Itinerary
Day
1 Yangon Days 2-3 Pyay - Sri Ksetra Payagyi
Day 4 Magway - Mt Popa Days 5-6 Bagan
Day 7 Kalaw Days 8-9
Pindaya - Inle Lake Days 10-12 Meiltila - Mandalay Day 13 Monywa
Day 14 Yangon Day 15 Depart
|
Myanmar Adventure
15 Days
 Day
1: After transferring from the airport spend the afternoon exploring Yangon’s finest monuments including the 109-meter Shwe Dagon Pagoda – Yangon’s most famous temple
Days 2-3: Drive north to Pyay, a vibrant entrepot at the confluence of the Ayeyarwady and Nawin Rivers - once the border between Upper and Lower Burma. Buddhism arrived here from India and
Ceylon by with traders and itinerant monks: In
Pyay Buddhism found its first Burmese followers and it
was here where the first pagodas were built. In Sri Ksetra and in Payagyi the remains of these awe inspiring temples date back 1500 years.
Day 4: Cross the immense expanse of the Ayeyarwady to reach the steep and cragged “flower mountain” Mt Popa.This volcanic plug, known as Popa (Sanskrit=flower), is sacred to the Burmese as home of the nats (spirits). Stairs lead to the which is covered in temples and shrines.
 Days 5-6: Crossing the plains to Bagan we stop to sample local palm wine. There is plenty of time to explore one of the world’s largest temple and pagoda complexes. This site was once the capital of a great civilisation dating from 849 AD to 1287, when it was believed to have been destroyed by Kublai Khan’s Mongol army. At it height, it was a mighty city, as is evidenced by the thousands of archaeological sites still remaining. Over 2,000 monuments dot the plains by the banks of the river. Some still contain frescoes from historic times, whilst the spires of many of them form a dramatic skyline and provide excellent vantage points to view the other temples and pagodas. Nyaung U itself has one of the more interesting markets to be found in the country.One evening a marionette performance introduces one of Myanmar’s traditional entertainments
Day 7: Ascend to the Shan plateau, an incredibly beautiful landscape, and home to the Shan people and of the Pao, a peasant people believing their ancestor to be a good-natured dragon.
A longish drive through rural Burma to Kalaw, once a British Hill Station favored for its climate.
Day 8: For over 800 years people have donated Buddha images to be displayed in the 400meter-deep Pindaya caves – well worth a visit on the way to Inle lake.
Day 9: Spend the entire day exploring the floating world of the Intha, the famous leg-rowing fishermen of Inle- floating gardens and floating villages; floating markets and floating pagodas. We will also visit a variety of cottage industries including the weaving of fabrics from the fibers of the lotus.
In the afternoon take small boats to the fantastic scenery ofvthe Shan pagodas at In Dein.
Day 10: Travel overland to Mandalay across the plains of the Ayeyarwady- via Meiktila, an important British trading post.
Days 11-12: Mandalay was Burma’s last royal capital and the variety of sights is impressive; including the country’s biggest and most beautiful Golden Buddha and the largest marble Buddha. Nearby is the royal city of Amarapura with its many temples and the world’s longest teakwood bridge. Treasure hunt amongst the city’s many quaint boutiques.
Travel an hour upstream along the Ayeyarwady, the mighty Elephant River, enjoying its sights –
washerwomen among buffalo carts at the river banks … to Mingun a mighty king once tried to build the world’s biggest pagoda – and failed. Yet the dimension of his failure is still impressive.
 Day 13: Travel to Monywa where the Powingdaun Caves reveal sacred Buddhist cave art at its best.
Day 14: In the morning return to Mandalay via Sagaing, an important centre of meditation and Kyaukka, famous for its lacquerware to catch an afternoon flight back to Yangon.
Day
15: Individual sightseeing or time for shopping? Don’t miss the huge Bogyoke Market with its arts, trinkets and souvenirs. You will be transferred to the airport for your departure flight.
|
Yangon
Yangon is a city full of greenery and shade, with shimmering stupas floating above its treetops. Downtown Yangon is a jewel of Colonial Architecture dominated by the 2000-year-old Sule Pagoda.India Town and China Town offer many small shops and food stalls – a stroll through this labyrinth is a rewarding experience. And Yangon´s most famous treasure is the golden Shwe Dagon
Pagoda - famed as being amongst the most impressive buildings in the Buddhist world it reigns supreme on Singutara Hill overlooking the city, its 109 m golden stupa scraping the tropical skies. |
| Pyay
Our base to visit the pagodas of the 6th century Sri Ksetra Empire, the oldest pagodas in Myanmar . |
Bagan
This is “the” highlight of any journey to and through Burma. Unforgettable Bagan is one of the world´s largest and most important
sacred sites - once with 12,000 temples and pagodas.
What remains is more than enough to bedazzle the beholder - temple spires, ancient murals, Buddha images... |
| Mandalay
Centered on Mandalay Hill and the Royal Palace, the city immortalized by Kipling offers myriad pagodas and temples to visit, a thriving handicraft industry and is a base for visiting the old capitals and nearby hillstations.
|
Inle lake
Drink in the tranquility of this serene body of water and its floating gardens. Tribal villages, monasteries and stupas line the shores of a lake surrounded by spectacular mountain scenery. . |
Monywa
Cross the Chindwin River to the Buddhist cave temples of Powindaung,
an artistic jewel of wall paintings, Buddha galleries and rock carvings dating from the 14th - 16th centuries. |
Golden Rock
Follow groups of Buddhist pilgrims to one of the holiest sites in Burma, where a rock has become a venerated shrine because it seems to hang precariously on the side of a rocky outcrop near the mountaintop. Legend has it that it is held together by a hair of Buddha.. |
| |
|
