romance in myanmar sample itinerary - tour east group · welcome to yangon, myanmar! yangon,...

R O M A N C E I N M Y A N M A R

Sample Itinerary

ROMANCE IN MYANMAR | OVERVIEW

R O M A N C E I N M Y A N M A R | S A M P L E I T I N E R A R Y 0 1 / 1 0

ITINERARY OVERVIEW 11 Days / 10 NightsYangon - Bagan - Mandalay - Inle - Ngapali -Yangon

FEATUREDEXPERIENCES

1 Night Yangon2 Nights BaganBagan Temple Visits and Sightseeing TourSunset Boat Cruise and DinnerSunrise Hot Air Balloon Ride and Bagan Sightseeing Tour2 Nights MandalayMandalay Cycling Tour and Evening Visit to Mandalay Hill Mandalay Sightseeing, Sagaing Tour, Horse-drawn Carriage Ride and Sunset at U Bein Bridge2 Nights Inle LakeCooking Class on Inle LakeVisit to Red Mountain Vineyard and Sunset Wine Tasting2 Nights BgapaliRelaxing Beach DaySunrise Hot Air Balloon Ride1 Night YangonYangon Sightseeing Tour and Sunset over Shwedagon Pagoda

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ITINERARY

Welcome to Yangon, Myanmar! Yangon, formerly known as Rangoon, is Myanmar'slargest city and commercial center. It is an eclectic mix of traditional British colonialarchitecture, new modern buildings and high-rises and numerous stunning goldenBuddhist pagodas. The most famous of these is the famous Shwedagon Paya, which is ahuge, shimmering gilded pagaoda complex attracting thousands of visitors. Yangon isalso home to other notable religious sites including Botataung and Sule pagodas, bothmust-sees when visiting this fascinating city. You will be met on arrival at Yangon International Airport and transferred to your hotelof choice. Lunch will be served at a local restaurant after which are free to spend theremainder of your day relaxing, enjoying the facilities and exploring Yangon.

DAY 1WELCOME TO YANGON


Transfer to the airport for a domestic flight to Bagan, the most extensive archaeologicalsite in Asia. You will be collected at your hotel to enjoy a day visiting some of thehighlights of Bagan with a knowledgeable guide at your side all the way to explain,inform and enlighten. You will be transported in air-conditioned comfort, between someof the most well-known pagodas such Ananda Pagoda, Dhammayangyi Temple and ThatByin Nyu Temple to name just a few and you will be shown examples of wonderfularchitecture and paintings from the 9th to 13th century, which are evident throughoutthe plains. A Myanmar traditional lunch of rice, curry and salad will be served at a hand-pickedrestaurant in the area whilst you learn more about the history of Bagan from your guide,before your journey of exploration continues in the afternoon to more archaeologicalsites including the Manuha Temple. After a short drive, we will arrive at Bu Paya on thebanks of the Ayeyarwarddy River and join our cruise boat for a delicious, speciallyprepared dinner accompanied by spectacular sunset views as we travel slowly downstream. You will then be transported back to your hotel carrying many wonderfulmemories of the day with you.

DAY 2YANGON TO BAGAN

ITINERARY

After breakfast, our first visit is to the iconic Shwezigon Pagoda. The graceful bellshape of this pagoda became a prototype for virtually every pagoda all over Myanmar.We will also visit Gu Byauk Gyi Temple, the 13th-century cave temple and afterwards thelocal market of Nyaung Oo with vendors offering a variety of fresh farm produce anduniquely local items. Next stop is Myinkaba Village, famous for the intricate lacquerware making and decoration, a tradition passed down through many generations. Closeby, we will also visit Sulamani Pahto, an impressive and elegant temple with intricatebrickwork throughout and considered to be some of the best in Bagan. After having lunch in a local restaurant, we will visit the agricultural village ofMinnanthu, specializing in the production of sesame and peanut oil. We will explore thevillage where it appears that time has stood still, learning all about the local people,their daily activities, traditions and customs. After this full and interesting day, we will head back to the hotel and enjoy a relaxingevening at your own leisure.

DAY 3BAGAN


The best way to see and appreciate the vast expanse and beauty of this area is from ahot air balloon and this is a ‘must do’ when in Bagan. The 5am start really is worth it toexperience the breathtaking sunrise from this stunning perspective. A private transferwill take you to the departure site and, following a safety briefing, you will take to theskies with a European commercially licensed pilot at the controls. Look out over themagnificent temple-strewn plain form the traditional wicker basket, which only takes amaximum of 12 guests for that truly personal experience. Your flight of a lifetime willlast approximately 45 minutes, but as you eventually drift gently back down to earth, youwill be greeted by our dedicated staff ready to help you celebrate your trip with a glassof chilled sparkling wine, whilst you enjoy a delicious breakfast.

