14 Day Magic Myanmar

Mandalay Get ready to be inspired.

FROM $4,820 PER PERSON, TWIN SHARE Travelling with Inspiring Vacations allows you to explore the wonders of the world in a variety of different ways. We have partnered with a worldwide network of local travel experts to bring you culturally unique and delightfully unforgettable travel experiences. Whether it is meandering through narrow canyons by rail, cruising the idyllic waters of the Mediterranean or touring through t...

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TOUR ITINERARY

The information provided in this document is subject to change and may be affected by unforeseen events outside the control of Inspiring Vacations. Where changes to your itinerary or bookings occur, appropriate advice or instructions will be sent to your email address.

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DAY 1 Destination Yangon Meals included Accommodation N/A

Welcome to Myanmar and Yangon. You will be met on arrival and transferred to your hotel. Feel free to explore Yangon – maybe by taking a walk to Sule Pagoda or the Victorian Strand Hotel – then join your welcome meeting at 6pm. Please check with the hotel reception where and when it will take place, or check the reception notice boards. We'll be collecting your insurance details and next of kin information at this meeting, so please ensure you have all these details to provide to your leader. If you're going to be late, please inform the hotel reception or your booking agent in advance.

Optional Activities Yangon - Sule Pagoda - MMK3000 Yangon - Bogyoke Market (Scotts Market) - Free Yangon - Let Yangon Take You For a Ride Urban Adventure - USD33

An airport arrival transfer is included. This transfer is only valid if arriving on day 1 or if you have booked pre-trip accommodation through Peregrine. Please provide your flight details at the time of booking, or at a minimum 7 days prior to travel (note - we may not be able confirm request made within 7 days of travel). Once you have provided your details a transfer representative will be booked to meet you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel.

DAY 2 Destination Yangon  Golden Rock Meals included Breakfast Accommodation N/A

With an overnight bag packed, embark on the journey to the Golden Rock. Along the way, stop at Bago (about 1.5 hours from Yangon), an ancient settlement of the Mon Kingdom in the 13th century. Here you'll visit the Shwemawdaw Pagoda, which is even larger than the famous Shwedagon Pagoda, and the Shwethalyaung Buddha, one of the largest reclining Buddhas in existence. Then, it's an approximately 2.5 hour drive to the base camp at Kinponsakan. Here you'll transfer to an open air truck with basic wooden bench-style seating. The next hour, towards the summit, will be bumpy. But the views are well worth it. The Golden Rock (Kyaiktiyo Pagoda) is a place of pilgrimage for Buddhists. The small pagoda (7.3 metres high) sits atop a gilded 25-metre boulder, which appears to balance precariously on a tabular rock. Legend has it that the boulder is held in position by a strand of Buddha's hair. Spending a night in Kyaiktiyo is one of Myanmar's most spiritual experiences.

Accommodation in Kyaiktiyo is more basic than in other destinations on this trip. Due to this being a very popular place of pilgrimage, hotels can often be overbooked and the site crowded. At times we may not be able to secure our

The information provided in this document is subject to change and may be affected by unforeseen events outside the control of Inspiring Vacations. Where changes to your itinerary or bookings occur, appropriate advice or instructions will be sent to your email address.

Call 1300 88 66 88 Email [email protected] www.inspiringvacations.com Page 2 TOUR ITINERARY preferred accommodation at the summit, and may stay back in the town at the base. Travel times vary, and the journey can be arduous in the wet. Your patience will go a long way toward your enjoyment here.

DAY 3 Destination Golden Rock  Yangon Meals included Breakfast Accommodation N/A

Enjoy a morning of strolling around Kyaiktiyo (the name means 'pagoda borne on a hermit's head' in Mon language). After descending from the summit, return to Yangon, retracing your path from yesterday (approximately 5 hours). You'll arrive back in Yangon late in the afternoon.

DAY 4 Destination Yangon  Mandalay Meals included Breakfast Accommodation N/A

Take a walking tour of downtown Yangon this morning. As you stroll through the streets lined with dilapidated colonial edifices and their restored neighbours, your leader will bring the past to life, as well as explain the present activity. Afterwards, leave for the airport and take a flight to Mandalay – departure time will vary depending on flight availability. The flight takes approximately 1 hour, and after landing it’s approximately a 1 hour drive to the city and your hotel for the next three nights. Mandalay is Myanmar’s ‘Jewel City’, and you’ll and savour the sights, sounds and flavours of this bustling metropolis. Tonight you might enjoy a walk to one of the markets, where a great time can be had enjoying the hustle and bustle or bargaining for local wares.

