Nepal, India, and….Myanmar as well. Time in Nepal will accompany you in the magic Golden Land. Why Myanmar? Well, because there are many common between Myanmar and Nepal. Both are multi-ethnic, multi-linguistic and have diverse cultures. Unity in diversity is a national mantra and in ancient times, Burma was under the Kirat kingdom so as eastern Nepal. Another important and strong common factor is Buddhism. “Golden & Blue Shades” Tour is an amazing and complete tour, which will give you the possibility to experience the charming landscape of Myanmar from the ancient pagodas to the breathtaking white sand beach.
Duration of the tour – 17 nights/18 days
Highlights
The 2,500 years old Shwedagon Pagoda, which enshrines strands of Buddha’s hair and other holy relics, the amazing sight of the huge Golden Rock in the mountains North East of Yangon hanging over a cliff, the U Bein Teak Bridge, one of the simple, yet unexpected wonders of Myanmar, the temple town of Bagan and the white sand and blue sea, fringed with coconut trees in the Bay of Bengal.
Minimum 4 people
Itinerary
Day 01 – Pick up at the airport and transfer to the hotel. – Visit Shwedagon Pagoda, Sule Pagoda, Bogyoke Aung San Market, and Chauk-htat-gyi Buddha Temple, a huge reclining Buddha
Day 02 – Drive to Bago and visit Kyaik Pun Pagoda, Shwethalyaung Buddha, Shwemawdaw Pagoda, Kanbazathadi Golden Palace, and Kyakhatwine Monastery. Drive to the bottom of the Golden Rock Pagoda and overnight in a hotel.
Day 03 – Visit the Kyaikhtiyo Pagoda, also called the Golden Rock, one of Burma’s most sacred Buddhist sites. Drive to Tangoo and overnight in a hotel
Day 04 – Drive to Kalaw. On the way visit the Pindaya Caves. Overnight in hotel
Day 05 – Drive to Lake Inle. Overnight in hotel
Day 06 – Full day Boat Ride, Visit of Shweyanpyay Pagoda, the floating market, Phaungdawoo Pagoda, Indein Pagoda, the floating Gardens, the Jumping Cat Monastery, and long neck Padaung women
Day 07 – Drive to Mandalay. Overnight in hotel
Day 08 – Visit Mandalay Hill, Kuthodaw Pagoda, Shwenandaw Monastery, Atumashi Monastery, Mandalay Palace, and Mahamuni Pagoda
Day 09 – Boat ride to Mingun and visit the town
Day 10 – Visit the ancient towns of Sagaing, Innwa, and Amarapura with its famous U Bein Teak Bridge
Day 11 – Drive to Bagan and on the way visit Mount Popa, a sacred monastery, with stupas glistening gold, perched atop an extinct volcano. Overnight in hotel
Day 12 – Full day visit to the archaeological zone of Bagan
Day 13- Drive to Pyay. Overnight in hotel
Day 14 – Drive to Ngwe Saung Beach. Overnight in hotel
Day 15 – Free time on the beach
Day 16 – Free time on the beach
Day 17 – Drive back to Yangon
Day 18 – Drop off at the airport for departure
Brief information about the places you will visit
Yangon is the largest city in Burma and the center of economic activity. The city is also known as Rangoon and was the capital of the country until 2005 when a completely new city called Naypyidaw was built and made the new capital. The city houses many beautiful and impressive Buddhist temples and pagodas including Burma’s most important Buddhist pilgrimage site, the Shwedagon Pagoda, a huge complex with a 99 meters high gold-plated pagoda set on a hill, visible from much of the city. Other sites include the Chauk Htat Gyi Pagoda, known for its enormous 66 meters long Reclining Buddha image, the Sule Pagoda, and some fine examples of colonial-era buildings like the Strand Hotel and the central train station and the Bogyoke Aung San Market. Yangon’s most famous market. This place built in colonial architectural style consists of a large number of streets, packed with small shops and stalls where a wide range of products is for sale including handicrafts, antiques, arts, jewelry, precious stones like rubies and jade, silk fabrics, and clothing.
