Myanmar

• Arrival at Yangon

  We will arrive at 1430 hours via Kolkata at Yangon International airport. Upon arrival will we check in to the hotel. The evening is free. Overnight at Yangon.

• Yangon – Bagan (Flight)

  In the morning, we will visit the Harbor Front of Yangon to enjoy the views of the Yangon River. Later we will drive on the Strand road to observe some of the Colonial Style buildings, which includes 'Bahadur Shah Zafar Tomb'. We also pass by the house of 'Aung Sang Su Kyi' and then have a local 'Yangon Lunch Experience After lunch, transfer to the domestic terminal to take a flight to Bagan at 1500 hrs. Arrive in Bagan, transfer to your hotel for check-in. Later in the evening, we will be taking a short orientation tour (If time permit) of the cultural capital of Myanmar, Bagan.

• Bagan sightseeing

  Today, our sightseeing tour of one of Asia’s most popular archaeological destination would include highlights such as busy Bagan’s distinctive pagodas such as Shwezigon, a prototype of later Myanmar stupas; Ananda Pagoda, one of the finest, largest and best-preserved in Old Bagan. Afterward, visit a lacquerware craft shop to see the process of hand-making beautiful artefacts. In the afternoon, drive to Taung Bi Village and see suitable monastery for alms-food offering to monks since many Buddhist monasteries are located in this village. Later we will drive to the most famous old wooden monastery, Nat Htauk Kyaung. As the sun goes down, we will be at one of the ideal viewing sites selected by our tour guide for a panoramic sunset view over the river Irrawaddy, the largest in Myanmar.

• Bagan - Heho (Flight) – Kalaw (road)

  Transfer to the airport to take a flight to Heho and further drive to Kalaw, which still has a feel of an old British era Hill station. Kalaw sits high on the western edge of the Shan Plateau. We will first visit the beautiful Pindaya caves with more than a thousand statues of Golden Buddha kept at various levels. Later after a leisurely lunch, we will check in our Hotel in Kalaw. The evening is free to take a walk in the still a peaceful Kalaw town where the pre-Independence Muslim and Gorkha people from British India can be seen. These people worked in railway building in the 1940’s and decided to stay back after India gained its independence.

• Kalaw – Nyaung Shwe by train – Stay on Inle Lake

  Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to the railway station to take a train to Heho. (Please note that the train is a local train and not luxury train). As the train descends from the hills, the views are beautiful but the main purpose of this journey is to see the local Burmese folks from a close distance. Arrive in Heho, drive to Nyaung Shwe, where we will keep the big bags in the Hotel and proceed to the Port with a small bag for 2 nights, to take a motorboat to the Interior of the Inle Lake. On arrival at the Hotel on the Lake, we will check in. The sunset can be enjoyed from the viewing deck.

• Inle Lake sightseeing – Stay on the Lake

  The morning is beautiful on the lake. Inle lake is one of the top tourist attractions in Myanmar. Our sightseeing will be by long-tailed boat to first the Innpawkhone Village where you can see lotus and silk weaving industries. Next visit Nanpan to see the traditional boat making, cheroot (Burmese cigar) making factory. We will also be able to see how people have been living in the houses built on stilts as we pass them in our boat. As we head back to our hotel, we will see the traditional fishermen going about their job with the conical fishing nets in the lake. This is an excellent photo opportunity.

• Inle lake – Nyuangshwe

  After a leisurely breakfast, we will visit the beautiful Indein Village on the August River, which feeds the Inle Lake. Our lunch will be overlooking the river. We will then board our boat and proceed to the town on the banks Nyuangshwe. On arrival, we will visit the local market and then check in the Hotel. The evening is best enjoyed on your own in the town, which still has an old-world feel. You can even opt to take a traditional Burmese massage.

• Heho – Yangon (flight) – Fly back to India

  Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to the airport to take a flight back to Yangon. Upon arrival will visit the awe-inspiring Shwedagon Pagoda, which towers over all of Yangon. It is perhaps the most beautiful pagoda complex in all of Asia. As the sun sets the gold on the Pagoda suddenly appears to be crimson red. After visiting Pagoda, we will have dinner. Transfer to the airport to take a return flight to India.

• Why go to Myanmar and go now?

  Myanmar still remains the last country in South East Asia which is untouched by mass tourism. It is however about to change as Chinese investments pour in. Go to Myanmar now to experience an India of the 1950s.
  
  

• What is there to see in Myanmar?

  Myanmar is both for the eyes and for the senses beyond just the vision. The stay on the Inle lake 3000 ft above MSL is the highlight of our tour, as is the famous 100 yr Kalaw mountain railway. We enjoy the sunset from the river Iravaty overlooking a 1000 pagodas.
  
  

• Why is Myanmar expensive?

  We use three internal air journeys in Myanmar throughout our tour. As a country, Myanmar still has to get tourism in a mass scale owing to which the hotels that we choose are small, charming and well located, but also expensive.

• Is Myanmar like Thailand or other South East Asian countries?

  Myanmar although Buddhist does seem to be very different than its other neighbors. One, Myanmar still feels caught in time, and two, it is not very developed, so the people are still very naive. There are Buddhist temples here too but they are much older and feel very rustic as compared to other ones in the same region.
  
  

Documents:

1. Current Passport copy (Validity more than six months).
2. Confirmed Ticket.
3. Hotel Confirmation

Photos: Two Photo Size 3.5 cm X 4.5 cm with white background, Matt finish, (80% of the area should be covered by the face with the ears clearly visible)

Processing Time:  24 TO 48 HRS

Passport Validity: 06 or more months valid after the scheduled return