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Essential Myanmar 9 days

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Hanoi Voyages > Panorama > Essential Myanmar 9 days
HIGHLIGHTS

Immerse in spiritual and architectural beauty
From the magnificent temples of Mandalay to the mystic ancient temples of Yangon, discover Myanmar’s timeless charm and explore the countries’ religious pagodas, cathedrals, mosques and royal palaces such as Shwedagon, Kuthodaw or Amarapura.

Admire Burmese authentic landscape
Watch the twilight casting its shadow around U Bein Bridge, or simple roam around the plains of Bagan.

Get up close to Burmese culture and traditions
Observe local fishermen going their daily routine on Inle Lake, and participate in trekking and experiencing local life in the village of Indein.

Essential Myanmar map
Itinerary

Day 1Mandalay - Arrival

  • A Hanoi Voyages representative will welcome you when you arrive at the airport and transfer you to your arranged accommodation where check-in time is 2:00 pm
  • Let the excitement commence!

  • Highlight experience: Traditional Vietnamese food

Day 2Mandalay - Amarapura - U bein Bridge

Explore highlights of the largest city, known as the “Golden City”, and also the cultural and religious center of Buddhism in Myanmar:

  • Visit the Atumashi and Shwe Nandaw monasteries to see extremely fine hand-carved teak motifs, adorning these magnificent architectural buildings and housing beautiful marble sculptures.
  • Head to Kuthodaw Pagoda, a set of Buddhist stupas housing the largest book in the world and a vast collection of seminal texts engraved on marble headstones, each nestled in a small white temple
  • Explore the Arakan Pagoda, also known as the Mahamuni Pagoda, which houses a Buddha from the ancient Arakan Kingdom, conquered by the Burmese. This highly revered Buddha is covered in gold leaf.

Head to Amarapura, Myanmar ultimate royal capital

  • Stop at a silk weaving workshop known for their exquisite merchandise
  • Stroll along the legendary U Bein Bridge and enjoy special atmosphere as the late afternoon sun casts long shadows and illuminates the local people heading home

Overnight in Mandalay
Highlight experience: Overlooking the marvelous landscape view from the U Bein Bridge.

 

Day 3Mandalay - Bagan

Explore the life at the river during a nice walk along the majestic Irrawaddy River and visit a local market where all kinds of exotic fruits and vegetables are sold.
Travel to Paleik, which is known locally as the home of the snake temple:

  • Ready to witness a snake washing which is supposed to bring fortune and luck
  • Explore the ancient Ava temples that span around Paleik
  • Afterwards, enjoy the beautiful landscape along a new, scenic road to Bagan

Overnight in Bagan
Highlight experience: Observe the snake washing ceremony in Paleik

Day 4Mandalay - Free Time (Kandawgyi Botanical Garden - Pyin Oo Lwin)

  • Pyin Oo Lwin is a former health resort in central Burma with many colonial buildings. Located not so far from Mandalay in the centre of the country, the city is a charming place with a beautiful botanical garden. It has also appeared in various movies and videos.
  • After breakfast, head to the botanical garden
  • En route, cross a small picturesque market of Pyin U Lwin
  • Visit the Kandawgyi Botanical Garden, with alluring flower gardens, charming little lake, bamboo groves and over 144 species of blooming trees, flowers and butterflies
  • Explore the nearby zoo and meet interesting species of birds, including toucans, peacocks, black swans, …
  • Return to your hotel in Mandalay

Overnight in Mandalay
Highlight experience: Botanical Flower Garden of Kandawgyi

Day 5Bagan - Kalaw

Leave Bagan and start off the day with an overland trip (6 hours) to Kalaw, founded as an upper station by British officials who wanted to escape the plain’s heat to find pure air. Kalaw has a pleasant atmosphere, lush green and great trekking paths:

  • Pass through the Shan hills on a winding road and gather amazing impression of the rural Myanmar
  • Explore the town ad breathe in the local charm

Overnight in Kalaw
Highlight experience: Local discovery in Kalaw

Day 6Kalaw - Inle Lake

A short visit to the local market then be transferred to Kalaw train station for a journey to Inle through magnificent mountain scenery.
In Inle lake, find yourself surrounded by a completely aquatic landscape, see how everyday life is transformed by its proximity to, and dependence on water.

