visit Pindaya’s limestone cave with
its maze of chambers displaying more than
8,000 Buddha statues and local handicraft
workshops producing Shan paper made from
mulberry bark and traditional umbrellas made
from the same paper that are used by monks
all around the country. Then transfer to
Heho Airport for the short flight to
Mandalay. Transfer to hotel on
arrival.Overnight in Mandalay
Day 07 - Mandalay / Amarapura / Ava /
Sagaing / Mandalay
: After
breakfast at the hotel depart for full day
trip to the former capitals of Amarapua, Ava
and Sagaing. The day begins with a visit to
the 18th century capital, Amarapura. Attend
the daily meal of over a thousand monks at
the country’s largest monastery,
Mahagandayon. Visit a silk weaving workshop,
the craft specialty of Amarapura. Proceed to
Ava, the capital from 14th to 18th centuries
and visit by horse and carriage the old
wooden Bagaya Monastery and the remains of
the Royal Palace and fort. In the afternoon
cross the bridge over the Irrawaddy River
and continue to Sagaing. Covered with 600
white-painted pagodas and monasteries,
Sagaing Hill is widely regarded as the
religious centre of Myanmar and is home to
3,000 monks and 100 meditation centres.
Finish the day with a walk at sunset over
the 200 year-old U Bein Bridge, constructed
entirely from teak.Overnight in Mandalay
 Day 08 - Mandalay / Mingun / Mandalay
: After
breakfast, transfer to the jetty and board a
private chartered boat for an excursion over
the Irrawaddy River towards the former
capital of Mingun. After a 45 minute cruise,
arrive in Mingun famous for its huge
unfinished pagoda also home to the Mingun
Bell, considered as the world’s largest
uncracked ringing bell. Also visit the
beautiful white Hsinbyume Pagoda. Return by
boat to Mandalay. In the afternoon visit the
Kuthodaw Pagoda with its 729 marble stone
slabs of Buddhist scriptures (known as the
world’s biggest book), Shwenandaw Monastery,
noted for its exquisite woodcarving and the
impressive Kyauktawgyi Pagoda with its huge
sitting Buddha. Enjoy the sunset from
Mandalay Hill for panoramic view of city.
Overnight in Mandalay.
Day 09 - Mandalay / Monywa / Po Win Daung /
Monywa
: Leave
Mandalay for a 3 hour drive to Moniwa, a
typical Burmese town on the banks of the
Chindwin River. On the way, visit
Thanboddhay Pagoda, where more than 500,000
Buddha images cover every wall and archway
of this huge Buddhist temple. Also visit
Bodihtataung Pagoda and the largest
reclining Buddha image in Myanmar, 100m long
and 27m high. Cross the Chindwin River by
ferry and proceed to Po Win Daung by local
open jeep. This extraordinary complex
consists of 947 sandstone caves dug out of
the hills and contains what is considered by
archaeologists to be the richest collection
of mural paintings and Buddhist statues in
South-East Asia. Recently opened to
foreigners, Po Win Daung with its unique,
precious frescoes, some dating from the
early 17th century, is a must to see for
anyone with an interest in Buddhist Arts. A
few hundred metres from the caves is Shwe Ba
Daung, another very interesting site where
monasteries and temples are carved out of
narrow cliffs.
Overnight in Monywa
Day 10 - Monywa / Pakkoku / Bagan
: After
breakfast at the hotel, leave Moniwa along
the rarely visited east bank of the river
passing traditional villages where farmers
climb the palm trees to extract the juice
from which they produce palm tree sugar.
Stop in Pakkangyi to visit one of the oldest
surviving wooden monasteries in Myanmar.
Continue 20km south to Pakokku, a lively,
typical Burmese city with a strong craftwork
tradition producing colourful woven
blankets, papier-mâché toys and traditional
sandals. Continue by boat across the river
to arrive in Bagan at the end of the day.
Overnight in Bagan
Day 11 - Bagan
: After
breakfast at the hotel morning sightseeing
of Bagan features the colourful Nyaung Oo
Market, the Shwezigon Pagoda and its
magnificent golden stupa, Wetkyi-In
Gubyaukgyi, a cave temple with exquisite
jatakas murals paintings and the elegant
Htilominlo Temple noted for its fine plaster
carvings and glazed sandstone decorations.
In the afternoon, visit Ananda, an
architectural masterpiece of the early-style
temple with two original standing Buddha
images whose facial expressions change
depending on the distance the statue is
viewed from. The Ananda Okkyaung is one of
the few surviving brick monasteries from the
early Bagan period and the next temple to be
visited, Thatbyinnyu, is the highest in
Bagan, rising to 61m. End the day with a
horse and carriage tour among the temples
passing by the traditional village of
Taungbi, Sulamani Temple and the massive
Dhammayangyi Temple noted for its remarkable
brickwork. Enjoy the sunset over the site
from the upper terrace of Myauk Guni Temple.
Overnight in Bagan
Day 12 - Bagan / Yangon
: After
breakfast at the hotel, proceed to Myinkaba
village and observe the process of
traditional lacquerware, one of the
best-known Myanmar handicrafts and a
speciality of Bagan. Visit the monuments of
Myinkaba village, Gubyaukkhi, an early
period Pyu-style temple of Hindu influence
with some of the oldest mural paintings in
Bagan, Manuha and Nanpaya temples. In the
afternoon, enjoy an excursion to the
countryside village of Minnanthu, the least
visited temple area in Bagan. Observe the
local farmers‘ way of life together with a
visit to some of the most interesting
temples such as Payathonzu, with its unusual
architecture and Tantric Buddhism influence,
Lemyethna and Nandamannya temples. In the
late afternoon transfer to Nyaung Oo Airport
for the flight back to Yangon. Transfer to
hotel on arrival. Overnight in Yangon.
Day 13 - Depart Yangon
: After
breakfast finish the tour with a visit to
downtown Yangon with its faded colonial
atmosphere, Sule Pagoda, Mahabandoola Park,
India town and bustling Chinatown. In the
afternoon there is free time for shopping at
Bogyoke Market, formerly Scott’s Market
before transferring to Mingaladon Airport
for onward flight.
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