Trip Highlights

• Visit the peaceful former capital Yangon with the awesome pagodas.
• Cruise on the tranquil Inle Lake and experience the unique lifestyle of local floating farmers.
• Explore the Ancient City of “Bagan”, home to thousands of temples dating back 1,500 years.
• Cruise on the mighty Irrawaddy River between Bagan and Mandalay to discover the local lifestyle.
• See the world’s largest book of Buddhism at the Kuthodaw Pagoda in Mandalay.
• Stroll at the “City of Immortality” - Amarapura and watch the sunset at the U Bein Teak Bridge.

Day 1 Arrive in Yangon

Flight: International flight on your own arrangement
Meals: D
Welcome to Myanmar, the country just opened itself to the world and now waiting people to discover its unique Buddhist culture and heritage.
Upon your arrival in Yangon, the former capital of Myanmar but nowadays one of the most developed city in Myanmar, your local guide will welcome you at the airport then escort you to hotel.
In the evening, enjoy a Myanmar royal style welcome dinner on a floating marble boat.
Overnight in Yangon.

Day 2 Yangon Capital Highlights

Meals: B / L
After breakfast, visit the downtown area to see the Old City Hall, and Maharbandoola Park. Then stroll along the old street ending at the old Strand Hotel. Next, drive to Botahtaung Pagoda which features golden decorations inside. Continue to Bogyoke Market which sells many Burmese traditional handicrafts including stone, wood and bronze carvings, and much more. .In the afternoon, visit Kandawgyi Park near Chaukhtetgyi Reclining Buddha Image – one of the largest in Yangon. Continue to the highlight of Yangon: the golden Shwedagon Pagoda, which has been described as one of the wonders of the world. Shwedagon plays a very important role in the Old Burmese History and also is an important Buddhist icon. Enjoy the sunset over the pagoda.
Overnight in Yangon.

Day 3 Fly to Heho Inle lake – visit Htat Eian Cave

Flight: Domestic flight is on Indochina Tour's arrangement
Meals: B
Date: Nov 08, 2019
Transfer to airport for onward flight to Heho where you will be picked up and transfer you to your hotel by the lakeside of Inle Lake.
Inle Lake locates in the highland of Myanmar in an altitude of around 3,000 feet above sea level.  Here you will enjoy different atmosphere and ambience from middle part of Myanmar.
After check in hotel you will visit Htat Eian Cave the interesting cave with many deep passageways and numerous Budda images there’s monk living there for praying and Meditating. Also a monastery nearby and you can chat with the monks.
Overnight in Inle Lake.

Day 4 Full day Inle lake tour with Boat Ride

Meals: B / L
After your breakfast around 8am and take a boat trip to Inle Lake (second largest lake in Myanmar). The Intha’s lives are centered on the lake - they live in stilted houses, grow produce such as tomatoes, melons, and papayas in a unique floating garden, and eat fish as a staple.
You will visit Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda, the most highly revered monastery in the Inle Lake area. Discover the traditional handicrafts silk weaving on wooden handlooms and a blacksmith shop.

Then, continue our boat ride to Nga Phe Chaung monastery, one of the oldest monasteries on the lake. The Buddha statues are more than 200 years old. On the lake, you can see traditional fishing methods by using the leg rowing technique. We proceed to the floating garden - Kyun-Hmyaw, which was built-up from strips of water hyacinth and mud, dredged from the lake bed, which breaks down into a rich humus; it take 50 years to produce a layer of 1m thick. Relax and enjoy spectacular sunset views over Inle Lake before returning to hotel.
Overnight in Inle Lake.

Day 5 Inle – Taunggyi – Kekku – Inle

Meals: B / L
After breakfast, drive to Taung Gyi, the capital city of Shan State. Taung Gyi won the prize in the year 2005 the Best City of Myanmar and Ideal City. On the way, you can visit the first Official Vineyard of Myanmar producing the wine called Ayetharyar Wine. You can stop at the factory viewing the Vines on the hill-side and try the four different Wines at the Winery Bar enjoy the view overlooking the whole vineyard.

Afterwards continue your drive to Taung Gyi and pick up your local Pa-O Guide at the Pa-O National Organization Head-quarters. The Kakku Pagoda Complex is situated in the Pa-O Territory and it is a must to register and buy the entrance ticket at that office as well as to have a Pa-O accompany. Then, drive to Kakku (approx: 2 and a half hour). You will drive past several Pa-O villages on the way and also the fertile lands; Wheat, Sesame, Rice, Cauliflower, Onions and some vegetables are grown in those fields and make some stops to take the photos.

