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Classic Tour + Burma Golden Triangle

General information

DurationDestinationDeparture
10 days and 9 nights
Myanmar (Keng Tung, Heho, Inle Lake, Mandalay, Bagan, Yangon)
Myanmar (Yangon)

Description

This tour offers an insight into the state shan, the meeting with the various ethnic groups. The golden triangle and includes a day of light trekking in the villages

The tour can be:

- Private (daily departures, english  Speaking Guide with a minimum 2pax)

PLEASE NOTE!
you can exit to thailand from Kengtung instead of going back to Yangon 

Category

 
Standard (Scheduled Tour)
Full Board
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Deluxe (Scheduled Tour)
Full Board
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Standard (Private Tour)
Full Board
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Deluxe (Private Tour)
Full Board
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Program

DAY 1 – YANGON
Arrival at Yangon International Airport - transfer to hotel ( lunch not included) - Yangon tour: it was founded in 1755 and is one of the most fascinating Asian cities. The city has 6 million people of different Burmese ethnicities who coexist peacefully with Indians and Chinese, and is a fascinating mix of buildings of different styles: Victorian English, Chinese, Burmese and Indian; bathed by rivers and with 2 lakes, shady parks and tree-lined avenues from which the pinnacles of the numerous pagodas scattered everywhere stand out. The Burmese population wears the traditional "Longji" (sarong) and the women use a whitish cream, the "thanaka" (of vegetable origin) to embellish their face. The Strand Road, the main street, runs along the Irrawaddy River, crosses the city and the busy port area, the hub of commerce and communication. The tour that will introduce you to this fascinating city includes: the gigantic reclining Buddha and the Shwedagon Pagoda. A myriad of small pagodas, temples, reliquaries, pavilions and statues frame the mighty central stupa that rise for almost a hundred meters, entirely covered with gold leaf, and embellished with gems and diamonds in the umbrella on top: when it lights up at nightfall, it will be unforgettable! The day ends in style, with dinner in a typical restaurant to taste local specialties. Overnight stay in Yangon.


Day 2- BAGAN "carriage ride among the pagodas ... the famous sunset and dinner with entertainment!"

Towards the middle of the 11th century, Bagan, under King Anawrahta (1044-1077), became a unique kingdom starting its golden age, where the Mon culture and especially its form of Theravada Buddhism exercised a dominant influence. The king became a staunch supporter of Theravada ideas and practices by starting a major construction program in support of the new religion. From the reign of Anawrahta, until the conquest by the forces of Kublai Khan in 1287, Bagan has been the vibrant center of a frenetic religious architecture.
Early in the morning transfer to the airport - Yangon / Bagan flight - arrival in about 1 hour. Take advantage of the cooler hours of the day to visit Bagan, the most fascinating place in Burma. It is thought that more than 13,000 temples, pagodas and other religious structures were probably built here, now about 2,000 remain. A unique heritage, among the most significant archaeological sites in Southeast Asia and in the world. Stop at the colorful market in Nyaung-oo, very lively in the morning hours, then visit the splendid Shwezigon pagoda, whose bell-shaped stupa has become the template for all the other pagodas in Burma, followed by a visit to other pagodas and temples among the most important and spectacular, and to the factory of the beautiful lacquer, typical of Bagan, if you like to buy a nice souvenir. Visit of the temple of Ananda, of the particular Manuha temple, you cannot miss the ride with the local horsecart in the plain of the pagodas, to conclude with an unforgettable panoramic sunset. Lunch in a local restaurant on the river, dinner in a restaurant with typical Bagan entertainment. Thus ends a memorable day in one of the most important and beautiful archaeological sites in Asia. Overnight stay at a Hotel.


Day 3 - BAGAN (overland) MONYWA / THE LOCALITY OF MYSTERY - Crossing the Irrawaddy and Chindwin rivers on the new long bridges,

We move away from the more touristy places and go back in time ... to the more genuine and mysterious Myanmar. Exploring the site of Po Win Daung is like savoring the atmosphere of evocative places in an open-air museum, a sacred place that leaves a moving memory of the discovery of secret treasures hidden from view.

Recommended optional: AT SUNRISE, BALLOON FLIGHT OVER THE PAGODA VALLEY, price on request.

