Myanmar explorer

Transfer to the city. Discover Yangon's most impressive colonial buildings. Visit the majestic Shwedagon Pagoda, most important pilgrimage sites in South-East Asia. Overnight at hotel.

Morning flight to Heho. Transfer to Nyaung Shwe, depart on local boat to visit Phaung Daw Oo pagoda which contains five sacred plastered with gold leaf images of the Buddha. Stop at a lotus silk weaving and burmese cheroots workshop. Cross the floating gardens by a small wooden boat and enjoy a beer, snacks at sunset. Overnight at hotel.

Travel in a motorboat to Sagar, located in the south of Inle Lake, passing several Pa-Oh, Intha minority villages.  Observe the life style of its inhabitants. Sagar,an forgotten archeological site, was flooded in the middle of the 20th century. The impressive remains of a majestic past are nestled in the hills or buried under water: stupas, temples and pagodas taken over by wilderness are prisoners of time and vegetation. Overnight at hotel.

Head towards Pindaya through the seneric mountain landscape of Shan state. You visit Pindaya cave, a unique site aged of more than 200 million years which comprises thousands of golden Buddha statues and explore various handicraft workshops, among a manufacturing Shan-paper umbrellas. Transfer to Heho airport and flight to Mandalay. Overnight at hotel.

Embark on local boat to visit Mingun village with its impressive unfinished Mantaragyi brick pagoda, legendary Mingun bell weighing 90 tons. Visit ancient city Mandalay : Kothudaw pagoda, Shwe Nandaw teck-wood monastery, enjoy prays of monk at Shwe Kyin monastery. Overnight at hotel

Transfer by car to Monywa. En- route, visit Thanbodday an enormous Buddhist temple that cover more than 500,000 images of Buddha. Cross the Chindwin River to reach the Powin Taung caves. The caves feature thousands of frescoes and unique sculptures in Southeast Asia, the most ancient ones from the XIIth century. Overnight at hotel.

Travel by road towards the archeological site of Bagan. Visit Thanaka market located in an old monastery, cheroot factory. Embark on a privatized local boat to sail down Irrawaddy river to ancient Bagan. You enjoy cocktail and snacks at sunset. Candlight dinner, view to ancient temples. Overnight at hotel.

Visit famous Shwezigon pagoda, Ananda temples, lacquer workshop to learn about the ancient art of making this traditional specialty of Bagan, rustic agricultural village of Kyun Thiri, settled other side of Irrawaddy River. Lunch at village garden. Overnight at hotel.

PACK PLUS: Balloon Over Bagan

Morning flight to Yangon and then journey to Hpa An, the capital city of the Kayin State. Visit Kyauk Kalap monastery, a pagoda hanging on top of a tall finger of rock, in the middle of a lake. Sunset at Shwe Yin Hmyaw Pagoda, located by the riverside. Overnight at hotel.

Travel to the Karen village of Lakhana for a leisure walk among the wood houses in the middle of lush vegetation. Visit to Kaw Ka Taung cave which is nesteld at the foot of the karstic cliffs, surrounded by beautiful rice fields. Journey to Saddan Caves, the most impressive around Hpa An, take a mall wooden boats cruising peacefully along the rice fields and the karstic hills. Overnight at hotel.

Visit of the bright and colorful morning market, then transfer to Mawlamyaing, stop to visit Kawhnat village, with its temple complex, that display a peculiar  architecture, mixing both Burmese and Thai influences.  Visite colonial buildings and the Queen Sein Don Monastery decorated with detaile wood carvings and enjoy a panoramic sunset on top of the hill. Overnight at hotel.

Visit of the vibrant Zegyi Market travel to Bilu Island by car and will discover the 64 self-sufficient Mon villages that are settled on the island, visit local workshops: coconut fiber mats, coconut flatware and kettles, wooden walk sticks, wooden pens, etc. The journey will take you through tranquil rice fields and peaceful villages.  Travel by car to Bago. Overnight at hotel.

Visit Bago: colourful local market, thousand-year old Shwemawdaw Pagoda. Transfer to Yangon airport for departure flight.