Active Journeys Guided Road Bike tour

Burma Adventure

Burma, or Myanmar as it is now known, is the western gateway to Southeast Asia, strad‐ dling two of Asia’s great rivers and the mountainous foothills of the Himalayas. The diver‐ sity of its people, culture, and topography combined with a rich history, make it one of the region’s most fascinating and beautiful countries.

On this journey we explore central Burma, travelling from the Irrawaddy River plain up to the Shan Plateau and all along we will be greeted by warm, friendly people few tourists get to meet. From the heights of Mt. Popa we will cycle down to the ancient city of and cycle amongst the pagodas, stupas, and temples dominating a river valley that once formed the centre of a great and deeply religious empire.

A boat ride up the Irrawaddy will take us to ancient temples that we will reach by bicycle. We arrive at Kipling’s and explore the surroundings before we head up to the Shan lands, home to a multitude of tribal peo‐ ple, and a fantastic contrast to lowland Burma. In the mountains we enjoy cooler weather and the colonial charm of Kalaw, where the officers of the Raj went to escape the summer heat. We then head down to the wondrous Inle Lake and embark on a relaxing Tour Details 2013 full day boat trip where we can marvel at the Dates: Feb 17, Mar 17, May 19 Intha fishermen, who famously manage to Jul 21, Aug 18, Oct 20, Nov 17 row with their legs.

Length: 14 days / 13 nights Cost: $3725 per person Fast Facts Single Supplement: $750 • This trip offers the best of cycling on • Most meals and sightseeing tours as Bike/Equipment: $175 quiet country roads, and touring all of mentioned Grade: Intermediate the best sights in the country Starts: Yangon • 8 full days and 1 half day of cycling • All equipment and guide services Ends: Yangon • Internal flights included • Van support

Active Journeys Contact: 1-800-597-5594 or 416-236-5011 Email : [email protected] Itinerary: Day 1 Yangon Arrival Day We will meet at our Yangon hotel for a visit to Shwedagon Paya, Burma’s holiest religious site. We then have a welcome dinner.

Day 2 Yangon – Mt. Popa 30 km We have a morning flight to Bagan where we will meet our bikes. After a short transfer we start riding towards the spectacular hilltop temple of Mount Popa and stop to visit Popa , the the Nat Temple.

Day 3 Mt Popa to Bagan 85 km Wake up to superb views! We start with an easy bike down from your hotel to the base of Mt. Popa and ride to the thousands of temples of Bagan.

Day 4 Bagan Temples 30 km Bicycles are the perfect way to explore the temples of Bagan; we take a morning cycle around the Archaeological Zone before returning for a dip in the pool. The sunset ride, with views across the plains studded with chedis and temples, is something you will never forget.

Day 5 Bagan – Pakokku – Yayzagyo ‐ 70 m This morning we will drive to the Bagan Jetty for a leisurely boat journey on the Irrawaddy River to Pakokku. Once back on land we cycle towards Yazagyo where we'll visit the wooden Pakhangyi monastery that was built in 1886.

Day 6 Monywa – Po Win Taung – Mandalay 77 km We ride from our hotel to Myint Mu, stopping en route to visit the Hindu‐style Thanbodday Temple that has some 864 small stupas surrounding the central golden chedi and the Boditahtaung Pagoda which houses one of the largest reclining Buddha images in the world. Get your cameras ready!

Day 7 Mandalay – – – Mandalay 46 km From Mandalay we explore the towns of Sagaing and Mingun on the opposite side of the Irrawaddy River and visit the ruins of and the , the largest ringing bell in the world. In the afternoon we hop on a boat to take us downstream to Mandalay.

Day 8 Mandalay Rest Day A rest day to explore the markets and monasteries of Mandalay.

Day 9 Mandalay – Ywar Ngan – Kyone – Pindaya 72 km We have a long transfer this morning to head up to the Shan Plateau. We start cycling from Ywar Ngan through a patchwork of fields. Our destination is Pindaya, home to limestone caves that house thousands of Buddhas.

Day 10 Pindaya – Aung Ban – Kalaw 48 km Cycle through a beautiful rural landscape as the gently rolling hills take us to Aung Ban and then we have a climb up to the former colonial hill station of Kalaw.

Day 11 Kalaw – Inle Lake 95 km We leave the pine trees behind us and then continue coasting to Inle Lake. We cover many kilometres, but the last section has two sweeping downhills, which take us directly to the shores of Inle Lake.

Day 12 Inle Lake We give our legs some rest and enjoy a full day boat trip on Inle Lake. We take in the five‐day market, Indein temples, floating gardens, monasteries and the Intha fishermen, who famously manage to row with their legs. Lunch is in a secluded bamboo forest by the lake. We then visit several Intha cottage industries. There are a variety of restaurants in town and dinner is your choice. Day 13 In the morning we transfer to Heho airport and fly back to Yangon. Day 14 The morning is free for shopping at Bogyoke Aung San market before heading to the airport for the flight home.

What to Expect Getting There What will the weather be like? Myanmar has a tropical climate with fairly high humidity. There are three seasons: • Flying into Yangon via the east from March, to June, it is hot and dry with temperatures between 27 and 35˚C. Eve- ning temperatures are in the 20s. July, to October, is Thailand’s rainy season. The or west. We generally fly via cooler months are from October to February. Average temperatures are between 20 Bangkok. From our Yangon and 30C. hotel we organize the first Trip Profile: This is a touring trip using mountain bikes and we cycle 515 km on country lanes transfer. and quiet roads. Though 95% of our riding will be on tarmac, the road can be in poor condition in spots. There is little traffic, even on the main highways, which makes for excellent bicycle touring. The first few days riding are flat rides or on gen- tle rolling hills and cut through rice fields, ancient cities and scenic countryside. Passing through many villages, you will find the people curious, friendly and polite. We share the road with ox carts, cyclists, and waving children. The sec- ond phase of the tour takes us east into the mountainous . There will be a long climbing day up to Pindaya, but there we'll take a rest day. The averagely fit cyclists will have no problems. The trip is fully supported; an air-conditioned bus follows us for the entire journey.

What are the hotels like? We use a wide mixture of accommodations. Hotels and guesthouses are of tourist class standard or better with private facilities and hot water. Facilities in the village stays are obviously quite limited, but we make sure you have clean bedding, mos- quito nets, and plenty to eat. We use several Asian style Inns or Lodges that are highly comfortable as well as being in tune with the local environment and spirit of this tour.

How to book your holiday

• Contact our office to make sure there is space available. One of our travel planners will walk you through the entire process.

Extra Services • Download the reservation form from our site and send in com- We have a small selection of hotels in for your pleted form by fax or email. Once this is done, your space is arrival or departure. confirmed and a pre-departure packet will be sent.

Hotels range from $70 per night to a deluxe 5* • A deposit is required immediately, and final payment is due 60 property at $300 per night. days prior to the trip departure. Terms & conditions are outlined in our Reservation Form. If you would like to spend a few more days in Thailand, please conatct our office with your • Plan your air travel as soon as possible. request and we will be happy to help you. We can book some beach stays in the southern part of • We encourage you to purchase travel insurance, either through Thailand, along with transfers. us or a travel insurance provider directly.

You can also choose to extend you holiday with a short option to Cambodia , Laos or Vietnam. We • Ensure you are in proper health for the trip chosen. Contact us, also offer a variety of shorter 4‐5 day options, for more information on vaccinations, inoculations, and fitness available in several different countries. We have requirements. both cycling and hiking options, so please feel free to contact us for more information.