" More than 3,000 elephants worked in the impenetrable forests of Myanmar, recently this commercial activity has been drastically reduced. The government has planned to support about 260 of the weakest elephants, in 18 fields scattered throughout the Country. A 15-minute drive from Bagan, in a pleasant area in front of the river, is the Palin Camp, with 8 elephants. Do not miss the opportunity to immerse yourself in nature near these wonderful animals !!!! With the entry fee you contribute to their maintenance.

Departure after breakfast, along the way we stop at the Elephant camp in a pleasant area in front of the river. Continue to Monywa crossing the great Irrawaddy River on the new large bridge over 3 kilometers long. Along the way you can admire the landscapes of Central Burma: crops, villages, and rural life. Arrival in Pakokku, (really genuine local market, the square of the monastery where thanakha woods are sold by the kg, and the manual production of rubber slippers ...) Arrival after about 3 hours on the road. lunch in local restaurant. We then leave for the visit of a spectacular location: Shwe Ba Thaung and Po Win Daung an extraordinary complex with more than 900 caves dug into the hills, which contain many statues of Buddha and well-preserved frescoes with Jataka (religious geometric symbols with stories of Buddha) in vivid colors dating back to the 14th or 18th century. Some scholars have indicated them as the richest collection of murals in all of Southeast Asia, but its history is still mysterious. You explore the caves freely .. here and there, some curious baboons appear. Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel in Monywa.

Day 4– MONYWAR – SAGAING - MANDALAY ... a statue of Buddha as tall as a skyscraper!

With surreal views, Monywa is a small Burmese town but has two particular places that will certainly impress us: the Thambodday pagoda with over 500,000 images of Buddha crammed between the walls and ceilings, in splendid colors and with two imposing statues of white elephants guarding it, and the Bodhi Tataung, two huge statues of Buddha with one standing 116 meters (about the height of a skyscraper; the second tallest statue in the world !!) and another reclining 95 meters with the surrounding fields and woods crowded with statues of Buddha sitting in meditation: fantastic!! We then continue to Mandalay, arrival in about 3 hours by road and lunch in a local restaurant in Sagaing.

Capital from 1857 to 1885, it is today an important cultural, religious and commercial center of central Myanmar. Here the Burmese capitals alternated after the fall of Bagan, until its fall during the English rule and the adventurous escape of the last Burmese king to India. Various buildings in the city and its surroundings testify to the ancient splendor of the last Burmese kingdom.The last capital of the Burmese kingdom, it is today the second largest city in the country with a population of around one million.
The visit to this city rich in history begins, which includes a visit to the Shwenandaw monastery, with splendid wood inlays, a wonderful example of traditional Burmese art, the only survivor of the buildings of the Royal Palace that were completely destroyed during the Second World War. Then the Kuthodaw Paya, which was the result of a great synod of 2,400 monks, called by King Mindon in 1857 to establish the definitive canon of the oldest original text of the 15 sacred books that passed down the teachings of the Buddha. The text was carved in the language poles on 729 marble slabs. It has been calculated that it would take a person at least eight hours a day for 450 days to read the entire "book". If in time, continue for the panoramic view over the whole city from Mandalay Hill (closes at 6pm). After a busy day of discovery and incredible views, check-in at the hotel, relax, dinner and overnight stay at the hotel in Mandalay.


Day 5- MANDALAY - MINGUN - MANDALAY - The procession of a thousand monks.....

After breakfast, we start the day with the visit of the fascinating Amarapura, the ancient capital, the Mahagandayon monastery begins, where you can witness the procession and the silent community meal of about a thousand monks, a daily activity of Burmese Buddhist life, which will leave you excited. Not far away is the UBein bridge, the longest all-teak bridge in the world where you can take a walk. Continue to the district where they work the marble, to visit the important Mahamuni pagoda with the large statue of the seated Buddha from the Arakhan, covered with votive gold leaves. Walk in the colorful market. Lunch in a local restaurant. Transfer to the pier and, with a local boat, navigation of the Irawaddy River towards Mingun. This river, in the Burmese language, is called the "Elephant River" due to its grandeur. Once off the boat, we will immediately meet the huge MingunPaya or PathoTawgyi. The construction commissioned by King Bodawpaya was begun in 1791 but was never completed. When the king died, everything remained unfinished and the construction stopped at the current height of 49 meters, if completed, it would have reached 150 meters. and would become the largest pagoda in the world, rivaling the great pyramids of Giza ( Cheops, is 146 mt). Another notable monument that we will visit is the MyaTheindan Pagoda. Built in 1816 by Prince Bagydaw, successor to the Bodawpaya throne, the structure is dedicated to his first wife, Princess Hsinbume, the "white elephant princess". The architectural style that develops in seven white and wavy terraces represents the seven mountain ranges that surround Mount Meru, the center of the universe in Buddhist cosmology. Return to Mandalay for dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight stay in Mandalay.