  • Cruise past floating villages and note the bamboo houses on stilts, specially designed to avoid flooding and their “floating gardens”
  • Observe the daily activities of the local leg-rowing fisherman
  • Visit Nga Hpe Chaung Monastery, which houses loads of early Shan Buddha Images
  • Learn about traditional Intha handicrafts such as incredible woven trinkets from lotus silk, boat builders, cigar making workshop, blacksmiths or even silversmiths

Overnight in Inle
Highlight experience: Witness Inle Lake’s fishermen with their unique fishing style

Day 7Inle Lake - Indein

Inle lake’s morning market is open every day apart from dark moon and full moon calendar days. The market’s location rotates between the lake’s villages in a 5-day schedule. It is visited daily by the lake’s inhabitants as well as the surrounding natives who also come to sell and trade their wares.
Head to Pa-Oh village of Indein, located on the western shores of Inle Lake on an hour boat ride down a small canal

  • Stroll around the village and ascend to the summit for mesmerizing views of the placid surroundings
  • Visit Indein Pagoda complex which is undoubtedly one of the most amazing sites around the shore of the lake and it consists of hundreds of small overrun stupas
  • Embark on a gentle trek to Sae Ma village, observe the daily lifestyles of the rural inhabitants
  • Learn more about history and culture of the lake’s indigenous people and taste a delicious coffee and cake at Inthar Heritage House

Overnight in Inle
Highlight experience: Tasting delicious local desserts at Inthar Heritage House

Day 8Inle Lake - FLY - Yangon - Highlights

Enjoy the last boat ride to Nyaung Shwe then be transferred to Heho airport to settle into a morning flight to Yangon. Arrive and be welcomed by our guide and be transferred to the centre to explore the capital city of Myanmar.

  • Visit Kyaukhtatgyi Pagoda to see a 70m long reclining Buddha statue around the size of a blue whale
  • Catch a view of Karaweik Hall, a reproduction of a royal barge and enjoy a spectacular view of the Golden Shwedagon Pagoda
  • Visit legendary Shwedagon Pagoda, the most important religious site for the Burmese, witness colors transform on the 100m chedi which is literally enclosed in over 40 tons of gold leaf
  • Check out the dragons statues and incense of the colorful Khen Hock Keong Chinese temple
  • Explore the vibrant street stalls where vendors sell all kinds of fruits, vegetable and other goods or simply just walk around and soak in the atmosphere of this little China in Yangon.

Overnight in Yangon
Highlight experience: Shwedagon Pagoda’s structure

 

Day 9 Yangon - Departure

Free time until your transfer to the airport for your departure flight

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EXTENSION

BEACH BREAK - SIHANOUKVILLE
Mandalay - Bagan - Cruise
BANGKOK DISCOVERY - THAILAND

Lounge on the beach and let the sand kiss your toes!
Sure, Sihanoukville (ក្រុងព្រះសីហនុ) would never win first prize in a pretty-town competition. But despite the rapid and mostly unwanted development, it has remained the jumping-off point for the best of Cambodia’s white-sand beaches and castaway-cool southern islands!

Day 1 – ARRIVE IN SIHANOUKVILLE Ready your senses for something truly exceptional? Sihanoukville is worth the wait. This destination is the perfect tropical paradise for your getaway. Wide boulevards and white sandy beaches signal relaxation and happiness, the Ochheuteal and Serendipity beach is an attractive seaside stopover.

Day 2 – TREKKING – WATERFALLS The Kbal Chhay Waterfalls are a tiered, 14-metre drop in the middle of extensive forests, with loads of food stalls, picnic spots, hammocks and local shops selling all manner of useless stuff to help you while away a very relaxing few hours in between splashes.

Day 3 – DIVING OR SNORKELLING The best time of year to go diving or snorkelling in and around Sihanoukville is December to April when the dry season and currents mean that visibility is at its best. On the other hand, while conditions might be less ideal in quiet months you’ll get more of that ocean all to yourself. Cambodia does offer some of the cheapest scuba-diving in the region in some of the least crowded waters.

DAY 1. MANDALAY – SAGAING & AVA
Board the luxurious cruise on the riverside of Mandalay. Today you will head to Sagaing and the former royal capital of Ava.

