Day1.YANGON (arrival with morning flight)
Upon arrival at Yangon, check into your hotel. A uniformed host will
invite you a welcome drink and collect your tour program from our
tour guide.
City tour includes downtown and Rangoon's riverfront. On the way see
many of the remarkable sites of the colonial and religious past of
this garden city. Old Rangoon was Dr. William Montgomery's design.
He was the army superintendent surgeon and learnt his city planning
skills from Sir Stanford Raffles in Singapore. Buildings of heritage
in Yangon are now listed for protection. The old city centre
includes:
Yangon City Hall, designed by U Tin in 1925, the Strand Road with
the Moorish arched General Post Office, The red brick Customs House,
the towered Port Authority, The Queen Anne style Civil Court, the
red brick General Hospital built in 1911 and the Railway Station.
Take a break at hotel.
In the afternoon, visit China Town area with various local foods,Indian
ward with various street sellers and drive to Mawtin Jetty and
take a rickshaw for a short trip along the Rangoon River that
offers a remarkable atmosphere with spectacular colors for Kodak
moment. Overnight at hotel.
Day2.YANGON-MANDALAY-AMARAPURA-SAGAING-MANDALAY (by morning
flight)
Take a morning flight to Mandalay; the last capital of Myanmar
Kings. Upon arrival, proceed to Amarapura (the city of Immortal);
visit the Mahagandayon monastery; famous for Buddhist learning
centre. It is home to a thousand monks, who will from a procession
as they to take their noon and final meal of the day. Amarapura was
the capital of upper Burma until 1850.
As it was the custom, most of the important wooden palaces and
monasteries were taken down and transported to the new capital in
Mandalay. Apart from pagodas that have survived, the ancient art of
silk and cotton weaving, using handlooms is very much alive and
visit U Bein wooden bridge, over 150 years old, which is still in
use.
In the afternoon, proceed to Sagaing and visit silverware making at
Ywahtaung village, Kaunghmudaw pagoda, drive up to Sagaing hill and
visit Umin-thonese pagoda and Son-U-Ponyashin pagoda. Enjoy the
sunset from this pagoda. Overnight at Hotel.
Day3.MANDALAY-MINGUN-MANDALAY
After breakfast, drive to Kywezon jetty to watch the busy riverside
activity and take a local riverboat to the ancient capital of
Mingun (app. 1 hour per way). Visit the Settawya pagoda, walk to the
huge Mingun Bell(90 tons), see the nearby unfinished Mingun pagoda
and visit the Hsinbyume pagoda, a reproduction of the mythological
Mt.Meru. Then come back to Mandalay and In the afternoon, visit the
down town area with the sprawling old Zegyo Market, designed in 1903
by Count Caldari, the picturesque open air market west of Zegyo, the
Shwenandaw Golden Palace monastery noted for its exquisite wood
carving, Kuthodaw pagoda with 729 stone tablets (known as the
World's Biggest Book) and finally drive up to Mandalay hill
(Anti-ageing hill) and take a panoramic view of Mandalay city.
Overnight at Hotel.
Day4.MANDALAY-BAGAN (by express boat)
Early morning at 5:00 am, transfer to Gaw Wein jetty to take the
express boat to Bagan. After a day river cruise on the mighty river
of Ayeyarwaddy, you reach Bagan. Thousands of decaying pagodas rises
majestically from the plain to create a timeless scene, saluting a
glorious past. On arrival at Bagan jetty transfers to hotel for
check in and overnight.
Day5.BAGAN
After breakfast, Bagan sightseeing starts with Nyaung Oo local
market, Shwezigon Pagoda, a prototype of real Myanmar stupa,
built in 1087.Wetgyiin Gyubyaukgyi for its famous Jatakas mural
painting, Htilominlo temple for its plaster carvings and famous
Ananda temple with four standing Buddha Images. In the afternoon,
visit Nan Phaya temple, Manuha temple, Myingaba Gyubyaukgyi
temple, Shwegyugyi temple and Thabinnyu temple. And enjoy the
sunset of Bagan from Shwesandaw Pagoda. Overnight at Hotel.
Day6.BAGAN-PAKOKKU-MINDAT
After breakfast, transfer to the jetty, where you leave by boat
to Kyunchaung (a small town at the western bank of Ayeyarwaddy
river).
From there continue by car via Pakkokku to Mindat. The drive
will take about 9 hours. Mindat is a small town inhabited by
Chin-people and (91 miles) away from Pakokku. Overnight at the
local guesthouse.
Day7.MINDAT
In the morning, visit around Mindat. See Chin-women with tattooed
faces and beautiful traditional clothes, sometimes with smoking
pipes. Near Mindat, you can see three tribes of Chin people;
Pwin, Makan and Raung Tu. You can also observe the ways of their
lives. The landscape is exceptional and many orchids and flowers
can be found in the surrounding forests. Overnight at Victoria
Guest House in Mindat.
Day8.MINDAT-AYE CAMP
Today, start trekking tour to Mt. Victoria. From Mindat, the
steep down way leads to Chi creek (approx: 4 miles). You should
take a break near the creek. Then, across this creek with suspension
bridge and after 7 miles, you will arrive Aye Camp. The first
3 miles with steep up way and Aye camp is situated at the altitude
of (1727m) above sea level with an old guest house. The trek
will take between 5 to 6 hours to reach Aye Camp. The way is
partly steep but not difficult. Beautiful environment! Have
dinner and overnight at Aye Camp.