Day 6 - INLE LAKE - IN THE SHAN STATE - the magic of INLE lake, life on stilts!
Inle Lake is a shallow mirror of water, about twenty kilometers in length and about ten at its widest point. It is clear, and particularly suggestive due to various environmental factors, the serenity of the people and the amenity of the views. In this exceptional place, the 80,000 inhabitants of the Intha ethnic group, which means "Children of Water", live, work, study, pray: all on the water!

Transfer to the airport and short flight from Mandalay to Heho, in the Shan state, on the border with Thailand, known as the "Burmese Switzerland" for the beautiful mountain landscapes. Arrival and we proceed to the Inle lake via a panoramic route; arrival in about 1 hour. We embark on a motorboat and start the Tour of the Inle lake, with lunch in a restaurant on the lake: the lake is very beautiful and extremely picturesque! You meet a world of its own, of a unique population of the Inthas, who live on the lake's waters. The fishermen row with their legs and fish with a special conical net. They cultivate with the particular system of floating gardens built with mud and water hyacinths and anchored to the bottom with bamboo poles. Visit the Nga Pha Kyaung monastery once famous for the trained cats, the Intha villages built on water, and the large Phaung Daw U Kyaung pagoda, the most important in Shan State. Dinner and overnight stay in a hotel on the lake.

Day 7: - Heho / Kengtung (Golden Triangle)
Transfer to airport and departure flight to Kengtung with private airline. Arriving in the capital city of Shan State, built around a lake and surrounded by green mountains. In these mountains live 37 clusters of villages of various and interesting ethnic groups, tribes generically called the "golden triangle".

It is said that Kengtung was founded 1000 years ago and is rich in ancient pagodas, temples and monasteries. Visit to an interesting village of the Palaung tribe-a-wa-pon, who live together in longhouses 3/4 families. Return to Kengtung. Dinner in a restaurant. Overnight at hotel.

Day 8:- Kengtung (Golden Triangle)
(N.B. because the movements of sedentary tribes, some may be out of the area and can not be visited)
Breakfast. Day dedicated to trekking to visit the most interesting tribes of the Golden Triangle of Burma, with customs and tasteful, traditional costumes, not yet corrupted by tourism.

We will visit isolated villages of the hill tribes belonging to ethnic Akha organized group, by the beautiful clothes and headdresses adorned with silver coins, Ann-Lisu, said "by blacks teeth" to the habit of chewing betel, and Lahu.
Packed lunch. In the evening return to Kengtung. Dinner and overnight at hotel in Kentung.

Day 9 - Kengtung (Golden Triangle) / Yangon
Breakfast. Visit the famous market of Kengtung where they meet the local tribes in their costumes.
Visit the ancient pagodas and monasteries of Kengtung with archittetoniche influences Sino-Thais.
Lunch in local restaurant. Transfer to airport and flight to Yangon.
Arrival and transfer. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 10: - Yangon Departure (Afternoon)
Concludes the tour of Yangon downtown, the colonial district and the harbor, Chinatown, the classic busy Chinatown cruisers introduce 'and stalls with all kinds of articles, of temples painted red and the incense smoldering, restaurants, artisans, last shopping. Lunch in local restaurant, airport transfer.

Price includes

- Tour with local guide speaking english
- Accommodation in the hotels mentioned or similar
- Domestic flights of private local airline
- Porterage at airports (1 suitcase each),
- Full board except lunch on day of arrival
- Transfers and tours with private means,
- Entrance fees to the sites mentioned,
- Motorboat Inle Lake, boat to / from Mingun
ethic guide in Kengtung

Price does not include

- Tips
- Extra personal
- Drinks
- Insurance
- Entry visa
- Anything not expressly mentioned in “Quote includes”

Itinerary

Day Overnight Itinerary highlights
1   Yangon - Airport
  Keng Tung
  Heho
  Inle Lake
  Mandalay
  Bagan
  Yangon

Accommodations provided in each place

To be advised