21 Days Myanmar – A glimpse of the old Burma

Day 01 (Wednesday) YANGON / Arrival

Upon arrival at Yangon International Airport: welcome by our local tour guide and transfer to hotel. On your first walk through the city centre of Yangon and to the riverbank, you will see many notable sites from the colonial and religious past of this garden city. Old Rangoon was built based on designs by Dr William Montgomerie. He was a senior military physician who learnt about construction planning from Sir Stanford Raffles in Singapore. All culturally significant buildings in Yangon are listed as historic monuments. You’ll then enjoy ‘high tea’ at the Strand Hotel which was built in 1896 and was formerly known as the ‘the finest hostelry East of Suez’. Afterwards, you’ll go to the Botataung Pagoda where a sacred hair relic of Buddha is kept. You will spend the night in Yangon.

Day 02 (Thursday) YANGON (B)

After breakfast, you’ll travel through rural areas on the City Circular Train, with the opportunity to see cigarette sellers, betel nut traders, fortune tellers and much more at the various stops. Back in the city, you’ll visit the National Museum with the Lion Throne, which belonged to the last king of Myanmar, and the royal regalia from the Burmese kingdom of the 19th century. In the afternoon, you’ll visit the Kyaukhtatgyi Pagoda which features a 70-metre long reclining Buddha, the Kandawgyi Lake and its royal barge (with an opportunity to take pictures), and in the late afternoon, the world-famous Shwedagon Pagoda which Somerset Maugham described as follows: ‘The Shwedagon rises majestically, 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 100 metres above the surrounding mountains. You’ll wander through this magnificent building and its courtyards, stupas, bells, temples and statues of Buddha, and observe religious and secular visitors from all over the world. Shwedagon is the symbol of Myanmar. You can enjoy the sunset over the pagoda. You will spend the night in Yangon.

Day 03 (Friday) YANGON – KYAIKHTIYO (Golden Rock) (B)

Early morning travel to Bago (approx. 2 hours). In Bago, visit the Kyaik Pun Pagoda, with its four giant Buddha statues and the interesting market with various types of vegetables, flowers and merchandise. Then travel on to Kyaikhtiyo (approx. 3½ hours). At Kinpun base camp you change from the car to a special open truck which takes you further to the Yet Thet middle station (ca. 45 minutes). The newly opened cable car gives you a wonderful view across the valley. From the cable car station, it is just a short walk (approx. 10 minutes) to the Golden Rock. At the shrine, there is a small stupa tower on top of a massive granite boulder known as the Golden Rock. Covered in golden leaves, it is precariously balanced on the edge of a cliff, and is reputedly “held in place by a single strand of Buddha’s hair”. In the late afternoon, you will enjoy the activities around the shrine, before returning to your hotel for overnight.

Day 04 (Saturday) KYAIKHTIYO – BAGO – YANGON (B)

Those who are up early should definitely enjoy the sunrise at the cliffs. After breakfast you return back to the valley with the truck. Then you travel on to Bago (approx. 2½ hours). In Bago, visit the Shwemawdaw Pagoda, which, at a height of 114 metres, is Myanmar’s tallest pagoda, the Pyay May Pyay Pagoda, where visitors marvel at the large python and the Shwetharhlaung Pagoda, with its huge reclining Buddha which is more than 1000 years old. In the afternoon you change your means of transport again and take the train to Yangon. The two-hour journey takes you along isolated stretches of land, until you reach the outskirts of the city of Yangon. From now on, you can take a close look at the hustle and bustle of daily life. Upon arrival in Yangon transfer to your hotel for check-in and overnight stay.
Please note: if the train is cancelled, you will be driven to Yangon by car.

Day 05 (Sunday) YANGON – HEHO – NYAUNG SHWE – INLE LAKE (B)

Transfer to airport for your morning flight to Heho, in Shan State. Upon arrival, travel to Nyaung Shwe (about a one-hour journey), a small town located at the northern end of Inle Lake. This is the starting point for boat trips along Inle Lake (25 kilometres in length), which is known for its unique one-leg rowers, typical floating gardens, local methods of fishing and village life out on the water. Visit the silk weaving village of In Phaw Khon, have a look at a small family business that produces home-grown cigars (‘cheerots’) and take a canoe trip through the floating gardens. The floating flowerbeds are tied together in shallow water, which is mostly only around three metres deep, and produce abundant fruits which can be harvested several times a year. You will spend the night on Inle Lake.

