We are back from Myanmar.
We are delighted to share with you this true story, our joy exploring Myanmar, Asia’s Best Kept Secret!
Myanmar attracts visitors worldwide with its cultural authenticity, so we’ve joined some of our dear tourists to share our love of Asia. Myanmar is recognized by many as The Golden Land for good reason. Burma, as it is still more commonly known in the west, is a country of mythical landscapes, ancient Buddhist temples, broad flowing rivers, lush mountain forests, busy cities and vastly contrasting countryside.
Everyone in our group has agreed Myanmar is a fascinating country, and a real treat for all visitors. Myanmar’s people, regardless of their race or ethnic origin are peace-loving, friendly, generous and hospitable. We really enjoyed the traditional Burmese cuisine throughout the trip as well.
Our Special Thanks…
We sincerely thank our local partner, Frank and his team, who made this trip a successful and memorable one!
We extend our special thanks to all the participating guides, business partners and local people, for their warm welcome and first-class hospitality.
We share with you our itinerary, just as we enjoyed Myanmar day by day. Please note that we can adapt a program especially for you, as your want it. You tell us how you dream it and we assist you to live it!
This is the true story of our 12 days holiday in Myanmar.
The photos are real, we took them, don’t mind the quality, we are not professional photographers, but passioned travelers.
ENJOY MYANMAR
DAY 1: Arrival – Mandalay
MINGALABA!
This is the greeting in Myanmar, When ether you go you get a smile if you say Mingalaba!
Upon arrival in Mandalay the guide meets us in the airport and makes all formalities so we can go to the hotel. On the way to the city we will stop visit U Bein’s Bridge which, at 1.2 km is the longest teakwood structure in the world and is still in active use today. A stroll upon it gives us a view out over Lake Taungtaman. According to the old living here, U Bein is considered the most ancient and longest wooden bridge in the world.
We continue to the city. In Mandalay, and there is a lot to see! The economic and religious hub of upper Myanmar, centered around the Royal Palace, Mandalay is the second largest city in the country after Yangon. The Palace that was completely made from teak wood was built in the center of a large citadel. During the second World War the Royal Palace was destroyed by fire after a bombing raid. The only two original buildings that survived are the Royal mint and the watch tower. During the 1990’s the Palace was rebuilt following the original design but partly using modern materials as concrete. Today part of the citadel complex is used by the Burmese army, the Palace and surrounding gardens are open to the public.
After check-in at our hotel, we continue to visit the highlights of Mandalay.
Shwenandaw Monastery (Golden Palace Monastery) noted for its exquisite wood carvings, it is the only chef remained traditional teak wooden building of the original Mandalay Royal Palace. The duration of the roof is largely supported by teak pillars inside the building. There is still some gold plating inside the monastery once the structure was completely gilded and decorated with glass mosaics. The main Buddha image is mounted inside the main room in the center of the building, with Nat spirits worshipping it. Women are excluded from going inside to worship the image.
The Kuthodaw Pagoda in Mandalay is now a point for us to observe the religious rituals. It is the large walled complex, includes a stone umbrella to shelter each standing inscription slab and protect them from inscriptions through time and changes. It is renowned as “the World’s largest book” for its 729 marble slabs containing the entire Buddhist scriptures.
The Mahamuni Pagoda or Mahamuni Buddha temple is one of the most important Buddhist pilgrimage sites in Burma. The Buddha image washing ritual. Every morning at around 4 am the Buddha image ritual is performed. Witnessed by a great number of Buddhist devotees, the men up front, the women behind a rope, a very senior monk of the Mahamuni temple assisted by a number of helpers washes the face of the images and brushes the teeth. The ritual is performed in great detail and takes considerable time.
Today sightseeing will end by enjoying spectacular views around sunset time from the SKY BAR of Ritz Grand Hotel Mandalay.
Accommodation at hotel Eastern Palace Hotel in Mandalay.
DAY 2: Mandalay – Pindaya – Kalaw
Breakfast at hotel. Today starts with overland transfer (6/7Hrs) from Mandalay to Kalaw.
On the way we buy some local honey, a noodle soup, a longyi (traditional dress).
Our guide is teaching us how to use the traditional skirts, “longyi”. The women ware colorful longyi and the man simple gray or brown ones. Both look similar but are wrapped differently: men tie a knot in front, while women tie one to the side, with the knot tucked into a black waistband, sewn to the top of the longyi.
A Burmese, it is often said, never feels comfortable in anything but a longyi. We meet people on the way, blend in, smile, fell the local vibe. Food is delicious, the people very friendly and the honey the best souvenir for the friends back home!