Upon arrival at Kakku, you may enjoy lunch first or you can explore Kakku Pagoda Complex first. Kakku has more than 2000 Shan Style pagodas and the complex is well-preserved by the PNO. You can spend more or less one hour walking around in the precinct taking pictures, observing the tiny figures on the small temples. Walk up to the central Pagoda and meet with the Swine Statue from the legend of pagoda complex. In the afternoon, drive back to Taung Gyi and you can visit one of the Pa-O villages on the way back. After saying farewell to the Pa-O The transfer back to hotel.
Overnight in Inle lake.

Day 6 Fly to Bagan, Half day city tour

Flight: Domestic flight is on Cambo Tour's arrangement
Meals: B / L
Transfer to airport for domestic flight to Bagan in early morning.
Upon arrival in Bagan, you will be welcomed by your local guide at the airport then transfer you to hotel.
Bagan, where you will be amazed by its thousands of Buddhists pagodas spread in the area of the Ancient City of ‘Bagan’. These pagodas used to own by individual families during its prosperous time.
Your will visit the Nyaung Oo Market where local people buying food in daily life, visit the Shwezigon Pagoda which is the largest pagoda in Bagan painted with real gold.

Have a rest in hotel in the hottest time in afternoon. Then enjoy a Horse Cart Ride for the sun set, you will climb up to the top of the Shesandaw Pagoda for sun set then take the horse cart back to hotel. It is a unforgettable feeling of taking the horse cart ride on the off road treks through the pagodas when its quiet in dusk. 
Overnight in Bagan.

Day 7 Bagan/Mt. Popa

Meals: B / L
This morning start your scenic drive to Mount Popa, an extinct volcano with its golden shrines. Situated 50 km southeast of Bagan, this solitary peak showcases the Popa Taungkalat shrine, the favored home of Myanmar’s most powerful “Nats” (local spirits), statues of which can be found at its base. These spirits were once so important to the country's early Kings that it was essential for them to consult the Nats before commencing their reign. The shrine is located at the top of the mountain , and if you have the energy, take off your shoes and socks to climb to the top (well worth the climb!) Along the way are a multitude of monkeys expecting treat!

Along the way, stop by a local village to learn about local culture and lifestyle. Then enjoy lunch at a hill resort.   On the way back visit a palm sugar workshop, where the harvested nectar from local trees is cooked into the sugar cubes we see in teashops today .
Overnight in Bagan.

Day 8 Morning Hot Air Balloon Ride, Full day of leisure

Meals: B
Enjoy a exciting morning Hot Air Balloon Ride in Bagan.
Ordinarily an average of 45 mins of flight duration is expected. However, the entire experience will last about 2 1/2 hours. On landing, our fully trained Myanmar ground crew will pack the balloon whilst passengers enjoy a glass or two of celebratory champagne. 
Balloons over Bagan is a private Myanmar company that is committed to the preservation of Bagan and its environment. A contribution from each flight will be donated to community programmes that directly benefit the local population.

.....drifting over a panorama of a thousand ancient pagodas, silent in the shadow of low-slung mountains and against the banks of the mighty Irrawaddy river.
After the flying, then back to hotel for breakfast. You can relax in hotel, or take a biking tour through the pagoda area to discover more interesting sites of Bagan. 
Overnight in Bagan.

Day 9 Embark on the Cruise Boat (08 Days/07 Nights) RV Paukan, Bagan – Salay

Meals: B / L / D
Enjoy relaxing time in the morning until transfer to Aye Yar Jetty to board the RV Paukan. Enjoy the welcome cocktail in Saloon and check in.

After Lunch, we walk ashore at Salay, a small town founded in the 13th century with Bagan-era shrines, beautiful 19th century teak monasteries and preserved British colonial buildings. We explore the Salay House, a restored 1906 colonial trading company warehouse on the bank of the Irrawaddy. Our walk takes us along the town’s main Strand Street towards the local market before turning away from the river to visit the beautiful Yoke Soun Kyaung Taw Gyi wooden monastery. This ornately carved teak monastery was designed as a copy of the Crown Prince House of Mandalay, and is now a museum boasting remarkable wood carvings and artifacts. We pass some interesting Bagan-era monuments on our way to visit Mann Paya, a pagoda with a beautiful lacquerware Buddha, before returning to our ship with a stroll past some of Salay’s many beautiful colonial. Dinner and moor overnight mid stream.

