Day 1. Arrival at Yangon Airport.
Day 2. Have breakfast at your hotel. Enjoy a full day excursion in the colonial city of Yangon culminating in a visit to the breathtaking Shwedagon Pagoda.
Day 3. An early start today to transfer to the airport for your flight to Mandalay. Upon arrival check into your chosen hotel before continuing by car to the mighty Ayeyarwady River for the one hour boat ride to Mingun, home of the huge and famous unfinished Pagoda. Return to the city via Kuthodaw Pagoda, ‘the world’s largest book’ and enjoy the panoramic sunset views over the city from Mandalay Hill.
Day 4. Enjoy your breakfast then embark on a tour of the ancient cities area to the South of Mandalay. Continue in the afternoon onto Sagaing, the religious centre of Myanmar home to some 500 pagodas. Sunset photographs at the famous U Bein Bridge.
Day 5. Relax today and watch the rural heartland of the ‘Dry Zone’ of central Myanmar slowly drift by on the Ayeyarwady River boat journey to Bagan. We will pick you up and check you in to your hotel on arrival.
Day 6. Optional dawn champagne balloon ride over the pagodas of Bagan. After breakfast enjoy a full days exploration of the Bagan archaeological zone including highlights such as Shwesandaw and Gawdawpalin. Spend some time observing the work at a lacquer ware factory and watch the sunset from one of the tallest pagodas.
Day 7. A second full day to explore this ‘tentative’ world heritage site. Visit the Shwezigon Pagoda dating from the 11th Century, Htilominlo and the famous Ananda Pagoda amongst others. Sunset views from a different pagoda.
Day 8. Today we take to the hills on the Mt Victoria jeep safari. Meet up with WWII jeep and guide and hit the dirt roads to Mindat at a cool 1482 metres.
Day 9. Today we continue to Che Chaung and a short trek to a Chin village to observe life in this remote area. The villages boast sacrificial posts, a symbol of wealth. Some of the older Chin women have tattooed faces, a custom dying out in the modern age. Overnight in a local home adorned with animal skulls.
Day 10. Continue by jeep this morning into the National Park. We climb through levels of evergreen forest and pine to the Rhododendron forest. From here we trek through excellent birdwatching territory to the summit at 3180 metres. In the afternoon we return to the jeeps and drive onto the old colonial town of Kampalat.
Day 11. Today is spent in and around the town of Kampalat, visiting local animist Chin settlements to observe their way of life.
Day 12. Today we head off back down the dusty dirt roads to the Ayeyarwady River before arriving back in Bagan late afternoon.
Day 13. After your breakfast transfer to the airport for the short flight to Heho. On arrival your car will meet you for the scenic drive to Inle Lake, a ‘tentative’ world heritage site and ASEAN heritage park. Take to the water in the afternoon for your first tour of this beautiful area.
Day 14. A full day on the lake today. Photograph the Intha fishermen’s leg-rowing technique, meet the local tribal people and observe the fascinating local cottage industries. Visit the now famous ‘jumping cat’ monastery and Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda with its five sacred gold-covered Buddha images.
Day 15. Breakfast at your hotel then meet your guide and car for the drive to the Pa O ethic village of Kyauktalone. We then continue though farms and hills to the areas main attraction, the 2,500 pagodas of Kakku. After exploring this lovely area drive to the market town of Taunggyi before returning to the Inle area.
Day 16. After breakfast take a drive through the hills and farmland to the famous Buddha-filled caves at Pindaya. Continue after lunch to Hheo airport and your flight to Yangon. A car will meet you on arrival and transfer you to your chosen hotel.
Day 17. Enjoy your breakfast before meeting your driver for the car transfer to Ngwe Saung Beach. On the way, stop by the Delta town of Pathein and look around a parasol workshop. Arrive early afternoon at the resort of your choice.
Day 18 – 20. Simply relax and enjoy the ambiance on this huge, palm-fringed beach. If you want to escape the resort, take a boat trip to Bird Island for snorkelling or spend the mornignat an elephant camp.
Day 21. Have a last, leisurely breakfast at your resort before the private car journey back to Yangon. The route takes you through the Ayeyarwady delta area, one of the most densely populated rural areas of the country.
Day 22. Depart from Yangon Airport.
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