BURMESE DAYS; Burma exploratory trip (11 days)
YANGON (RANGOON), BAGAN, INLE LAKE, NGWE SAUNG, AYERWADDY DELTA
Please note: the itinerary below is a sample itinerary and can be modified as required by your group to suit your travel style and budget. Please contact us for a complete range of itineraries.
11 days AUD$1720 (4 star hotel option - excluding airfares) (for convenience we have listed this trip price in Australian dollars but can naturally accept payment in any currency)
Airfares: Tailor Made Vietnam can readily arrange a very competitive airfare for your group to anywhere in the Southeast Asia from Australia, New Zealand, Southeast Asia and Hong Kong. We are also happy to provide you with the details of our flight travel agents anywhere in the Middle East and in Europe. Tailor Made Vietnam can also arrange flights for individuals and groups to anywhere in the world (please see our ‘Who we are’ section)
This 11-day Burma has been specifically designed for travellers interested in seeing Southeast Asia’s most intriguing and unique cultures.
The trip is designed to be of particular interest to well travelled individuals. Beginning in Thailand we will explore the best of dynamic Bangkok, followed by a flight into Burma to visit the remote parts of its northwest frontier into the Karen hill tribe region in the country’s Shan State. On route we will also visit beautiful Inle Lake and the enchanting Temples of Pagan which we will have the opportunity to experience by way of hot air balloon (optional). We will also visit Burma’s picturesque coastal regions overlooking the Indian Ocean as well as its seldom visited delta region and the major city of Yangon (Rangoon).
This trip features accommodation in premium 4 + star hotel and includes several meals, activities and excursions designed to delight the traveller who has “Been there, done that.” Often criticized for its politics and praised for its beauty, Burma is a wonderful country inhabited by a gracious people who are very welcoming of foreigners and eager to show you the beauty of their country and its intriguing and still very isolated society.
Day 1 Ragoon (Yangon) Our tour leader will greet you upon arrival at Yangon International Airport and escort us to our hotel. Following this there will be a short time to relax in the comfort of our fine Yangon Hotel before heading out this afternoon to explore this unique city, including the Scot Market, the Sule Pagoda as well as the city’s Indian and Chinese quarters. After this we will return to our hotel for a relaxing swim followed by our first taste of fine Burmese fare. (D)
Day 2 Mandalay We will depart Inle Lake today for a 40 minute flight north to the fabled city of Mandalay. Synonymous with the writings of Rudyard Kipling, this historic town offers a host of antiquities and attractions, many of which we will visit over the next two days. After getting settled in our hotel, we will head out this afternoon to visit Mingun; one of the world’s largest zedi’s and later the former royal capital of Amarapura and the U Bein Bridge. In the afternoon we will visit a local village on the outskirts of town, famous for its ceramic production as well as the Mahamuni Pagoda and then the Shwenandaw Monastery, noted for its exquisite woodcarvings. Following this we will return to our hotel to enjoy a swim before later heading out to dinner. (B)
Day 3 Mandalay to Pagan Boat trip We will depart Mandalay early this morning for an unforgettable, day-long journey to Bagan aboard a local river boat. On route we will enjoy views of vast rice fields, sugar palms and a myriad of other river vessels as we make our way down to Bagan. This boat journey will provide ample time for relaxing, reading and, when in Myanmar – meditating! Before departure we will visit a local market to buy our picnic lunch to be eaten on route. We will arrive in Bagan in the late afternoon from where we will transfer to our hotel and perhaps enjoy a swim before witnessing a wonderful sun set across the Pagan Plains from atop a nearby pagoda.
Day 4 Pagan Very early this morning we will set out to explore one of the most awe-inspiring sites in Southeast Asia as we drift leisurely across around 40 sq km of the countryside surrounding Pagan dotted with literally thousands of stupas & temples in a hot air balloon (optional). In every direction, you will see intact temples and ruins of all sizes, some soaring into the sky and others standing quaintly at a corner with the beauty of the meandering Irrawaddy River completing the scene. Upon landing we will enjoy champagne and pastries before transferring back to our hotel for a few hours to relax. After this we will set out once again to explore this amazing archaeological site including the golden stupa of Shwezigon. (B) Balloon Option; The balloon trip over the temples of Bagan is widely regarded as being amount the 3 top ballooning experiences to be had anywhere in the world. This activity takes place at sunrise when we will glide over the Irrawaddy Plain over the thousands of temples and then over rustic rural scenery. (Operating from late Oct through April, the balloon ride is the trips only optional activity and will cost an additional US$260 per person – subject to change).
