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Myanmar at an Easy Pace - 8D/7N
Myanmar, the country formerly known as Burma, is one of the few truly original travel experiences remaining in this much-traveled world. Decades of social and economic isolation have preserved here many of the traditional features, physical and cultural, which have been lost in other Asian countries. Myanmar is a captivating travel destination - for its diversity of sightseeing, for the wealth of cultural and scenic attractions it can offer and, above all, for the warmth and friendliness of its charming people.
YANGON - Capital and main gateway to Myanmar. Perhaps the last remaining authentic example of an Asian tropical city still true to its former colonial origins. Most famous for the unique and glittering Shwedagon Pagoda, but a wealth of other sights await visitors, including diverse temples, markets, beautiful gardens and lakes as well as impressive colonial-era buildings.
INLE LAKE - A True highlight of the Myanmar travel experience. Here the emphasis is on lovely lake scenery, hazy distant mountains and the interesting local society. The vast lake is studded with floating gardens and is renowned for its unique leg-rowers and characterful local markets.
MANDALAY - Second largest city and former Royal capital of Myanmar with many historical buildings and interesting sights, temples and pagodas . This is also a center for silk and cotton weaving, marble carving, bronze and silver crafts and kalaga tapestries. Excursions out of Mandalay include the monastery and pagoda covered hills of Sagaing, former ancient capitals of Amarapura and Ava, as well as the scenic trip upriver to Mingun, with its vast unfinished pagoda and world’s largest bronze bell.
Included: Accommodation in shared twin rooms or single rooms with daily breakfast. All meals as specified in the program on table d’hôte basis (breakfast only in Yangon, full board in up-country). All entrance fees as per mentioned itinerary. Transfers and tours with English speaking local guides or as specified. 1 Tourleader is free of charge as of a minimum of 15 full paying pax. Service charges, room tax and baggage handling.
Not Included: Domestic airfares, Yangon-Heho-Mandalay-Bagan-Yangon (see above, quoted separately). Travel insurance. Visa fee for Myanmar. International Airfares. Expenditure of a personal nature, such as drinks, souvenirs, laundry etc. International airport tax in Yangon (US$10.- per person). Services, which are not mentioned in above. Christmas and New Year’s dinner supplement (will be advised at time of booking). Services which are not mentioned above.
Accommodations
YANGON: CHATRIUM HOTEL (FORMERLY NIKKO ROYAL LAKE HOTEL) OR SIMILAR.
INLE LAKE: SHWE INN THA RESORT OR SIMILAR.
MANDALAY: MANDALAY HILL RESORT OR SIMILAR.
BAGAN: MYANMAR TREASURE RESORT OR SIMILAR.
Itinerary
- DAY 01 YANGON (No meals) - Upon arrival to YANGON airport, you will be welcomed by your Asian Trails guide and transferred to your hotel. Your Myanmar journey begins with an afternoon tour through Yangon’s colonial-style city center. Visit SULE PAGODA, built over 2,000 years ago; the magnificent reclining Buddha CHAUK HTAT GYI and after a photo stop at the KARAWEIK HALL, a ‘hamsa-bird-shaped’ floating barge on Kandawgyi (Royal) Lake; stroll through the BOGYOKE (SCOTTS) MARKET, of hundreds of food, clothes, handicrafts and gems stores. Complete your first day in Myanmar with a visit to one of the world’s most spectacular monuments, the SHWEDAGON PAGODA. Lunch and dinner to your own account. Overnight stay at Chatrium Hotel (Former Nikko Royal Lake Hotel) (****, Superior room) or similar in Yangon.
- DAY 02 YANGON - HEHO - INLE LAKE (B, L, D) - After breakfast, transfer to airport for domestic flight to HEHO. Upon arrival at HEHO airport, proceed by road to NYAUNG SHWE (32 km – 1 hour) and continue by boat to your hotel for check-in. Upon arrival, depending on the water level, board a boat to the Western Shore of Inle Lake, where you will find the beginning of a stair path leading to the hidden INN THEIN PAGODA complex. Lunch will be served at local restaurant on the lake. Dinner and overnight stay at Shwe Inn Tha Resort (**/*, Deluxe room, built on stilts over Inle Lake) or similar.
- DAY 03 INLE LAKE (B, L, D) - After breakfast, a full day excursion by boat on Inle Lake will include sights of the famous leg rowers, typical floating gardens, local methods of fishing, village life and magnificent scenery. Lunch will be served at a local restaurant on the lake itself. Visits are made to PHAUNGDAW OO PAGODA; the weaving village of INPAWKHON and to one of the local markets in the Inle Lake region (Remark: on market days only). Dinner and overnight stay at Shwe Inn Tha Resort (**/*, Deluxe room, built on stilts over Inle Lake) or similar.
