Burma – The forgotten paradise

Bangkok – Yangon (by plane – not included)
After just an hour of flying, you arrive at the Yangon international airport where you will meet your guide. You will be taken to the Panorama hotel, a good tourist class hotel located at the heart of Yangon. The afternoon is at your disposal. Pamper yourself and let Burma welcome you with high tea at the historic Beach Hotel. In the evening we will visit the magnificent Shwedagon Pagoda, Burma’s main sanctuary, where the locals come to pray and sacrifice. Overnight stay at the Panorama Hotel or similar.

Yangon – Bagan (by plane)
After breakfast we head to Yangon’s airport early morning, flying to Bagan (80 minutes). Upon arrival at the Nyaung Oo Airport, we drive directly to the Kumudra Hotel (Junior Suite), where there will be time for a shower and a refreshment. The day is spent exploring Bagan. Bagan has Southeast Asia’s largest collection of temples and pagodas. Although the city has not been inhabited since the 13th century, when the Mongol Kublai Khan devastated the area, you can still find more than 2000 temples in the area.

It is an incredible sight standing at the top of one of the temples, looking out over a landscape, where it seems as hundreds of temples were once sprinkled from the sky. Even people not very interested in temples must give in, when visiting Bagan.

In addition to the colorful Nyaung Oo local Market, we are going to see the Shwezigon Pagoda, Wetkyi-in Gubyaukkyi, a cave temple with very beautiful and distinctive murals, the elegant Htilominlo Temple (known for its plaster carvings) and lastly, the Tharaba Gate. Later we will experience Ananda Okkyaung (one of the few surviving brick monasteries from the early Bagan period), the Thatbyinnyu Pagoda (the highest in Bagan at 61 meters) and the Dhammayangyi Temple (known for its remarkable brickwork).

Enjoy the sunset on one of the highest temples in Bagan. Overnight stay at the Kumudra Hotel (Junior Suite) or similar.

Bagan
After breakfast, we visit the Myinkaba village and watch the process of traditional lacquer ware, one of the best-known Myanmar handicrafts and a specialty of Bagan. We visit Myinkaba Gubyaukkyi (a temple with a lot of Hindu influence) and the Manuha temple, built by the captured King Thaton.

In the afternoon we drive to the Minnanthu village. In this area we are going to visit some of the most interesting temples such as Payathonzu, Lemyethnar, Sinbyushin, Nandaminnya and the Minnanthu monastery. Enjoy the sunset over the Ayeyarwaddy River at Bupaya. Overnight stay at the Kumudra Hotel (Junior Suite) in Bagan or similar.

Bagan – Mandalay (by plane)
After breakfast we leave for the Nyaung Oo airport for a short flight to Mandalay. After check-in at the Emerald Land Inn, we do a city tour, including the Mahamuni Pagoda.

The pagoda is known for its Buddha statue with gold leaf. We are going to experience workshops of local artists woodcarving, making gold leaf, marble stone carving and much more. Afterwards we go to the Shwe Inn Bin Monastery, which is a special type of Burmese wooden architecture. At last, we visit the local market Zegyo. Overnight stay at the Emerald Land Inn or similar.

Mandalay
After breakfast we are going on an excursion to the old royal city Amarapura. We visit the Mahagandayone Monastery, where more than a thousand monks live and study. Then we go to the U Bein Bridge over Taungthaman Lake, the longest teak bridge in the world. We are also visiting the Atumashi Monastery (the incomparable monastery) and the Kuthodaw Pagoda with 729 marble stone slabs of Buddhist scriptures (known as the largest book in the world). Enjoy the sunset and the fantastic view from Mandalay Hill. Overnight stay at the Emerald Land Inn or similar.

Mandalay – Heho – Inle Lake (by plane)
In the morning, we once again go for a short flight. This time we travel to Hebo, located in the Shan State. We go for an hour of scenic drive ending at the Nyaung Shwe Pier at Inle Lake. Inle Lake is another highlight on this Burma trip. Some call it Burma’s equivalent to Venice.

We are going on a round trip on Inle Lake in a private boat the whole day. We are experiencing the now world famous local fishermen rowing with one leg. We will see the floating gardens made on a foundation of water hyacinths and anchored to the bottom with bamboo poles. You can visit a floating village by Ywama (the “downtown” of the lake), where you may be lucky and experience a floating market. The trip also includes a visit to the Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda, a visit to the Inpawkhon village, making a living by weaving, and a visit to the monastery with the bouncing cats. Most of all we are simply experiencing the local life on the lake as it unfolds close to our boat. Overnight stay at the Sky Lake Inle Resort (Superior Room) or similar.

Inle Lake – Heho – Yangon (by plane)
In the morning we head towards the Nyaung Shwe jetty by private boat and then again drive to the Heho Airport flying to Yangon. Upon arrival you will again stay at the Panorama Hotel. In the afternoon you can go shopping in the Bogyok Aung San Market, the busiest and most bustling bazaar of the city. Afterwards we will experience Rangoon’s landmark, the Sule Pagoda, and then the Botataung Pagoda, Chinatown and the fruit market. Overnight stay at the Panorama Hotel (Deluxe room) or similar.

Yangon – Bangkok (by plane – not included)
In the morning we visit the Reclining Buddha Chaukhtatkyi and then the Karaweik Royal Barge (a royal floating barge on the Kandawgyi Lake). We head to the airport from where it is not far to Thailand’s stunning beaches.