|
|
|
| |
 |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
* Classic Myanmar Tour (9Days/8 Nights)
*
|
|
| |
Yangon – Inle Lake - Mandalay -
Bagan - Yangon (9Days/8 Nights)
|
|
| |
“The Shwe Dagon rose superb, 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.” |
|
| |
|
|
| |
− W. Somerset Maugham, The Gentleman in the Parlour (1930)
|
|
| |
Highlights:
|
|
| |
Hot air ballooning over the ancient kingdom of Bagan. Visiting
the incomparable Shwedagon Pagoda. Cruising by the villages on
stilts and floating markets of Inle Lake. Bicycling near Bagan’s
prominent temples and pagodas. Pasting gold leafs on the Maha
Muni Buddha image in Mandalay. Taking a scenic boat ride
upstream Irrawaddy River to Mingun. |
|
| |
|
|
| |
Season: 01 October 2009 – 30 April 2010
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
T R I P B A C K G R O U N D
|
|
| |
Long isolated from the outside world, Myanmar has
preserved its rich cultural and religious traditions to a
greater extent than many of its neighbors. Most visitors are
enchanted by Myanmar’s exotic temples, pagodas and monasteries,
but they are likewise enthralled by the Burmese people, who are
quick to smile and largely uninfluenced by western ways. You’ll
observe hundreds of Buddhist monks, clad in orange robes, lining
up and walking quietly, with rice bowls in hand, to collect one
of their two daily meals from devotees. You’ll encounter men
wearing sarong-style longyis, and women adorning their faces
with Thanaka paste to repel the sun and attract young men.
You’ll see women performing centuries-old candle and umbrella
dances, and expert puppeteers recounting Buddhist legends during
colorful marionette shows. And you’ll see farmers and fisherman
delivering their wares on bullock carts to remote village
markets.
On your 9-day soft adventure and cultural tour, through a
connection flight from Singapore or Bangkok you arrive Yangon,
home to the incomparable Shwedagon pagoda. Other highlights of
your trip include hot air ballooning over the ancient kingdom of
Bagan at sunset; cruising by the villages on stilts and floating
markets of Inle Lake; taking an easy bicycle tour of Bagan’s
prominent temples and pagodas; pasting gold leafs on the Maha
Muni Buddha image in Mandalay; and taking a scenic boat ride
upstream Irrawaddy to Mingun. |
|
| |
^^Top^^ |
|
| |
I T I N E R A R Y
|
|
| |
Note: We will gladly customize an
itinerary to meet your preferences. |
|
| |
|
|
| |
Day 1 - BANGKOK / YANGON
|
|
| |
Arrive Yangon by mid-day Bangkok Air flight from
Bangkok or by Silk Air from Singapore.
 Yangon
is a charming city with wide, tree-lined boulevards, shimmering
Buddhist stupas and British colonial architecture. Founded in
1755 by King Alaungpaya, Yangon became the capital after the
British conquered Upper Myanmar in 1885. Formerly known as
Rangoon, Yangon was renowned as the “Queen of the East.” Yangon
is now considered to be the most delightful city in all of
Southeast Asia, bustling without urgency, traffic jams, high
rise buildings and department stores.
