14-Day Myanmar Overland Journey

Downloaded on: 8 Oct 2021

Tour code: PKMCMOJB Tour type

( Private )

Tour Level: Moderate Tour Comfort: Standard Tour Period: 14 Days

English,French,Russian,German,Spanish Yangon, Pyay, Popa, Bagan, Mandalay, Heho, Pindaya, Inle Lake, Yangon highlights tour details

Overland drive for 14 days to discover highlight cities of Myanmar Beginning in Yangon, your tour commences with visits to the Bogyoke Explore the local villages and observe the local lifestyles Market, Sule Pagoda and Shwedagon Pagoda before you make your Discover the ancient sites of Pyu Kingdom, Sri Kestra way to Pyay (Prome). Here you'll visit the Commonwealth War Graves Experience differences between tribes and local communities Cemetery, the Shwemyetmhan Pagoda and a cheroot-making Enjoy authentic traditional horse cart ride in Bagan and long-tailed workshop. Next you'll travel to Mount Popa, the mythical home of boat tour in Inle Lake Myanmar's 'spirits'. As you climb to the top, you'll be rewarded with amazing views over the Ayeyarwady River. From Mount Popa, you'll make your way to Bagan where you'll have plenty of time to explore markets, see the Shwezigon Pagoda and discover Gubyaukgyi. Next you'll make your way to the Ananda Temple, a lacquerware workshop and the Manuha & Nanpaya temples. Final highlights include a tour of Mandalay, exploring the 5-day rotating markets and travelling overland to Pindaya. why choose this tour?

A scenic overland journey starting from the bustling city of Yangon to the fascinating Inle Lake via the ancient royal cities of Bagan and Mandalay Discovering the country's best architectures, authentic traditions and cultural heritages along with the impressive friendliness of local people

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tour description

Day 1 : YANGON ARRIVAL (-/-/-)

Meet on arrival at Yangon International Airport followed by a half day introductory tour which takes visitors to the colonial-historical centre of Yangon, a photo stop to the Karaweik Hall royal floating barge; and the gilded Sule Pagoda, dating back over 2,000 years. Proceed to Bogyoke (Scott) Market (closed on Mondays and Public Holidays) followed by an extended visit to Shwedagon Pagoda, one of the world's most spectacular religious monuments. The golden dome of the Shwedagon Pagoda rises 98 metres above its base and is covered with 60 tons of pure gold. Return to hotel. Accommodation at Hotel G (Good Room) or similar, in Yangon. (Period until 30 September 2018) Accommodation at Ibis Style Yangon Stadium Hotel (Superior Room) or similar. (Period 01 October 2018 - 30 April 2019)

Day 2 : YANGON - PYAY (280 KM - 5 HOURS) (B/L/-)

Today you start your overland journey with a drive to Pyay (Prome), situated near the ancient capital of Sri Kestra, where extensive archaeological excavations have been made. An optional visit is included at the Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery near Htaukkyant, the last resting place of over 6300 Allied soldiers and home to a memorial to 27,000 more. Just short of Pyay visit Shwemyetmhan Pagoda (Shwedaung) which is home to a most unusual Buddha image - one who wears gold-rimmed spectacles. Lunch at Local restaurant. This afternoon, visit the busy central market, a cheroot-making workshop and the Shwesandaw Pagoda. This pagoda is similar in design to the Shwezigon in Bagan, and is one of the most sacred Buddhist pilgrimage spots in Myanmar. An enormous seated Buddha figure rises up from the tree line adjacent to Shwesandaw. Accommodation at Mingalar Garden Hotel (Superior Room) or similar, Pyay.

Day 3 : PYAY (B/L/-)

Early morning, drive to the outskirts of Pyay and cross the new bridge to Htone Bovillage and continue by local private boat to Akaut Taung, overlooking the Ayeyarwady River. Here hundreds of niches in the cliff face are home to Buddha images of all shapes and sizes, many of which have been carved out of the rock face. Also see villages and typical rural life on the way. Return to Pyay. Lunch at local restaurant. In the afternoon, drive out of Pyay to visit the site of the ancient Pyu Kingdom of Sri Ksetra, which pre-dates the Bagan period and is said to have arisen in the first millennium. Visit the site, by bullock cart (when available), and the tiny museum which houses artefacts unearthed in Sri Ksetra. Close to the museum there are two huge conical stupas, Payagyi and Payama, which you can view from a distance (the road is usually closed). Visible somewhat further away is the 5th century, 46-metre tall Bawbawgyi Pagoda, shaped like a bell jar, and the best example of this architectural style. Accommodation at Mingalar Garden Hotel (Superior Room) or similar, Pyay.

