ECO-TOURISM PROGRAM

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-MINGUN-MANDALAY (by morning flight)
Take a morning flight to Mandalay; the last capital of My-anmar Kings. Upon arrival, 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.

Day3.MANDALAY-AMARAPURA-SAGAING-MONYWA
After breakfast, drive to southwest of Mandalay city and visit the famous Mahamuni Image with very thick layer of gold that donated by Myanmar people. You can also visit handicraft centre such as woodcarving, marble stone carving, tapestry, bronze making, puppet making and 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 sown 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 to Monywa and enjoy the sunset from your hotel room. Overnight at Hotel.

Day4.MONYWA-YINMABIN-ALAUNGDAW KATHAPHA
After breakfast, drive to Alaungdaw Kathapha National Park (appr 5 hours). On the way, we will pass Yin Mar Bin base camp, Gon Nyin Pin forest camp and Chaung Ma Gyi village. Upon arrival at Alaungdaw Kathapha camp, the forest ranger and his crew will welcome us and take a good rest at Guest House.

Day5.ALAUNGDAW KATHAPHA
After breakfast, visit this wildlife sanctuary with elephant riding. This will give you a great opportunity to enjoy the peace and tranquility of the jungle as well as chance to observe a whole host of other wildlife including birds, butterflies and wild flowers.
After 2 hours elephant riding, you can visit Alaungdaw Kathapha shrine with reclining monk image. At the entrance, mango trees are with wild orchids. Take a short rest at this shrine and come back to Guest House and overnight.

Day6.ALAUNGDAW KATHAPHA-MONYWA
After breakfast, drive back to Monywa passing through Chaung Ma Gyi, Gon Nyin Pin, Kapaing, Yin Mar Bin and Nyaung Bin Kyi villages. Upon arrival, take a good rest at your hotel room.

Day7.MONYWA-PAKOKKU-BAGAN
After breakfast, drive to Thanboddhay Pagoda Unlike most of the pagodas in Myanmar, the entrance is not guarded by Chinthes, the mythical lions, but by statues of a pair of magnificent white elephants which are sacred and auspicious in Buddhist symbolism. Thanboddhay is the only pagoda with this unique shape in the whole country. The square temple base (each side about 166 feet) which worshippers can enter is topped by receding terraces, with myriads of small stupas (864 in number) surrounding the central golden chedi, 132 feet in height.
And proceed to Pakkoku via Pakhan; one of the ancient city in Myanmar with remaining city wall. You can visit to Pakhan Gyi monastery with 332 teak pillars and museum.
In the afternoon, you will arrive at Pakokku and have lunch at local restaurant. You can study the daily life of the people in the rural area and take a private boat and cross the Mighty Ayeyarwaddy River to Bagan (appr: 2 hours). Overnight at hotel.

Day8.BAGAN
Bagan Sightseeing start 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 .Enjoy the sunset of Bagan from Shwesandaw Pagoda. Overnight at Hotel.

Day9.BAGAN-POPA-SALE-BAGAN
After breakfast, 1 hour drive to Popa (home for the 37 nats). At the bottom of the Mt.Popa, visit the enshrining place of 37 nats in life-sized statues. And then, climb up 737m high Popa Mountain plug with shady stairway. On top, you will see very pleasant panoramic view of surrounding areas. In the afternoon, drive to Sale about 1&1/2 hours. Upon arrival, visit famous Sale Yoke Sone monastery with nice woodcarving and collection of palm-leaf manuscripts, Buddha images and lacquer-ware boxes. You can also visit large Hni-Phaya (Buddha image made of saw-dust). In the evening, drive back to Bagan and enjoy the sunset. Overnight at Hotel.