Myanmar Kaleidoskop

Day 1   Welcome to Yangon
Arrive at Yangon international airport, meet your local guide. Transfer to the hotel and check-In. Start your sightseeing tour with a visit of Chauk Htat Gyi Pagoda and Nga Htat Gyi Pagoda. After -noon, enjoy visit the National Museum (closed on Mondays & Public Holidays) where you can see the impressive Lion’s Throne. Visit the downtown area of Yangon city with its famous landmark of Yangon – the Sule Pagoda - and enjoy the sunset at the unforgettable, world-famous Shwedagon Pagoda. Stay overnight in Yangon. 
(Remark: The details of the sightseeing programme will depend on the exact arrival flight time on this day, and also on prevailing road & traffic conditions. Thank you for your understanding!)

Day 2   Yangon – Bagan (Breakfast)
Morning flight to Bagan. It is one of the biggest archaeological sites in Asia. Enjoy shopping at the colourful Nyaung-Oo market and follow with an excursion to Shwezigon Pagoda, a prototype of later Myanmar stupas and other famous pagodas in Bagan. Continue to Ananda Temple and Thatbyinnyu – the “temple of omniscience”.  After lunch you will continue your visits and see Mingalazedi, Myinkaba and Gubyaukgyi Temple. Afterwards visit a traditional handicraft lacquerware workshop. Enjoy a charming half-hour horse-cart ride followed by magnificent views from an ancient temple over Bagan’s vast temple area and the Ayeyarwaddy river around sunset time. Stay overnight in Bagan.

Day 3   Bagan – Mt. Popa (B)
After breakfast drive to Mount Popa, an enclosed volcano 45km south-east of Bagan. On the way stop at “Paing” roadside shop where locals climb up toddy t rees to harvest the toddy juice. Continue to Popa and climb to the very top of Taungkalat where you visit the monastery and the temple on Mt. Popa’s peak. Enjoy a spectacular panoramic view. In the afternoon drive to Salay and visit Yokesone Monastery (closed on Mondays, Tuesdays & Public Holidays). Continue to Payathonzu and Man Paya before returning to Bagan. Overnight in Bagan.

Day 4   Bagan (B)
This morning continue your visits of ancient Bagan by bicycle. Early afternoon transfer by car to Kyauk Gu U-min Temple that is located on the bank of the Ayeyarwaddy river. After the visit of this cave temple walk over to the bank of the Ayerwaddy river, board your private boat and leisurely sail downstream toward Old Bagan. Enjoy some beautiful scenes late afternoon and around sunset time. Overnight in Bagan.

Day 5   Bagan – Mandalay (B)
Early morning flight to Mandalay. Upon arrival transfer to downtown Mandalay and start your Mandalay tour with the visit of Mahamuni Pagoda. You will see also visit some local workshop to observe famous goldleaf beating. In the afternoon enjoy a trishaw ride in Mandalay’s northeast area. Visit Shwenandaw Monastery, Kuthodaw Pagoda, Sandamuni Pagoda, Kyauktawgyi Pagoda and finally watch the sunset from the top of Mandalay Hill. Overnight in Mandalay

Day 6   Mandalay – Amarapura – Sagaing - Ava (B)
After breakfast transfer to the ancient capital of Amarapura, “City of Immortality”, 11 km south of Mandalay. Stop at Mahagandayon monastery before heading to picturesque Sagaing Hill. Visit Sun Oo Pon Nya Shin, U Min Thone Saw pagoda.  
Early afternoon cross the Ayeyarwaddy river and enjoy a horse-cart ride around Innwa and visit Maha Aungmye Bonzan Kyaung and Nanmyin Watch Tower. Finally, visit Bagaya Kyaung, the impressive wooden monastery entirely built of teak, and supported by 267 teak posts. Return to Amarapura and around sunset you will visit the famous U-Bein Bridge that is almost entirely made of teak and span the Taungthaman Lake. Drive back to Mandalay. Overnight in Mandalay.

Day 7   Mandalay (B)
After breakfast, transfer to the northwest part of Mandalay by car. First stop at a viewpoint near 11th street. Then, transfer a bit south. Walk around Ekin, a small but still very local market between 15th and 16th street. Then, continue by car along Strand Road going south along the Ayerwaddy river. Make an occasional stop to observe some of the typical daily activities along the river bank. Afterward transfer to Pay Pin Monastery, a monastery which supports novices and also poor neighbourhood children with education and meals. 
Afternoon, load up the bikes and proceed to a point near Kyaukmee bridge, not far from Shwe Sar Yan and in the direction of Pyin-Oo-Lwin. Start biking again along a very scenic route that allows a real glimps into countryside life and activities. Rice paddies and some gardens on one side, the canal and nearby mountain views on the other side. You will visit Yae Kyi village and glimpse Shwe Hin Tha cave before returning to your hotel in Mandalay. Overnight in Mandalay.

Day 8    Mandalay – Heho – Kalaw (B)
After breakfast a short flight will bring you from Mandalay to Heho. Upon arrival drive to Kalaw, a former British hill station that is also home to a variety of ethnic minorities including Shan, Pa-O, Danu, Palaung, and others. Make a short stop to visit the roadside market at Aung Ban. Continue to Kalaw and transfer to your hotel for check-in.  
Afternoon, make a leisurely walk around downtown Kalaw which will transport you back into the laid-back ambience of this sleepy provincial town. Take your time to explore the highlights of downtown Kalaw. Overnight in Kalaw.

