I dream of Burma

Welcome to Mandalay, the cultural heart of the country, filled with Buddhist monasteries, exotic temples and glittering pagodas. Upon arrival to Myanmar, our driver will transfer you from the airport to Rupar Mandalar Resort. Your day is free at leisure to explore the sites of Mandalay on your own or to relax at the hotel until the evening performance at the Mandalay Marionette Theatre where you can see the traditional art form of puppetry alive and well.

Visiting place: Mandalay

Meals: No meals

Accommodation: Rupar Mandalar Resort

Rise and shine for a big breakfast before leaving the hotel to discover the ancient capitals of Ava, Sagaing, and Amarapura on this full-day tour from Mandalay.

See the teak monastery Bagaya Kyaung and the former royal monastery of Maha Aungmye Bonzan in Ava. Learn more about the national religion in the living center of Buddhism, Sagaing, where there are over 600 white-coloured pagodas and monasteries housing over 3,000 monks and 100 meditation centers.

And finally, gaze at the beautiful handmade silk weavings at a local workshop in Amarapura before visiting Maha Aungmye Bonzan and the largest teak bridge in the entire world, the U-Bein Bridge. Enjoy a stroll across the bridge and observe the comings and goings of the local people, or perhaps sit yourself in a small rowboat to watch the glorious sunset from a different vantage point.

Visiting place: MandalaySagaingAmarapura

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Rupar Mandalar Resort

Let us whisk you away to the impressive archaeological site of Bagan today on a 30-minute flight from Mandalay. Built between the 11th and 12th centuries, this ancient city is a bucket-list destination, often compared to the impressive ruins of Cambodia’s Angkor Wat. The flat green plains are usually covered with a romantic fog in the morning that slowly dissipates as the sun rises higher and higher in the sky. In every direction, an uncountable number of temples and stupas poke through the mist in a dusty earth-colored red.

Learn a bit more about Burmese culture with a trip to Nyuang-U Market with your guide as you pick out the ingredients needed for your cooking class today. A local chef will teach you how to prepare a selection of dishes and courses from the appetizer to a succulent dessert which you will get to enjoy when you dine on your creations over lunch. The rest of the day is free at leisure to enjoy your hotel or explore on your own.

Visiting place: MandalayBagan

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Rise before the sun to partake in a sunrise hot air balloon ride over the stunning landscape, lush jungle, and thousands of Buddhist temples, pagodas, and stupas rising out of the mist of Bagan. The morning calm gives way to brilliant colours and a beaming sun as you glide through the air in your hot air balloon. Land on firm ground as day breaks and an alfresco breakfast with champagne is prepared for you.

Return to the hotel in the mid-morning and relax at leisure until an afternoon tour of many important sites in Bagan by the charming horse-drawn carriage, starting with Ananda and Dhamayangi Temple. Stop at the ancient Buddhist Shwezigone Pagoda and Gu Byauk Gi Pagoda with its beautiful mural paintings. As the sun begins to set and the heat fades, marvel at the gorgeous pinks, purples, reds, and oranges appearing in the sky above the Shwe Sandaw Pagoda in a sunset experience like no other.

Balloon Rides are only available from the beginning of October until the beginning of March.

Visiting place: Bagan

Meals: Breakfast

Rest up this morning after the previous day’s tour learning about the history of Bagan. Your morning is free to relax at your hotel or perhaps to revisit your favourite temples from yesterday.

At 1pm, your guide will come to pick you up for a truly magical experience. Visit a local monastery open to outsiders and learn about the daily lives of Buddhist monks in Myanmar, where you are able to answer questions through your guides and gain deep-insight into the lives of the Myanmar faithful, many who have chosen this path from a young age. When the time is right, you will be invited to have a tea or coffee under the shade of a nearby tree to end the experience.

Visiting place: Bagan

Meals: Breakfast

This morning take a one-hour flight from Bagan’s Nyuang-U Airport to Heho in the Shan State. Upon arrival to Heho, our driver will transport you to the gorgeous boutique Inle Princess.

Take a private trip to the gorgeous Inle Lake and view the powerful image of fisherman gliding along the water with their unusual rowing techniques, casting glittering nets to find food. Pass by villages inhabited by local people with the houses built on stilts and floating gardens and visit Nga Hpe Chaung Monastery, well-known for not only its Shan-style Buddha statues but also the resident cats who have been trained to do various tricks.

Stop by Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda, the lake’s main shrine, before visiting a cheroot workshop where Burmese cigars are rolled out by hand and a workshop where the iconic Shan parasols are carefully created.

Visiting place: BaganHehoInle Lake

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Inle Princess Resort

Travel deep into the Shan hills today to the hidden ‘forest of temples’ of Kakku. Cross local minority villages and untouched scenery before reaching Kakku where more than 5000 stupas from the 11^th century rise high from the ground to the sky. Wander through the mysterious ruins before returning to the hotel to enjoy the rest of your day free at leisure.

Visiting place: Inle Lake

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Inle Princess Resort

Return to Heho Airport for a domestic flight to Thandwe this morning to unwind in style in the Rakhine State’s premiere beach getaway, the lovely Ngapali Beach. Bask in the sun as you admire the intense sunsets, sparkling turquoise seas, untouched beaches and super-fresh seafood in one of Myanmar’s truly scenic treasures. Upon arrival to Thandwe, a driver will bring you to your luxury accommodation Ngapali Bay Villa & Spa to complete the check-in process. Have the day free to enjoy your plush surroundings in style.

Visiting place: Inle LakeHehoNgapali Beach

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Ngapali Bay Villa & Spa

The day is free to appreciate the many services, on-site activities, and amenities of your luxurious accommodation. Lay on the beach or try your hand at kayaking and snorkeling in the lovely clear waters.

Visiting place: Ngapali Beach

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Ngapali Bay Villa & Spa

Enjoy another day free at leisure to unwind and relax in paradise. Optional activities include a day-trip to the stunning Pearl Island with a picnic lunch or cultural immersion in the local fishing village of Jatetaw.

Visiting place: Ngapali Beach

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Ngapali Bay Villa & Spa

Enjoy a free morning until your early afternoon flight from Thandwe to Yangon.  Upon arrival to Yangon, our driver will transfer you to your city accommodation for your final afternoon in Myanmar. Check-in to the stylish colonial Strand Hotel and choose between an English or Burmese afternoon-tea set to rest after a busy day of travelling, having the rest of the evening free at leisure.

Visiting place: Ngapali BeachYangon

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: The Strand Hotel Yangon

Enjoy a morning free at leisure to relax and appreciate the 5-star services and amenities in your hotel until an afternoon tour of Yangon’s famed cultural and historical attractions on a private tour. Visit Chaukhtatgyi Paya, home to a 70-meter-long reclining Buddha, as well as the beautiful Sule Pagoda, Kandawgyi Park, and the awe-inspiring Shwedagon Pagoda as the sun begins to set.

Enjoy an evening dinner at Karaweik Palace, a glittering replica of the Pyi Gyi Mon Royal Barge which was used by Burmese kings of old to travel around the kingdom. Feast on an international buffet as you watch a glamourous cultural show featuring traditional dances and elaborate costumes.

Visiting place: Yangon

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Accommodation: The Strand Hotel Yangon

Your day is free until your transfer to Yangon Airport for your onward booked travel arrangements.

Visiting place: Yangon

Meals: Breakfast