Discover a country of mythical landscapes, ancient treasures and some of the friendliest people you have ever met at your Myanmar Discovery Tour. From golden-gilded Buddha’s in Yangon and the magical temples of Bagan to the tranquility of Inle Lake, Burma excites, impresses and intrigues you. Experience the rarely seen sights and generations of stories just waiting to be told in your Burma adventure.
Fly to Yangon, Burma’s biggest city. To get a taste of this wonderful city, take a walk to the Victorian Strand Hotel to admire both the colonial architecture and the bargaining madness of Bogyoke Market. Visit the holiest of all shrines at Shwedagon Paya. The most religious site within Myanmar, said to contain 8 hairs of the Buddha, it glitters with gold, 5500 diamonds and hundreds of other precious gems on the hill overlooking the city. Find a bit of extra time, Yangon has many cultural delights and excellent sights on offer.
Head out to catch early flight to the ancient wonder of Bagan. Spreading out across the horizon are the peaks of 4,500 brick and gilded ancient temples. Explore the temple site in all the atmosphere of this stunning sight. Steer through the large and impressive, such as Ananda Pahto , Dhammayangyi Pahto and Shwesandaw Paya and capture the wonderful opportunities to climb stairwells to get the magic photo moments. Enjoy sunset at the nearby Shwezigon Paya and feast on local delicacies opposite these 1,000 year old temples. Consider catching a colorful marionette performance while sampling some traditional Myanmar cuisine. Grab a map of the Bagan Archaeological Park and explore more temples or paya. Check out the Archaeological Museum, relax at Bamboo Garden with a latte, or sip a martini at the Beach Bar on the banks Ayeyarwaddy River during sunset. Take a day trip out to Mt Popa – a single mountain which juts out of the countryside, topped with monasteries and stupas.
Travel over Ayeyarwaddy River towards Mandalay. Ayeyarwaddy River commercial waterway gives you a glimpse into remote rural life, whether that be fishermen casting their nets in search of the days catch or farmers breaking husk from their harvest. On this waterway, you travel a route that provides excellent photographic moments and some of the most scenic backdrops in the entire country. Catch an array of smoke signals rising from the canopies of simple dwellings and local villagers playing in the river, as you let the world unfold before you.
Be part of Mandalay, once known as ‘the golden city’ – the last capital of the former Kingdom of Myanmar, abolished in 1885 by the British as a result of the 3rd and final Anglo-Burmese war. Visit to the impressive Mandalay Hill. Lord Buddha is said to have left his mark on this mountain in the form of a footprint, signaling wealth and prosperity for the land standing before it. Discover all the glittering stupas, colorful mosaics and sensational lookout points as you relish in sunset views over the city. Travel by river to the World Archaeological site of Mingun, with the world’s largest uncracked bell and glistening white stupa; or jump on a trishaw and check out the city, visiting the sacred Buddha image of Mahamuni Paya along the way. Covered in a massive 6 inch layer of gold leaf it is said to be more than 2000 years old and bears a perfect likeness to the Lord Buddha.
Pass the impressive U Bein’s Bridge, the world’s longest teak bridge. Heading along the ‘great road of China’ (the new super highway built by the Chinese), make your way into the mountains of Shan state which offer stunning scenery and some fine opportunities for photo stops. As a former British hill station Kalaw makes a welcome retreat from the heat of the lower lying areas while the surrounding hills are the home to various ethnic minority groups, including the Palaung, Danu and Pa-O.
Setting off across the mountains and plateau crammed with farms, make a stop at the caves of Pindaya. As one of the ‘Golden Caves’ in Shan state, pilgrims flock to worship the 8000 or so Buddha images which adorn the caverns, tunnels and meditation chambers of this huge limestone cave. Venture into the labyrinth of tunnels to gain a better insight into its history. Pushing on towards Taungyi, take the turn off to the resort town of Nyuangshwe, set at the northern end of Inle Lake.
Traverse through Inle Lake, the life-blood for many ethnic minority communities found in stilt houses in lake’s shallow fringes and surrounding areas. Head out in motorized boats and enjoy the sight of rowing of local fishermen casting their nets. Sail to all the temples around the lake.
Come and discover a little bit of Myanmar’s exciting, impressing and intriguing magic in South East Asia.
