MYA - T 03: FACINATING BURMA, 7 days (L)

Yangon – Bagan – Mandalay - Heho - Inle Lake

 

Day 1              Yangon

 

Arrival at Yangon airport, meet on arrival and transfer to the hotel. Rest of the day at leisure, free time for walking around the city or shopping.

Overnight in Yangon

 

Day 2              Yangon

 

After breakfast at the hotel, your journey begins with sightseeing in Yangon: visit Shwedagon Pagoda, Botataung Pagoda, Ngadatkyi Paya, Sule Pagoda, Ngadatkyi Paya, National Museum, Buddhist Art Museum and Maha Wizaya Pagoda.

Overnight in Yangon

 

YANGON lies in the fertile delta of southern Myanmar, on the wide Yangon River. The city is filled with tree-shaded boulevards, while shimmering stupas float above the treetops. The city became the capital only in 1885, when the British completed the conquest of Upper Myanmar and Mandalay' s brief period as capital of the last Burmese kingdom ended.

 

SHWEDAGON PAGODA: the highlight of any visit to Yangon, this pagoda dates back about 2500 years and was built to house eight sacred hairs of the Buddha. Its original shape has changed beyond all recognition over the centuries. Its bell-shaped superstructure, resting on a terraced base, is covered in about 60 tons of gold leaf, which is continuously being replaced.

 

BOTATAUNG PAGODA: this paya was named after the 1000 military leaders who escorted relics of the Buddha brought from India over 2000 years ago. This ancient monument was completely destroyed during WWII. It was then rebuilt in a very similar style to its predecessor, but the zedi is hollow and one can walk through it.

 

NGADATKYI PAYA: located in the Ashay Tawya monastery, this paya contains the huge seated "five-story" Buddha image.

 

NATIONAL MUSEUM: a museum with several interesting exhibits, especially the 8-meter high Sihasana Lion Throne, used by King Thibaw Min, the last Burmese king, and returned to Burma in 1908 by Lord Mountbatten. The main floor contains jewelry, old black and white photos of Mandalay Palace and Yangon, royal relics, Hintha opium weights and inscribed tablets.

 

BUDDHIST ART MUSEUM: housed in a 1952 Art Deco-style building. The dominant lotus window depicts all the attitudes of the Buddha. The museum's contents were collected by the archaeology department: begging bowls, palm leaf scriptures and 18th-20th century wooden Buddha images.

 

MAHA WIZAYA PAGODA: built by General Ne Win in the 1980s. The pagoda is hollow with a ceiling depicting Burmese constellations and a permanent display of pagoda styles through the ages.

 

SULE PAGODA: this 48 meter high golden dome was used by the British as the nucleus of their grid pattern for the city when it was rebuilt in the 1880s. The pagoda's peculiarity is its octagonal-shaped stupa, which retains its shape as it tapers to the spire.

 

Day 3              Yangon – Bagan

 

After early breakfast, transferred to the airport for domestic flight from Yangon to Bagan

Upon arrival, transfer to the hotel and continue the day with sightseeing in the major temple and lacquer ware factory in Bagan: visit Shwezigon Paya, Gubyaukhyi Temple, Ananda Pahto, Gubyaukgyi Temple, Manuha Temple, visit one of Myanmar’s most treasured handicrafts - a lacquer ware craftsmen’s workshop before proceed to Shwesandow Paya to watch the sunset over the famous Irrawaddy River.

Overnight in Bagan

 

BAGAN is a spectacular plain stretching away from the Irrawaddy River, dotted with thousands of 800-year old temple ruins. Although human habitation at Bagan dates back almost to the beginning of the Christian era, Bagan only entered its golden period with the conquest of Thaton in 1057 AD.

 

SHWEZIGON PAYA: King Anawrahta started the construction of the Schwezigon Pagoda to enshrine some relicts of Buddha. The construction was finished by his successor, King Kyansittha between 1086 and1090. Originally the Shwezigon Pagoda marked the northern end of the city of Bagan. The stupa's graceful bell shape became a prototype for virtually all-later stupas over Myanmar.

 

GUBYAUKHYI TEMPLE at Wetkyi-Inn: this Temple was built in the early 13th Century and repaired in 1468. The great colorful painting about the previous life of Buddha and the distinguished architecture make this temple an interesting site for a visit. This temple is not to be confounded with the Gubyaukgyi Temple in Myinkabe.