Upon your arrival you’ll be met your guide and transferred to
the hotel. After check-in and lunch at the hotel enjoy an
excursion this afternoon to Burma’s most famous site – the
Shwedagon Golden Pagoda. Built 2,500 years ago to house eight
sacred hairs of Buddha, the structure has been restored and
enlarges continuously. Sixty tons of gold leaves covered the
central tower; its weather vane is enlivened with a 76-carat
diamond and 4,350 additional diamonds and precious stones. The
pagoda is surrounded by numerous other places of worship for the
10,000 pilgrims who visit each day. Many kinds of religious
observances are in progress simultaneously and even the
procession of sweepers has a ritual quality. Return to the hotel
after sunset viewing for dinner and a good rest. |
|
| |
|
|
| |
Day 2 - YANGON
|
|
| |
After breakfast at hotel set out for sightseeing:
drive along the streets of Yangon to introduce the historical
downtown with it’s colonial past and the bustling jetties of
Yangon River which is one of the estuaries of the great
Irrawaddy River; stop at National Museum where the lion throne
of Mandalay is displayed as the main attraction and all the
royal regalia of the royal family in Mandalay period. Have lunch
back at hotel or outside restaurant of your choice. In the
afternoon visit the Gem Museum with the prime collection of gem
stones and jewellery mined in Myanmar such as rubies, sapphires,
jade, pearls and other semi-precious stones. Proceed the immense
reclining Buddha statue stretching over 300 feet in length at
Chaukhtatgyi Monastery, Then take a stroll through the sprawling
Bogyoke Aung San Market (Scott Market) where everything such as
gems, wood or jade carvings, lacquer ware, textiles, musical
instruments and everything are sold under one roof. Tonight
dinner is at Le Planteur restaurant. |
|
| |
|
|
| |
Day 3 - YANGON / INLE
|
|
| |
 After
breakfast check-out hotel and transfer to Yangon Airport for
flight to Heho which is the gate way to Inle Lake. Overland to
Nyaung Shwe by car (1 hr drive) and take one of the long out
board motor boats of Inle area with comfortable armed chairs to
transfer to the scenic and serene Inle Princess Resort with
spacious teak chalet houses overlooking the lake on the eastern
shore. |
|
| |
^^Top^^ |
|
| |
Day 4 - INLE
|
|
| |
Located in the Shan State at 2950 ft above sea
level and ringed with mountains, Inle is a beautiful lake with
calm, crystalline water. The lake supports 17 villages on
stilts, mostly inhabited by the Intha people. You’ll observe
skillful fisherman in canoes using a leg-rowing technique that
frees up their arms to handle their zaung, an ingenious, conical
shaped bamboo-net trap used to catch fish. You’ll also observe
villagers anchoring patches of weed, silt, roots and soil to be
used as floating farms to cultivate tomatoes, squash, cucumbers
and flowers. Highlights of your private boat tour of Inle Lake
will include visits to the Jumping Cat Monastery, a cheroot
rolling factory, a silk weaving factory, the Wish Fulfilling and
Phaung Daw Oo Pagodas and the picturesque Indein village. |
|
| |
|
|
| |
Day 5 - INLE / MANDALAY
|
|
| |
This morning, you’ll head by boat to a lakeside village to
observe a very lively and colorful market run by the Pao people,
who constitute the second largest tribe in the Heho area. The
Pao’s are particularly photogenic with their brightly colored
headdresses and handsome features. After the market, you’ll be
transferred by boat and car to Heho for your short flight to
Mandalay. Upon arrival you’ll be privately transferred to your
hotel. Though some local temples pre-date the city by 300
years, Mandalay was founded as the last royal capital in 1857,
only 28 years before the British assumed control of the region.
Mandalay has since remained a cultural center and is considered
the most Burmese of Myanmar’s cities. This afternoon, you’ll
enjoy a private tour of Mandalay, visiting the Shwenandaw Kyaung
(Golden Palace Monastery), Mandalay Hill and Kuthodaw pagoda,
called “the world’s largest book” for the 729 stone slabs on
which are inscribed the whole of the Buddhist scriptures.
This evening, you’ll enjoy a Burmese puppet show with
traditional dancing. |
|
| |
|
|
| |
Day 6 - MANDALAY / INNWA (AVA)
|
|
| |
 This
morning, you’ll stop at a gold leaf making workshop before
visiting the Maha Muni Pagoda (“Great Sage pagoda”), which
houses the most venerated Buddha image in Mandalay. This
exquisite image is cast of bronze but is lavishly gilded with
gold leafs placed on it by devout worshippers (and some
tourists). You will then proceed to Amarapura to visit the
prestigious Maha Ghandhayon Seminary, where 800 to 1,200 monks
clad in burgundy and orange robes study and live. At lunchtime,
you’ll observe them lining up and walking quietly, rice bowls in
hand, to collect one of their two daily meals from local
devotees.After lunch at Sagaing across Irrawaddy River drive
to the delightful town of Innwa (Ava), which was the capital of
the Burmese kingdom from 1364-1841. You’ll enjoy the drive
around Innwa, passing by picturesque villages, farms,
monasteries and pagodas sprinkled around the area within the old
city walls. |
|
| |
|
|
| |
Day 7 - MINGUN / BAGAN
|
|
| |
This morning, you’ll take a one hour boat trip up
the Irrawaddy River to the ancient city of Mingun, perhaps the
most charming and interesting village around Mandalay.