Day 4 : PYAY - MOUNT POPA (APPROXIMATELY 350 KM - 7 TO 8 HOURS) (B/L/-)

Depart your hotel in early morning for a full day's drive to Mount Popa on a sometimes-uneven road. Pass through paddy fields en route, a chance to observe daily agricultural life. Lunch at local restaurant. Late in the afternoon, arrive at Mount Popa, mythical home of Myanmar's intriguing 'nats' (spirits). Check into Popa Mountain Resort, which has a scenic view of the plain below. Accommodation at Popa Garden Resort (Deluxe - with Balcony) or similar, Mount Popa.

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Day 5 : MOUNT POPA - BAGAN (B/L/-)

777 steps take you up to the top of Mount Popa - an energetic climb rewarded by fabulous views from the top. On the way to Bagan, stop to see local people gathering the sap from toddy palm trees to make raw sugar or toddy palm wine. Arrive in Bagan and transfer to hotel. Lunch at Ayeyarwaddy Terrace Restaurant. In the late afternoon you are transferred from your hotel to the jetty where you board a private wooden boat. Travel 30 minutes upstream, turning to glide downriver while watching the sun lower towards the horizon and set peacefully over the Ayeyarwady River. A cocktail and light snacks will be served on board. Accommodation at Shwe Yee Pwint Hotel (Bagan Room) or similar, Bagan. (Period until 30 September 2018) Accommodation at Villa Bagan (Superior Room Without View) or similar, Bagan. (Period 01 October 2018 - 30 April 2019)

Day 6 : BAGAN (B/L/-)

Pick up from the hotel from where you start your tour to the busy local market, continuing with visits to a diverse selection of the most important pagodas and temples in Bagan. These include the Shwezigon Pagoda, a huge gilded temple built by King Anawrahta in the early 11th century and Gubyaukgyi (Wetkyi-Inn), a 13th century temple with exquisite murals of the 'Jataka Tales' (scenes from the life of the Buddha). Continue to the eminent Ananda Temple; one of the finest and largest pagodas, with a 51-metre (170-foot) shimmering gold tip plus four huge standing-Buddha images and numerous seated figures arranged around the interior gallery. Lunch at Sunset Garden Restaurant. Later, visit a lacquer craftsman's workshop in nearby Myingaba village. Sightseeing continues with visits to Manuha Temple, built in Mon style in 1059; Nanpaya Temple, a unique sandstone monument that is said to have been the palace of King Manuha; and Gubyaukgyi (Myingaba) under the protection of UNESCO because of its ancient mural paintings. Observe a sunset in the vicinity of Bagan's ancient monuments. Accommodation at Shwe Yee Pwint Hotel (Bagan Room) or similar, Bagan. (Period until 30 September 2018) Accommodation at Villa Bagan (Superior Room Without View) or similar, Bagan. (Period 01 October 2018 - 30 April 2019)

Day 7 : BAGAN (B/L/-)

Optional: There is no better or more spectacular view of the ancient kingdom of Bagan than from a hot air balloon. This world-famous archaeological site of more than a thousand Buddhist temples scattered over a plain is at its best when seen from a bird's eye vantage, as the sun comes up gently over the Ayeyarwady River. You will be collected from your hotel and provided with a light breakfast and safety briefing while the balloons inflate, before enjoying a dawn flight lasting just under one hour. Flights operate daily from October through March.

This morning visit Minnanthu village by horse cart. Visit Tayoke Pyay, Payathonzu and Nandamanya Temples (noted for exquisite 13th century murals) and Kyat Kan Cave Monastery, a famous meditation centre in Bagan. Visit farming houses around Bagan. Lunch at Nanda Restaurant. In the afternoon, enjoy an excursion to the beautiful Nat Htaung Kyaung, a monastery famous for wood carvings, built in 1781 by a group of monks. Admire the monastery's collection of ancient Buddha statues and lacquer boxes. Return to your hotel. Accommodation at Shwe Yee Pwint Hotel (Bagan Room) or similar, Bagan. (Period until 30 September 2018) Accommodation at Villa Bagan (Superior Room Without View) or similar, Bagan. (Period 01 October 2018 - 30 April 2019)

Day 8 : BAGN - MANDALAY - SAGAING - AMARAPURA (B/L/-)

In the morning, transfer to Bagan airport for your morning flight from Bagan to Mandalay. You are met on arrival at Mandalay airport, and driven to picturesque Sagaing, perhaps the living centre of Buddhist faith in Myanmar today. The hills here are dotted with

