MYA - T 13: TEMPLE GOLFING TOUR, 13 days (L)
Yangon - Bagan - Mandalay - Kalaw - Heho -
Taunggyi – Pindaya - Inle Lake – Yangon
Day
1 Yangon
Arrival at Yangon airport, meet on arrival
and transfer to the hotel. Free time at leisure
Overnight in Yangon
Day 2 Yangon
After breakfast at the hotel, transfer
from/to Yangon to golf course. A round of golf at the Yangon Golf Club (18
holes incl. caddy) - built in 1909 by the British, the Yangon Golf Club is the
oldest golf club in Town. It features a clubhouse with a local restaurant.
Every year, the PGA Asia Tournament is played here. Late afternoon, complete
your day in Myanmar with an extended visit one of the world’s most spectacular
monument the Shwedagon Pagoda for sunset
Overnight in Yangon
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.
Day
3 Yangon
- Bagan
After breakfast, transfer to the airport
for domestic flight from Yangon to Bagan
. Upon arrival,
transfer to the hotel. After refreshment, continue the day with one round of
golf at the Bagan Golf Club (18 holes incl. caddy). Late afternoon, visit the
oldest cylindrical Pyu-style stupa Bupaya which is located on the
bank of the Irrawaddy and watch the sun set over Bagan
Overnight in Bagan
BUPAYA: right on the bank of the
Irrawaddy, this cylindrical Pyu-style stupa is said to be the oldest in Bagan.
Local residents claim it dates to the 3rd century. The distinctively shaped
bulbous stupa stands above rows of crenellated terraces.
Day
4 Bagan
After breakfast, continue sightseeing Bagan, visit the most significant pagodas and temples of Bagan including Shwezigon Pagoda - built by King Anawrahta in the early 11th century as a religious shrine, Gubyaukhyi Temple at Wetkyi-Inn - the great colorful painting about the previous life of Buddha and the distinguished architecture make this temple an interesting site for a visit, Ananda Pahto - one of the finest, largest, best preserved and most revered of the Bagan temples. Gubyaukgyi Temple - a temple with superb murals of Jataka scenes, Manuha Temple - was built by King Manuha in 1059, it enshrines the unusual combination of 3 seated and one reclining image Buddha and visit Shwesandaw Paya to enjoy significant view over Bagan.
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.
SHWESANDAW 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
5 Bagan
- Mandalay
After breakfast at the hotel, transfer to
the airport for domestic flight from Bagan to Mandalay. Upon arrival, you will
experience the sights and sound of Mandalay including Kyauktawgyi Paya,
visit one of the most revered religious monuments - Mahamuni Paya, Kuthodaw
Paya - the world largest book made of marble; Sandamani Paya - a
cluster of slender whitewashed stupas; Kuthodaw Pagoda the world’s largest book
made of marble and proceed 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.
KYAUKTAWGYI PAGODA: built between
1853 and 1878 and chiefly interesting for the huge seated image of the Buddha
carved from a single block of marble. The marble block from the mines of nearby
Sagyin was so colossal that it required 10,000 men laboring for 13 days to
transport it from a canal to the current site.
SANDAMANI PAYA: a cluster of
slender whitewashed stupas built on the site of King Mindon's temporary palace
used while the new Mandalay Palace was under construction. The Paya enshrines
an iron image of the Buddha cast in 1802 by Bodaw Paya and transported here
from Amarapura in 1874.
MAHAMUNI PAYA: originally built
by King Bodaw Paya 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.
MANDALAY HILL: an easy climb up
the sheltered steps bring one to a panoramic view over the palace, Mandalay,
and the paya-studded countryside. The famous hermit monk, U Khanti, is credited
with inspiring the construction of many of the buildings on and around the hill
in the years after the founding of the city.
Day 6 Mandalay
After breakfast, transfer to a round of
golf at the Shwe San Yar Golf Course (18 holes) Shwe San Yar Golf Course is located 15 kilometers outside of
Mandalay on the way to Maymyo. Opened in 1990, it features a clubhouse with
basic facilities and a small local restaurant. It is best played between
October and February.
