Burma in Depth
Overview
Highlights
- Rangoon (Yangon) - British colonial heritage and the golden Shwedagon Pagoda
- Inle Lake - Floating gardens, stilted villages and leg-rowing fishermen
- Mandalay - Cruise on Irrawaddy River and visit nearby U-Bein Bridge
- Bagan - Vast plain studded with thousands of ancient temples
What's this trip about?
Details
Travel Themes
Destinations
Attractions
Activities
Itinerary
Although not the capital, Yangon is the cultural and commercial heart of Myanmar. Colonial architecture faces onto the bustling streets, which are often filled with markets and tasty pop-up street food stands. Interspersed within all of this are the glittering golden ...
Today we take a walking tour of Rangoon. Starting with a stroll along the banks of Kandawgyi Lake in the centre of the city we continue on to Botataung Pagoda. This pagoda is unique in that it is hollow - as we walk through we can see many ancient relics and artefacts...
We take an early morning flight to Bagan. Without doubt one of the most impressive religious sites anywhere in Asia, Bagan is an ancient city dating from the 9th to the 13th centuries with thousands of temples, stupas and monasteries covering an area of 140 square kil...
After breakfast we continue our exploration of Bagan with visits to the Sulamani Temple of King Narapatisithu and the finely crafted brickwork of the Dhammayangyi Temple, the largest shrine on the site. This afternoon has then been left free to enjoy as you wish. Ther...
This morning we enjoy a two to three hour boat ride along the Irrawaddy River to Pakkou, a bustling tobacco trading centre. From here we continue by road for about 3 hours to Monywa in the Chindwin Valley. This afternoon offers us the chance to visit the colourful Tha...
Crossing the Chindwin River this morning we visit the cave chambers of Po Win Daung and Shwe Ba Daung. A system of nearly 500 sandstone caves that honeycomb the Po Win Hills, these extraordinary caverns contain around 450,000 paintings, statues and carvings, represent...
A short distance to the south of Mandalay lies Inwa (Ava). Here we take a horse cart ride around the old city (which can be a little bumpy), visiting the monasteries of Manu Ok Kaung and Bagaya Kyaung and the 'Leaning Tower of Inwa'. In the afternoon we head on to the...
This morning we take a short cruise to Mingun village and the ruins of the unfinished Mingun Pahtodawgyi (pagoda) which, had it been completed, would have been the world's largest pagoda. Begun by King Bodawpaya in 1790, the pagoda work on the monument ceased with the...
This morning we fly to Heho. From here we drive through villages and endless fields of dry cultivated mountain rice and potato. We make a stop at Pindaya noted for its extensive limestone caves filled with nearly 8,000 Buddha images of different sizes and made of vari...
Today we can look forward to a gentle four-hour trek through the Kalaw tribal heartlands. Starting in the village of Say Wingabar, we ascend through pine forest to Lu Pyi village. Our trail passes through rural countryside and provides us with views of the valley - a ...
This morning sees an opportunity to explore this engaging hill town, whose attractions include the gold lacquered bamboo Buddha of Nee Paya and the Catholic church of Christ the King. We then continue on by road for two hours to the beautiful setting of Lake Inle, hig...
Our boat takes us to the western part of the lake this morning, to a local Indein village, where we visit a hilltop complex of 1,000 stupas (places of worship). From up here we can enjoy some great views across the lake and on to the valley beyond. Continuing by boat ...
We take a morning flight to Rangoon.Leaving Rangoon behind we drive to the town of Bago. Founded in 573AD, it is home to a number of sacred shrines and pagodas, including the Shwemawdaw Paya (the Golden God Temple) the tallest pagoda in the country. We visit the pagod...
If our hotel is at the top of mountain we have a chance to view the sunrise before continuing on our way to Mawlamyine via the town of Tathon, where we will stop for lunch. If road conditions allow, we travel by way of Kawtgoon Cave, which has many intricate Buddha im...
After breakfast we take the bridge across to Bilu Gyun (Ogre Island) to visit some of the local communities that lie along the Thanlwin River. After a chance to explore some of the villages and watch traditional craftsmen at work, we head back to Mawlamyine for an aft...
Today will be a long but rewarding day, with a total driving time of approximately eight hours on roads which will be bumpy and unsurfaced on occasion. We will stop at Thanbyuzayet Station, known to be the western terminus of the infamous Death Railway that was built ...
Previously known as Tavoy under colonial rule, Dawei was one of the first cities settled by the British after the first of three Anglo-Burmese wars, and as a result the town is rich in history and colonial architecture. We set off on foot to explore the downtown area ...
;\red41\green51\blue61; \sa30027 We set off this morning for a full day's drive to Myeik, a journey of approximately 7-8 hours. The condition of the roads in the south is fairly inconsistent, so we will ensure the journey is punctuated with plenty of comfort breaks. ...
Today has been left free, with the option to take a boat trip out to the stunningly beautiful Mergui Archipelago, an area almost entirely undiscovered by tourism. The Archipelago consists of some 800, mostly uninhabited islands nestled within the warm waters of the An...
Today we fly back to Rangoon, and after dropping our bags at the hotel, we make our way by boat the town of Twante. This historic town sits astride of Burma's two great rivers, the Irrawady and Yangon River, and a canal was built here by the British to connect the two...
The trip ends after breakfast at our hotel in Yangon. There are no activities planned today, so you are free to depart from Yangon at any time. If your flight is departing later in the day luggage storage facilities are available at our hotel. If you would like to re...
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Explore! Reviews & Ratings
Burma is definitely a very good place
Burma is definitely a very good place and needs more positive rating than advertised
This is a wonderful trip with an
This is a wonderful trip with an inspired itinerary, something I would like to shout from the rafters. I had been to Myanmar before in 2002, but I gained so much mor...
This is a wonderful trip
This is a wonderful trip with an inspired itinerary, something I would like to shout from the rafters. I had been to Myanmar before in 2002, but I gained so much mor...
Our trip smooth and enjoyable
Tour Leader Myo Thura handled the group and all individual requests diligently and made our trip smooth and enjoyable. He faced challenging circumstances with an ind...
Tour Leader Myo Thura handled the group
Tour Leader Myo Thura handled the group and all individual requests diligently and made our trip smooth and enjoyable. He faced challenging circumstances with an ind...
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We've been taking small groups on adventure vacations for over 41 years. Our authentic adventure travel experiences explore the sights and culture of a country, with hand-picked accommodation that balances comfort and location. Our average group tour size is just 11; perfect for meeting new people and getting to the heart of our destinations. Explore is one of the world's most trusted adventure travel companies with over 350 trips to more than 100 countries. We are passionate about travel and have developed a wide range of unique activities and adventures which give our customers an unforgettable experience with a team of award-winning Explore leaders. With Explore, you'll get to see your destination from a whole new perspective that takes you away from the typical well-trodden tourist track. You'll have the chance to meet, dine and stay with local people, rest in authentic accommodation with other like-minded explorers and travel to must-see destinations with a unique Explore twist. From family holidays to trips for solo travelers; cycling tours to wildlife safaris; trekking on mountains or exploring miles of scenic coastline, there is something for every kind of traveler with Explore. We will provide our expert knowledge, exciting itineraries and outstanding service as part of our sustainable travel experiences which take you under the skin of the country you're visiting for the adventure of a lifetime.
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