Day 10 Bagan

Meals: B / L / D
This morning our excursion takes us to one of the most incredible areas of Myanmar: Bagan. Once the center of the Pagan Empire, Bagan today is a tourist, artist, and archeological mecca. We will start the tour with ShweZigon Pagoda construction during the reign of King Anawrahta and a Buddhist religious place, is believed to enshrine a bone and tooth of Gautama Buddha, the massive Htilominlo, built by King Htilominlo on the site where he was chosen from the five sons of King Nadaungmya to be the crown prince of Pagan. While the murals that once decorated much of the inside of this temple have only survived on the ceilings, Htilominlo boasts the finest plaster carvings which still remain undamaged on the arch pediments. Then stop by Thatbyinnyu Pagoda for photo shoot on the way back to ship for Lunch.

AFTRNOON EXCURSION : Bagan 
After lunch, we visit Gubyaukgyi Temple (Great Painted Cave Temple), where the richly-colored paintings are thought to date to the original construction period in the early 12th century and we will also see a sand painting demonstration by a local artist. Next to this temple is the gilded Myazedi Stupa, which offers both a linguistic and a historical significance: an inscription consecrating Gubyaukgyi in four languages (Pyu, Mon, Old Burmese, and Pali), which established Pyu as an important cultural influence in the early Pagan period. Then a visit to Bagan would not be complete without exploring one of the most famous temples of Bagan, Ananda. Built in 1105 CE during King Kyanzittha’s reign, it is one of only four surviving temples from this period. We will explore the cruciform of the temple, with four standing Buddhas facing north, south, east, and west. After that we stop by Dhammayan Gyi Pagoda for photo shoot. For our final stop of the day we proceed to the Bagan Viewing Hill where we will view the sunset over the pagodas and stupas of Bagan before returning to the ship.

Day 11 Bagan – River Village

Meals: B / L / D
MORNING EXCURSION: Bagan 
Explore some of Bagan’s local markets selling wood carvings, fabric, longyis and rattan product. Visit a workshop to see the ancient technique of lacquer ware making. Alternatively, guests can hire a horse cart or a bicycle and explore the site on their own (or) have a splendid Balloon Flight over Bagan (surcharge applied – optional). Back to the ship around Noon and cast off. 

AFTERNOON EXCURSION: River Village 
We cruise upstream all day. Stop at River village for a walk. 
Dinner followed by a Puppet Show on the sundeck.

Day 12 Yandabo

Meals: B / L / D
MORNING EXCURSION : Yandabo 
In the morning we arrive at Yandabo, a picturesque river village specializing in Pot-Making, where the peace treaty of the First Anglo-Burmese war signed on Feb. 24, 1826. We go ashore for a walking at some pot-making workshops and visit the monastery. 
We cruise upstream the rest of the day, moor overnight near Myin Mu.

Day 13 Monywa – Sagaing

Meals: B / L / D
FULL DAY EXCURSION : Monywa Early morning drive by coach (approx. 1 ½ hours) to Monywa to visit the Hpowindaung cave where hundreds of Buddha Statues are placed inside niches decorated with wonderful mural paintings dated back .Serve Lunch at local restaurant in Win Unity Hotel in Monywa. After lunch we visit the splendid Sambuddhai Kat Kyaw pagoda with its more than 500,000 Buddha images.  Drive back to Myin Mu and Overnight night at River bank.

Day 14 Ava – Sagaing – Amarapura

Meals: B / L / D
MORNING EXCURSION: Ava 
Visit Ava by horse-cart visiting the beautiful 200 year old teak Bagaya Kyaung Monastery, Nanmyin watchtower (27mt. high) and the Me Nu Ok Kyaung monastery. Return to ship & sailing to Sagaing. 

AFTERNOON EXCURSION: Sagaing – Amarapura 
In the afternoon, we visit to Sagaing Hill, a hill studded with many Pagodas and Monasteries rich in wood carving and religious art. Then we travel by coach to Amarapura, the penultimate Burmese Royal Capital (1783) to visit a traditional silk weaving workshop followed by U-Bein Bridge, the world’s longest wooden bridge (1.2 km) and enjoy the sunset there. 
Dinner and overnight on board near Sagaing Hill.

Day 15 Mingun – Central Mandalay

Meals: B / L / D
MORNING EXCURSION: Mingun 
After breakfast we will enjoy a leisurely walking tour of the small town of Mingun. Our first stop is King Bodawpaya’s monumental, uncompleted stupa. During construction, an astrologer to the king argued that the king would die upon completion of the temple, and work was immediately halted. Had it been completed, it would have been the largest in the world. The cracks we see are the result of the 23 March 1839 earthquake that shook the area. We continue our walk to the Mingun Bell, which was the heaviest working bell in the world until 2000 when the Bell of Good Luck was unveiled in Henan, China. After having the opportunity to stand inside the bell as it is rung, we have time to shop in the local market, famous for its makeshift galleries that display inexpensive art from both local and internationally known artists.
Lunch on board. 

