16-Day Myanmar In-Depth Tour with Irrawaddy Cruise

Mingelaba! Flying into Mandalay and you will be warmly greeted. Transfer to hotel and relax for the rest of today.

Mandalay is the last royal capital and it was founded by King Mindon in 1857 in attempt to fulfill a Buddhist prophecy that a great city will be established in the 2,400th jubilee of Buddhism at the foot of the hill that is Mandalay Hill.
Start today with a visit to Kuthodaw Pagoda and the World's Largest Book , located at the north-western corner of the palace, where you can see hundreds of small tablets revolving around a main pagoda and each tablet tells a piece of life story of Buddha.
Driving west out of Mandalay, you will reach Mahagandayon Monastery before lunchtime. Thousands of monks line up in silence to receive food, which makes an impressively solemn sight. Have lunch at a riveside restaurant.
Travel across the river and you will visit Inwa Ancient City with its Inwa Palace and the still-living monastery for numbers of monks, Bagarya Monastery.
As the sun slowly sets, you will take a boat trip to watch the teak wood bridge U Bein Bridge soaked in beautiful light.

Humble monks at Mahagandayon Monastery in Amarapura

Local people get up early for a holy ceremony at Mahamuni Pagoda, as early as at 0400am before the sun comes up. Include yourself, why not? Get to the pagoda before the daily Face-Washing Ritual starts. You will see villagers bringing their offersing, chanting and sitting in the main chamber as a presiding abbot cleanses the face of the giant Buddha image. This ritual goes on for 1 hour and then you will return to hotel for breakfast and check out.
Around 0900am, set out to Saigaing Pier, one hour away from Mandalay. Board your cruise and enjoy a cocktail welcome by the crew.
A delicious lunch will be served on board at 0100pm while you are approaching to Yandabo Village. An English-speaking tour guide of the cruise will take you onshore for a sightseeing in the village.
Despit of its size, Yandabo Village has an important role in Myanmar's history for it is the location where The Treaty of Yandabo (which ended the First Anglo-Burmese War) was signed on 24th of February 1826. This treaty forced Burma to open up to the British colonists. Nowadays it is just a peaceful village of 300 houses and most dwellers are potters. You will have a chance to see the process of pottery before returning to the cruise.
The cruise reaches Shwe Nann Tint in the evening. Moor near the village and enjoy a starry night on the cruise.

Enjoy Burmese dancing and singing onboard of your cruise

Have a fresh coffee on the sundeck. When the ship is moving slowly onto Bagan, an outline of the ancient city merges in the morning mist. Get onto the shore for a short visit at a riverfront village. At 0930am, you will disembark at the pier of Bagan, where you will meet up your private tour guide and transfer.
In the afternoon, visit Shwezigon Pagoda, which is the first Burmese-style pagoda and all pagodas across Myanmar are built based on its grandiose pattern. Constructed in 1060, it is still the most worshiped shrine in Nyuang U of Bagan. Take a look at what's inside a villager's dinner basket at Nyuang U Market before getting back to your hotel.

Two novices and a local granny in the village of Bagan

Today you may have a late start since we only have one major site to cover: the Bagan Archaeological Zone.
The wide-sprawling complex covers a land of 40 sq miles and consists of over 2,000 temples, pagodas and towers. Built by different kings during mid-to-late 9th century, most temples and pagodas are left hollow and un-attended yet some are still in use as spiritual centers. Your local tour guide will pick some temples for you to visit, including the most famous Ananda Temple, Bupaya Pagoda, Dhammayangyi Temple and Htilominlo Temple. After lunch at a local NGO-run restaurant, the trip continues. At the evening, you will take an Ox Cart Ride to soak up in the beautiful sunset.

Sunset View of Bagan

One of the most-practiced religions in Myanmar, besides Hindu and Buddhism, is Nat Worship. Nat Worship predates Buddhism and it explained that everything has its own spirit. King Anawrahta of Bagan, who founded the first Burmese empire during his regime from 1044-1077, set up the official institution of 37 nats, some of which are souls of those who died tragically and remain unsettled, roaming the earth.
During today's 1 hours of driving, you will have the chance to explore the rural life of Myanmar. At a local village, you will see palm-tree climbers get up to the treetop to collect palm juice for making sugar; then you will see how locals extract oil from peanuts and sesames in old-fashioned way.
After we arrive at Mountain Popa, you will visit a sanctuary of the 37 nats and learn about interesting stories. Later, climb up 777 stairsteps to reach the summit where Popa Taungkalat Monastery awaits. The mountain is 1518 metres above sea level and views at hilltop takes in the Bagan plain with numerous temples.
Lunch will be served at a mountain top resort facing Mt.Popa. Get back to Bagan in the afternoon.

