We are pleased to announce an excellent value, 10-day Spring special in Myanmar! If you have the extra time, we have also outlined a 4-day beach extension to one of Southeast Asia’s finest, most pristine beach destinations. Spring in Myanmar (March, April, May) can be hot, especially in the afternoons (up to 95 F / 35 C), so we plan most of your sightseeing in the cooler mornings and evenings. While the landscape is dry, it is an excellent time to avoid other travelers, visit the beaches, and explore higher parts of Myanmar (Shan area, for example).
$1,995/person
(Based on 2 travelers, double occupancy traveling March, April, May 2015)
If you need to travel during a different time of year, please contact us for a quote or check out our popular 8-day Myanmar Discovery tour that we can customize on request!
CONTACT US TO TRAVEL TO MYANMAR >>
Day 1: Yangon arrival
On arrival in Yangon international airport, meet your guide and driver for a private transfer to your hotel. Rest of day is free at your own leisure.
Overnight at the Strand hotel – deluxe suite – for the next 3 nights.
Day 2: Discover Yangon
Spiritual Shwedagon Pagoda (morning)
So what’s behind the golden facade of the Shwedagon Pagoda? During this engaging half day tour, we’ll take you through the back door and show you the full history of the pagoda, the daily life of all people living in the immediate surroundings of the pagoda and a deeper insight in the Buddhist religion and how the spiritual belief is mixed with the belief in nats – the Myanmar spirits. An intriguing half day tour starting from the bottom of the hill and passing the workshops, markets and monasteries which will be useful or even essential to understand more of the country during the rest of your journey. The tour includes a traditional Burmese breakfast, offerings to monks and the pagoda, a visit to a fortune teller and a traditional Burmese lunch.
Yangon Heritage walk & high tea at Strand Hotel (late afternoon)
Yangon downtown is unique with much of its colonial-era architecture still standing. You will find one of Asia’s most impressive collections of late nineteenth and early twentieth- century buildings, religious and secular.
Starting after lunch this walking tour will take you through downtown Yangon, focusing on its old colonial buildings. Your guide will walk you through the back streets in a relaxed tempo and explain you the history of each building some of them empty, some getting restored and some used for different purposes than when built. This walk along the streets of Yangon will at least architecturally take you a step back in time, also a high tea at the famous Strand hotel will make you feel being back in colonial time.
After the tour, you will have time to enjoy a gin & tonic at Gekko, a cozy cocktail lounge in the old Sofaer & Co building at Merchant Street, a new place where many of Yangon’s expatriates of today meet up for a drink or a meal.
Overnight at the Strand hotel – deluxe suite (BL + drinks)
Day 3: Yangon
Day free at leisure OR Optional excursion: $60 / person (based on 2 travelers)
Blend in during the daily commute – Yangon’s hidden neighborhoods / half day (morning)
Mingle with the locals during an energetic trip using public transportation to see lesser known parts of this vibrant city using taxis, train, ferry and trishaw. Scratching under the surface of the city, you will visit locals markets, small workshops where pagoda accessories are made and cross the river to see “rural Yangon” to get a taste of local live.
Your guide will pick you up from the hotel by taxi to go to the main station for a fun ride to one of the oldest, colonial stations in the country. From here you continue on foot crossing lively markets and taste 5 different local snacks and see how food is produced – an interesting sight. We leave Dalat town behind us and return to your hotel by ferry and taxi.
Overnight at the Strand hotel – deluxe suite (B)
Day 4: Discover Bagan
Transfer to the airport and fly to magical Bagan (Yangon – Bagan 7Y 131 # 06:30 – 07:50).
A full day tour by car and an experienced private guide through Bagan will show you the best known temples of the area. We start the day climbing a pagoda to get a first impressive view over the whole area. From here the guide plans his way to some of the other amazing temples that have been here for hundreds of years. Places like the Ananda, Dhammayangyi, Sulamani, and Thatbyinnyu will certainly impress you.
Lunch will be taken at a local restaurant and around 4pm we continue the tour by horse cart to Pyathagyi pagoda for sunset with some refreshing drinks served! Oh…we forgot to mention the best part of this tour; whenever you see a temple you like, just ask you guide to stop to have a look at it – simply pick your own favorite temple.
Overnight at the Areindmar hotel – deluxe – for the next 3 nights (BL)
Day 5: Bagan: A picnic in Minnanthu
Minnanthu is probably the favorite temple area amongst frequent Bagan visitors and you know why? It’s quiet, it’s a beautiful area, and the temples here are often completely deserted.
The guide brings you by car to this forgotten part of Bagan and will spread out a blanket and serve you a great picnic lunch in this historical setting before or after visiting 2 or 3 ancient temples ruins in this area. The rest of the day the car and guide are available for additional visits of the temples if wanted.