DAY 5 Destination Mandalay Meals included Breakfast Accommodation N/A

Make your way down to the city’s lively waterfront, which offers an interesting backdrop for a boat trip upriver. The archaeological site of Mingun is your destination, the location of a number of interesting sights, including the world's largest, albeit unfinished, pagoda – Pahtodawgyi. It’s also home to the world’s second largest ringable bell, the beautiful

The information provided in this document is subject to change and may be affected by unforeseen events outside the control of Inspiring Vacations. Where changes to your itinerary or bookings occur, appropriate advice or instructions will be sent to your email address.

Call 1300 88 66 88 Email [email protected] www.inspiringvacations.com Page 3 TOUR ITINERARY white Hsinphymae Pagoda, and temples dating back hundreds of years. The river is effectively a major trading, communication and commuting route and a wide range of different boats, barges and steamers can be viewed along the way. The journey usually takes 1 hour on the way there, and 40 minutes on the way back.

Later in the afternoon, embark on a tour that visits the remnants of one of the once great cities that surround Mandalay – Amarapura, just 11 kilometres south of the city. Weather permitting, you might also glimpse a breath-taking sunset over the 200-year-old U Bein wooden bridge.

DAY 6 Destination Mandalay Meals included Breakfast Accommodation N/A

Today you’ll enjoy a full day tour of the city. You’ll visit the Mandalay Palace, built as the residence for King Mindon and the Burmese aristocracy in the 19th century, it sits inside a walled fort at the bottom of Mandalay Hill. Continue to Shwe In Bin Kyaung, the intricately carved Swenandaw Monastery, then visit the nearby cottage industries where gold leaf is made. This gold leaf is used extensively in the important pilgrimage site of the Mahamuni Buddha Temple. Here local Buddhists climb to an impressively decorated 2,000-year-old central Buddha statue and press gold leaf to its exterior. Get another insight into Mandalay’s role as the centre of Myanmar’s arts and crafts industry with a visit to a stone-carving workshop. The surrounding mountains are made from quality marble (Sa’kyin) and there are numerous artisans plying their trade along Kyauk Sitt Than, which literally means ‘Stone Carving Road’. You’ll finish your tour around 2pm, and then have some free time to relax. Later, visit various temples, notably Kuthodaw Pagoda, which claims to house the world's largest 'book' – 729 slabs contain the complete text of the Tripitaka, Theravada Buddhism's most sacred text. You’ll then be transported to the top of Mandalay Hill, where Lord Buddha is said to have left a footprint. A clear day reveals beautiful sunset views from the summit, and a host of religious shrines scattered along the hill.

DAY 7 Destination Mandalay  Bagan Meals included Breakfast Accommodation N/A

Today you will drive to Bagan (approximately 5 hours), which is one of the most impressive archaeological wonders of Asia. You’ll be in a comfortable vehicle and you’ll stop along the way in a local village. When you arrive in Bagan you’ll transfer to the hotel and have some free time rest up or stretch you legs. Later today you’ll take a cruise out on the Ayeyarwady River as the sun begins to set. Stop on the river bank for a sunset drink and admire the changing colours as the sun descends across the stupas that fill the area and great Ayeryarwady River.

The information provided in this document is subject to change and may be affected by unforeseen events outside the control of Inspiring Vacations. Where changes to your itinerary or bookings occur, appropriate advice or instructions will be sent to your email address.

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DAY 8 Destination Bagan Meals included Breakfast Accommodation N/A

You can explore the incredible sights of Bagan today, travelling by private vehicle between temples sites. This archaeological site is where Theravada Buddhism was introduced to the Kingdom of Bagan, and was once the site of 10,000 temples, pagodas and monasteries. Today, the ancient city still has over 4,000 brick and gilded ruins, and is a remarkable sight. Nyaung U’s lively market contrasts with the eerie silence of the plains littered with temples, pagodas, stupas and ruins, including Gawdawpalin, Thatbyinnyu, Ananda and Shwezigon – all names of temples and pagodas that bear testament to a glorious past. The graceful ageing of the temples, the stucco peeled off by the dusty winds, has revealed beautifully rusty red bricks that glow golden brown in the sun. Marvel at the spire-lined skyline, the lion- guarded doors, the wood carvings inside, and the foliage-covered ruins. After visiting a local lacquerware workshop to gain insight into a craft this place is famous for, you might catch a glorious sunset from one of the ruins.