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numerous pagodas and monasteries. Enjoy a magnificent view over the surrounding area and a scenic sunset. Lunch at Minn Wun Valley Restaurant in Sagaing. In the afternoon, cross the Ayeyarwady River to the third former capital, Amarapura, via the Ava Bridge, built by British engineers. Visit impressive wooden Bagaya Monastery, with a superb collection of Buddha statues. Take a sunset stroll on U Bein Bridge, which at over a kilometre is believed to be the longest teak bridge in the world. It was reportedly built by local headman U Bein of teak salvaged from the former royal palace after the capital moved to Mandalay in 1859. Whilst the bridge has been repaired from time to time, the pillars are still original. Accommodation at Shwe Ingyinn Hotel (Superior Room) or similar, Mandalay. (Period until 30 September 2018) Accommodation at Hotel Sakura Princess (Superior Room) or similar, Mandalay. (Period 01 October 2018 - 30 April 2019)

Day 9 : MANDALAY (B/L/-)

Optional: Oriental Ballooning's flights offer stunning bird's eye views of the world-famous archaeological site of Bagan and the mystical landscape of Mandalay. There is no better way to enjoy a breathtaking view of the entire region, with the mighty Ayeyarwady River or the former royal capital at your feet and mysterious mountains on the horizon. You will be collected from your hotel and provided with a light breakfast and safety briefing while the balloons inflate, before enjoying a sunrise flight lasting just under one hour. Oriental Ballooning is operated by qualified European or UK pilots and technicians who are all registered in the United Kingdom. Cameron Balloons Ltd., the world's largest manufacturer of high quality balloons, manufactures the equipment.

Enjoy a comprehensive tour of Mandalay, a highlight of which is the Mahamuni Pagoda, home to a spectacular Buddha image covered with thick layers of gold leaves. Stop at local workshops to see kalaga tapestries being made, marble being carved into Buddha images, and gold leaf being beaten into paper-thin pieces, stone carving and bronze casting. Lunch at 62 Mandalay Restaurant. Next visit beautiful teak-carved Shwenandaw Monastery, the only Royal Palace building to survive World War II bombing, and Kuthodaw Pagoda, where the Theravada Buddhist scriptures are inscribed on 729 marble slabs, giving rise to its nickname 'the world's largest book'. Atop Mandalay Hill lie glittering glass-studded temple walls which reflect the evening glow as you watch the sunset. Afterwards, visit Shwe Kyin Monastery to observe student monks at their evening prayers. Accommodation at Shwe Ingyinn Hotel (Superior Room) or similar, Mandalay. (Period until 30 September 2018) Accommodation at Hotel Sakura Princess (Superior Room) or similar, Mandalay. (Period 01 October 2018 - 30 April 2019)

Day 10 : MANDALAY - PINDAYA (210 KM - 6 HOURS) (B/L/-)

Early start for an overland journey via Kyaukse and Ywa Ngan to Pindaya. The road is bumpy but the scenery is interesting - endless paddy fields in the morning and rolling hills in the afternoon, as the road climbs into the mountains of southern Shan State. Lunch at Green Tea Restaurant. Visit magnificent Pindaya Caves, set in a limestone ridge overlooking a picturesque lake, where thousands of different types of Buddha images are on display in the various cave chambers. Afterwards, continue to local workshop where Shan paper and parasols are made. Enjoy a short trek through the hills to the village of the Danu tribe. You will pass through the farming where the Danu cultivates cheroot, tea, damsons and mangoes on the hillsides. Stroll along the village. Then, visit one of the tea plantation gardens to observe how they produce the famous Shan green tea. Enjoy green tea with snack and chat with the villagers. Accommodation at Pindaya Inle Inn (Chalet) or similar, Pindaya.

Day 11 : PINDAYA - NYAUNG SHWE - INLE LAKE (APPROX 92 KM - 3½ HOURS) (B/L/-)

Drive down to the valley to Nyaung Shwe on the edge of Inle Lake. Stop at Shweyanpyay wooden monastery, then board your private

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boat to take you to your hotel. Lunch at Green Chilli Restaurant. In the afternoon, take a boat trip on Inle Lake - a photographer's dream. Its calm waters are dotted with floating vegetation and fishing canoes, to which scenic hills provide the perfect backdrop. See the lake's unique 'leg rowers' - Intha fishermen who row standing up with one leg wrapped around a single oar, leaving their hands free to manipulate the conical fishing net. Stop at Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda, the holiest religious site in southern Shan State, and Nga Phe Kyaung Monastery, one of the oldest on the lake, where you can see exquisite Buddha statues which are more than 200 years old. Return to your hotel by boat as the sun lowers and the light softens over the lake. Accommodation at Golden Island Cottage, Nampan (Superior Room) or similar, Inle Lake. (Period until 30 September 2018) Accommodation at Inle Resort (Garden Cottage - Private Pond/Garden View) or similar, Inle Lake. (Period 01 October 2018 - 30 April 2019)