Day 9   Kalaw – Pein Ne Pin – Taung Ni – Nawat Taung – Myin Ka (B/L)
After breakfast start your full day trekking tour in the Kalaw area. First, transfer by vehicle direction Aung Ban. After approx. 10 min. stop by the wayside, and start our today’s light trek adventure west – northwest of Kalaw.
Walk downhill for about 20 min. (ca. 0.8 km) to reach a small stream. Hence, we start our walk up to reach our first village, Pein Ne Pin. This part will take roughly 1 ½ hrs. (ca. 1.8 km). Most villagers are of the Palaung tribe, and their main activity is the cultivation of cheroot leaves used for the production of cheroots (the very popular Burmese cigars). From here, continue to the next village for about 4.5 km., just short of two hours. The scenery is often very beautiful and fascinating. The dirt road winds itself around the flanks of the hills, going left and right. Rounding one corner you may see in front of you a panorama of high hills stretching to the horizon; turning another you may look down a deep, colourful valley cut our between the hills, with one or other village nestled in it, together forming a patchwork of greens and browns. Finally, we reach Taung Ni. Here, stop for a rest and enjoy a packed lunch.  
Afternoon, continue and take a right at the fork coming up quickly after leaving behind Taung Ni. Continue for about 50 min. and reach Nawat Taung monastery. On the way, on your left hand side there are almost continuous panoramic views of the countryside below and in the distance. At the monastery itself get some insight into daily monastic life at a countryside monastery, time to chat with the resident monks and to learn something about Buddhism. Continue and walk on relatively even surface for about 30 min. to reach Myin Ka, a scenic hillside village, amidst plantations left and right. Its population is mostly Pa-O and some Danu, and their main activity is the growing of various crops. The scenery on this leg is often very beautiful and fascinating. The dirt road winds itself around the flanks of the hills, going left and right. Rounding one corner you may see in front of you a panorama of high hills stretching to the horizon; turning another you may look down a deep, colourful valley cut our between the hills, with one or other village nestled in it, together forming a patchwork of greens and browns. Then, return to Kalaw where you arrive late afternoon. Overnight in Kalaw.

Day 10 Kalaw – Pindaya – Inle Lake (B)
After breakfast visit the local and colourful Kalaw morning market and drive then to Pindaya where you will visit the Pindaya cave. This extensive limestone cave is a unique site housing over 8000 Buddha statues. Afterward, visit the traditional hand-crafted Shan paper and umbrella workshop. Proceed by road to Nyaung Shwe, the small town at the entrance to Inle Lake. Transfer by long-tail boat to your hotel on the lake for check-in. Stay overnight on Inle Lake.

Day 11  Inle Lake – Indein – Kyar Tun – U Daung Taung (B/L)
A long-tail boat brings you to the western shore of the Inle Lake where you will explore the hidden Indein Temple complex. This site consists of dozens of small ancient stupas overgrown by moss and greens in a jungle-like setting. Afterwards start your trek to Kyar Tun village and Kyar Tunn village where mostly Pa-O and Taung Yoe live. Continue and visit U Daung Thaung Monastery (this part only for fit people!) and walk back to the shore of the lake where your boat awaits you to bring you back to the hotel. Overnight on Inle Lake.

Day 12 Inle Lake – Red Mountain Wine Yard (B)
After breakfast you will start your tour and explore the charm of Inle Lake. See the lake's unique “leg rowers” – the Intha people , watch plenty of floating gardens, visit Nga Phe Kyaung, a monastery famous for its "jumping cats”, visit Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda, the holiest religious site in southern Shan State and finally stop at Inn Paw Khon village and visit one of the many silk & lotus weaving workshops. Around noon time transfer by long-tail boat to Nyaung Shwe. Early afternoon, ride by bicycle from Nyaung Shwe to Main Thauk area. Visit the famous vineyard “Red Mountain Winery Estate” to learn more about the wine production process and to taste some of the Red Mountain wines. Later afternoon, transfer by car to Main Thauk jetty and transfer back to your hotel on Inle Lake. Overnight on Inle Lake.

Day 13  Inle Lake – Heho – Yangon (B)
After breakfast transfer by boat and car to Heho airport and flight to Yangon. Continue your Yangon visits: explore downtown Yangon, visit Bogyoke Aung San (Scott market (closed on Mondays & Public Holidays)) and bustling Chinatown. Overnight in Yangon.

Day 14  Yangon – Bago – Kyaikthiyo (B)
Early morning drive about 1,5 hrs. northeast of Yangon to the ancient capital of Bago. On arrival in downtown Bago, first visit Kha Khat Wine monastery, one of the biggest in the country. It is an impressive sight to watch the hundreds of monks file out, collect their alms, and have their last meal of the day around 10:15 / 10:30. Continue and stop at Hintha Gon Pagoda, a shrine with good views over Bago from the roofed platform on the hilltop. And drive further through seemingly endless paddy fields to the small town of Kyaikhto. In the afternoon, take a truck (join-in system) up a rather bumpy track to the half-way station and walk up the rest to the legendary 'Golden Rock'. Enjoy the spiritual atmosphere around sunset time at the “Golden Rock”. Overnight in Kyaikthiyo.

Day 15  Kyaikthiyo – Bago – Yangon (B)
Early risers may enjoy returning to the Golden Rock to watch the sun rise. It is only a short walk from the hotel. After breakfast, walk down the mountain and return by truck down to the base camp at Kinpun, to your waiting car. On the way back to Yangon stop in Bago and visit Shwemawdaw Pagoda and Shwethalyaung Buddha. Finally, just outside Bago, visit Kyaikpun Pagoda with four 30-meter high Buddha figures seated back to back. Return to your hotel in Yangon and overnight in Yangon.

Day 16 Yangon (B)
After breakfast, time at leisure until transfer to Yangon international airport for departure flight.

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