Day 06 (Monday) INLE LAKE (B, L)

A two-and-a-half-hour boat ride will take you to the area of Sangha and Hmawbi. Here, you will have the opportunity to experience the original culture and traditional lifestyle of the Pao and Intha people. Visit Kyauktaing, a small Shan village known for its pottery-making, and the village of Kyainkhan, where both monks’ robes (made from thousands of lotus stems) and strong alcohol (CS-Country Spirit) are produced. Lunch at the Thakong Pagoda. You will return to your hotel in the afternoon. Overnight stay on Inle Lake.

Day 07 (Tuesday INLE LAKE – NYAUNG SHWE – SHWE NYAUNG – AUNGBAN – PINDAYA (B)

Early morning transfer by boat to Nyaung Shwe; from there, it’s a short car journey to Shwe Nyaung for the train journey to Aungban on the 142DN (Departure 08:00 / Arrival 10:26). Upon arrival travel to Pindaya (approx. two hours), a charming village with its paper umbrella cottage industry. Visit the Pindaya cave, famous for its thousands of Buddha images and the paper umbrella cottage industry. Overnight stay in Pindaya.

Day 08 (Wednesday) PINDAYA – KALAW (B)

After breakfast, take the footpath around Pindaya. The path leads through beautiful countryside. On the way, visit the tribal villages of the Danu and Taung Yoe. An hour later, you will reach Sie Htwet Ni, a Danu village with around 40 dwellings. These people live from agriculture and also occasionally grow fruits, such as papaya and jackfruit. Your tour guide will introduce you to the local villagers and show you how bamboo products, such as hats and mats, are traditionally made. The path continues for 40 minutes up to See Kya Inn, a Taung Yoe village. The local inhabitants work in plantations along this route, which are used to grow cauliflower, coffee, rice malt, tea and cordia leaves. From here, the path continues downhill back to Pindaya. In the afternoon, travel to Kalaw (approx. 3½ hours), a small former British colonial town. Overnight stay in Kalaw.

Day 09 (Thursday) KALAW – MANDALAY (B)

After breakfast, visit the market and town centre. Then travel to Mandalay (approx. 8 hours), the last royal capital of Burma. Upon arrival, transfer to hotel, check-in and overnight stay.

Day 10 (Friday) MANDALAY (B)

Early morning walk through the city centre and go for a stroll around the vast Zegyo Market, which was originally designed in 1903 by an Italian architect. The Zegyo Market is a trading centre that connects the cities of upper and lower Myanmar. Various local and imported goods (mostly from China and Thailand) are traded here. The old, Italian-style market was destroyed and rebuilt with a modern design. The clock tower next to the Zegyo Market was built to commemorate Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in 1903. Afterwards, visit the Mahamuni Pagoda, which was originally built in 1784 by King Bodawpaya; its gilded Mahamuni Buddha, the oldest Buddhist statue in Myanmar; and some of the famous craft workshops (wood carvings, marble workshops or gold leaf production). In the afternoon, visit the Shwenandaw Monastery, which is famous for its exquisite wooden carvings, and the Kuthodaw Pagoda, which, owing to its stone tablets with Buddhist inscriptions, is famous for containing the world's largest book. Later on, enjoy the sunset from Mandalay Hill, a vantage point offering panoramic views of the city. You will spend the night in Mandalay.

Day 11 (Saturday) MANDALAY – AMARAPURA – AVA – MANDALAY (B)

After breakfast, travel to Amarapura. The ‘City of Immortality’, located around eleven kilometres south of Mandalay, was the capital of Upper Burma until 1850. Along with the surviving pagodas, the ancient silk- and cotton-weaving tradition using handlooms is very much alive there. You will take a rowing boat across Taungthaman Lake to the picturesque village of Taungthaman; return to Amarapura via the U Bein bridge, which, at 1,200 metres in length, is one of the world’s longest teakwood bridges; and visit a mill where the art of weaving is still performed using handlooms. In the afternoon, continue to Ava (short ferry crossing). From 1364 onwards, Ava (Inwa) spent almost five hundred years as the most prominent royal city in the country, barring brief periods of interruption. Explore this small island by horse-drawn carriage, which lies at the confluence of the Myitnge and Ayeyarwady rivers. You will ascend the 27-metre-high watchtower and visit both the Maha Aung Mye Bonzan Monastery, one of the few existing monasteries to be built from bricks and stucco, and the Bagayar Monastery, which is still regarded as one of the most beautiful traditional wooden monasteries. You will spend the night in Mandalay.

