'Exclusive Travel Experience with Myanmar Tourism Services'

Tour Code        : MTS-MHG-141
Tour Duration : 14 days / 13 nights
Route                : Yangon – Mandalay – Pyin Oo Lwin – Hsibaw -
                              Mandalay - Bagan – Heho – Inle – Heho –  
                              Yangon
Vacation Type : Tour
 

This program is brought to you for your visit around Myanmar including its main tourist destinations. Explore from Yangon – the garden city and the main gate way to Myanmar to Mandalay – the culture canter and its environ, Amarapura – city of Immortality, Sagaing – the Place of Meditation and Mingun - home of the world biggest ringing bell. And Pyin Oo Lwin – the city of flowers stands on a plateau, 1000 meters up in the Shan hill and Hsibaw – on the road side of Mandalay Lashio and on the way exciting passing the famous Gote Hteik viaduct over hundred years ago, Pindaya - a cozy town and famous for its Shan paper parasol and Inle – the tranquil lake of the leg rowers.

The Village near Bagan is really interesting and where you can find an old noodle cottage, betel shops, barber shop (if you wish to, you can try it) and way of local people daily life. You will find the local peoples and landscape beyond your imagination.

Trekking around Hsibaw is not so hard and you could observe tea-leaf plantation, orange plantation, pineapple plantation and Palaung hill tribe’s ways of life. Boat trip along the river is beautiful scenery. You will find the local peoples and landscape beyond your imagination.

The Gote Hteik Viaduct was built in 1901 by an American company the Pennsylvania and Maryland Bridge Construction and completed in 1913. It is a structure of steel trestle construction for railway line to Lashio and it was 2260 feet long and was built 320 feet high above a deep valley connected with two edges. The both side of the cliffs are 550 feet high above the small river that flows under the rock. Although the viaduct was bombed in the WWII, Myanmar railway repaired the bridge. Due to its technical and natural condition it was considered as a magnificent of the world standard. Mr. Paul Theroux said his book "The Great Railway Bizarre" called the viaduct" a monster of silver geometry in all the ragged rock and jungle…its presence was bizarre". It is the most important viaduct in Mandalay Lashio rail-road section and the second highest viaduct in the world.

The experience of journey by trains around Myanmar will be very unique. Even though it is not so comfortable, the trip is so interesting and it has many opportunities to explore untouched places.

Transportation between each destination by domestic flight on Air Mandalay or Yangon Airways or Air Bagan (F-100 or ATR-72/42) can be done throughout the year.

Detailed Tour Program

Day 01: Arrival Yangon
Arrive Yangon international airport, welcome by tour guide. Transfer to the hotel for check in. Visit Chauk Htatt Kyi (the six storied in meaning but actually the huge reclining Buddha Image, Sule (the eight sided stupa located at the center of Yangon, the Independent Monument. Visit Shwedagon Pagoda, famous worldwide – its golden stupa is the ‘ Heart ’ of Buddhism Myanmar. The Pagoda is believed to be 2,500 years old and the central stupa in surrounded by dozens of intricately decorated buildings and statues. And overnight stay at hotel in Yangon.

Day 02: Yangon Mandalay Amarapura Sagaing Mandalay (B)
After breakfast at the hotel, transfer to Yangon International airport for flight to Mandalay. Mandalay, the commercial centre and cultural tourism site, was established in 1857 by King Mindon, Arrive at Tada Oo International airport and direct sightseeing to the ancient city of Amarapura. Visit to Mahagundayone Monastery to study the daily life of the monks observing Buddha scriptures, U Bein Wooden Bridge (1.2km long) across Taung Tha Man Lake. And then drive to Sagaing and visit Kaung Mu Daw Pagoda which is the copy of Mahaceti Pagoda in Siri Lanka and Sagaing Hill the center of Meditation. Then drive to Mandalay and check in at the hotel. Overnight at hotel.

Day 03: Mandalay Mingun Mandalay (B)
After early breakfast at the hotel, transfer to the jetty to take a boat trip to Mingun. Visit Mingun Unfinished Pagoda, Mingun Bell, one of the world largest hanging bronze bells and Myatheindan Pagoda. After sightseeing in Mingun, sail back to Mandalay. Afternoon visit Mahamuni Buddha Image, Zegyo Market and some of Mandalay’s cottage industries, such as weaving and tapestry making, Burmese candy making, Bamboo fan making near Eindaw Yar Pagoda, Atumahsi Monastery and Shwenandaw Monastery (Golden Palace Monastery), Kuthodaw (Maha Lawkamarazein Pagoda) which is famous as the world largest book of many stone slabs on which is inscribed the whole Buddhist Literature.. Enjoy the panoramic view of the city from Mandalay Hill. Overnight stay at hotel in Mandalay.

Day 04: Mandalay Pyin Oo Lwin (B)
After having breakfast at the hotel, drive to the hills from Mandalay for a visit of Pyin Oo Lwin (Maymyo), a former British Hill Station. The road winds steeply through flower, fruit and vegetable gardens. Arrive at Pyin Oo Lwin and check in hotel. Visit the National Kandawgyi Gardens, which were laid out by Sir Harcourt Butler, the former governor of Burma - flowerbeds are similar to those you would find in an English country garden! The garden is recently renovated and the name has changed to "Kandawgyi National Botanical Garden". Then drive through Maymyo on a “pony coach", giving you the chance to admire the brick and timber houses, complete with English style gables, turrets and chimneys. Overnight stay at the hotel in Pyin Oo Lwin.

