Myanmar Luxury Trip

The city’s historical colonial and religious influences have survived despite its status as a rising Southeast Asian city, making for a truly unique experience.

Start a morning tour to visit the magnificent Shwedagon Pagoda of Rudyard Kipling fame and one of Myanmar’s most sacred places. The massive bell-shaped stupa is plated with gold and the tip of the stupa is set with diamonds and rubies, sapphires, and topaz – a stunning sight as the sun sets and a most fitting place to begin our trip in this “Golden Land”.

After that, head to Chauk Htat Gyi Pagoda, famous for an impressive reclining Chauk Htat Gyi Buddha Image before coming back to downtown and enjoy lunch in the Seeds Restaurant & Lounge, a romantic, contemporary Fine Dining Getaway by the Lake

In the afternoon, take a look around the colorful Bogyoke market where obtains Myanmar souvenirs, a perfect replacement for shopping. Walking around the National Museum and the magnificent complex architecture of British Colonial are the main tourist attractions downtown.

Top off the afternoon exploration of colonial heritage with high tea at The Strand, one of Myanmar’s most iconic colonial-era hotels.

Stay overnight in Belmond Governor’s Residence Yangon or The Strand Hotel.
Meals: (B/L/_)

After an early breakfast at the hotel transfer to Yangon’s Mingaladon Airport for the flight to Mandalay.

Upon arrival, our private car and tour guide will welcome us to the Mandalay airport and transfer to the hotel in the center. On the way, we will stop in Amarapura to attend the daily meal of over a thousand monks at the country’s largest monastery; Mahagandayon at 10:30 am every day.

Enjoy lunch in Mingalabar Restaurant – Asia Highlights’ Top Pick in Mandalay.

Afternoon highlight to the most significant Buddha images covered in several tons of gold leaf and the crown prize in wars between competing kingdoms; the Golden Palace Monastery, the sole surviving Royal Palace building in Mandalay, offering a glimpse of the original style and architecture of the Myanmar royals; and lastly, the Kuthodaw Pagoda, a compound housing Buddha’s teachings carved in the sacred Pali script on stone tablets and regarded the world’s largest book in terms of surface area. Time permitting, we enjoy a stroll through the lively Zegyo Market in the heart of the city to experience authentic local life.

We end our day with sunset panoramic views over the city skyline on Mandalay Hill, the highest point of the city.

Stay overnight in Mercure Mandalay Hill Resort or Hilton Mandalay.
Meals: (B/L/_)

Free in the morning until 10:30 am, check out and our car and tour guide will pick us up for a transfer to Shwe Kyet Yet village to embark on Road to Mandalay Cruise – one of the most luxurious cruises in Myanmar. Embark the ship at midday and set sail north along the Ayeyarwaddy River.

Enjoy an afternoon discovering the city’s key sites and traditional arts including a visit to a family of bronze casters.

Dine on Asia and Western cuisine in the elegant restaurant. Enjoying cruise’s excellent house wines or selecting an international label from cruise’s extensive list

Lunch and dinner are served on the cruise. Stay overnight on the boat in the private deluxe cabin.
Meals: (B/L/D)

Stretch out and relax at an early-morning yoga session, followed by a refreshing treat from cruise’s Healthy Juice Bar.

Join a Buddhist almsgiving ceremony and experience village near cruise’s jetty before the ship sets sail.

Alight in Ava to explore the ancient capital. Take a traditional horse and cart tour or discover the sights by bike

As the ship sails to Bagan, enjoy a range of onboard activities. Attend a talk on Myanmar culture, sample local infusions in cruise’s Burmese Tea Shop, and learn how to dress in a traditional longyi or have our fortune told by an astrologer. You can also indulge in a treatment at the spa, work out in the gym, or relax by the pool on the Observation Deck – the largest outdoor space of any river cruises in Myanmar.

Lunch and dinner are served on the cruise. Stay overnight on the boat in private deluxe cabin.
Meals: (B/L/D)

Rise early to attend a soothing meditation session before the ship arrives in Bagan.

A range of tour options is available today. Choose from “Introduction to Bagan” for temples and history. “A day in the life” for local culture, food, and markets, or “Bagan by bicycle” for those seeking with a taste for action and adventure.

Before rejoining the ship for lunch, stroll through the small village that is home to Belmond’s private jetty near Old Bagan. We may wish to visit Belmond’s free clinic where cruise’s onboard doctor will be treating local patients.

In the afternoon, visit Ananda – one of Bagan’s most magnificent temples. Continue our tour as we explore an off-the-beaten-track temple by torchlight.

End your visit by admiring the sunset over the plains.

Dine under the stars at the Road to Mandalay Grill on the Observation Deck before enjoying a classic marionette performance

Lunch and dinner are served on the cruise. Stay overnight on the boat in private deluxe cabin.
Meals: (B/L/D)

An early-bird breakfast is served before you disembark from Belmond Road to Mandalay for our onward travel arrangement at around 10:00 am.

Our private car and tour guide will pick us up from jetty and transfer to the only five-stars hotel in Bagan – Aureum Bagan Resort.

Enjoy lunch in Sunset Garden Restaurant – the best of riverside restaurants in Bagan.

In the afternoon, the sightseeing starts with the most distinctive pagodas such as Shwezigon Pagoda – the holiest one believed to be enshrined with Buddha tooth and hair. Proceed to Htilominlo Temple, an impressive 46-meter tall sanctuary which is one of the largest monuments on the plains of Bagan.

Following your afternoon sightseeing with a visit to Dhammayangyi, the largest temple on the plains of Bagan.

