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-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.
Day.3 INLE-INDEIN-INLE
Another beautifil 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 of
Inle Lake. Overnight at hotel.
Day4.INLE LAKE-PINDAYA-HEHO-MANDALAY (by afternoon 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 to take late afternoon
flight to Mandalay. Upon arrival, transfer to your hotel and
overnight.
Day5.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.
Day6.MANDALAY-AMARAPURA-MANDALAY-BAGAN (by evening flight)
After breakfast, drive to Mandalay Hill (Anti-ageing hill),
a vantage-point for panoramic view of the city with old city
wall and the moat with water. And visit the Kuthodaw pagoda
with 729 stone tablets (known as the World's Biggest Book),
Shwenandaw Golden Palace monastery; noted for its exquisite
wood carvings. Then drive to South West of Mandalay and visit
Maha Muni Image now covered in thick layer of gold leaves; you
can see how pious the Myanmar people are? Mandalay was the last
capital of Myanmar before the British took over and it still
remains as a cultural centre. So, you can see arts and crafts
center (such as bronze casting, stone carving, wood carving,
tapestry etc...,).
In the afternoon, drive to Amarapura "the city of Immortals".
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. Then transfer to Mandalay International Airport
for the flight to Bagan. Upon arrival, transfer to your hotel
and overnight.
Day7.BAGAN (BALLOON OVER BAGAN)
Today "Spread your wings and cross the Sky!" The magic
of Bagan has inspired visitors for many centuries. One of the
most remarkable sights in Asia, ancient temples dot the landscape
as far as the eye can see. Now 'Balloons over Bagan' affords
visitors a unique opportunity to see this ancient kingdom as
it has never been seen before. Then, sightseeing starts with
Nuaung Oo colorful local market, Shwezigon pagoda, a prototype
of real Myanmar stupa, built in 1087, Kyan sitthar Umin, Wetgyiin
Gyubuaukgyi tomple for its famous Jatakas mural painting. Have
lunch at local restaurant and take a short break at hotel. In
the afternoon, sightseeing includes Ananda temple with huge
four standing Buddha images and numerous seated figures and
niches around the galleried interior. Enjoy the sunset from
the terraces of Shwe Sandaw pagoda. Overnight at hotel.
Day8.BAGAN-YANGON (by evening flight)
Sightseeing continues to Dhamayangyi temple, Sulamani temple
and Minnanthu village to see the daily activities of local people
and then have lunch at local restaurant and take a short break
at hotel. In the afternoon, visit to Bagan culture museum, lacquer
ware workshop at New Bagan and drive to Bagan airport to take
the flight back to Yangon. Upon arrival, transfer to your hotel
and overnight.
Day9.YANGON (departure with evening flight)
After breakfast, Today sightseeing is 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.
In the afternoon you have enough time to wander around the sprawling
Scott market and to drive through residential areas where you
can still find some private old teak houses as well as with
many beautiful galleries.
At app. 17:00, transfer to Yangon International Airport for
your departure flight.
 
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