ITINERARY


DAY 4BAGAN - MANDALAY

We will take an early morning transfer to the airport for a flight to Mandalay andtransfer to the hotel. We will enjoy a day of exploring Myanmar's second city by bicycle. Firstly we take ashort ride to Shwenandaw monastery, an historic Buddhist monastery and one of thefinest examples of traditional 19th century wooden buildings in the country. Both theexterior and interior of the monastery are decorated with intricate wood carvings. The next stop on our ride is Kuthodaw Pagoda, a Buddhist stupa, home to the world'slargest book made of 729 marble stone slabs inscribed on both sides with pages fromTipitaka, a Buddhist scripture. On our route we will cycle through areas specializing inlocal industries such as bamboo weaving and noodle factories and you can enjoywatching the daily routine of the local people along the way, seeing the verdant openrice fields and feel the breeze blowing down from the Shan mountains. We will take a well-earned break for a traditional lunch at a local restaurant, after whichwe will cycle on to discover Mahamuni Paya, a buddhist temple home to a 4-meter-highseated Buddha, a nationally celebrated image that is believed to be some 2000 yearsold. Centuries of gold leaf applied by male devotees has left the figure with a 20-cmlayer of pure gold except on his gleaming face, which is ceremonially polished daily at4am. Next we will visit some of the artisan workshops that Mandalay is so well knownfor and where you can observe skilled craftsmen at work producing wood carvings, gold-leaf and tapestries, using skills and techniques which have remained unchanged fromcenturies ago. Our bike ride ends here and we take a short drive to Mandalay Hill. Our day concludes with an evening on Mandalay Hill, a 240 meters high hill located tothe northeast of the city center of Mandalay and well known for its abundance ofpagodas and monasteries. At the top of the hill is the Sutaungpyei Pagoda whichprovides a stunning panoramic view of Mandalay and is a perfect spot to view theglorious sunset before heading back to the hotel.

ITINERARY

Our first stop of the day is to a silk workshop where we meet the skillful craftsmenrenown for weaving traditional Myanmar silk. We then transfer to Sagaing, the ancientcapital of the Sagaing Dynasty, which lies 21 km southwest of Mandalay, on the westbank of Ayeyarwaddy River. It is home to 500 stupas and multiple monasteries andnunneries housing more than 6,000 monk and nuns. We will also take some time tostroll around the local market and discover the products of the region, followed by lunchserved at a local restaurant. After eating, we cross over the river and take a horse carriage ride through the ancientteak temples in Ava, where we will have the opportunity to visit the Maha monastery andthe beautiful wooden monastery of Bagaya Kyaung. Next stop on our tour is a visit toAmarapura to see the long procession of monks and novices lining up for daily alms. Finally, we will enjoy the sunset as we stroll across the world’s longest teak bridge at UBein Bridge. After sunset you will be returned back to your hotel.

DAY 5 MANDALAY - SAGAING - AVA -

AMARAPURA


After a leisurely breakfast we will transfer to the airport for our flight to Heho. Oncethere, we will drive to Inle, around 45 mins by road. Our journey will take us past somebeautiful colorful Myanmar scenery and varied landscapes of mountains and fields fullof crops. Arriving at Inle Lake you will see the Intha fishermen with their unique one-legged rowing style perched on the stern of their boats as you cruise past local villagesin a private motorboat. The lake's shore and islands are home to 17 villages on stilts,mostly inhabited by the Intha people. After lunch, we will visit Nga Phe Chaung Monastery, a simple but very beautiful templeon the shores of the lake, and Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda, one of the most famous pagodasin Myanmar. We will enjoy the sunset from Inle Lake overshadowed by the majestic ShanMountains, before transferring back to the hotel for the evening at your leisure.

DAY 6MANDALAY - INLE LAKE

ITINERARY

today your adventure starts with a local boat pick up to journey to your cooking class onthe lake where you will learn how to prepare meals using the delicious ingredients andflavors from the Inle Lake area. Based in a traditional house, a local master chef will teach you traditional Myanmarcooking techniques, introducing you to the classic food combinations which makeMyanmar's food so popular. You will begin with a trip to the beautiful gardens to pickherbs and vegetables, which you will be using for your dishes. The chef, an expert intraditional Inthar cooking, will show even the most seasoned cook a few tricks to takehome as you prepare dishes such as Shan style fish curry using fish caught in the lake,a delicious bean salad and a classic Shan style chicken curry with locally grownpotatoes. At lunch you will sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor around a tableprepared for you and your cooking companions. Fully replete, you will then betransported back to your hotel to enjoy the facilities of your hotel and free time at yourleisure. The evening will be spent at the Red Mountain Vineyard which is surrounded by beautiful mountain views. Enjoy a wine tasting while watching the breath-taking sunset over Inlelake before returning to the hotel for the evening.

DAY 7INLE LAKE


Take an early morning transfer to Inle Airport for a flight to Ngapali to enjoy a few daysrelaxing on the shores of the Indian Ocean. Enjoy a couple of days of free time to enjoythe beach at your leisure, taking full advantage of all water sports, snorkeling andswimming or perhaps take a mountain bike and explore the surrounding area.

DAY 8 INLE LAKE - NGAPALI

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An early start to the day to view the sun come up over the glorious beaches of Ngapalifrom the wicker basket of your hot air balloon. You will be picked up at 5am and takento the departure site for your flight. As you rise higher and higher, watch the rising sunlight up the sky as it rises over the stunning scenery and landscapes of Ngapali. A trulyspectacular view and a magnificent start to your last full day in Ngapali. As you touchback down to earth, our dedicated staff will be waiting with a glass of chilled sparklingwine to celebrate your flight, before you enjoy a delicious specially prepared breakfast. After breakfast, transfer back to the hotel to enjoy the afternoon relaxing on the beach.

DAY 9NGAPALI

Transfer to the airport for a domestic flight to Yangon. Today you will enjoy a full sightseeing tour of Yangon, the fascinating city where fadedcolonial buildings stand next to glittering temples and a short walk turns into an eye-opening discovery of the country’s history and diverse cultures. We will visit the mostspectacular temples of Yangon including the five-tiered Ngahtatgyi Buddha Temple andthe Chauk Htat Gyi Pagoda which houses the breath-taking 70 meter long recliningBuddha. Our final stop will be the famous Shwedagon Pagod, the most revered Buddhisttemple in Myanmar where we will enjoy the sunset before transferring back to the hotelfor your final evening in Myanmar at your own leisure.

DAY 10NGAPALI - YANGON

Transfer to the airport for your scheduled onward flight.DAY 11YANGON - ONWARDS

romance in myanmar sample itinerary - tour east group · welcome to yangon, myanmar! yangon,...

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