Stay overnight in Aureum Bagan Resort.
Meals: (B/L/_)

In the early morning, we take a sunrise Balloon flight over the plains of Bagan. From above looking down, Bagan is beautiful as a watercolor picture. Along two banks of the gentle Ayeyarwady River are small villages hiding in the bamboo trees. The top of golden pagodas glistens under the sunlight. The flight surely gives you an interesting and unheard-of experience of the country of Myanmar.

Free at leisure in the hotel after early morning activities.

Stay overnight in Aureum Bagan Resort.
Meals: (B/_/_)

Transfer to Nyaung U Airport for domestic flight to Heho. Transfer from Heho airport to Green Hill Valley Elephant Camp – start from Magwe Village and walk to the camp

Take a light refreshment. Walk to the river to the Elephant bath. We can join in feeding and bathing the elephants.

Exploration of the forest area on the elephant back, opportunity to see butterflies, birds, and orchids in the area.

Lunch in the main camp. After lunch, we can explore the surrounding area with a local trekking guide

We are also welcome to join in planting indigenous trees from the nursery in forest recovery efforts

Back to Elephant camp and drive back to Kalaw.

Overnight staying in Kalaw Hill Lodge.
Meals: (B/L/_)

After breakfast, check out and drive to Nyaung Shwe to visit the Red Mountain Vineyard which is one of the best local wines that purely distills in Myanmar. We can have a rest at the restaurant of the vineyard tasting the wines while having the panoramic sunset view of the Inle Lake and the surrounding area.

Enjoy lunch in The Shan Restaurant and then take a boat to our luxury resort on the lake.

Stay overnight in Inle Princess Resort or Sofitel Inle Lake Myat Min.
Meals: (B/L/_)

During today’s excursion by boat on picturesque Inle Lake we see the famous leg rowers, the typical floating gardens where fruit and vegetables are grown, local methods of fishing, and village life.  A highlight is often visiting the traditional village of Paukpar, with its neat rows of bamboo houses and where we may be able to stop and visit a family for Shan tea.

In the afternoon, we visit Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda, the holiest religious site in southern Shan State and the boat construction workshop at Nampan village as well as stopping to see some traditional handicrafts – silk weaving on wooden handlooms in Inpawkon village, a cheroot workshop and a blacksmith shop. Continue by boat to visit Nga Phe Kyaung Monastery (Jumping cats), one of the oldest monasteries on the lake and where inside its large wooden meditation hall and are over 200-year-old ancient Buddha statues. Returning back to the hotel the beauty of the sunset over Inle Lake enchants all visitors.

Stay overnight in Inle Princess Resort or Sofitel Inle Lake Myat Min.
Meals: (B/L/_)

After breakfast, our tour guide picks you up from the hotel and takes a boat to the cooking class.

Our cooking classes take us through the experiences of sourcing Inle ingredients, some exclusive to the lake, at the local market. Then we will be learning to prepare real traditional dishes exclusive to the region either in our cooking classrooms or out as a guest in the real kitchen in the local community.

Upon arrival, guests will receive welcome drinks (Shan tea, fresh juices). They will then show the guests the cooking area. Next, the chef of the Inthar Heritage House will present us with the menu, give details about the class, ingredients, and cooking methods. After this introduction, they will show us their vegetable gardens and pick the ingredients for the meal. Back in the kitchen, we will clean the vegetables and start cooking, with step-by-step teaching of their chef. As soon as dessert is ready, we can sit down and enjoy the meal.

The Inthar Heritage restaurant is part of the Inle Heritage Foundation, which promotes the heritage of Inle cultures and supports the sustainable development of the Inle region. During the guided visit we will show you conservation and preservation activities (Burmese Cats, Species aquarium), the Vocational Training Center (environment-friendly agriculture).

Guided visit hours (start at): 01:30 pm, the visit takes approximately 1 hour.

Continue our excursion by motorized boat to Indein pagoda complex, in the south-west of the lake. The boat leaves the lake and enters a narrow canal with a beautiful natural environment to continue to a small Pa O tribe village. From the village, follow an old covered path to a 13th-century monastery and the very impressive ruins of hundreds of ancient pagodas, some hidden in the vegetation. The main stupa-area on the top of the hill offers breathtaking views over the surrounding mountains and down to the valley and the lake in the far distance.

Stay overnight in Inle Princess Resort or Sofitel Inle Lake Myat Min.
Meals: (B/L/_)

A short flight from Heho will take us to Ngapali Beach, the most beautiful beach in Myanmar with coconut groves and Treasure island.

Free at leisure to enjoy the beach and our resort.

Stay overnight in Aureum Ngapali Resort or Sandoway Resort.
Meals: (B/_/_)

Free at our own to visit Ngapali fishing village, Thandwe town, or immerse in scuba diving in the most pristine coves of Bengal Bay.

Stay overnight in Aureum Ngapali Resort or Sandoway Resort.
Meals: (B/_/_)

Free at our own to visit Ngapali fishing village, Thandwe town or immerse in scuba diving in the most pristine coves of Bengal Bay.

Stay overnight in Aureum Ngapali Resort or Sandoway Resort.
Meals: (B/_/_)

This morning, take your own time to relax until we are transferred to the Thandwe airport for a flight back to Yangon. Upon arrival, we are met and transferred to the hotel for check-in.

Stay overnight in Belmond Governor’s Residence Yangon or The Strand Hotel.
Meals: (B/_/_)

After breakfast, a fleet of microbuses and guides will be available outside the hotel for guests who would like to do some last-minute shopping or complete their cultural visit of Yangon exploring colonial downtown.

Then take the drive to Mingaladon International Airport to check in on your onward flight.

End of services.

Meals: (B/_/_)