DAY 2. AVA – YANDERBO The cruise will continue to the village, Yanderbo. You can explore the village on foot while looking at the techniques and skills to produce a variety of pots. Try making one of your own. The evening has an open air cinema under the stars on the sun deck showing classic movies.
DAY 3. PAKOKKU – BAGAN  The stop of today is the old trading town on the western riverbank of the Ayeyarwady, Pakkoku. Right before arrival, you will see the longest bridge in Myanmar. This town is known for its small industries like Cherrot-rolling factory and producer of flip-flops.

Pakokku is also well known for the production of tobacco, so if you look for buying Burmese cigars, this is the place. In the afternoon you reach Bagan, the city with over 2.000 temples, stupas and pagodas, where you will visit the most remarkable once.
DAY 4. BAGAN The morning starts at the Nyaung-U market, which is a Burmese market where everything is offered. After the market, you visit the revered Shwezigon Pagoda and stop at a lacquerware workshop, which is a must-see of long-standing, fascinating craftsmanship. In the afternoon you can see an exploration of Myinkaba Village, where the Manuha Pagoda from 1059 is located.
DAY 5. BAGAN Enjoy a last breakfast on board before your cruise ends and your journey on the land of Ancient Capitals is over or can be continued with one of our other extensions offered.




 

BANGKOK – A vibrant city / 3 days 2 nights
Spice your holidays by stepping in a vibrant city, mixing modernity and spirituality. Stroll around golden temples and palaces. Get a shopping session through all of the markets of the city, and end your trip experiencing the Thai lifestyle for three days.
Day 1 – BANGKOK – ARRIVAL Spice your holidays and step into the vibrant city of Bangkok. After a short flight from Phnom Penh, settle in your hotel and start your Thai adventure. Relax and enjoy the amenities of your hotel before having dinner on the rooftop of one of Bangkok’s skyscrapers.

Day 2 – BANGKOK – HIGHLIGHTS After breakfast, visit the highlights of the city such as the Grand Royal Palace complex which includes the Royal Palace and the magnificent Wat Phra Kaew (known for the Statue of the Emerald Buddha), Wat Pho, a giant house of the lying Buddha or the Beautiful part of the Khlong with a mix of old wooden houses and new modern mansion. In the evening enjoy a drink on the rooftop of a bar and have a taste of Bangkok’s nightlife.
Day 3 – BANGKOK – MARKETS
After breakfast, relish the taste of the local snack and photograph the Maeklong railway market, slow down on the waterway to the picturesque floating market of Damnoen Saduak and experience the vibrancy of Bangkok daily routine.


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Handpicking tea in Vietnam

TRAVEL NOTE

TIME TO VISIT MYANMAR

DRY SEASON

Feb - Mar
Feb - Mar
Mar - May
The weather is hot and dry in the whole country
19°C–34°C (66-94°F)
The weather is the hottest, can reach up to 40°C
22°C–36°C (70-96°F)

WET SEASON

Jun – Aug
Jun – Aug
Aug – Sep
Consistent rainfall throughout the months
24°C-32°C (76°F-89°F)
Still rainy, but temperatures don’t drop much
24°C-30°C (76°F-87°F)

More information on best time to visit Myanmar here

PHYSICAL LEVEL

Cycling Tour:
Level:
This is a middle-level Cycling Tour, appropriate for kids over 6 years old
Kayaking Tour:
Level:
This is a low-level Kayaking Tour, appropriate for kids over 6 years old.

PASSPORT AND VISA

There are two options for a Burmese visa – Normal Tourist Visa (50USD) and Tourist Visa Express Service (56USD)

  • You will get a single entry tourist visa which allows a stay up to 28 days
  • Your passport must be valid 6 months after the expected date of your departure from the country
  • You have to upload one COLOR PHOTO (4.6 cm X 3.8 cm) taking during last (3) months
  • Visa exemption up to 14 days for some ASEAN Countries, and up to 30 days for a few Asian Countries such as Japan, China.

For more information regarding visa for Myanmar, refer to this page.

WHAT TO PACK

To make sure you will enjoy all of the activities included in this trip without missing of anything, here is a short list of what you should bring with you:
– Trekking shoes (or running shoes)
– Sunscreen
– Sunglasses
– A raincoat
– Insect repellant

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