AFTERNOON EXCURSION: Central Mandalay 
Visit central Mandalay: Mahamuni Pagoda, then visit to the workshops of gold leave making and marble carving. And visit to Kuthodaw Paya, which contains the world's biggest book, near by Mandalay Hill where spiraling staircases lead to sweeping views of the city and its temples and Sunset time at Mandalay Hill. Dinner on board. Overnight at Mandalay.

Day 16 Mandalay

Meals: B
Enjoy the sunrise. After an early breakfast, the passengers will disembark at Sagaing Jetty (Thursday only) or Gawein jetty (Sunday Only) at around 09.30/10.00 hrs. The rest of the day free at your own leisure.
Overnight in Mandalay. 

Day 17 Mandalay flight to Siem Reap via Bangkok

Flight: Internal flight include and will be on INT (TBA)
Meals: B
Enjoy your free morning today until transfer to airport for flight to Siem Reap, upon arrive your local guide and driver will be waiting for you at the airport and ready to transfer you to hotel for check in, the rest of the day free at your own leisure.
Overnight in Siem Reap.

Day 18, 19, 20 Temple Touring Full Day/Tonle Sap Lake, Kompong Phluk, Ox cart ride and Experience Street Food/ Half Day Silk Farm Day Trip and Artisan D’ Angkor

DAY18
Meals: B / L
Breakfast is at hotel. We depart hotel at 8.00am for full day guided Angkor exploration, start with the south gate of Angkor Thom atop 4 giant faces, stroll to explore Bayon temple consisting of more than 200 smiling faces in stone, admired by interesting temples including Baphuon, Phimeanakas, terrace of leper king, terrace of elephant & Ta Prohm temple adorned with the stunning tree roots where Lara Croft Tomb Raider was filmed. 

After lunch, continue to witness the marvelous Angkor Wat – the world’s heritage listed by UNESCO in 1992 and the largest monument in the world. Unlock the amazing history, its ancestral incredible, architectural masterpieces and the finest carvings dates back to the Khmer Empire when it dominated the largest parts of Southeast Asia. On your way back to Siem Reap, enjoy the sunset from the top of the pyramid-shaped temple of Pre Rup.
Overnight in Siem Reap.

DAY19

Meals: B / L
In the morning, a half day excursion to the biggest Southeast Asia’s largest fresh water lake—Tonle Sap Lake. You’ll take a fun ox cart ride through the countryside, continue on a boat trip to enjoy the beautiful lake views and mangrove forests. Spend rest of the morning at Kompong Phluk, the largest village on the lake, to discover the fascinating daily lifestyle of the local people who live on the water.

This evening you’ll be picked up at your hotel for an evening private food tour by vespa through the heart of Siem Reap. The tours provide a unique opportunity to learn about Cambodian life and culture. You’ll sample authentic Khmer dishes in a variety of off-the-beaten-tourist-path settings, from street-side food stalls to busy local markets. We'll introduce you to popular Khmer market specialties and street snacks, plus a few of Cambodia's exotic tropical fruits.
Overnight in Siem Reap.

DAY20

Meals: B
This morning visit the Angkor Silk farm offers free guided tours of the process from the mulberry bushes cultivation to the production of silk fabrics and accessories. As the Silk Farm covers an area of 8 hectares, of which 5 are used for the mulberry trees plantation, you will enjoy the beautiful setting while learning about the fascinating process of silk-making.

On the way back we will stop to visit Senteurs D’Angkor Founded in 1999, Senteurs d’Angkor has succeeded in relying on local resources to develop an original and local craft industry of high quality, maintaining working conditions that are respectful to people. Thus, our staff have good terms of employment and social protection.

Next visit the Artisans Angkor workshop where they are reviving ancient Khmer Arts & Crafts while improving the lives of thousands of people living in rural areas.

For a unique experience this evening our driver will take you to see a performance of the Phare Cambodian Circus from the best VIP seats in the house.  Theater, story, dance, high-energy music and circus acts tell uniquely Cambodian stories.  These circus artists will astonish you with their energy, emotion, enthusiasm and talent.
Overnight in Siem Reap.

Day 21 Departure from Siem Reap

Flight: International flight on your own arrangement
Meals: B
Today transfer to the airport for your flight home.
End of service.