Voorbeeld van 18-daagse reis op maat met soft trekkings(Loikaw en Kyaing Thung) en alle hoogtepunten Yangon-Mandalay-Inle-Bagan Day 01 Arrival Yangon (by morning flight) ( - / - / - ) Arrive Yangon in morning flight. You will be welcome by your tour guide and transfer to the hotel and relax at swimming pool or go for sightseeing first. Sightseeing in Yangon commences with a visit to city center and Sule Pagoda, the landmark of downtown Yangon, followed by a short walk to the Strand hotel, a relic of the colonial-era legacy which was opened in 1901 by the famed Sakies. Overnight at Yangon. Remark: Normal check in time is at 14:00. Early check in is subject to the availability and extra cost applied. NO GUARANTEE for early check-in will be provided. Therefore, we will go sightseeing first in Yangon and transfer to hotel in the afternoon. DAY 02 Yangon Sightseeing ( B / - /- ) Breakfast at the hotel. The full day tour of Yangon commences with a visit to Chaukhtatgyi, the colossal reclining Buddha followed by National Museum, a unique place to learn more about Myanmar, its culture and people. Afternoon sightseeing includes Bogyoke Market (formerly called Scott Market), where we can shop varieties of goods ranging from handicrafts to clothing and local food/ snack. We will visit Shwedagon Pagoda – an awe- inspiring golden stupa and view the sunset from there. If time permits, we will a walk at Chinatown area, the bustle point of Yangon. Overnight at Yangon. Remark: Museum and Market closes on Monday and Public Holiday. DAY 03 YANGON – LOIKAW (K7-442 1200 - 1300) / LOIKAW SIGHTSEEING ( B / - / - ) Breakfast at the hotel. Take a flight to Loikaw. (If time permits, depending on the flight time) ,welcome guests at the Community Centre. Visit the Kayhtoebo site and Hunting Shrine, to learn about local beliefs and spiritual life. In addition, enjoy an Ox Cart ride, via the Lotus Pond to the scenic 7 Lakes. Here, guests enjoy a delicious Kayah Barbecue with cultural exchange. Overnight at Loikaw. DAY 04 Loikaw Trekking: Trail of the Ancestors ( B / - /- ) Breakfast at the hotel. Guests arrive at Pemsong village. On arrival, guests are welcomed in a local home where you will enjoy a hot drink and a simple, local snack. Next, you will set off on a moderately challenging trek, through lush, shady, forest. After a short climb (30-40 minutes), guests enjoy over 3 hours of continual, great views. En route, local guides will show guests various edible plants and herbal medicines, used by community members in their ‘jungle larder.’A highlight of the trip is arriving at the original settlement of Pan Pet, perched on a mountain top, where evidence of past habitation is visible. This is considered one of the first Kayan settlements 1 of Kayah state. Guests also enjoy a pack lunch or jungle picnic.The trek ends in Rang Ku hamlet, where guests can meet the famous Kayan people (also known as Long Neck Karen), who are a symbol of Kayah state. Enjoy learning a few words of Kayan language and interacting with these fun-loving and artistic people. There are opportunities to buy local handicrafts. Difficulty grade: Moderately challenging trek (apr. 4-4.5 hours), with extended steep sections (30-40 minutes). Overnight Loikaw. DAY 05 Loikaw – Phekkon (car) – Inle (Boat) ( B / - /- ) Breakfast at the hotel. From Loikaw drive to Phekhone. Board on traditional long tailed boat and head south for Sagar village, 64 kilometers with approximately 3 hours by boat. On the way we may observe ways of life of Shan, Pa O and Intha tribes. We have lunch on the way and proceed to Phekhone through Sagar and Phekhone Lake encompassed by breathtaking and refreshing landscape along the Bilu Creek. Overnight Inle. DAY 06 Inle - Indein sightseeing ( B / - / - ) Breakfast at the hotel. We explore the southern part of the Lake by boat sailing through small twisting and turning creeks to reach Indein village. This small village located on the southwestern bank of the lake is famous for its ruined clusters of pagodas dated back to 16th century. The tranquil peaceful ambience and the ruins overgrown with bushes will bring you centuries back. In the afternoon we will visit Ywa-Ma village, gold and silver smiths workshop. In the evening, enjoy the sunset while visiting the Inle Lake by boat. Overnight at Inle Lake. DAY 07 PINDAYA – KALAW - INLE ( B / - /- ) Breakfast at the hotel. Drive 3 hours to Pindaya is a historic town situated about three hours drive from Inle Lake. The sightseeing highlights include: Pindaya caves – natural lime stone caves not only with numerous stalactites and stalagmites but also filled with about 8000 various sizes of Buddha images believed to be there since 11th century; and famous Botoloke Lake. Ethnic groups like Shan, PaO and Danu are living environs of Pindaya. The place nowadays is also