Mt.Popa in mist viewd from afar

Fly to Heho, the airport city for Inle Lake in Taunggyi District, Shan State. Transfer to Kalaw and check in hotel. Free to walk around this peaceful town.

Located at an elevation of 1320 metres, the former British hill station Kalaw enjoys a mild and cool climate and offers perfect trekking with natural landscape and laid-back hill tribes. A trek in Kalaw is like traveling back in time to see what life was like without electricity, internet, expresso machine, cars and drinkable tapping water.
At sunrise, have a fresh coffee and breakfast at your hotel before we hit the road. Trekking 9km from Kalaw gets you to our first destination Ywa Thit Village, home to the humble Palaung People. The Palaung is a Mon-Khmer ethnic group living in Myanmar, Thailand and south-western part of China and they live mainly on agriculture and weaving.
Going through the forest in the afternoon provides you a nice journey to Kalaw Reservoir. The reservoir was built in the 1920's and some endangered bird species have been found and recorded here, including red-headed vulture, Mrs.Hume's pheasant, oriental pied hornbill and sarus crane.
Stretch your legs after today's trekking on the way to Inle Lake, which is about 1 ? hours by car.

A villager drying chilli under the sun in Ywa Thit Village

Ever wonder how the villagers living in the floating houses get their daily suppliers? Today you will check out the 5-Day Market of the lake.
Your journey goes on after a lunch in a floating restaurant, next stop is Phaungdaw Oo Pagoda, the most worshipped shrine of the lake. During festivals, four Buddha images will be carried by boat on a river parade over the lake.
As your boat gets into some smaller waterways, you will have a chance to spot those legendary fishermen who row their flat-bottomed boats with only one leg. Learn about how the locals grow tomoatoes, lentils and other vegetables in the floating gardens. Get back to your hotel and rest at leisure.

Humble houses on stilts in Inle Lake

A narrow and twist creek connects Indein Village with the massive Inle Lake and it makes a great day trip to the famous Indein Pagoda Complex.
Paddling a canoe into the complex brings you into a fascinating world: farmers tendering the floating gardens by both side of the creek, villagers loading up goods to their boats and children over the floating houses waving hands to you from afar. The first-reached site is Nyaung Ohak, a hidden locale with hundreds of brick pagodas. Take an easy walk to Shwe Inn Dain Pagoda (Shwe Inn Thein), which is scarterred with over 1,000 pagodas.
Have lunch in a floating restaurant and return to your hotel in the early afternoon.

Sculptue of a holy angel in Indein Pagodas

Fly to Thandwe and we have arranged you a transfer to your hotel. Free at leisure for the rest of today.
Burmese people are relatively shy and they avoid too much body exposal or affection display in public. It is also nice to respect their culture and lifestyles while sunbathing on the beach.

Enjoy your free days in Ngapali Beach!

The unexploited beach of Ngapali is known as one of the best in Asia

Have some free time in Ngapali Beach and then fly to Yangon. On the way from the airport to downtown, you will make a stop at Aung San Suu Kyi's House, which is the witness of her unjustice capture of over 15 years.
Have lunch in a local restaurant and return to your hotel for a rest. Feel free to wonder around the streets. Visit U Thant House, here you will learn about anecdotes regarding this former UN secretary.
Get to the icon of Yangon, Shwedagon Pagoda before sunset, which is the best time for an amazing view of its gold-and-jew-layerred stupa.

Splendid night view of Shwedagon Pagoda

Usually people don't see Yangon as a metropolise as the city is rather laid-back compared to Bangkok, Singapore or Ho Chi Minh City. Today take a train ride around the city to observe the cityscape.
Take a fun ride on Yangon Circular Train and you will be granted a great opportunity to watch the local commuters on their ways to school, workplaces or markets. After 30 minutes, get off at a local market in the Insein Station and saunter through lines of veggie and fruit vendors, eventually meet your private transfer at the exit.
Get back to downtown for a simple lunch at a local restaruant before your visit to the National Museum of Myanmar. A good collection including historic relics and household items is on display at this museum, providing an outline of the country.
Proceed to Bogyoke Aung San Market, which is named after General Aung San. No matter you want to do some memorabilia or just browsering, this place can be an intriguing experience.
The last stop will be Chaukhtatyi Paya, widely known of the gigantic reclining Buddha.

School kids playing in the street of Yangon

Good time always flies fast. Today you will say goodbye to this amazing country and fly back home. Hope to see you again soon!