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UNVEILED MYANMAR
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Code: |
MYP 08 |
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Routes: |
Yangon -
Mandalay - Mingun - Amarapura - Sagaing
- Bagan - Mount Popa - Kalaw - Pindaya -
Inle Lake. |
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Duration: |
10 Days |
Itinerary in brief
Day 1 : ARRIVAL - YANGON
Day 2 : YANGON - MANDALAY - MINGUN
Day 3 : AMARAPURA - SAGAING - AVA -
BAGAN
Day 4 : BAGAN
Day 5 : BAGAN
Day 6 : BAGAN - MOUNT POPA - BAGAN
Day 7 : KALAW - PINDAYA - INLE LAKE
Day 8 : INLE LAKE
Day 9 : INLE LAKE - YANGON
Day 10 : YANGON - DEPARTURE
This superb itinerary is a feast for the mind
and spirit, juxtaposing the exploration of lost
civilizations with an in-depth look at contemporary
Southeast Asian culture. There are many fine temples and
interesting crafts in the country's cultural center,
Mandalay and in nearby Amarapura and Sagaing, two former
capitals. The countryside in this area is beautiful.
Detail Itinerary
DAY 1: ARRIVAL - YANGON
Arrive at Yangon International Airport. Meet and
transfer to Hotel. After check-in hotel, lunch at a
restaurant. After lunch, start orientation tour of
Yangon City including visits to: Sule Pagoda - the heart
of the Yangon City surrounded by various colonial style
buildings, Botataung Pagoda - the land mark of Yangon's
river-front, Chaukhtatgyi Reclining Buddha Image - a
colossal reclining Buddha Image, and end of the tour at
Shwedagon Pagoda - over 2500 years old the world famous
stupa. Dinner and your first night of stay in capital of
Myanmar.
DAY 2: YANGON - MANDALAY - MINGUN
The
following destination of our trip is Mandalay . After a
short flight, we arrive in this city and transfer
straight to the jetty for a boat trip on the mighty
Irrawaddy River. The lively waterfront with working
buffaloes offers a spectacular backdrop as we cruise
upriver to Mingun. On arrival, we wander around and
visit the unfinished huge pagoda, the world’s largest
bell of Mingun and the beautiful white Hsinbyume Pagoda.
We then drive back to Mandalay City. Here is plenty to
see, some of which are the Mahamuni Pagoda, the fabulous
Kuthodaw Pagoda often called “ the world's largest book
“ and the wooden monastery of Shwenandaw Kyaung. This
structure is still standing over centuries, despite of
all vicissitudes of the city. We include these sights in
a half day city tour which also gives us a chance to
ascend Mandalay hill for a beautiful sunset view of the
surrounding areas. O/N in Mandalay. (B)
DAY 3: AMARAPURA - SAGAING
- AVA - BAGAN
The great
cultural city of Mandalay was a former capital of Burma;
however many outlaying towns could lay claim to the same
title at some stages in the past. Today we head out of
the town to one of these ancient cities, Amarapura. The
spectacular teak bridge of U Bein and the famous
Mahaganda Monastery are a highlight of our visit to
Amarapura. We then cross over the mighty Irrawaddy River
to the picturesque Sagaing Hill. This lush area is
covered in 600 white painted pagodas and monasteries,
and is therefore regarded as the religious centre of
Myanmar. After seeing Sagaing, we continue on to the
ruin of Ava and embark on a horse and carriage to
discover the old wooden Bagaya Monastery and the remains
of the Royal Palace. In the late afternoon we take a
flight Bagan, our base for exploring the central region.
