The Road Into Burma from Thailand Into Myanmar 25
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THE ROAD INTO BURMA FROM THAILAND INTO MYANMAR 25 FEBRUARY TO 19 MARCH 2017 THE ROAD INTO BURMA Modern Burma offers us a series of contradictions and makes a fascinating country to visit. We will enter the country close to the route of the ‘Burma Railway’, the name given to the railway access from Thailand constructed under the Japanese during the Second World War by prison- ners of war, with terrible loss of life. We will visit some of the war graves, as well as the bridge over the River Kwai. In Moulmein we will see the stupa celebrated in Kipling’s poem The Road to Mandalay. In Yangon, former Rangoon, and colonial capital, a number of interesting early 20th century buildings have survived which make for a good city walk. In Bagan, a landscape filled with stupas amongst the acacia trees is one of the most extraordinary sights imaginable: during the medieval period it’s been calculated that a new stupa was erected every few weeks. The tran- sition, in recent years, from military dictatorship to democracy has had us all rivetted: we have witnessed the extraordinary tenacity of Aung San Suu Kyi as she has gone from political prisoner, Nobel prize winner, to elected politician. Our journey through the country continues to the very peaceful lake at Inle. Here our hotel is raised on stilts over the lake water. We will travel to Man- dalay, whose heart is formed by a huge moated palace. In the hills above the city is the colonial summer capital at Pyin Oo Lwin, complete with clocktower, botanical gardens and half timbered houses. From here we’ll take the train over the Gokteik Viaduct, which was one of the highest trestle viaducts in the world when it was built in 1900. HIGHLIGHTS Leave Bangkok by train Bagan: a stupa-filled landscape Bridge over the River Kwai Inle lake Hellfire Pass Mandalay and U Bein’s teak bridge Moulmein The train over the Gokteik Viaduct Yangon’s old colonial buildings Led by Rufus Reade JOURNEY DETAILS The Itinerary street food vendors to renowned Location Thailand and February 25 Thai-Chinese diners. Overnight Myanmar Direct flight from London Heath- in Bangkok. Dates 25 February to row at 15:00 to Bangkok with 19 March 2017 British Airways (upgrade from February 28 £510) We’ll catch the stopping train Duration 22 days. from Thonburi Train station to Max 12 travellers February 26 Kanchanaburi (due to arrive at Price £5495 Arrival into Bangkok at 09:25. 10:50). After lunch we’ll transfer Single room supplement £1750 Transfer to our hotel, U Sathorn to our hotel, U Inchantree Kan- Deposit £750 Bangkok, where rooms have been chanaburi. We plan a late after- Tour Code AV/RR 02/17 held overnight. Breakfast and a noon walk to see the Pak Preak What’s included Direct flight free morning before we go out community, lined with charming with B.A. London/Bangkok, for to learn more about the Art shop houses built during the flight from Mandalay to Bang- and Culture of Bangkok’s Klongs reign of King Rama V (died 1910). kok, three internal Burmese (a snack lunch box): this half-day flights, accommodation in 3 cultural tour in a private long-tail March 1 boat takes us along Bangkok’s After breakfast we will visit Hell- star hotels and best available ancient canals, past shops, houses, fire Pass, a particularly difficult guesthouses, all meals unless temples and residences in a range stretch of the Burma Railway to stated (no lunch & dinner in of architectural styles. Early sup- build. Lunch at a local restaurant Inle on one day), all land trans- per before returning to our hotel. near the bridge over the River port by train and by road as Kwai. After lunch, we can visit described in the itinerary, en- February 27 one of the Memorial Museums, try to all the sites mentioned, After breakfast we’ll catch the and the POW Memorial Ceme- and all tips. The tour is escort- Skytrain before getting onto the tery. Dinner at hotel. Overnight ed by Rufus Reade. public boat, (often used by Bang- in U Inchantree Kanchanaburi. What’s not included: Person- kok commuters) to see Wat Pho al travel insurance, drinks, and the Grand Palace. After lunch March 2 we will boat along the Saen Saeb We will leave Kanchanaburi to laundry, phonecalls, and your canal. One of our visits will be to drive for about an hour to the visa(s). Jim Thompson’s House Museum, Thai/Burma border. After cross- Operated by: Ammoun which showcases the history ing the border we’ll continue by Voyages, Creative