Day 12 (Sunday) MANDALAY – RV PAUKAN 2007 (B, L, D)

After breakfast, transfer to the jetty and boarding of the RV Paukan. The delightful Paukan is a boutique hotel on the river. The ship is furnished with a unique combination of modern and traditional themes. The wood-panelled cabins are fitted with colonial-style cupboards, wardrobes and doors. The ceilings, however, are traditional Myanmar. Boarding at 12:30 at the Gawein Jetty. You will arrive at the ancient capital city Mingun in the afternoon. Visit the Settawya Pagoda, with its Buddha footprint, and the Mingun Bell, the largest ringing bell in the world; view the nearby unfinished Mingun Pagoda, built to be the world’s biggest pagoda and visit the Hsinbyume Pagoda, a replica of the mythological Mount Meru. The boat will anchor overnight on a sandbank in the middle of the river. After dinner, enjoy a theatre and dance performance by the Mandalay Arts School on the sun terrace (depending on availability). Overnight stay on board the RV Paukan.

Day 13 (Monday) RV PAUKAN 2007 (B, L, D)

In the early morning, the boat will travel downstream for two hours. During this time, you can savour the beauty of the river and its shores and relax on the sun terrace or just sit in front of your cabin. Sunrise over Sagaing Hill. After breakfast, you will visit the Sagaing Hills, a place of refuge for devout Buddhists, with its various pagodas, monasteries and convents. Departure time is 11:15. In the late afternoon, arrive at Yandabo, a village specialising in pottery. This is where the first English-Burmese peace treaty was signed on the 24th of February, 1826. The boat journey will continue all day before anchoring near one of the river villages for the night. Overnight stay on board the RV Paukan.

Day 14 (Tuesday) RV PAUKAN 2007 – BAGAN (B)

In the early morning, the journey continues downstream towards Bagan. After breakfast, visit (time permitting) another typical river village. Enjoy the sunrise in Bagan. Upon arrival, full day sightseeing tour of Bagan with a diverse selection of the most important pagodas and temples, such as Shwezigon Pagoda, built by King Anawrahta in the early 11th century as a religious shrine; the Gu Byauk Gyi Temple, a temple with exquisite murals of Jataka scenes; the Ananda Temple, with four huge standing Buddha images and numerous seated figures in niches around the galleried interior and the Shwe Gu Gyi Temple, noted for its fine stucco carvings and panoramic views of the area’s many monuments. In the afternoon, travel by horse-drawn carriage to Myinkaba, which is located two kilometres south of Bagan. This village is known for its lacquerware and also has a number of interesting temples, such as the Nanphaya Temple, which is reputed to have been the residence of King Manuha at one time, and the Gu Byauk Gyi Temple, with its extremely beautiful interior frescos. From the top of one of the higher pagodas, you can round off the day by enjoying the sunset view of the pagoda fields and the Ayeyarwady River. You will stay overnight in Bagan.

Day 15 (Wednesday) BAGAN (B)

The village of Minnanthu lies a few kilometres south-east of Old Bagan. Take a short walk through the village and learn more about the everyday life of local families. Not far from the village of Pwasaw lies the impressive Dhammayazika Pagoda, which features an unusual pentagonal layout; and the Hsu Taung Pyi monastery, a further example of a brick monastery complex. Afternoon free at your own leisure. Overnight stay in Bagan.

Day 16 (Thursday) BAGAN – YANGON – NGWE SAUNG BEACH (B)

After breakfast: transfer to airport and return flight to Yangon. Upon arrival travel through the delta region towards Ngwe Saung (approx. 6 hours). An almost unspoilt beach awaits you here, with blue sea and white sand stretching for over 15 kilometres. Upon arrival, transfer to hotel, check-in and overnight stay.

Tag 17 (Friday) – Day 19 (Sunday) NGWE SAUNG BEACH (B)

Enjoy your stay at Ngwe Saung Beach. Ngwe Saung’s surrounding area is the perfect place to relax underneath swaying palm trees. If you wish, you can explore the local area by boat, moped or bike. It’s worth taking a trip to Sinma, a small fishing village a few kilometres south of Ngwe Saung Beach, or Bird Island, a beautiful little island in the Gulf of Bengal, which is home to only a few fishermen. Overnight stay in Ngwe Saung Beach.

Day 20 (Monday) NGWE SAUNG BEACH – PATHEIN – YANGON (B)

After breakfast, travel to Phatein (approx. 2 hours). The beautiful capital of the Ayeyarwady Division can be found on the banks of the Pathein River approximately 190 kilometres west of Yangon. It is surrounded by a large rice-growing region which produces the best rice in Myanmar. Most of the inhabitants of Pathein are Kayin, Rakhine and Myanmar in origin. Pathein is known for its vibrant, hand-painted umbrellas. Visit the town centre, take a rickshaw ride along the riverside, go for a stroll around the lively market and visit various umbrella-making workshops. In the afternoon, travel onwards to Yangon (approx. 4 hours). Upon arrival, transfer to hotel, check-in and overnight stay.

Day 21 (Tuesday) YANGON / Departure (B)

Transfer to airport for your return flight.