DAY 9 Destination Bagan Meals included Breakfast, Lunch Accommodation N/A

Travel by boat to the small village of Kyunkalay (approx 1 hour). This is a tiny place that you won’t find in any guidebooks or on Wikipedia — entirely undeveloped with no electricity, no school for the local children, and not even a monastery until 2017. The main form of transportation is by oxen cart and bicycle. We’ve partnered with ActionAid Myanmar, an organisation working to bring human rights and social justice to neglected communities. ActionAid doesn’t believe in handouts, instead helping communities to find their own sustainable solutions. Intrepid has formed a partnership to help introduce tourism to the community of Kyunkalay in a way that is responsible, sustainable, and won’t negatively impact their culture and heritage. You’ll get to walk around the village and learn about important tasks locals do, such as harvesting beans and vegetables, or growing flowers. We’ll then join a local family for lunch in their home, where you’ll be able to learn more about what life is like in this part of Myanmar. Walk to the nearest jetty, where we’ll cross the Ayeyarwady River, the largest and most important waterway in Myanmar. We’ll reach Nyaung U Jetty on the other side, and from here back to your hotel.

The information provided in this document is subject to change and may be affected by unforeseen events outside the control of Inspiring Vacations. Where changes to your itinerary or bookings occur, appropriate advice or instructions will be sent to your email address.

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DAY 10 Destination Bagan  Inle Lake Meals included Breakfast Accommodation N/A

Today drive approximately 25 minutes to the nearest airport in Nyuang U, and then hop on a plane to Heho (approximately 40 minutes), the gateway for Inle Lake. The calm waters of Inle Lake are the life-blood for local communities. They live in stilt houses along the lake's shallow fringes and surrounding areas. You’ll drive through picturesque countryside and rolling hills to your final destination, Khaungdaing, situated on Inle Lake not far from the main township, Nyaungshwe. (approximately 1 hour). This afternoon, visit the monastery at Khaung Daing Village. On the way, with your leader’s assistance, you can buy some food and staple items at the nearby market to offer to the monk’s at a monastery – the cost is included in your trip. At the monastery, you can make the offering to the monks. Have a discussion about their way of life, and perhaps help them practice their English.

DAY 11 Destination Inle Lake Meals included Breakfast Accommodation N/A

A full day is spent on the lake seeing local life, exploring the floating gardens, and catching a glimpse of the local Intha fishermen who are famous for their unique 'leg-rowing' technique. The Intha leg-rowers navigate their long, narrow craft by standing on the stern with one leg and wrapping the other around the oar. This unique style evolved because the reeds that cover the lake and the floating plants make it difficult to see above them while sitting. The lake is also home to a wide array of bird-life including egrets, cranes, ducks, storks and various birds of prey. Visits may be made to some of the local villages, home to cottage industries such as silversmiths, weavers and cigar makers. If you’re lucky, you might even see the floating market which circles the lake every five days. Here you can buy traditional wares produced by the locals.

DAY 12 Destination Inle Lake Meals included Breakfast, Dinner Accommodation N/A

After breakfast, take a longtail boat along a narrow canal to the Indein ruins complex (approximately 45 minutes). Disembark and discover a pagoda and stupas built in the 8th century. Explore the atmospheric ruins; crumbling stupas being reclaimed by greenery, and up a hill over 1000 zedi from the 17th and 18th centuries. Enjoy views across the valley

The information provided in this document is subject to change and may be affected by unforeseen events outside the control of Inspiring Vacations. Where changes to your itinerary or bookings occur, appropriate advice or instructions will be sent to your email address.

Call 1300 88 66 88 Email [email protected] www.inspiringvacations.com Page 6 TOUR ITINERARY and lake from the pagoda, browsing through the rows of shops along the corridor uphill, or just marvel at the surroundings. Hike to some of the smaller local villages, through farming land and forested areas. The hike is approximately 9km (5.5mi) and takes about 2.5 hours, through some uneven and sloping terrain, but within the capabilities of most fitness levels. Return to Indein, where you’ll meet your boat and return back to the hotel this afternoon. This evening, reward all your efforts today with a traditional Shan dinner, where you’ll get to sample some of the local-style culinary specialties.

Your leader will adjust the walk based upon local conditions and weather, from March to October your walk will generally be shorter.