Day 12 : INLE LAKE - INDAING - INLE LAKE (B/L/-)

If it coincides with your visit you will explore one of the 5-day rotating markets in the area - a fascinating insight into the life-style of the ethnic Pa-O, Danu and Intha people who visit these markets to buy and sell. Lunch at Golden Kite Indaing Restaurant. Motor to Indaing, at the western end of Inle, for one of the most scenic trips on the lake. Pass through the busy village of Ywama, the largest on the lake, with many channels and tall teak houses on stilts, and enter a long, often tree-lined canal, either side of which farmers cultivate their land against the backdrop of the Shan Hills. Disembark at the jetty and walk for 15 minutes through Indaing village to reach the 14th - 18th century pagoda ruins of Nyaung Ohak. Many pagodas here remain charmingly unrenovated, with plants and even small trees growing out of them, making the area very atmospheric. A covered walkway popular with souvenir stallholders leads up to Shwe Inn Thein Paya, a complex of weather-beaten 17th - 18th century zedi; some newly reconstructed. Returning to the river jetty take your long-tailed boat back along the canal and across the lake. Accommodation at Golden Island Cottage, Nampan (Superior Room) or similar, Inle Lake. (Period until 30 September 2018) Accommodation at Inle Resort (Garden Cottage - Private Pond/Garden View) or similar, Inle Lake. (Period 01 October 2018 - 30 April 2019)

Day 13 : INLE LAKE - HEHO - YANGON (B/L/-)

This morning, transfer by boat and road to Heho Airport (25 km - 1 hrs) for domestic flight to Yangon. Upon arrival in Yangon, transfer to the hotel. Lunch at Taing Yin Thar Restaurant. After lunch, car and guide at disposal for shopping or sightseeing. A stop at Bogyoke Market (closed on Mondays and Public Holidays) gives you the opportunity to see Myanmar's wide range of handicrafts. Accommodation at Hotel G (Good Room) or similar, in Yangon. (Period until 30 September 2018) Accommodation at Ibis Style Yangon Stadium Hotel (Superior Room) or similar. (Period 01 October 2018 - 30 April 2019)

Day 14 : YANGON DEPARTURE (B/-/-)

Transfer to Yangon International Airport for departure. customise the tour

Extend your stay and take a break at beautiful Ngapali beach Opportunity to shop souvenirs at local markets and workshops Unlimited photo opportunities throughout the trip

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includes excludes

All sightseeing tour and transfer services with private air Domestic airfare (Bagan-Mandalay, Heho-Yangon) conditioned car/coach as detailed in our itinerary Myanmar visa fee Road tax and bridge tax Surcharges for throughout guides (English and other languages) Meals as specified in the itinerary (B=Breakfast, L=Lunch) Optional Balloon flights All entrance fees for the places as mentioned in the programme Personal expenditure, such as drinks, souvenirs, laundry, Transfers and tours with English-speaking locally-stationed camera fees, communications, postage, gratuities etc. guides Meals and services other than mentioned in the programme Service charges, room tax and baggage handling Drinks with meals Boat fees as mentioned Compulsory gala dinners during festive seasons and peak Accommodation at hotels as above mentioned or similar season surcharges which will be advised at the time of booking Filtered drinking water and wet towels during the tour (Peak season in general is between 15 December to 15 January and 13-17 April) Early check-in and late check-out at hotels, if not mentioned in the programme Travel insurance (cover against all cancellation costs, medical expenses, including repatriation, in the event of accident or illness) notes

Hotel prices for packages are quoted bases on hotels as mentioned or similar. Higher or lower categories can be requested and the price will be adjusted. The hotels featured in the package tour are subject to availabilities at the time of booking. Meals at respective hotels are also included in the hotel prices if the itineraries mention lunch or dinner at hotel. Additional charges during Festive Season: Christmas, New Year and the Water festival period may apply. Supplements for compulsory Gala Dinners will be advised at the time of booking. All hotels have special booking and deposit conditions and will be indicated at the time of booking. Nonrefundable deposits may be required. Domestic airfares are quoted separately and subject to change in case of increases imposed by the airlines (ie. taxes, fuel costs, etc.). There are 8 different airlines operating on the domestic route in Myanmar. Each company has slight different airfares and this pricelist is based on average airfare. Diethelm Travel will book the most convenient and direct routing. The final price can be confirmed once the tickets are booked and issued depending on available booking class and seat availability.

Contact [email protected] www.diethelmtravel.com