Address Line 1 (Build up Address from Bottom)

Myanmar 13 day itinerary 2 Oct 2017

Myanmar Special Itinerary 02 to 14 October 2017 (including the PHAUNG DAW OO PAGODA FESTIVAL)

(Yangon – Heho – Pindaya – Nyaung Shwe – Inle Lake – Bagan – Mt. Popa – Ava – Mingun - Mandalay)

Code: B/L/D = breakfast/lunch/dinner - no meal

2OCT17YANGON [-/-/D] Monday Upon arrival to YANGON airport you will be welcomed and transferred to your hotel.

Welcome dinner at the hotel.

Overnight stay at Rose Garden Hotel or similar in Yangon.

3OCT17YANGON [B/L/D] Tuesday Breakfast at your hotel.

You will be picked up from your hotel and transferred to Yangon’s CENTRAL STATION for a train journey on the circular ‘commuter’ train (about 40 minutes. Please take note that the trains are very basic, often crowded and their schedule is not reliable). You will get off at HLEDAN STATION and be able to immerse yourself in this lively local Myanmar neighborhood where today’s more modern lifestyle mixes with old traditions. Visit the colorful HLEDAN MARKET.

Continue to YANGON UNIVERSITY and drive through Thaton Road from where you will see the University grounds at this once world-renowned academy. Throughout the 1940s and 1950s, Yangon University was the most prestigious university in Southeast Asia, attracting students from across the region. This place is full of history with some old colonial buildings as it served the British colonial administration.

Lunch at Feel restaurant.

After lunch, visit the Mary Chapman School in Yangon, which is a private institute and does not benefit from any state aid, depending entirely on donations and humanitarian aid. As well as teaching deaf and dumb children, aged from 5 to eighteen, it is a vocational training centre for teachers for the deaf. Currently the school has some 300 pupils from 12 different ethnic groups and 4 religions (Buddhist, Christian, Muslim and Hindu) some thirty of whom are full-time boarders. There are also ten young trainee teachers who help the children learn crafts such as sewing, dressmaking, knitting, embroidery, how to use the PC, book-binding, cooking and Shiatsu massage.

From there you will proceed to the magnificent reclining Buddha CHAUK HTAT GYI. Finally you will get to watch the sunset at one of the world’s most spectacular monuments, the SHWEDAGON PAGODA. This will be a highlight as it will give you an insight into what is most important in Myanmar and that is Buddhism. Experience the tranquility and the dedication shown by the locals.

www.globaltours.net.au | [email protected] | +61 431364136 | 0431364136 Myanmar 13 day itinerary 2 Oct 2017

This will be akin to entering a huge cathedral except that it completely outdoors. You will be entering the most sacred place in Myanmar so due respect is expected.

Dinner will be at the Karaweik Palace Restaurant. This is an amazing cultural experience on a floating barge designed as an imperial palace with appropriate staff and guards of an imperial age. You will be given a smorgasbord of Burmese food to choose from and entertained with traditional songs and dances in a theatre environment. This will be a memorable night of entertainment.

4OCT17YANGON [B/L/D] Wednesday Breakfast at the hotel.

Today you will visit the Centre for Vocational Training (CVT) in Yangon. This center is the only school providing a dual education system in the country. It provides a 3 year apprenticeship for many interesting programs as the young trainees are in high demand in every sphere of the hospitality field - in guest relations, human resources, administration, at the reception desks of hotels as well as in restaurant kitchens. Such programs have provided students with professional skills which they can count on for a successful future. You will stop at the school, meet with a public relations officer or a teacher and the students to learn how the school operates.

On the way to lunch you will stop and walk along the lively Banana Street (17th St.). The Banana Market is a bustling and lively street by the river where the bananas from the upper reaches of the river come to be handled by the wholesalers for distribution to the retail market in Yangon.

Lunch at the Shan Yoe Yar restaurant.

You will then go up PANSODAN STREET which is famous for some of Yangon’s most impressive colonial buildings. Arrive at MAHABANDOOLA ROAD from where you have a perfect view of SULE PADOGA, CITY HALL and HIGH COURT. Then cross the greens of MAHA BANDOOLA GARDEN.