Overnight in Mandalay
Day
7 Mandalay
- Heho – Kalaw
After breakfast at the hotel, transfer to
the airport for domestic flight from Mandalay to Heho. Upon arrival, you will
be transfer by vehicle to Kalaw - Journey west on Highway 4 past Aungban to
Kalaw. One round of golf at the Pine View Golf Club in Kalaw (9 holes incl.
green fee and caddy)
Overnight in Kalaw
Day
8 Kalaw
- Pindaya – Taunggyi
After early breakfast, start your journey by road, north along Highway 41 past Aungban and the Danu villages of Pwehla and Ji-Chanzi in Shan State. The Aungban-Pindaya road is scenic and there are fields of dry-cultivated mountain rice along the way and potato fields where the tuber is grown in red mud mounds.
Visit Pindaya Caves - a unique site housing
thousands of Buddha images placed there by pilgrims over the centuries and Shwe
U Min Paya - a cluster of low stupas just below the ridge near the Pindaya
Caves. Beginning on the full moon of Tabaung. Late afternoon, traveling to Inle
Lake.
Overnight in
Taunggyi
PINDAYA CAVES: these caves are
ensconced in a limestone ridge overlooking the lake. Inside the cavern there
are more than 8000 Buddha images - made from alabaster, teak, marble, brick,
lacquer and cement - and are arranged in such a way as to form a labyrinth
throughout the various cave chambers.
SHWE U MIN PAYA: this is a cluster
of low stupas just below the ridge near the Pindaya Caves. Beginning on the
full moon of Tabaung (February/March), Pindaya hosts a colorful pagoda festival
at Shwe U Min. By vehicle from Pindaya to Taunggyi
Day 9 Taunggyi
- Inle Lake
After breakfast at the hotel and start your day with one round of golf at the Aye Tha Yar Golf Club in Taunggyi (18 holes incl. green fee and caddy)
This Golf Course was opened in 2001 and is
the newest Golf Course in this area. It is best played between October and
February. During the rest of the year the fairways are rather rough and dry. A
local restaurant and basic shower facilities are available. Afternoon,
sightseeing in Taunggyi, is a pine-clad hill station, which provides a
cool break from the heat of the plains. Visit Central Market, Gem Market,
Museum & Shan State Museum & Library, which exhibit local native
costume, ceramics, weapons and Buddhist sculpture in Shan and Mandalay styles:
Pa O Cultural Center - contains musical instruments, banknotes and costumes and
visit Flying Tiger Mashua (Cheroot Factory) before traveling to Inle Lake.
Overnight in Inle
Lake
CENTRAL MARKET: located in the
canter of town, it is a good place to see colorful hill tribe people and the
popular local handicraft of basket making.
GEM MARKET: market where
jade, rubies, and sapphires are bought and sold.
SHAN STATE MUSEUM & LIBRARY: items include
local native costume, musical instruments, ceramics, and weapons. There is also
a display of royal Shan regalia and an exhibit of religious art that includes
Buddhist sculpture in Shan and Mandalay styles.
PA-O CULTURAL CENTRE: small but well
laid-out museum contains musical instruments, including a typical Pa-O
accordion, banknotes and costumes.
FLYING TIGER MASHUA (CHEROOT FACTORY): the hand rolling
technique is impressive, and cheroot bundlers are able to bunch 50 cheroots in
bundles without counting the individual cigars-they judge simply by feel.
Day
10 Inle
Lake – Taunggyi
After early breakfast, excursion by boat on the Inle Lake
Overnight in Taunggyi
Inle Lake, located in Shan State, 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. Enjoy the spectacular scenery and observe the skilled fisherman using their "leg-rowing" technique to propel themselves around the lake. Visit Phaungdaw Oo Pagoda - the weaving village, Ywama and local market and Intha village around the lake.
Day
11 Inle
Lake - Heho – Yangon
After breakfast, morning at leisure until
time to transfer to Heho airport for domestic flight from Heho to Yangon. Upon
arrival, transfer to the hotel and free time at leisure
Overnight in Yangon
Day
12 Yangon
After breakfast,
transfer from/to Yangon to golf course. A round of golf at the Pun Hlaing Golf
Estate (18 holes). This golf course is located 10 kilometers outside of Yangon.
Established in 2002, the Phun Hlaing Golf Estate features an 18-hole,
international standard golf course designed by Gary Player. This is the only
golf course in Myanmar with an impressive view of the Shwedagon Pagoda. The
clubhouse features an international restaurant and a locker room with shower
facilities.
Overnight in Yangon
Day
13 Yangon
After breakfast at
the hotel and free time at leisure before transfer to the airport for departure
End
of Services **Note: Itinerary
subject to change due to flight schedules.