Day9.AYE CAMP-MT.VICTORIA
After breakfast, you have to proceed to the junction point and
start the trek to the summit of Mt.Victoria. When you reach
the summit of Mt. Victoria (3053 m), you will have a breath
taking view to the surrounding Chin Mountain. If you are neither
birder nor botanic then simply enjoy the breath taking beauty
of this summit. Have lunch and dinner at the summit of Mt.Victoria
and overnight.
Day10.MT.VICTORIA-KANPETLET
In the morning, proceed to Kanpetlet (another 14 miles) and
visit to one of the Chin settlement villages in the area such
as Yelaungban, Hlalaung or Makyaukah villages <approx 5 miles
/ 3 hour> to observe daily life of this remote tribe. The
Chin, or Zomi, do Tibeto-Burman inhabit the hills of Chin State
bordering Bangladesh and India. As hill people, they have been
isolated and to this day little is known of their animistic
culture. Chin tribe women wearing various pattern of tattoo
on their face and attractive amber necklaces. The national park
is an area of great bio-diversity with many rare forms of flora
and fauna. Have dinner and overnight at Mountain Oasis Resort.
Day11.KANPETLET-BAGAN
Today, you come back to Bagan (101 miles) app.7 ½ hours by Jeep.
The road, especially the approaching part to Kanpetlet is in
hilly part. On the way you may observe some of the prominent
local birds of lowland scarf forest inhabitant. Have Lunch at
Kazunma village or SAW; a small town. After you across the Ayeyarwaddy
River with Anawrahta Bridge, a drop stop at CHAUK; a small town
to see the countryside people and their daily lifestyle. And
come back to Bagan with the view of the road that parallel to
the Ayeyarwaddy River. Have dinner and overnight at Bagan.
Day12.BAGAN-HEHO-INLE LAKE (by morning flight)
In the morning, fly to Heho with domestic airline. After arrival,
drive to Nyaung Shwe; a gateway to northern bank of Inle Lake
(the blue sea of Shan State). Take a long-tailed boat for excursion
on Inle Lake(22 km long and 11 km wide) famous for its unique
one-leg rowers, typical floating gardens, local method of fishing
and village life. Continue visit to Phaung Daw Oo pagoda housing
five sacred and almost shapeless Buddha images because of the
quantity of applied gold leaf, gifts from the believers. In
the afternoon, proceed to the silk weaving village of In Paw
Khon and visit Nga Phe Chaung (one of the oldest monastery around
Inle Lake) with jumping cats. After that, come back to hotel
and you can enjoy the sunset from the middle of the lake with
floating boat. Overnight at hotel.
Day13.INLE LAKE-INDEIN-INLE LAKE
Another beautiful day on the Lake. Today, visit one of rotating
market and proceed to Indein; upstream the Indein creek for
your excursion by boat. You are passing the beautiful scenery
with tall grasses and little water steps. There are over 1000
ruin pagodas, hide in the bushes will give you an impression
being back to old days. Come back with long shady stairway and
nearby village; you can see the giraffe-lady (we call "
Padaung people") with beautiful brass or silver rings at
their neck.
In the afternoon, come back to hotel and enjoy the sunset from
the hotel room. Have dinner and overnight at hotel.
Day14.INLE LAKE-PINDAYA-HEHO-YANGON (by evening flight)
Early morning, the boat will take you back to Nyaung Shwe and
drive to Pindaya(appr:3 ½ hour). On the way to Pindaya, you
can enjoy the scene of flat area in Shan State. Pindaya is a
charming village with its paper umbrella cottage industry and
visit the Pindaya Cave well known for its over 8000 Buddha images
placed there by pilgrims over many centuries ago and the paper
umbrella cottage industry.
In the afternoon, drive back to Heho airport for the late afternoon
flight to Yangon. Upon arrival, transfer to your hotel and overnight.
Day15.YANGON (departure with evening flight)
After breakfast, Yangon sightseeing continues with the famous
world renowned pagoda; the highlight of Yangon. The Shwedagon
pagoda described by Somerset Maugham: "The Shwedagon rose
superb, glistening with its gold, like a sudden hope in the
dark night of the soul of which the mystics write, glistening
against the fog and smoke of the thriving city". This massive
bell-shaped stupa rises nearly 100 meters above its hill-top
surroundings. Wander through this magnificent structure and
its courtyards, stupa, bells, temples and Buddha images and
see religious and secular visitors from all parts of the globe.
Shwedagon has become the symbol of Myanmar. And visit Chaukhtatgyi
Pagoda (72m long Buddha image), Karawaik Hall (designed as a
Royal Floating Barge on Royal Lake) for Kodak moment and finally
visit the famous shopping centre in Yangon; the Scott Market
and come back to hotel.
In the afternoon, you have time to repack all of your belonging
and you are ready to leave from Myanmar and we feel so sad to
say "Goodbye!"
And app. (17:00) transfer to Yangon International Airport for
your departure.
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