ON MYANMAR’S BACK ROADS

Arrival at Yangon International Airport. Meet & greet by your dedicated tour guide and transfer to your hotel for check-in.(Early check-in depends on official check-in time and room availability.)In the afternoon, visit and enjoy at the unforgettable Shwedagon Pagoda, world-famous; its golden stupa is the ‘heart’ of Buddhist Myanmar. The pagoda is believed to be 2,500 years old and the central stupa is surrounded by dozens of intricately decorated buildings and statues. There are always many Myanmar people praying and making offerings at the Shwedagon, and it’s a fascinating place to spend time watching the world go by… NOTES: Itinerary is subject to changes depending on your arrival flight time.
Overnight in Yangon

Breakfast at Hotel. Then start overland drive to Taungoo.[281km, 05 hrs driving time.](Overland transfer from Bago Yoma trip organizer)

Upon arrival to Taungoo, transfer to Hotel and check in. The rest times are leisure with your own arrangement to explore in Taungoo itself.

(B)
Breakfast at Hotel
Overnight in Taungoo

Early breakfast at Taungoo.Leave Taungoo about 6:00 am drive to elephant camp (2hr) and learn how elephants are working for the logging process (at the real elephant working site). Have lunch in the elephant camp, and then drive to Karen village (2hr). Dinner at Karen village.
Remark:

For permission to Bago Yoma, we would need passport copies of every client including front page with the client’s photo and the page with Myanmar visa.

Please warn the clients to wear long sleeves and bring both trekking shoes and flip flops. Clients staying overnights in the jungle should bring long sleeve clothes, torch lights, insect repellents, hats and towels.

We do not operate in April and May as the weather is too hot.
(B, L, D)
Breakfast at Hotel, Lunch will served at Elephant Camp and Dinner will be served at Karen Village
Overnight in Karen Village

Visit village in the morning, have breakfast and then drive to Pyay. (03 hours driving time.)
Upon arrival to Pyay, check in to your hotel. Afternoon, make a stop at Pyay’s busy night market selling fruit, vegetables, flowers and some local sweet delicacies.

(B)
Breakfast at Hotel
Overnight in Pyay

After breakfast at Hotel, ahead drive to the Sri Ksetra, Thayekhittaya or Hmawza, all of them simply refer to Pyay’s Ancient City, an important archaeological and historical site near Pyay. Then visit to the cemetery of Queen Beikthano, containing six funeral urns jutting slightly out of the soil.Continue the tour and pay a visit to some of Pyay’s most attractive pagodas “Shwe San Daw” and Se Htat Gyi Pagoda. The panoramic views from the pagoda are great and you’ll see the Sehtatgyi Paya, a giant seated Buddha, eye-to-eye with the Shwesandaw and watching over it.

(B)
Breakfast at Hotel
Overnight in Pyay

Breakfast at Hotel & start overland drive to Salay. (driving time is about 05:30 hr.) On the way, passing Tha Yat, Taung Dwin Gyi, Magway, Ye Nan Chaung.

At Ye Nan Chaung, visit Sa Nay Nan (Saturday) Pagoda. From there, you can see along the beauty of Ayarwaddy River for a lot of miles. Along the river, local people cultivate at sand bank yard except of raining season. From this Pagoda, also can see “Yanan Thar House” it is contained about 100 windows and colonial style old building. At evening, arrive to Salay and check in to your Hotel.

(B)
Breakfast at Hotel
Overnight in Salay

After breakfast at Hotel, visit the famous monastery “Yoke-Sone-Kyaung’’(closed on Monday & Public Holiday) which is a cultural heritage site in Salay, which in situated on the eastern bank of the Ayeyarwaddy River. It is famous with its spectacular woodcarvings and also it is the native town of the famous writer Salay U Pone Nya during the time of the Myanmar Kings. Salay Yoke Sone Kyaung was built in AD 1882. There are very beautiful artistic work woodcarvings around it and also ancient Buddha image, utensils of Yadanabon 19 century period, and the museum of Myanmar famous writer U Pone Nya in Salay Yoke Sone Kyaung.

Then, continue to Mt.Popa and upon arrival at Mt.Popa, take a short rest at Popa Mountain Resort.Mount Popa itself is 1,518 m. high, but our visit focuses on Popa Taungkalat, 737 m. high, its cone-shaped form actually being the core of an extinct volcano. It is also the home of Myanmar’s 37 most important nats (spirits), housed in a shrine at the foot of Taungkalat.

After that, drive back to Nyaung-U, en route, stop for an interesting visit at “Paing” roadside shop. Here, you can observe how locals climb up toddy trees to harvest the toddy juice. Depending on the time of day, the taste is sweet or rather more bitter. This juice is sometimes popularly called “sky beer”. The juice is also used to make toddy candy, popularly called “jaggery”. Another product is palm oil, and even the leaves are used to weave baskets. In addition, you could witness how in a very local style they use the same to make local alcohol, for drinking or for house medication.Then, continue transfer back to your Hotel in Bagan.

(B)
Breakfast at Hotel
Overnight in Bagan

After breakfast, start your Bagan sightseeing tour with Nyaung U Local Market. The market is big and colourful, and quite busy at this time of day.Next a visit to see the golden stupa of Shwezigon Pagoda, which is Bagan’s most important reliquary shrine. Continue to Ananda Temple, a whitewashed masterpiece of Mon architecture with four standing Buddhas. After that, make a photo stop at the tallest temple measuring 61 m. – Thatbyinnyu known as ‘temple of omniscience’ and dating from 1144.
See Dhammayangyi, a massive-looking temple dating from 1170 which is famous for its interlocking mortar less brickwork. Visit Nanpaya Temple, built in the Mon style with intricate stone carvings, and said once to have been Manuha’s residence. See the four Buddha images in Manuha Pagoda and then stop at Myazedi Stupa to see Myanmar’s “Rosetta Stone”, bearing inscriptions written in four languages.In the afternoon, take a break from temples & pagodas, and wander through the village to see how the local people live. Then, enjoy the sunset time with a charming one and half-hour horse-cart ride which will eventually bring you to the place, featuring Bagan’s largest terrace, whence you can enjoy magnificent views over Bagan’s vast temple area around sunset time.