Accessible only by river, Mingun boasts the world’s largest
intact bell (87 tons), dedicated to the huge unfinished Mingun
pagoda, and intended to be the world’s largest. (King Bodawpaya
executed the artist who created the bell so as to prevent its
duplication.) Mingun also offers friendly inhabitants,
traditional thatch homes set amidst lush vegetation and the
beautiful Hsinbyume stupa. This afternoon, you’ll be
transferred to the airport for your short flight to Bagan. Bagan
is one of the wonders of Asia, a veritable sea of temples and
pagodas amid endless greenery and ubiquitous palm trees. By the
end of the Bagan Dynasty’s golden era (11th to 13th centuries),
Bagan had an estimated 4,446 temples and pagodas, reflecting a
period of extraordinary religious fervor. Currently, there are
2,217 temples and pagodas covering an area of 16 square miles,
the result of earthquakes, erosion, looting and ransacking.
Upon arrival, you will visit a temple for viewing the sunset
over Bagan from its top if time permits. |
|
| |
^^Top^^ |
|
| |
Day 8 - BAGAN
|
|
| |
 This
morning you will have the most memorable moment of your life by
seeing the valley of Bagan from the hot air balloon at sunrise.
It gives you the vivid bird’s eyes view of the valley with 2217
temples. Many of these architectural wonders are visually
stunning, mixing gold, red brick and white plaster in varying
degrees. Many contain beautiful murals depicting stories from
the life of Buddha. After breakfast at hotel, your tour will
continue by car, visiting Ananda Temple, Mingalazedi, Shezigon
pagoda, Thatbyinnyu and others.You’ll have lunch at an
outdoor riverside restaurant in New Bagan, overlooking the great
Ayeyarwaddy River. Take a short break at hotel.
Later in the afternoon you’ll embark on an easy bicycling
excursion (or horse cart ride) to visit some of the more
prominent temples and pagodas of Bagan’s central archaeological
zone. |
|
| |
|
|
| |
Day 9 - BAGAN / YANGON / BANGKOK
|
|
| |
After breakfast check-out hotel and Bagan Nyaung
Oo Airport for flight to Yangon. Arrive to Yangon International
Airport and transit for your departure flight to Bangkok or
Singapore. |
|
| |
^^Top^^ |
|
| |
--- End Of Service --- |
|
| |
Trip Grade: Easy
|
|
| |
All included adventures are elective and low
intensity. Activities include bicycling, elephant back riding,
and walking. Adventures may be replaced at travelers request
with cultural excursions. Because the trip ventures into remote
areas, some discomfort may result from the elements, cultural
differences, rough roads and schedule changes. |
|
| |
^^Top^^ |
|
| |
Accommodations:
|
|
| |
Accommodations are based on double occupancy in
first class and deluxe hotels. Singles who sign up will be
subject to a single supplement charge. |
|
| |
|
|
| |
Climate:
|
|
| |
The best time to travel in Myanmar is between the
months of November and March, when rainfall is minimal and
temperatures are more moderate. High temperatures range between
88-93 degrees, while lows are between 66 and 73 degrees. |
|
| |
^^Top^^ |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
Arcadia Travels Limited
R-2, 103, Pan Hlaing Estate,Sanchaung Township 11111
Yangon, MYANMAR.
Tel/Fax: (+951) 505 405
Email:
Website: www.myanmartravelport.com
www.arcadiatravels.com
|
|
|
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)