Nature of Myanmar (17 days / 16 nights)
YANGON – BAGO - INLE LAKE - TREKKING IN KALAW - Mt. POPA - BAGAN - DELUXE RIVER CRUISE - MANDALAY - PYIN OO LWIN - YANGON
Day 1: Yangon
Arrive in Yangon International Airport. Welcome by the local guide and drive to the city. An orientation tour is arranged in the city of Yangon which is known as garden city with colonial buildings. In the afternoon, visit the magnificent Shwedagon Pagoda and enjoy the time at the pagoda platform until the sunset.
Overnight in Yangon
Day 2: Yangon (Bago)
Breakfast at the hotel. Drive to Bago (85 km, about 1 1/2 hrs), the ancient capital of Mon. On the way, stop at Htauk Kyant War Cemetery with the graves of 27000 Allied soldiers who died in the Burmese and Assam campaigns of WWII. In Bago, visit the main market, Shwesandaw Pagoda, Mahazedi Pagoda and Shwetharlyaing reclining Buddha. Then visit a village for traditional cotton weaving and cheroot-making (Burmese cigars). In the late afternoon, drive back to Yangon. Transfer to the hotel and time at leisure.
Overnight in Yangon
Day 3: Yangon - Heho - Inle Lake
After breakfast at the hotel, transfer to the airport and flight to Heho. Welcome and drive to Nyaung Shwe (about 1 hr) which is the gate way to Inle Lake. The Lake is 22 km long and 10 km wide and with the depth of about 3 m. It is one of the most beautiful places of the country which is surrounded by the mountains on the high land of Shan State. Take a private boat and start the visit in the floating villages with floating gardens where vegetables and flowers are cultivated. Visit some villages with traditional production of Shan paper-umbrella, and cotton- and silk-weaving. Then visit venerable Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda. Finally, transfer to the hotel and time at leisure.
Overnight at Inle Lake
Day 4: Inle Lake (Sagar)
After breakfast at the hotel, start the day-excursion to Sagar which is the newly opened archaeological site of Inle region to the visitors. You will cruise along the canal which is surrounded by paddy fields, bamboo forests and small villages. Visit Tar Khaung Village for its ancient pagodas, and production of traditional alcohol which is made up of sticky-rice. Visit Sagar Village for its famous ancient temples. Back to the hotel in the late afternoon.
Overnight at Inle Lake
Day 5: Inle Lake - train to Aung Ban - Kalaw
After breakfast at the hotel, transfer back to Nyaung Shwe by boat. Then drive to Shwe Naung (about 30 min), take the train to Aung Ban. During the train trip, enjoy the beautiful landscape of Shan State and see the ways of life of people of the region. You will arrive in Aung Ban in the early afternoon. Get off from train and drive to Kalaw (about 30 min). Transfer to the hotel and time at leisure.
Overnight in Kalaw
Day 6: Kalaw - trekking to Hin Khar Kone Village (B/L/D)
After breakfast at the hotel, start the trekking in the area of Kalaw. You will walk for about 4 hrs on the hillock to Hin Khar Kone Village where Palaung tribe is living, by passing the paddy-fields, and many plantations such as cheroot-leaf, tea-leaf, maize, orange, etc. After having a picnic lunch on the way, visit some near-by villages of Danu and Taung Yoe tribes.
Overnight in a house of Hin Khar Kone Village
Day 7: Hin Khar Kone - Kalaw
After breakfast, depart from the village and take the way back to Kalaw by visiting some other villages such as Shar Pin and Lu Kin. After having a picnic lunch on the way, you will slowly back to Kalaw. Check-in at the hotel and time at leisure.
Overnight in Kalaw
Day 8: Kalaw - Mt. Popa (free day)
After breakfast at the hotel, depart for an overland drive to Mt. Popa. It will take about 6 hrs (216 km). On the way, there will be some stops at the villages to see the ways of life of people there. Check-in at the hotel and time at leisure.
Overnight in Popa
Day 9: Mt. Popa - Bagan (free day)
Breakfast at the hotel. Visit Popa Taung Kalatt (777 steps) and free time at leisure to enjoy the pleasant view of tropical region. In the late afternoon, drive to Bagan (about 1 1/2 hrs) and check-in at the hotel.
Overnight in Bagan
Day 10: Bagan
Breakfast at the hotel. The guide will meet you at the hotel. Start the discovery in the archaeological site of Bagan with over 2229 monuments. Visit the major temples and pagodas. Enjoy a private horse-cart tour on the pagoda plain and take an experience of beautiful sunset of Bagan from a temple.
Overnight in Bagan
Day 11: Bagan - RV Paukan (B/L/D)
After breakfast at the hotel, visit the interesting local market in Nyaung U. Then transfer to the jetty and check-in for the river cruise to Mandalay (embarkation time is 11:30 am, cast off time is at 12:00 noon). Welcome Cocktail will be served in the Saloon cruise up-river. In the late afternoon, there will be a stop at a typical river village.
Lunch, dinner and overnight on board of RV Paukan
Day 12: RV Paukan (B/L/D)
Enjoy the sunrise. Breakfast on board. Cruise all day with a stop at Yandabo Village, a river village specialized in pot-making, where the peace treaty of First Anglo-Burmese war was signed on 24th Feb. 1826.
Lunch, dinner and overnight on board of RV Paukan
Day 13: RV Paukan - Mandalay
Enjoy the sunrise. Breakfast on board. Disembarkation in Mandalay at around 09:30 am. The local guide will welcome you at the jetty. Start to explore in the last royal capital: Mahamuni Buddha, stone-carving, tapestry, gold-leaf making, Kuthodaw Pagoda which is known as "the world's biggest book", Shwenandaw Kyaung Monastery with golden teak-wood carvings. Finally, enjoy the time on Mandalay Hill with pleasant overlooking view on the city and surrounding.
Overnight in Mandalay
Day 14: Mandalay (Mingun, Ava, Sagaing)
Breakfast at the hotel. Full day excursion to the old cities around Mandalay. Private boat trip to Mingun will take about 1 1/2 hrs up-stream. Visit Mingun Pagoda (unfinished pagoda), Mingun Bell (the largest intact bell of the world), and Sinbyuma Pagoda. In the afternoon, back to Mandalay by boat and continue visit in Ava (an ancient capital) by a horse-drawn cart and Sagaing Hill which is famous as retreat for Buddhist devotees.
Overnight in Mandalay
Day 15: Mandalay (Amarapura) - Pyin Oo Lwin
After breakfast at the hotel, depart for Amarapura, one of the ancient capitals, and visit its famous Buddhist monastery where 1000 monks live and study. Then drive to Pyin Oo Lwin (May Myo), about 1 1/2 hrs drive. On the way, visit coffee cultivations, vegetables, flowers and fruits plantations. In the late afternoon, you will arrive in Pyin Oo Lwin, check-in at the hotel and time at leisure.
Overnight in Pyin Oo Lwin
Day 16: Pyin Oo Lwin - Mandalay
Breakfast at the hotel. Visit the famous National Kandawgyi Park (Botanical Garden) and visit some of water-falls of Pyin Oo Lwin. In the afternoon, drive back to Mandalay, check-in at the hotel and time at leisure.
Overnight in Mandalay
Day 17: Mandalay - Yangon - Departure
Breakfast at the hotel. Flight back to Yangon. Transfer to Yangon International Airport for departure.