- DAY 04 INLE LAKE – PINDAYA - HEHO - MANDALAY (B, L, D) - After breakfast, return by boat to NYAUNG SHWE and proceed by road to PINDAYA (90 km – 2 ½ hours) for a visit to PINDAYA CAVES, a unique site housing thousands of Buddha images placed there by pilgrims and devotees over the centuries. After lunch at local restaurant, drive to HEHO airport (65 km – 2 hour) for domestic flight to MANDALAY. Upon arrival, transfer directly to your hotel. Dinner and overnight stay at Mandalay Hill Resort Hotel (****, Superior room), or similar in Mandalay.
- DAY 05 MANDALAY – MINGUN – AVA - AMARAPURA (B, L, D) - After breakfast, an excursion by boat on the Ayeyarwaddy River to MINGUN, about 11 km (1 hour) upriver from Mandalay. Visit one of the world’s largest bells, the 90 ton weighing MINGUN BELL; HSINBYUME PAYA and the unfinished MINGUN PAYA, which was meant to become the largest stupa in Myanmar constructed by King Bodaw Paya. After lunch at local restaurant, drive to Amarapura, 15 km from Mandalay. Visit MAHAGANDAYON, a famous Buddhist monastery, where more than a thousand monks live and study; continue to 200-year-old U BEIN teak bridge, built in 1782 during the era when Amarapura was the Royal capital. Already from the early days the city was known for its silk- and cotton weaving. Visit a traditional hand-woven silk workshop before proceeding to BAGAYA MONASTERY, a compound with a superb collection of Buddha statues. Embark for a short boat ride over a river and explore the former Royal Capital INWA (AVA) by horse cart. Visit NANMYINT WATCH TOWER, the remains of the ancient palace building, also know as “the leaning tower of Ava“; MAHA AUNGMYE BONZAN MONASTERY, built of brick and stucco; BARGAYAR MONASTERY, famous for its impressive ornate woodcarvings and teak posts. Continue to SAGAING HILLS, a retreat for Buddhist devotees, for sunset viewing. Dinner and overnight stay at Mandalay Hill Resort Hotel (****, Superior room) or similar in Mandalay.
- DAY 06 MANDALAY - BAGAN (B, L, D) - After breakfast, experience the sights and sounds of Mandalay including some of the most revered religious monuments in Myanmar, MAHAMUNI PAGODA; SHWE INBIN MONASTERY; GOLDEN PALACE MONASTERY, a superb example of a traditional wood work and KUTHODAW PAGODA the world’s largest book, made of marble. Mandalay is also a major arts and crafts center. Visit a hand woven silk shop and Kalaga tapestry craftsmen’s shop before proceeding to MANDALAY HILL. Late afternoon transfer to airport for flight to BAGAN. Upon arrival, transfer to your hotel. Dinner and overnight stay at Myanmar Treasure Resort (***, Superior room) or similar in Bagan.
- DAY 07 BAGAN (B, L, D) - After breakfast stroll through the colorful local market and continue the day with visits to the most significant pagodas and temples of Bagan including SHWEZIGON PAGODA, built by King Anawrahta in the early 11th century as a religious shrine; KU BYANUK GYI, a temple with superb murals of Jataka scenes; KHAY MIN GA TEMPLE, noted for its panoramic view of the area’s numerous monuments and ANANDA TEMPLE, with four standing Buddha images. After lunch at a local restaurant, visit one of Myanmar’s and Bagan’s most famous lacquer ware workshops, and see craftsmen, in MYINKABA village. You will continue to MANUHA TEMPLE, built in Mon style in 1059; NANBAYA TEMPLE, a unique sandstone monument and according to legends a former palace site of King Manuha. Next you will explore the UNESCO protected MYINGABA GU BYAUKGYI TEMPLE, a temple known for its mural paintings and the ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM where beautiful Buddha images made of bronze, stone and lacquer can be seen. Dinner at a riverside restaurant and overnight stay at Myanmar Treasure Resort (***, Superior room) or similar in Bagan.
- DAY 08 BAGAN - YANGON (B,-, -) - After breakfast, you will be transferred to Bagan Airport for domestic flight to YANGON. The rest of the day is at your leisure for relaxing, shopping or sightseeing until the departure transfer to the airport. Lunch is to your own account.
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Vantage World Strongly Recommends Insurance for all your Travel Programs
We provide, through TravelSafe Insurance, one of the nation's largest and most respected providers of travel insurance, a TravelSafe Custom Plan, where you decide the benefits YOU want and the levels of protection YOU desire including access to their 24-hour emergency assistance service from anywhere in the world. Click the link below the Plan Benefits table for plan details.