Before you hit the shopping markets there will be a stop at one of the local tea shops.

From there head to BOGYOKE (SCOTT'S) MARKET with hundreds of food, clothes, handicrafts and gem stores.

In the early evening you will pay a visit to the busy area of CHINA TOWN including a Chinese temple.

Dinner at your hotel.

5OCT17YANGON – HEHO – PINDAYA – NYAUNG SHWE [B/L/D] Thursday

After breakfast you will be transferred to the airport for a domestic flight to HEHO. Upon arrival, it is a road trip to PINDAYA (59 km – 2h) and you will visit PINDAYA CAVES, a unique site housing thousands of Buddha images placed there by pilgrims and devotees from all over the world over the centuries. Then you will visit a workshop to observe paper making and wood carving as they make the traditional Myanmar parasols etc.

Lunch is at a local restaurant in Pindaya.

After lunch, drive (90 km – 2 ½ hrs) to Nyaung Shwe. Upon arrival, transfer to the hotel.

Dinner at the hotel.

Overnight stay at The Grand Nyaung Shwe Hotel or similar in Nyaung Shwe.

6OCT17NYAUNG SHWE - INLE LAKE - PHAUNG DAW OO PAGODA FESTIVAL [B/-/-] Friday After an early breakfast, leave (06:00 a.m) from the hotel.

Today will be the highlight as you experience the wonderful Phaung Daw U Festival. The festival lasts 18-days with the sacred barge being towed around the lake as it visits all the villages.

You will join the crowds of enthusiastic locals along the shore, watching the sacred barge pass by. The barge is towed by boats of ’leg-rowers’ and accompanied by many other different vessels as it heads back to the Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda, with the temple’s golden Buddha images on board.

Seeing the dozens of local Inthar villagers propelling their boats along with just the use of their legs in a colourful array of boats is a truly memorable experience. (Note: The Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda Procession is from 07:00am to 08:30 a.m).

You will re-visit the festival on Sunday to see the one-legged boat races.

Next, you will visit the Nam Pan local market (as per the 2017 market calendar).

OPTIONAL Cooking Class with lunch arranged by a local restaurant (cost US $40) 11:00/11:30 a.m You will be transferred to a restaurant and start a cooking lesson. The chef will tell you all about the ingredients. The cooking lesson will take place in a private area of the restaurant’s kitchen. 13:30 p.m At the end you will sit down to enjoy the special meal/lunch that you have prepared.

Return to the hotel. The rest of the day is at leisure.

Both lunch and dinner are to your own account except lunch for the cooking class participants.

7OCT17NYAUNG SHWE - INLE LAKE - INDEIN [B/L/-] Saturday After breakfast, you will take a trishaw ride to the jetty and board your boat to go to Inle Lake.

On Inle Lake you will visit one of the stilt buildings to see the making of the unique and popular Myanmar cigar (cheroot). From there you will proceed to the weaving village of INPAWKHON and one of the local markets in the Inle Lake region.

You will stop at Inle Heritage House in the middle of the lake. Inthar Heritage aims to preserve the cultural and natural heritage of the Inle Region. Burmese cats are part of this national heritage, and the Burmese Cat Conservation Program is well on its way to achieving its goal of the repatriation of the Burmese cat back to Burma as it has been lost from its origins.

Then you will visit the Hospitality Vocational Training Centre (IHHVTC) established in 2013. It is the leading hospitality training provider in the region, helping student to gain vocational skills.

Next you will visit the PHAUNG DAW OO PAGODA, one of the most sacred shrines in Myanmar, dating back to the 18th century. This is where the sacred Buddha image resides which is paraded around the lake on the barge during the festival which you are able to experience.

Lunch will be at a traditional Intha home. A traditional home cooked Shan lunch will be served by the locals in their home. Enjoy eating as the locals do, on the floor and on low tables.

After lunch you will continue by boat to the western shore of the lake where you will find the beginning of a path leading to the INDEIN PAGODA complex. Visit one of the most amazing historical sights on the shore of the lake consisting of hundreds of small stupas overgrown by moss and greenery.

On the way back there will be en-route stops at YWA MA village and to see the Padaung long necked women.

Return to your hotel.

Dinner is on your own account to explore on your own.

