Myanmar: The Golden Land - January 6 - 23, 2010 - ($2,575 USD from Bangkok)
| DATE |
ACTIVITY |
NIGHT |
| Jan 6 |
W |
Gather at Amari Boulevard, orientation, walking tour near hotel, group dinner (option). |
Bangkok |
| 7 |
Th |
AM: Fly to Yangon, Park Royal Hotel is better than the Amari.
Early afternoon: free, later to Shwedagon Pagoda, probably the most spectacular pagoda in the world. |
Yangon |
| 8 |
F |
AM: To Scott’s Market. All kinds of crafts, jade, some Naga crafts.
PM: City tour, including the huge reclining Buddha. |
Yangon |
| 9 |
S |
Fly to Bagan, then by road to Mt. Popa. Step to see palm sugar and whisky made, peanut oil pressed as 200 years ago. See Nat shrines on Mt. Popa. Stay at beautiful lodge on slope of Popa Mountain. |
Mt. Popa |
| 10 |
S |
AM: Short drive to Bagan.
PM: Visit major temples, then sunset cruise on the Irrawaddy River. |
Bagan |
| 11 |
M |
AM: Nyaung U Market. Crafts, antiques, utilitarian items, beautiful flowers. Then temples, lunch by the Irrawaddy. laquerware workshops. Shwesandaw Pagoda at Sunset.
Evening: Puppet Show. |
Bagan |
| 12 |
T |
AM: Myinkaba village.
PM: Temples, craft shops.
Later: Early evening pony cart ride. |
Bagan |
| 13 |
W |
AM: Fly to Mandalay. Beautiful Sedona Hotel.
Afternoon: Short city tour, then Amarapura. Marble carving, bronze casting using the lost wax process. |
Mandalay |
| 14 |
Th |
Excursion by boat to Mirgun Pagoda and bell. To Ava and Sagaing. Myalheinden Pagoda. Mandalay is famed for its barbequed foods; some of the better shops are a short pedicab ride from our hotel. |
Mandalay |
| 15 |
F |
AM: Mahamuni Pagoda and the huge gold Buddha. Then the Mahagandyon Monastery to see the hundreds of monks and the cooking and feeding process (better than it sounds!). Zegya market. Sunset on Mandalay Hill. |
Mandalay |
| 16 |
S |
AM: Fly to Heho, in the Shan States, then through the beautiful countryside to Pindaya. Except for Houaphan in Laos it is the most scenic and interesting drive on the trips. Pindaya cave, antique market, umbrella making.
Evening: Cultural show in hotel. |
Pindaya |
| 17 |
S |
AM: In and around Pindaya. Then by road down to Inle Lake and by boat to Golden Island, a “floating hotel”. Weaving center.
Evening: Shan Cultural Program. |
Golden Island |
| 18 |
M |
Boats to edge of lake, periodic market (5 days), to the Indein Complex: hundreds of old burial stupas. Then to floating gardens, blacksmithing, silver, Jumping Cats Monastery. |
Golden Island |
| 19 |
T |
Tour Inle Lake. Leg rowers, fishing on the way to Nyaung Shwe. Markets, antique shops, jewelery. Hupin Hotel. |
Nyaung Shwe |
| 20 |
W |
Morning market in Nyaung Shwe, Then to the Heho airport and fly to Yangon.
Late afternoon: Near hotel. |
Yangon |
| 21 |
Th |
To temples, then ride commuter train half-way around Yangon, continue city tour. |
Yangon |
| 22 |
F |
Free For most of the day. I and the guide can take you to specific places. Return to Scott’s Market, shopping, packing.
Late afternoon: To the airport, fly to Bangkok. Night club (option). |
Bangkok |
| 23 |
S |
Tour ends. Return home, continue to Laos or elsewhere in Asia. |
Bangkok |
We visit Mt.Popa, the spectacular temples of Bagan, the city of Mandalay and the wonderful crafts, and then Inle Lake and the beautiful land around it. Perhaps most memorable are the villages and people of Myanmar. I have traveled to many countries and have never seen one as fascinating in terms of how the people live.
Earlier tours have gone well. We visited interesting places, ate good food, met wonderful people, and had a great time. This trip should be at least as good!
The cost of $2,575 (begin in Bangkok) includes all hotels, air travel, land travel, airport transfers, and breakfasts. Single supplement is $633. It does not include most food, individual taxi, laundry, airport taxes or visa.
The tour is organized and led by Professor Robert Phillips who has lived for half of the last 19 years in Thailand and Laos, and has taken many groups to these areas, including remote parts of Laos and perhaps the only group along the Ho Chi Minh Trail. He has visited Myanmar a number of times and led 8 tours there. He will be with us all of the time, as will an English speaking Burmese guide. Weather should be clear and sunny, with day temperatures of 65-70 degrees. Our hotels are extremely good, beginning with the Amari in Bangkok.
A deposit of $500 will hold a place. Final payment by October 10.
Registration forms can be downloaded from the website or are available from Mekong Tours. Those signing up will be sent information on money, visas, clothing, medical, hotels, etc.
It is best to communicate by email as I am away from home a lot of the time.
To make a reservation, please print the tour registration form, fill in all blanks and mail with a $500 deposit to:
Robert Phillips
Mekong Tours
7135 Fawcet Creek Road
Tillamook, OR 97141
(503) 842-7198
MekongTour1@Hotmail.com
www.MekongTours.com
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