 

ANANDA PAHTO: one of the finest, largest, best preserved and most revered of the Bagan temples. Thought to have been built around 1105 by King Kyanzittha, this perfectly proportioned temple heralds the stylistic end of the Early Bagan period and the beginning of the Middle period.

 

GUBYAUKGYI TEMPLE at Myinkaba: built in 1113 by Kyanzittha's son Rajakumar, this temple is famous for its well-preserved Stuccos from the 12th century on the outside walls. The magnificent paintings date from the original construction of the temple and are considered to be the oldest original paintings in Bagan.

 

MANUHA TEMPLE: The Manuha Temple was built in 1059 by King Manuha, the King of Thaton, who was brought captive to Bagan by King Anawrahta. It enshrines the unusual combination of 3 seated and one reclining image Buddha. It is said that this temple was built by Manuha to express his displeasure about his captivity in Bagan.

 

SHWESANDOW PAYA: In 1057 King Anawrahta built this Pagoda following his conquest of Thaton. This is the first monument in Bagan, which features stairways leading up from the square bottom terraces to the round base of the Stupa. This Pagoda is ideal to watch Bagan's magnificent sunsets.

 

Day 4              Bagan – Mandalay

 

After breakfast at the hotel, transfer to the airport for domestic flight from Bagan to Mandalay. Upon arrival, excursion to Amanrapura, 15 k.m. from Mandalay to visit Mahagandayon Monastery where more than a thousand monks live and study, if time permitting you will have a opportunity to observe how the monks live and having their last meal of the day. Continue to 200-year-old U Bein - the longest teak bridge in Myanmar and visit Bagaya Monastery before transfer to hotel in Mandalay. After refreshment, sightseeing in Mandalay: visit Mandalay Fort, Mahamuni Paya, Kuthodaw Paya, Shwenandaw and proceeding to Mandalay Hill for sunset.

Overnight in Mandalay

 

MANDALAY was the last capital of Myanmar before the British took over so it still has great importance as a cultural center and historically it's the most Burmese of the country's large cities. Mandalay' s Buddhist monasteries are among the most important in the country - about 60% of all the monks in Myanmar reside in the Mandalay area. The city takes its name from Mandalay Hill, the 236m-high bluff that rises just to the northeast of Mandalay Fort and its royal palace.

 

MANDALAY FORT: imposing walled palace compound constructed in 1857 with a channel from the Mandalay irrigation canal filling the moat. After the British occupied the city in 1885 the compound was named Fort Dufferin and became the colony's government house and British Club.

 

MAHAMUNI PAYA: originally built by King Bodawpaya in 1784 when a road paved with bricks was constructed from his palace to the paya's eastern gate. The centerpiece of the shrine is the highly venerated Mahamuni image that was transported to Myanmar from Mrauk U in Rakhaing in 1784.

 

KUTHODAW PAYA: the central stupa here was modeled on the Shwezigon Paya at Nyaung U near Bagan. Building commenced in 1857, at the same time as the royal palace. The paya has been dubbed 'the world's biggest book', for standing around the central stupa are 729 marble slabs on which are inscribed the entire Tripitaka.

 

SHWENANDAW: monastery of great interest, not only as a fine example of a traditional Burmese wooden monastery, but also as a fragile reminder of the old Mandalay Fort. At one time this building was part of the palace complex, and was used as an apartment by King Mindon and his chief queen, and it was here that he died. After Mindon's death King Thibaw Min had the building dismantled and reassembled on its present site in 1880 as a monastery.

 

Day 5              Mandalay - Heho - Inle Lake

 

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for domestic flight from Mandalay to Heho

Upon arrival, proceed by road to Inle Lake (Nyaung Shwe)

Transfer by boat

Overnight in Inle Lake

 

Day 6              Inle Lake

 

After Breakfast, boat trip on the Inle Lake include Ywama and Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda. Inle Lake located in Shan State. It is beautiful with very calm waters dotted with patches of floating vegetation and busy fishing canoes. High hills rim the lake on all sides. The lakes shore and islands bear 17 villages on stilts, mostly inhabited by the Intha people.

Overnight in Inle Lake

 

Day 7              Inle Lake

 

After breakfast, by vehicle from the Inle Lake to Heho - Journey north to Shwenyaung and continue west on highway 4 to Heho.

Flight from Heho to Yangon - Transfer - Assistance with terminal change (Domestic / International)

 

End of Services    **Note: Itinerary subject to change due to flight schedules.

 

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