8OCT17 NYAUNG SHWE – INLE LAKE (BOAT RACING CEREMONY) [B/L/-] Sunday After an early breakfast you will leave from your hotel and get in your boats again to see the Boat Racing (closing ceremony) at Phaung Daw Oo pagoda.

Boat Racing competitions are the highlight of the festival with teams representing various villages around the lake using their skills and strength to compe in one-legged rowing races. (Note: Duration of the Boat Racing Ceremony: 09:00-11:00 a.m)

Around 11:30 a.m, transfer back to Nyaung Shwe and start a walking tour at 12:00/12:15 pm. You will need good walking shoes and an ability to tackle the walk as described. You will be transported to a starting point and begin your walking tour (20 mins) to the SOUTH HTA EAIN cave. On the way you will pass through a stream, see monks and an Intha village. Walk further on (5 mins) to NORTH HTA EAIN cave and see monks, a reclining Buddha, and the Snake Statue. Both caves are lime stone caves. Continue (20 mins) to HTA EAIN GONE village where the Inthar and Pa O people live. You will also see green tea, ginger, corn field etc. Then, 40 mins takes you to LWAL KIN village where you can see a primary school and a water project made by UNDP.

2:00 p.m – Late Lunch and talk with one of the local families in their home.

After lunch, you will walk (40 mins) to KANDAWKAN LAKE. From there you continue (15 mins) and reach a monastery.

Then you will be driven (30 mins) to Red Mountain Estate vineyards & winery for a wine tasting and relax overlooking the picturesque valley.

Return (20 mins) to the hotel by car.

OPTIONAL Cooking Class with lunch catered by a local restaurant (cost US $40) (for those not able or who do not wish to go on the walking tour) 11:30 a.m Transfer to a restaurant and start a cooking lesson. The chef will tell you all about the ingredients. The cooking lesson will take place in a private area of the restaurant’s kitchen. 1:00 p.m At the end you will sit down to enjoy the special meal/lunch that you have prepared.

Dinner is on your own account to explore once again.

9OCT17INLE LAKE – HEHO - BAGAN [B/L/D] Monday After breakfast you will be transferred to the airport for a domestic flight to Bagan.

Upon arrival you will visit SAT SAT YO Village which is a 45 mins drive from Bagan where village children wear an ancient hairstyle called “Sanyitwyne”. Before colonial times, all of the country’s boys and girls wore their hair in this manner. This village is the only place left in Myanmar where children still have their hair tied in this traditional style.

Lunch at Popa Mountain Resort.

After lunch you will visit MOUNT POPA itself. It is an extinct volcano with spectacular views. Mount Popa is a popular pilgrimage destination for Myanmar’s people. People travel here from far afield to worship various animist

spirits known as “nats”. 777 steps lead up to the shrine placed on top of the steep Popa peak. On the way back, you will visit a toddy palm farm before you return to Bagan. Toddy is the sugar extracted from the toddy palm from which they make sweets, alcoholic beverages etc.

Then it is back to Bagan.

If time permits, you will enjoy the sunset at the top of one of the temples.

Overnight stay at Myanmar Treasure Hotel or similar in Bagan.

10OCT17 BAGAN [B/L/D] Tuesday Breakfast at the hotel.

CYCLING TOUR (HALF DAY) There will be a choice today. You can peddle a bike, take it easy and hire an e- bike or travel in the coach. An e-bike is a battery charged scooter for which you do not need a license. You will see and experience more by bike however non-bike riders will be accommodated.

9:00/9:30 a.m - Leave your hotel and bike along to the local morning market in the New Bagan area. Upon arrival you will have the opportunity to walk through and observe the local’s daily lives.

After that, proceed by bike along local lanes and tree shaded roads past temples and monasteries to MYINKABAR, a village situated between Old Bagan and New Bagan (3½ km from New Bagan) to a famous temple called MANUHA.

Bagan is not only the site of ancient temples and pagodas, but also home to many villages scattered around the surrounding plains. You will visit a farmer’s house and a barber’s shop. Explore some traditional family business/home industries such as a lacquer ware works and the making of bamboo roofs and fences. Watch rice being pounded in the traditional Burmese way. These skills and processes have been passed down for generations. The tour proceeds with short visits to some local houses and the village monastery built in the traditional way. Walk through the village to the GUBYAUK Gyi temple with its superb mural paintings.

