Temples and Villages of Burma

Day 1 UK - In flight Titan’s VIP door-to-door travel service collects you from home, for your flight to Yangon via Singapore or Bangkok. Day 2 Yangon On arrival at Yangon Airport, our coach transfers us to the Parkroyal Yangon Hotel (4T) or Chatrium Hotel Royal Lake (4T). Yangon, formerly known as Rangoon, is a charming and relatively quiet city and its impressive colonial and spiritual heritage makes it one of the most fascinating in Southeast Asia. Later, we transfer to Yangon Central Railway Station to take a ride on the city’s circular train through the outskirts of town, giving you a unique opportunity to observe the lively, colourful lifestyle of the local people. We visit a local tea shop for a chance to experience an integral part of Burmese life: drinking tea! This evening we enjoy a guided visit to Shwedagon Pagoda, the most revered Buddhist temple in Myanmar. Local legend states that the original structure was built 2,500 years ago. Enjoy breathtaking views of the golden stupa from this vantage point and enjoy an oil lighting ceremony. Day 3 Yangon After breakfast, we board a ferry to cross the Yangon River to Dhala. The boat ride offers great views of the waterways as well as a fun chance to interact with the curious locals as they make their way across the river. On arrival, we take trishaws through the scenic town, remarkably different from nearby Yangon, with many trees and quiet side streets. After visiting the village and market, we proceed to the monastery. Also serving as a community centre, it is an important part of rural Burmese life. We take lunch at a local house to learn about family life. Return to Yangon to explore the city centre including Mahabandoola Garden and Independence Monument. The streets are filled with historical buildings, many of which have a faded colonial charm not seen elsewhere in Asia. We visit Little India and Chinatown, a colourful cacophony of restaurants, temples and markets. Day 4 Yangon - Mandalay We depart for the airport for our flight to Mandalay, where we embark our Pandaw cruise vessel - RV Orient Pandaw (4T) or RV Indochina Pandaw (4T). After lunch on board, we have an excursion to central Mandalay, including the area of Mandalay Palace and Mandalay Hill. We also visit some interesting and authentic craft workshops. Day 5 Mingun - Amarapura We cast off early to stop at Mingun where, what would have been the largest stupa, exists in its incomplete form. For fear he would die upon completion - as suggested by an astrologer - the King did not allow the Mingun Temple to be finished. He also had a gigantic bell cast, to complement the stupa, and today it is the largest ringing bell in the world. We also visit the Mingun Old Peoples’ Home, originally established with the assistance of the Irrawaddy Flotilla Company in the 1930s. In the afternoon, we drive to Amarapura, the former capital of Myanmar, where we enjoy a boat trip on the Taungthaman Lake and watch the sunset behind the world’s longest teak bridge - U Bein Bridge. We will also see silk weavers at work in their shop. Day 6 Yandabo Village Cruise downstream through the morning, arriving at Yandabo Village, historically-recognised and famous for its production of terracotta pottery, from the river bank clay. Watch the tradesmen at work before we sail to Shwe Than Tint to spend the night. Day 7 Pakokku - Tan-Chi-Taung Pakkoku is a lively riverine town with many collegiate monasteries and a colourful local market, which we reach by tuk-tuk. In the afternoon we will moor at the foot of the Tan-Chi-Taung Mountains and ascend by jeep to visit a selection of the 3,000 listed monuments at this World Heritage Site. Day 8 Min-Nan-Thu - Salay - Pakhannge Make a rewarding visit to one of eight clinics in the Pagan area which is supported by the Pandaw Charity. The modest, agricultural village of Min-Nan-Thu specialises in the production of sesame and peanut oil, using cows to drive the seed grinders and pull their carts. Next is Salay, once a bustling trading port it is now a sleepy village filled with timeless teak monasteries, including the best-known teak carved monastery in Burma, and treasures including the Mann Paya Buddha, a 20ft wooden statue lacquered in gold. We end the day at Pakhannge, a Pagan dynasty city with temples and wood carved monasteries from the Konbaung Period, the last Burmese monarchy before British colonial rule. Day 9 Bagan We sail on to Bagan (formerly Pagan) in the early morning. Between the 11th and 13th century the kings of the Pagan Dynasty ruled the country and ordered thousands of pagodas and temples to be built, meaning Bagan is now one of the richest archaeological sites in the world. Day 10 Bagan Today we have more time to explore Bagan and some of the 3,000 standing monuments in the town, and visit some of the lacquer workshops. Day 11 Bagan - Heho - Inle Lake After breakfast, we disembark our vessel and transfer for our flight to Heho. On arrival, we take a scenic drive to Nyaung Shwe, the gateway village to Inle Lake. Along the way, we stop at the wooden Shwe Yan Pyay Monastery with beautiful carvings and Buddha images. We have an included lunch at a local restaurant, before boarding a boat to take us to Mine Thauk village, famous for its traditional Shan tofu. We’ll watch as they create fried tofu crackers and tofu treats. We also venture through small ‘streets’ to a neighbourhood of stilted houses whose residents craft wooden boats. We stay at the Pristine Lotus Spa Resort (4T), for the next two nights. The rest of the day is at leisure. Day 12 Inle Lake After breakfast, we take a boat down a small canal to In Dein to explore the Pa-oh village on foot. Wander through the beautiful Alaung Sitthou area, filled with picturesque ancient stupas and magnificent views of the lake below, and take lunch at a local restaurant. Continuing, we pass villages built on stilts over the lake inhabited by the local Intha people, observe the leg-rowing fishermen and see their floating gardens, and visit Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda, the lake’s main sanctuary, which contains five sacred Buddha images covered in gold leaf. Day 13 Inle Lake - Heho - Yangon You may choose to start the day on an optional excursion to Inle Lake’s morning market (on Full Moon and Dark Moon days, the market does not open). The market has a five-day rotation around the lake’s villages for lake inhabitants and surrounding hill tribes to sell and trade their wares. On our journey to Heho Airport, we take time to explore the local crafts of Inle Lake, the weaving village of Inpawkhone and a cheroot factory, where the typical Burmese cigars are made by hand. Upon arrival in Yangon, we transfer to the Parkroyal Yangon Hotel (4T) or Chatrium Hotel Royal Lake (4T) and enjoy a farewell dinner this evening. Day 14 Yangon - In flight This morning, we visit Bogyoke Market (subject to opening times), where you can browse through the wide selection of handicrafts and other goods, before we transfer to Yangon Airport for your return flight to the UK. Day 15 UK Upon arrival your Titan vehicle will be waiting for the journey home.