(B)
Breakfast at Hotel
Overnight in Aung Ban

Breakfast at Hotel. Transfer to Nyaung U domestic airport for flight to Heho. Arrive there, transfer to your Hotel for check in. Drive to Ywar Ngan Village and visit the Blue Lake Lagoon (Yay-pyar Lake), the water is amazingly transparent and we could see fishes swimming peacefully around the branches of trees inside the lake. Also visit Danu villages near Blue Lake and you can observe their daily life activities in there.Then, continue to the Forest Water Fall, in Burmese name –Tawkyal Waterfall. The waterfall as well as blue lake has been looked after by the monastery nearby and they try to clean the lanes and make sure tourists are safe.In the afternoon, continue your visit to Main Ma Yae Taung (Thakhinma Hill). You can see the panoramic colourful view from the hill top.

(B)
Breakfast at Hotel
Overnight in Aung Ban

After breakfast at Hotel, transfer by road to Nyaung Shwe, the gateway to Inle Lake, which is a most spectacular attraction of Myanmar. On the way you, stop at the monastery built of teak Shweyanpyay, where you can admire intricate wood carvings and craftsmanship objects of the monks. When you reach the top of the lake, then continue by boat on the Inle Lake and transfer to your Hotel for check in.Then, start your tour with Ywama village, one of Inle’s most attractive villages. Continue by boat to visit Nga Phe Kyaung, primarily of interest for its extensive collection of Buddha images made of different materials, and in various styles and sizes.

Next, visit Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda, the holiest religious site in southern Shan State. Its five uniquely shaped, gilded, but relatively small images are carried around the lake by boat during the annual Inle Boat Procession (usually in the period September / October). Time is permitting, stop at several workshops on and around the lake such as a cheroot (Burmese cigar)-making workshop and a boatbuilding workshop.Transfer back to your hotel.

(Please note that due to safety reasons night transfers by boat on the lake are not allowed by company policy. Thank you for your understanding!)

(B)
Breakfast at Hotel
Overnight in Inle (Nyaung Shwe / Inle See)

Visit the 5-Day Rotational Market Day Event, which today happens to be at Inle area. Very Popular & Colorful Day!!!After breakfast at Hotel. Today we go to Samkar, a region of Inle Lake to the south location. The breathtaking scenery of the region with rugged mountains, small villages and numerous fishermen on the water provides some of the most beautiful places in the Shan province. Sit during the boat trip back and enjoy the stunning scenery. Once in Samkar visit the “sunken” stupas. The 108 stupas dating from the 16th – 17th century are part of a couple of months a year under water. After visiting a small monastery we continue to the village of Pa-Oh, Shan and Inthar, which is known for its rice wine production. Watch the distillation process and taste even the local brewers certificates. Afterwards, on the west bank of Sagar region is Tar Kaung, which provides a perfect backdrop for a photo with a collection of more than 200 stupas. In the afternoon,return back to the hotel.

(Please note that due to safety reasons night transfers by boat on the lake are not allowed by company policy. Thank you for your understanding!)

(B)
Breakfast at Hotel
Overnight in Inle (Nyaung Shwe or Inle Lake)

Breakfast at Hotel, transfer to Heho domestic airport for departure flight back to Yangon by morning flight. Upon arrival, you can explore the city in a very special way: with the extra slow moving circle line! The train drives circular of Yangon’s main railway station to the surrounding areas outside the city limits. The Yangon circular train is the essential transportation link, mainly for the lower social classes, as other forms of public transport are considerably more expensive.

On the way, the action is not only taking place outside of the train, but you will get the chance to mingle with the local crowd. There is also opportunity to observe workers, students, government staff, and all sorts of vendors & hawkers plying their trade.

At the stop of station which is busy market place, get out and see one of the most beautiful station buildings of Yangon. During a rickshaw ride through a suburban Yangon experience the bustling daily life of the locals up close. Lots of interesting goods offered on the market and maybe you buy here one last souvenir. Then, continue with a visit of Bogyoke Aung San (Scott) Market(closed on Mondays and public holidays) to discover Myanmar’s wide range of handicrafts. No doubt you will find your preferred item to take back home as a remembrance of your trip to The Golden Land.

Drive through the heart of downtown Yangon, and enjoy some of the best that colonial-style Yangon has to offer such as the High Court building and The Government Telegraph Office on Pansodan Street; both were built in the 1920s & 1930s.And then transfer to downtown area and sightseeing through visit Chinatown with its many shops and stalls offering every thinkable commodity one can get. And then, walk by Indian Quarter and soak up the sounds, smells and colors of typical Indian herbs & spices on display in many shops and stalls.Continue sightseeing of Yangon, walk along Yangon river to see the busy harbour area, from where ferries leave for Pathein in the Delta and for upcountry towns along the Ayeyarwaddy River and can enjoy the Sunset time at the Yangon Hobour Front.Then, transfer back to Hotel.

(B)
Breakfast at Hotel
Overnight in Yangon

Breakfast at Hotel. At the convenience time, transfer to Yangon International Airport for your departure flight.(Remark: Late check-out depends on the official check-out time and room availability.)

(B)
Breakfast at Hotel