Exchange, of the famous and mysterious road to Dawei (about 4 to 5 hours) 29 Constitution Street, American silk merchant. Dinner along the newest of the border Edinburgh EH6 7BS at Yaowarat, Bangkok’s China- crossing roads. Dawei was one For more information contact town: we’ll walk through this dis- of the first cities settled in by the Rufus Reade@blueyonder. trict and taste the cooking from British after the first Anglo-Bur- co.uk or 0131 554 1078 7 famous eateries, ranging from ma wars. In the evening we will visit Paya Gyi museum Shwe Mandalay. Overnight in Mawle- Mon-style Shwemawdaw Pagoda Taung Sar Pagoda. First of two myine. is the most outstanding religious nights in Dawei at the Golden monument in Bago. Bago is also Guest House. March 6 a centre for local textiles. Just It’s a 4 hour drive to Kyaikhtiyo. before reaching Yangon we will March 3 We’ll need at this point to trans- stop in Htaukkyan to visit the We will spend the day seeing lo- fer into an open-topped truck for Allied War Cemetery. This beau- cal industries (rubber, drying fish, the 45 minute final ascent to get tifully landscaped, peaceful area processing cashews and beetle to within striking distance of the is the final resting place for more nuts). Overnight in the Golden Golden Rock: this huge boulder, than 27,000 Allied soldiers who Guest House, Dawei. covered by gold leaf, is delicately died fighting in WWII. During balanced on the edge of a cliff. our time in Yangon we will stay March 4 The Golden Rock is one of Myan- in the Belmond Governor’s Resi- After breakfast we will drives to- mar’s main pilgrimage sites. The dence. wards Moulmein/Mawlamyine. pagoda here is said to hold a hair We will stop in Thanbyuzayet of the Buddha. Overnight near March 8 where there is a well-kept Allied Golden Rock at the Mountain Top Our city heritage tour will in- War Memorial Cemetery. Over- Hotel. clude the Secretariat, the former night in the Strand Hotel, Maw- headquarters of the Irrawaddy lamyine. March 7 Flotilla Company, the Armenian We’ll need to go down the hill in Church and Gandhi Hall. We’ll March 5 the same fashion as we came up pause for lunch at the House of City tour of Mawlamyine, which in an open-topped truck, before Memories Restaurant, where deli- will include the bustling co- we begin the drive to Yangon. cious Burmese cuisine is served in lourful central market, Zeigyi En route we’ll stop at at Bago, an historic colonial home. and other city buildings. After which was the capital of the Mon Afterwards we’ll visit Aung San lunch we can head to the eastern Kingdom in the 15th century. The Old House, the former residence mountains to visit Kyaik Thanlan Pago- da, the city’s landmark. Perhaps this is where Rud- yard Kipling was inspired to write his famous poem, The Road to of General Aung San, father of learning about the craft of Aung San Suu Kyi. The home lacquer making. Seeing this now houses memorabilia of the landscape from one of the former independence leader. We higher terraces of one of the can continue to see the house of temples at sunset (possibly the former U.N. Secretary Gener- also at sunrise) is one of the al, U Thant. In the late afternoon/ pleasures of being here. There early evening it will be lovely to will be an opportunity to visit the Shwedagon Pagoda the cruise on the Irrawaddy Riv- most revered Buddhist temple er. One evening we can enjoy in Myanmar. We’ll return to our dinner at Nanda Restaurant hotel for dinner. with a Puppet Show. Three nights in the Aye Yar River March 9 View Hotel (swimming pool), After breakfast we’ll transfer to Bagan. the airport for our flight to Bagan (Nyaung Oo). From the 11th to March 12 13th centuries, when Bagan After breakfast, transfer to was the capital of Myanmar, the Bagan Airport for our flight to rulers constructed thousands of Heho: we’ll drive to Kakku see huge stupas and temples many of the 5200 individual stupas, which are still standing today on some of which are 20 metres the banks of the Irrawaddy River. high. The stupas may date to the the local tribes (Pa-Oh, Inthar and 11th-13th century, the same peri- Shan) coming to buy and sell. The March 10 & 11 od when Bagan was thriving. We most important temple on the During our time in Bagan we will are now in the Pa-O tribal area: lake is the Phaung Daw Oo Pago- see some of the major sites as well our guide will introduce us to da with 5 sacred Buddha images. as giving you time to relax, and their villages and customs. Over- Near the temple is the boat house to explore independently.