Bago is one of the richest archaeological sites in Myanmar. Here we will visit:
The Shwemawdaw Pagoda, originally built by the Mon to a height of 23 meters in the 8th century, was rebuilt higher several times until it finally reached its present 114-meter stature in 1954, becoming the tallest of the Burmese pagodas. Legends say that enshrined beneath the towering pagoda are the hairs and teeth of the Buddha. Kyaik Pun Pagoda which is in the form of four gigantic Buddha images all in sitting posture facing the four cardinal points of the compass. They are seated back to back against a massive brick pillar.
Kanbawza Thadi, the famous palace of King Bayinnaung (1551-1581 A.D.) was the founder of the Second Myanmar Empire, which stretched from the borders of India to parts of Thailand and Laos.
The Kyaiktiyo Pagoda, today also known as the Golden Rock Pagoda is located on top of Mt. Kyaiktiyo at 3615 feet (1102 meters) above sea level, in the Mon State and approximately 130 miles (210 km) from the city of Yangon. The Pagoda was built more than 2500 years ago. Legend says that the Pagoda was built on a Hair relic that was given to a hermit by Buddha Himself. The hermit treasured the sacred Hair in his hair knot until he found a boulder resembling his head on which he could build a pagoda to enshrine it. The Pagoda is a glowing affirmation of Myanmar’s spirituality. Although small in size, it is one of the most revered and celebrated pagodas in Myanmar. The Golden Rock Pagoda is recognized as one of the wonders of South East Asia.
Pindaya Cave is an important pilgrimage site for Burmese Buddhists and an attractive, unusual sight for tourists. The cave is set in a limestone hill in Central Burma not far from Inle Lake. It is about 150 meters long and contains thousands of Buddha images in various styles and from different eras from the early Konbaung dynasty era to the present day.
Kalaw Located in the Shan State, 50km from the famous Inle Lake, Kalaw was founded as a hill station by the British during colonial rule. At a height of 1,320 meters, the climate was a cool escape from the sweltering heat of the tropics.
Inle Lake is located in the heart of the Shan Plateau. It is a beautiful highland lake, 900 meters above sea level. The lake is 22 km long and 10 km across and is inhabited by many different ethnic nationals of the area. The Intha people are Lake dwellers who are unique for their leg rowing. Leg-rowed traditional boats are the main ceremonial attractions of Inle Lake.
Mandalay Established in 1857, Mandalay is the second largest city in Myanmar. It is found in the upper part of the country, located on the east bank of the Irrawaddy River. Mandalay is where the Royal Palace of the Konbaung Dynasty is located, which was the last monarchy and independent kingdom of Burma.
Mingun is famous for its gigantic, unfinished stupa, the Mingun Pahtodawgyi which was meant to be the largest in the world (at a projected height of 150 meters), but now lies ravaged by earthquakes on the western banks of the Irrawaddy.
Sagaing Located on the western banks of the Irrawaddy River, 21 kilometers southwest of Mandalay, Sagaing is another of Myanmar’s ancient capitals, famous for its many hundreds of white, silver, and gold pagodas and monasteries that dot its hilly landscape.
Innwa was Myanmar’s old capital city and had been a very important part of Burmese history that shaped and directed the growth of Burma for ages. It is located just about 20 kilometers southwest of Mandalay.
Amarapura, just outside of Mandalay, was once the royal capital of Myanmar. While it no longer holds that title, the area is still home to many attractions and sites like the famous U Bein Bridge. Stretching 1.2km long, it’s the largest teak wood bridge in the world. The bridge is beautiful at any time of day but is at its most stunning at sunset.
Bagan in central Burma is one of the world’s greatest archeological sites. The setting is sublime – a verdant 26 square-mile plain, part-covered in stands of palm and tamarind caught in a bend of the lazy-flowing Irrawaddy river and framed by the hazy silver-grey of distant mountains. Rising from the plain’s canopy of green are temples, dozens of them, hundreds of them, beautiful, other-worldly silhouettes that were built by the kings of Bagan between 1057 and 1287, when their kingdom was swept away by earthquakes and Kublai Khan and his invading Mongols.
Ngwe Saung Beach A sleepy fishing village with hotels spread along its beautiful white sand shore, Ngwe Saung is a perfect place to relax after a few weeks of traveling around Myanmar.
WHEN TO GO
The best time to visit most of Myanmar is from November to February as it is neither too hot to walk around due to the cool breeze that blows in. March to May, on the other hand, are boiling, especially in the plains near Bagan and Mandalay.