Day 05 : Pyin Oo Lwin  Hsibaw(B)
Breakfast at hotel. . Transfer to train station and depart to Hsibaw by first class. On the way, you can see Gote Hteik Via-duct. Arrive Hsibaw and transfer to the Guest House. Visit Haw Nan (Old Palace of Shan Prince). Overnight at hotel.

Day 06: Hsibaw Trekking (B/ L)
Breakfast at hotel. Transfer to the jetty and take a boat trip along Doatdhawaddy River for 1 ½ hours and continue trekking to Palaung Hill Tribal Villages. You can observe Orange plantation, Tea plantation and Pineapple Plantation on the way. Enjoy picnic lunch at a village. Return to Hsibaw. Overnight at hotel.

Day 07: Hsibaw Mandalay (B)
Breakfast at hotel. Drive back to Mandalay. On the way visit Bawgyo Pagoda – famous of Hsibaw. Arrive Mandalay in the evening and transfer to the hotel. Overnight at hotel.

Day 08: Mandalay Bagan (B)
Breakfast at the hotel and transfer to the jetty to take a boat trip to Bagan situated in Central Myanmar, on the east bank of the mighty Ayeyarwaddy River. Arrive at Bagan in the evening. Overnight stay at hotel in Bagan .

Day 09: Bagan (B)
Option: Balloon Over Bagan (BOB)
It is a unique opportunity to see the Bagan with ‘BALLOONS OVER BAGAN’. You get a magnificent birds-eye view of thousand year-old pagodas, temples and the mighty Ayeyarwaddy River as it has never been seen before. The balloon is guided by gentle winds not exceeding 24 km/h. Eight/Six passengers plus a pilot fit into the balloon’s basket. The champagne flights at sunrise last just under an hour and take off daily from October through March. Price is US $ 250 / pax. Due to the limited capacity, advance bookings at an early stage are highly recommended.

After breakfast, start whole day sightseeing of Bagan’s most important temples and pagodas ranging from the temples with the earliest wall paintings to the prototype pagada the influenced the designs of later Buddhist monuments. Tour highlights include colorful Nyaung Oo Market, and Shwezigon Pagoda – built by King Anawrahta in the early 11th century as a religious shrine, then go to Ananda Temple – King Kyansittha’s masterpiece and the crowning achievement of the early style temple of architecture, next is Thatbyinnyu Temple – the highest building on the Bagan plain, after that visit to Htilominlo Temple – the largest temple of Bagn – noted for its fine plaster carvings and glazed sandstone decorations. In the afternoon observe the process of traditional lacquer ware, one of Myanmar’s best known handicrafts and a specialty of Bagan. Then visit Manuha Temple, Myingabar Gubyaugyi Temple – an early period Pyu-style temple of Hindu influence with some of the oldest mutual paintings in Bagan and Dhamanyangyi Temple noted for its remarkable brickwork. Lastly watch sunset over the Ayeyarwaddy River from Buphaya or Shwesandaw Pagoda. Overnight at hotel in Bagan.

Day 10: Bagan (B)
After breakfast, visit tropical village to visit an old Noodle Cottage and observe the daily life the people in Taung Bi Village. Afternoon visit Kyaugu Umin Temple, which is an interesting rock cave tunnel, and Nagayon, an elegant and well preserved temple containing many Buddha images, the main one which is twice life size and shelters under the hood of a huge serpent. Overnight at hotel.

Day 11: Bagan Heho Inle (B)
After breakfast, transfer to the airport to leave for Heho. Arrive at Heho Airport and drive to Nyaung Shwe and transfer to hotel by boat to Inle Lake. Being located at the 900 meters above sea level, Inle Lake is the second largest natural lake in Myanmar with hazy blue mountains as backdrop. After lunch, visit Indein Village, located at the western side of the lake. Passing Nyaung Ohak Monastery and follow a stair path lined up with many hundreds o wooden columns, you finally will reach the impressive Shwe Indein Pagoda Complex. From the hillside you have great view over the lake area. On the way back to the boat, walk through a romantic bamboo forest at the riverside, where you may observe local people having a bath. Overnight in Inle lake region.

Day 12: Inle (B)
In the early morning, breakfast at hotel and visit Phaungdaw Oo Pagoda, the most famous pagoda of the Shan State. Ywa-Ma village, gold and sliver smiths’ workshop. After lunch, visit Jumping Cat Monastery and floating gardens, local methods of fishing, village life and the famous leg rowers. In the evening, enjoy the sunset while visiting the Inle Lake by boat. Overnight at hotel.

Day 13:  Inle Heho Yangon (B)
After breakfast, transfer to the Heho Airport and flight back to Yangon. On the way to the hotel, visit Kabar Aye (the World Peace pagoda) and Maha Pasana (the great cave for Buddhist synod) and check in at the hotel. After lunch shopping at Bogyoke Market (Scott’s Market) of hundreds of shops where you can find local products such as Gems & Jewelry , slippers, cloth, and so on. Evening stroll along the China Town and study the ways of living of Yangon citizens (which can observe the tradition and modern costume). Overnight stay at hotel in Yangon.

Day 14: Departure Yangon (B)
Breakfast at hotel. Leisure till the flight time. Transfer to Yangon International Airport for your departure flight to conclude this unique experience.