Overnight at the Areindmar hotel – deluxe (BL)
Day 6: Bagan
Day free at leisure to explore Bagan at your own pace.
Overnight at the Areindmar hotel – deluxe (B)
Day 7: Kalaw Trekking
Transfer to airport, fly to Heho for Kalaw (Bagan – Heho – Inle Lake W9 405 # 07:55 – 08:35).
Trekking in forest and visit Elephant conservation project / Full day
Your guide, specialized in Elephant conservation, will take you for a rewarding day in the forest surrounding Kalaw encountering elephants, their mahouts and people living in the surrounding rainforest.
Young tourism professionals originating from Kalaw decided to set-up a project in Kalaw that is focused on protecting the nature, elephants and traditions of local people living in an area close to Kalaw. In a big part of this private protected forest the nature can grow undisturbed creating a natural habitat for animals that could otherwise be easily hunted down and killed. The project includes creating a natural environment for some Myanmar elephants from this part of the world and helping the local population to grow out of the vicious circle of poverty through education and micro finance.
Depending on your arrival time and how long you want to walk through the forest (walks from 30 min up to 4-5 hours are possible – simply let us know what you prefer) you will find yourself in the natural surroundings of Asian jungle. A delicious lunch with local specialties (often from Nepalese origin) will be served in a traditional village, in the jungle or in the camp. After lunch it is time to help the mahout washing and feeding the elephant. Walk back in the afternoon to the main road and continue by car to Inle Lake.
Overnight at the Villa Inle Resort – Lake front single villa – for the next 3 nights (BL)
Day 8: Kalaw – Inle Lake: The ruins of Indein & home cooked food with a local family & canoe trip floating gardens
South of Inle lake, the ruins of Indein are certainly worth a visit. Partly covered by jungle the area looks like a “pagoda forest”. We will walk about an hour to enjoy a fantastic view over the lake. A home-made cooked lunch is served in a local house. We continue towards the Nam Pan village for a very interesting trip going local with a small canoe. Whenever you grow tired of paddling, we’ll have a motorboat handy as an alternative as we continue back to your hotel.
Overnight at the Villa Inle resort – Lake front single villa (BL)
Day 9: Inle Lake / Private boat
Inle Lake in southern Shan State is a vast natural lake surrounded by traditional Shan villages. On the lake itself the Intha people have been living for many centuries in village built entirely on stilts on the lake. Today we will take you by private motorboat around the lake to discover the natural beauty of the lake, visit the floating gardens, see some of the famous leg rowers and have some tea at a local family’s house.
On and around the lake traditional markets are held in different villages according to a 5-day rotating schedule and today we will take you to one so you can experience a colorful; market frequented by Shan and PaO people living nearby. We will certainly also visit a local cheroot factory (where the Burmese cigars are made), floating tomato gardens, Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda, Intha Heritage house where the Burmese cats are bred and if wanted we visit a weaving factory.
Overnight at the Villa Inle resort – Lake front single villa (BL)
Day 10: Fly back to Yangon / Depart or Extend to the beach
Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to airport and fly to Yangon (Inle Lake – Heho – Yangon K7 223 / 09:45 – 11:00). Car and guide available for the rest of the day in Yangon until it’s time for your airport transfer (B)
- PRICE INCLUDES: All internal flights, all airport transfers, all ground transportation, all accommodations, all meals as noted, all touring and sight-seeing with private guides, all entrance fees, taxes, and services of the local office.
- PRICE DOE NOT INCLUDE: International flights, tips, meals not mentioned, Visa fees, beverages, and items of a personal nature.
OPTIONAL BEACH EXTENSION
$645/person
Day 10: Fly to Ngapali Beach
Transfer to airport and take the flight to Thandwe for Ngapali (pronounced “Napally”) beach (Heho – Thandwe – Yangon K7 243 # 09:30 – 10:35). On arrival, transfer to hotel, balance of the day free at leisure at the beach.
Overnight at the Bayview Resort – deluxe Beach front bungalows (B)
Day 11: Ngapali Beach
Day free at leisure at the beach.
Overnight at the Bayview Resort – deluxe Beach front bungalows (B)
Day 12: Ngapali Beach
Day free at leisure at the beach.
Overnight at the Bayview Resort – deluxe Beach front bungalows (B)
Day 13: Ngapali Beach
Day free at leisure at the beach.
Overnight at the Bayview Resort – deluxe Beach front bungalows (B)
Day 14: Depart
Transfer to airport and take the flight to Yangon (Thandwe – Yangon K7 243 # 10:50 – 11:45), with car and guide available for the rest of the day in Yangon till airport transfer time for departure (B)
- PRICE INCLUDES: all accommodations, internal flights, all airport transfers, breakfast daily, and taxes
CONTACT US TO TRAVEL TO MYANMAR >>
For 7 special departures in May and June, 2015, our 5-Day Group Tanzania Safari is on sale — a savings of $300/person!