O/N in Bagan. (B)
DAY 4: BAGAN
An
interesting way of commencing our day is to walk around
Bagan at dawn. This enchanting town flourished from the
11th
till 13th century when religious fervors
launched a 200 year building of thousands huge stupas
and temples, many of which are still standing today on
the banks of the Irrawaddy River. We visit the vibrant
market of Nyaung U before taking a short drive to the
archeological zone. The sightseeing tour enables us to
explore many magnificent landmarks including Shwezigon,
Gubyaukgyi, Htilominlo, Ananda, Thatbyinnyu, Sulamani,
Dhammyangyi. These temples and pagodas bear statement to
a glorious past. The perfect way to round off the day is
watching the spectacular sunset from the upper terrace
of Myaukguni Temple. O/N in Bagan. (B)
DAY 5: BAGAN
Today we
enjoy a half day tour of Bagan, seeing some temples
scattered around the small village of Minnanthu. These
structures containing Tayokepyay, Payathonezu ,
Namdamanya, are decorated with exquisite murals of
the13th century. The next stop is Kyat Kan Cave
Monastery, a famous meditation retreat in Bagan. Heading
out of the town, we embark on a boat for a leisurely
trip along the Irrawaddy River, passing through the
scenic countryside to the nostalgic Nat Htaung Kyaung. A
visit to the magnificent monastery offers an interesting
view of woodcarvings dating back in 1781. The remainder
of the day is free for your own exploration of the town
or catching up on some shopping areas. O/N in Bagan. (B)
DAY 6: BAGAN - MOUNT POPA - KALAW
Heading
out of the town we set off on our overland trip to Kalaw
with the first stop being the imposing Mount Popa. This
BAGAN - MOUNT POPA - KALAWsts the region’s highest peak,
but the main attraction in this place is the smaller
one, Popa Taungkalar, which is dedicated to the local
legendary "nat" spirits. After a two hour drive, we
arrive at this site and ascend the Popa Taungkalar for a
beautiful panoramic view of the surrounding area. There
are 777 steps which wind around the outcrop, leading to
the gilded stupa and monastery at the summit. The
journeys continues on to the Shan Plateau, passing
through the stunning countryside and rolling hills to
Kalaw, our final destination. O/N in Kalaw. (B)
DAY 7: KALAW - PINDAYA - INLE LAKE
This
morning we can soak up the fresh climate as much as we
want by spending our time strolling around the hill
station of Kalaw and seeing the colorful rural market.
Upon leaving Kalaw we drive to Pindaya. This magnificent
cave in a tranquil setting of limestone outcrops and
scenic lakes, houses thousand Buddha images of various
shapes and sizes, all brought there by devoted pilgrims
over centuries. On arrival, we enjoy a walk exploring
the sacred cave of Pindaya and seeing the traditional
production of local paper and parasols at nearby
village. We then travel by roads to Inle Lake, a famous
wonder of Myanmar. O/N in Inle Lake. (B)
DAY 8: INLE LAKE
The picturesque
scenery blending with the sky and floating gardens
rising from the clear water of the lake is nothing short
of spectacular. We board our boat for a leisurely trip
on Inle Lake to explore some gardens and catch a glimpse
of the local Intha fishmen famous for their rowing
technique. These people power their narrow boats by
twisting their legs
INLE LAKE round their oars, a remarkable feat of agility
and control. Along the way, we also anchor to visit the
Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda, the Jumping Cat Monastery with a
beautiful collection of antique Buddha statues and the
local market. This colourful congregation is held in
different villages every five days, and also attracts
numerous ethnic minorities who converge from the
surrounding villages to trade their goods. O/N in Inle
Lake. (B)
DAY 9: INLE LAKE - YANGON
An early
morning transfer to Heho Ariport for a short flight back
to the capital city. We complete our impression of
Yangon with a visit to the colossal reclining Buddha of
Chaukhtatgyi in a quiet, open air pavilion and the
National Museum with a lovely collection of artefacts
reflecting the richness of Burmese culture. We then
embark on rickshaw excursion through the colonial area
and the famous Strand road to the bustling harbour,
giving a chance to explore the city close up. The next
stop of our trip is the oldest Chinese temple of Kheng
Hock Keong in China Town. After seeing this sight, we
also have time to wander around the lively Bogyoke Aung
San Market, formerly Scott’s market. Here everything and
anything is for sale. O/N in Yangon (B)
DAY 10: YANGON - DEPARTURE
There is
free time for your own exploration of the city or
catching up on some shopping areas. The trip ends after
transfer to Mingaladon airport for departure. (B)
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HOTELS USED ON THIS TRIP |
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CITY/ AREA
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Standard Class
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First Class
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Superior Class
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Yangon
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Panorama hotel, Yuzana Garden hotel or
similar one
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Summit Park View hotel or similar one
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Grand Plaza Park Royal
, Kandawgyi Palace or Nikko hotel
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Bagan
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Thirimarlar hotel or similar one
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Thazin Garden hotel or similar one
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Bagan Golf Resort , Bagan hotel
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Mandalay
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Wood Land Hotel or similar one
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Swan hotel or similar one
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Mandalay Hill Resort, Sedona hotel
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Inle Lake
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Paradise Ny. Shwe hotel, Royal Orchid hotel
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Shweinntha hotel or similar one
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Paradise Inle Resort, Golden Island Cottages
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Kalaw
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New Shine hotel
or similar one
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Hill top Villa,
Pine Hill Resort |
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HOTEL NOTES
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+ The higher hotel category in Yangon, Bagan
, Madanlay and Inle Lake can be
arranged upon request. + The hotels in
Inle Lake and Bagan do not match tour
classification since some of them may be
simple but remember that Myanmar is a
developing country.
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