DAY 13 Destination Inle Lake  Yangon Meals included Breakfast Accommodation N/A

Take a morning flight back to Yangon (approximately 1 hour – departure time will depend on flight availability) and discover more of this beguiling city in some free time. Acquire some local handicrafts at the nearby Bogyoke Market, a major bazaar known for its colonial architecture and winding cobblestone alleys. In the afternoon, you will discover one of Yangon's grandest sites, Shwedagon Pagoda. Shwedagon, the legendary gold-gilded pagoda is studded with diamonds and gems, and is said to contain eight hairs of the Buddha. Some time will be spent exploring the complex and learning of its history and spiritual devotions. The mix of people it attracts – monks, pilgrims, worshippers, tourists – is almost as striking as the tower itself.

DAY 14 Destination Yangon Meals included Breakfast Accommodation N/A

This trip comes to an end today after breakfast. A transfer to the airport is not included but can be pre-booked with our reservations team. Your leader will be on hand to advise you on onward travel arrangements should you require. Optional Activities Yangon - Hands-on Yangon Urban Adventure - USD81 Yangon - Tradition & Culture in Yangon Urban Adventure - USD51 Yangon - Yangon's Streets By Night Urban Adventure - USD40

The information provided in this document is subject to change and may be affected by unforeseen events outside the control of Inspiring Vacations. Where changes to your itinerary or bookings occur, appropriate advice or instructions will be sent to your email address.

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Inclusions

WHAT'S INCLUDED 13 breakfasts, 1 lunch, 1 dinner Expert tour leader Boat, Plane, Private vehicle, Local truck Hotels (10 nights), Inle Lake Lakeside Cottages Feature Stay (3 nights) In depth sightseeing

Fine Print

IMPORTANT INFORMATION Accommodation The accommodation listed is subject to change. Any changes will be of an equal or higher standard. Bedding configurations (double or twin) are requests only. All efforts will be made to meet your preferences, however, any changes are beyond our control.

Single Supplement A single supplement is available on all nights of this trip from an extra AUD $1240 subject to availability.

Triple Share Not available.

Children Children must be 5 years old or over and share a room with parents at all times. Children are charged the same price as adults.

Tour Documentation Final documentation will be provided approximately 30 days prior to travel.

The information provided in this document is subject to change and may be affected by unforeseen events outside the control of Inspiring Vacations. Where changes to your itinerary or bookings occur, appropriate advice or instructions will be sent to your email address.

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HOW TO BOOK & PAYMENTS Deposit & Payments

Book now and secure your package with only a AUD $400 deposit per person. Pay a 2nd instalment of AUD $964 per person within 28 days. You will then be invoiced for final payment 90 days prior to departure. Booking Process

Select the purple 'Reserve Your Seat' tab to begin your booking (you must 'Sign Up' first by entering your email and creating a password) Then select the purple 'Book now' tab of the tour you have selected Select your Departure Date, Departure City, Number of Passengers, Room Configuration, any Upgrade Options, and enter any Special Requests Click the purple ‘Proceed to Secure Checkout' tab Enter your credit card or PayPal details to secure your deposit/payment. You may also pay via BPAY (not available within 70 days of departure) Once your order is complete, you will be prompted to complete a Booking Form so that we can fulfil your booking Your booking is confirmed once your Booking Form is submitted and you can begin the countdown to your Inspiring Vacation!

EXCLUSIONS International Airfares Personal Expenses Travel Insurance Optional activities Anything not mentioned in the itinerary or optional Tipping/Gratuities

HOTEL LIST Yangon - Rose Garden Hotel or similar Golden Rock - Mountain Top Hotel or similar Mandalay - Eastern Palace Hotel or similar Bagan - Heritage Bagan or similar Inle Lake - Khuang Daing Resort or similar

The information provided in this document is subject to change and may be affected by unforeseen events outside the control of Inspiring Vacations. Where changes to your itinerary or bookings occur, appropriate advice or instructions will be sent to your email address.

Call 1300 88 66 88 Email [email protected] www.inspiringvacations.com Page 9 TOUR ITINERARY

OPTIONAL TOURS Yangon - Sule Pagoda - MMK3000 Yangon - Bogyoke Market (Scotts Market) - Free Yangon - Let Yangon Take You For a Ride Urban Adventure - USD33 Yangon - Hands-on Yangon Urban Adventure - USD81 Yangon - Tradition & Culture in Yangon Urban Adventure - USD51 Yangon - Yangon's Streets By Night Urban Adventure - USD40

The information provided in this document is subject to change and may be affected by unforeseen events outside the control of Inspiring Vacations. Where changes to your itinerary or bookings occur, appropriate advice or instructions will be sent to your email address.

Call 1300 88 66 88 Email [email protected] www.inspiringvacations.com Page 10