Before returning to the hotel you will visit SHWEZIGONE pagoda, ANANDA TEMPLE with its four magnificent standing Buddha images by bike.

About 1:00 p.m - Return to the hotel by bike.

E-bike option US$9

Lunch at a local restaurant.

TEA TIME AT MONASTERY (catered by a local restaurant) Around 2:00 pm you will be transported to one of the monasteries. You will be introduced to and be able to chat with the monks and their lay attendants called "KAPPIYA". You will have the chance to observe the religious side of monkhood and see how the monks practice their daily routine in a mood of peace, calm and silence. Enjoy tea or coffee under the shady trees, feel the

essence of a fresh breeze coming across over the trees in the monastery complex. Tea, coffee and dry snacks are served. Be calm.

In the early evening there will be a visit to the ARCHEOLOGICAL MUSEUM housing countless beautiful Buddha images made of bronze, stone and lacquer. Next is a visit to a lacquer ware workshop.

Complete the day by watching the sunset over the SHWESANDAW pagoda.

Tonight will be a home-hosted dinner with the locals.

Overnight stay at Myanmar Treasure Hotel or similar in Bagan.

11OCT17 BAGAN – MANDALAY – AVA- SAGAING - AMARAPURA [B/L/D] Wednesday After breakfast transfer to the airport for a domestic flight to Mandalay.

Upon arrival there will be a coach transfer and a short boat ride over the Myit Nge stream and then you will start exploring the former Royal Capital INWA (AVA) by horse cart. You will visit the NANMYINT WATCH TOWER, the remains of the ancient palace building, also known as “the leaning tower of Ava“, MAHA AUNGMYE BONZAN MONASTERY built of brick and stucco, BARGAYAR MONASTERY famous for its impressive ornate woodcarvings and teak posts.

Lunch at Small River Restaurant in Ava.

Continue then to SAGAING HILLS, a retreat for Buddhist devotees and visit the SWAN OO PONE NAY SHIN pagoda. You will also enter one of the monasteries and take a meditation lesson there.

Now that you are relaxed and calm there will be an excursion to AMARAPURA, 15 km from Mandalay to watch the sunset at the 200-year-old U BEIN teak bridge built in 1782.

Overnight stay at Mandalay City Hotel or similar in Mandalay.

12OCT17 MANDALAY [B/L/-] Thursday This morning will be an early morning departure from your hotel to a traditional Mandalay neighborhood to participate in the SOON OFFERING (food donation to monks). The Soon Offering is practiced throughout the country when monks line up along streets to receive food donations from the local people. From there, you will be able to enjoy the sunrise from MANDALAY HILL.

Transfer back to the hotel and have breakfast there.

After breakfast you will experience the sights and sounds of Mandalay such as the MAHAMUNI PAGODA followed by seeing the making of gold leaf by constant pounding.

Then you will continue on to the GOLDEN PALACE MONASTERY, a superb example of a traditional wooden building and the KUTHODAW PAGODA, the world’s largest book made of marble.

Lunch will be at a local restaurant.

Transfer back to the hotel. The rest of the day is at your leisure.

Dinner is on your own account.

13OCT17 MANDALAY – MINGUN - MANDALAY [B/L/D] Friday After breakfast you will be transferred to the jetty (09:30 a.m) for an excursion by boat on the AYEYARWADDY RIVER to MINGUN which is about 11 km (1 hour) upriver from Mandalay.

You will visit the MINGUN BELL, the world’s largest un-cracked bell weighing 90 tons, HSINBYUME PAYA and the impressive unfinished MINGUN PAYA.

Return to board your boat.

Lunch will be on board the boat as you return.

Return to Mandalay.

The afternoon will be free to explore on your own.

A Farewell dinner will be at a local restaurant on the banks of the AYEYARWADDY River.

14OCT17 MANDALAY - DEPARTURE [B/-/-] Saturday Breakfast at the hotel. This morning is free until your departure.

Transfer to the airport for your international flight.

www.globaltours.net.au | [email protected] | +61 431364136 | 0431364136