famous for traditional Shan paper making and Shan umbrella making. Before driving back to Nyaung Shwe, visit Kalaw, an old British hill resort stands at the altitude of 1,315 meters, is also known as Pine Land because of its abundant in pine trees. The sightseeing includes: Shweumin natural caves; taking along the up-down meandering roads of Kalaw to have the panoramic view of Kalaw; old colonial style buildings from a hillock opposite of Kalaw. Overnight at Inle. DAY 08 HEH- KET(YH-737 1225 - 1500 )/Kyaing Tong Trekking ( B / - /- ) Breakfast at the hotel. Trasfer to Heho airport to take a flight to Kyaing Tong. Upon arrival Kyaing Tong take a rest at the hotel due to long flight from Heho to Kyaing Tong via Mandalay and Tachileik. Overnight Kyaing Tong. 2 DAY 09 Kyaing Tong Trekking 1 ( B / - / - ) Breakfast at the hotel. After one and half-hours drive to Tachileik direction, we arrive at Pan Kwai village where we will start our trek to Akha tribe villages at Hokyin area climbing the mountains passing through tea plantations. The trek will take over an hour to reach the first village. Visit around the village, meet and chat with villagers to learn their ways of life. Continue our trek to reach other villages in the region. Packed lunch will be served at one of the village houses. We will trek back using another trekking way while we can also see the sunset. Drive back to Kyaing Tong. Overnight Kyaing Tong. DAY 10 Kyaing Tong Trekking 2 ( B / L /- ) Breakfast at the hotel. We will visit the “ox and bull” market where different tribes around Kyaing Tong are gathering to trade oxen and bulls. Then we will drive north of Kyaing Tong until the place to start our trek to villages of Akha and Ann tribes in Pin Tauk village-tract. Chat and learn the ways of local life. We will arrive back Kyaing Tong around late afternoon time. Overnight Kyaing Tong. DAY 11 Kyaing Tong – Mandalay (W9 - 7224 1515 - 1620) ( B / - /- ) Breakfast at the hotel. Drive to Dhat Zoam Doi Ancient pagoda (the origin of Yangon Kaba-Aye). Akha’s Wan Sai village (not similar to Akha), Ann’s Ho Lung village beside the road. Naing Ngan Aye pagoda and ancient Buddha images. Preparation of departure to airport to Mandalay. Overnight at Mandalay. DAY 12 Sagaing-Mandalay ( B / - /- ) After breakfast at the hotel visit Sagaing, a former capital of Shan Kingdom and Myanmar Kingdom. Sagaing nowadays is renowned as the religious center of Myanmar because of over 400 monasteries spreading throughout the hillocks. After crossing the Inwa bridge (also called Sagaing Bridge), one can visit the Sagaing hill by trucks. The highlights include Soonooponyashin Pagoda, Uminthonese Pagoda, a thirty man made caves pagoda. Other highlights include silver smith and Kaunghmudaw pagoda – the gigantic stupa represent paddy heap. Afternoon sightseeing includes Mandalay Royal Palace – a well planned palace located at the heart of today’s Mandalay city; Atumashi monastery, originally believed to be the best teak wood monastery in architecture and art works until it was burnt down and nowadays a new building of similar prototype exists there; Shwenandaw monastery, still existing masterpiece of last Myanmar kingdom’s architecture in teak and wood carving; Kuthodaw Pagoda, renowned as the world’s largest book; and Mandalay Hill, regarded a natural watch tower in the plain region of Mandalay, to view the sunset. Overnight at Mandalay DAY 13 Mingun – Ava - Amaparura ( B / - /- ) 3 Breakfast at the hotel. From the Mandalay Gawwein jetty, we will take a short boat ride up river to reach Mingun, located at the other side of the Ayeyarwaddy River and north of Mandalay. The boat ride is always pleasant as one can learn the ways of local life along the river. Sightseeing highlights includes Pathodawgyi, believed to be one of the largest brick base in the world and it would be one of the wonders of the world in case if it was completed; Mingun bell, said to be world’s biggest un-cracked ringing bell and Myatheindan pagoda, represents for Buddhist cosmology Drive to Inwa, formerly known as AVA, a former Royal capital of Myanmar located at the confluence of the Ayeyarwaddy River and Myitnge River. After crossing the Myitnge River by small boat, taking a horse cart along the bumpy road to visit the ruins of the old royal capital includes the watch tower, the 27 meter tall leaning tower of old royal palace; Mahaaungmyebonzan monastery, the impressive brick and stucco monastery; Bargaya monastery, a splendid teak wood monastery with wood curving. Drive to Amarapura, former Royal capital of Myanmar but the suburb of Mandalay nowadays. Highlights include Mahargandaryone monastery, a typical monastic school; U Bein bridge, the world’s longest teak wood bridge across the Taungthaman lake, an ideal place to view the sunset also; and silk weaving factory.