Day 5 Heho/Inle Lake from where we will travel about an hour to Inle lake. This afternoon we will enjoy a visit to and ancient monestry before making our way to our hotel overlooking the lake. There will be a short time to explore a nearby temple pearched above our resort hotel before our first taste of Shan style cuisine this evening. (B, D)
Day 6 Inle Lake Sitting over 1000 metres above sea level, Inle lake is located in the mountains of Shan State. This morning after breakfast we will board fast boats to explore this extensive area, stopping on route to visit cottage industries including weaving collectives set amongst water communities where we will witness are very different way of life. From the comfort of our boats we can enjoy such sights as fisherman rowing in the one-legged style characteristic of Inle Lake boatmen and the gardens of grass and earth floating on the surface of this shallow lake, floating strips of ‘land’ for growing vegetables. We will also visit a local market and rub shoulders with the local Intha minority people who live in four cities bordering the lake and on the lake itself. Lunch today will be at a delightful floating restaurant before boarding our boats again to visit to the ‘jumping cats’ monastery and the Phaungdaw U Pagoda. (B)
Day 7 Ngwe Saung This morning we will enjoy a tour of one of the town’s lacquer producing factories before we board another short flight today to journey to Pathein in Burma’s delta region. From here we will travel by bus for about an hour west to the delightful and for now, less visited beach side town of Ngwe Saung (pronounced ‘neway-song’) overlooking the Bay of Bengal. On arrival we will transfer to our comfortable accommodation overlooking at Ngwe Saung – a picturesque coast featuring lovely beaches, turquoise water and friendly fishing communities. (B)
Day 8 Ngwe Saung Today there will be ample time to relax at the resort, or for those interested there is the option of a boat trip to the remote offshore islands to enjoy swimming and snorkelling. This area of Myanmar like so many of the country’s coastal resorts has only been recently accessible to foreigners and will provide us with an opportunity to experience another aspect of this country. (B)
Day 9 Ayerwaddy Delta / Yangon Today we will depart our coastal resort for a half day drive through the heart of the Ayerwaddy Delta back to Yangon. A recent typhoon badly damaged much of the southern reaches of the Delta as well as many of the Motor Vessels that plied these water ways. A part of the pleasure of travelling in this region is the simple joy of seeing the rice fields as we weave our way along the intricate network of canals which are the lifeblood of the Ayerwaddy Delta. This vast basin stretches from the Bago Range to the coast of the Bengal Bay and receives year around drainage from several major rivers including the Irrawaddy, Hlaing and Ngawun. The pace of our trip is very relaxed, a perfect way to observe the rural life close up. We will arrive back at our hotel this afternoon. (B)
Day 10 Yangon (Rangoon) Today we will have a final opportunity to explore this city which until recently was the capital of Burma. Yangon (Rangoon) remains Burma’s most cosmopolitan city owing to an influx of Indian, Chinese and minority traders who came to live in Burma early last century. This morning we will visit Kandawyi Lake and the city’s most famous site, Shwedagon, one of the most outstanding religious monuments in Southeast Asia. After lunch we will visit the Yangon’s down town districts before returning to our hotel to relax before dinner and a walk around the botanical gardens located near to our hotel. (B, D)
Day 11 Departure Day This morning we will have a short time for shopping at a craft market before we transfer to the airport in the afternoon where your group leader will take care of your onward travel arrangements and bid you farewell. (B) Key (All breakfast included), L –lunch, D-dinner)
SUMMARY
Grading: Easy. Anyone with reasonable fitness should be able to take part. There are no real physical difficulties. You will be expected to carry your own luggage throughout the trip but only for short distances.
Accommodation: Accommodation is on a twin share/ double basis. All hotels are clean and comfortable, with a 4 star equivalent rating. Hotels 9 nights, If you are the odd numbered person on the tour you will be teamed up with someone of the same sex. A single supplement is available at cost should you choose not to share.
Hotels: Kandawgyi Palace Hotel (Yangon), Mandalay Hill Resort (Mandalay), Treasure Resort (Bagan), Hupin Khaing Ding (Inle Lake), Ngwe Saung Resort (Ngwesaung),
Transport: Modern air-conditioned bus, speed boat, plane, river boat
Group size: Minimum 14, Maximum 36
Land tour Inclusions:
- All accommodation and transport en route including 4 internal flights, domestic taxes and transfers
- Tailor Made Vietnam Group Leader throughout the tour
- Local English speaking guides where required
- All sightseeing and entrance fees for museums, attractions and sights as described in the itinerary
- All accommodation and transport including all internal flights on route
- All airport transfers in Southeast Asia
- 8 breakfasts, 1 lunch & 3 dinners
- Complimentary pre departure meetings with travellers to discuss trip details at the venue of your choice (within Australia & Southeast Asia)
Land tour Exclusions:
- International flight Burma return
- Myanmar visa which must be obtained before departing
- Myanmar departure tax
- Hot air Balloon ride in Bagan (US$260)
- Travel insurance
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