En route, we will visit magnificent Pindaya Caves, set in a limestone ridge overlooking a small central lake, where thousands of different types of Buddha images are on display in the various cave chambers. There are more than 8,000 Buddha images contained inside this labyrinth of tunnels and meditation chambers, with visiting pilgrims adding to the collection each day. All Buddha images were donated. Inside we discover small caves uder for payer, with small books and rugs to sit and pay your respect to the holly Buddha. The view from the hill is spectacular, you can see so far away!
Visit some local workshops where families produce Shan paper and parasols.
Take a break for the rest at local house by having Myanmar Laphat Thoke (Green Tea & Peas salad).
The young ladies make the salad and the father plays for us.
After that, transfer to hotel in Kalaw by car.
Dinner and accommodation at Dream Mountain Hotel in Kalaw.
DAY 3: Kalaw – Inle Lake
After breakfast, first visit the local and colorful Kalaw morning market. Many ethnic groups come down from the hillsides around to sell their produce, and buy commodities to take back home for their own needs. The street are crowded not only with bikes but with smiles also. The people is welcoming us, we bargain, we smile, buy and go…
To blend in with the locals we buy longyi again, because the models are so so nice! the girls, we buy colorful ones and the men simple gray ones.
Now that we have the longyies we visit Shwe Yan Pyay Monastery in Nyaungshwe, Myanmar. The monastery is an amazing 19th century red teak decorative structure. Sunlight, teak wood color, orange clothes, tranquil vibe, all together offer us a calm spiritual feeling.
Afterwards, drive to Nyaung Shwe, the small town at the entrance to Kalaw.. Transfer by longtail boat to our hotel on the lake for check-in.
Located in the heart of the Shan Plateau, 900 metres above sea level, Inle Lake is 22km long and 10km across, and is inhabited by many different ethnic nationals of the area. The surrounding mountains, grasslands and the floating gardens enhance the idyllic setting. The Intha people are the Lake dwellers who are unique for their traditional leg rowing style that attracts many visitors. They are famous for their skill in leg-rowing on skiff boats that glide across the water.
I cathead this man at work.
Continue our visit to Kaylar Village, located in the middle part of Inle Lake and famous for its floating gardens. The villagers mainly live on fishing and farming. On the floating gardens, they mostly grow tomatoes, peas, chilies and flowers.
Continue to Nga Phe Kyaung Monastery (Jumping Cat Monastery) in Inle Lake, primarily of interest for its extensive collection of Buddha images made of different materials, and in various styles and sizes. The monks have taught a few of the many cats living with them to jump through hoops. This is funny to see! But we did not have the chance because after the death of the leading monk all the cats refuse to jump anymore. This is what the monk told us. The cats are friendly although.
Next, visit Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda, most highly revered monastery in the Inle Lake area.
It houses five ancient images of the Buddha that are completely covered in golf leaf. So much gold leaf has been applied to the images, that they have become unrecognizable as Buddha images and look like a solid mass of gold. Every day Buddhist devotees come to the monastery to pay their respect to the images and apply more gold leaf, which only men are allowed to do.
On this lake there is a tribe with unique anatomy KAYAN TRIBE – long necks are so long due to this rings that decorate the lady’s necks, for beauty and tradition. A small souvenir shop is their source of living. The tourists make donations for a photo with the ladies. I did also… but this photo is priceless to me!
We take part to Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda festival. This is a highlight of Inle Lake, and we are so lucky to be here today, when they race the long boats. The rowers standing upright and rowing with an oar attached to one leg. We are on the porch of a local coffee shop and enjoy the show!
After this special moment we have transfer to our hotel.
Dinner and accommodation at Hotel Sofitel Inle Lake.
The Phaung Daw Oo pagoda 18 days festival is the most important festival in the Shan state. In a procession of boats four of the five images of the Buddha are removed from their shrine in the Phaung Daw Oo pagoda and placed on the Royal Karaweik barge. The barge is towed by long boats manned by up to a hundred leg rowers in colorful costumes. The Royal barge stops at 14 villages around Inle lake, where the images stay in the main monastery for one night.
DAY 4: Inle Lake – Indein Village
Breakfast at hotel. Transfer by long-tail boat from your hotel to Indein Village.
Indein is one of the villages that host the Inle “5-day market”.
The market that is held in a five day rotating cycle in five villages around the lake. The Pa-Oh people who live in the surrounding hills sell their crops here. A colorful experience!
Around Indein village are two groups of ancient pagodas, Nyaung Ohak and Shwe Inn Thein. The first site near the boat landing is Nyaung Ohak, which translates to “group of banyan trees”. Most of the pagodas here have not been restored and are in various states of repair; some are well preserved, while others have plants and trees growing out of them.
From Nyaung Ohak a climb leads to the second group of pagodas named Shwe Inn Thein located on top of a hill. A 700 meter covered walkway leads up to the pagodas.
From the top of the hill visitors have great views of Indein village and the surrounding area.
Then, the trip will continue to Sae Ma and walking around the village. We will visit some local workshops and chit-chat with local people their way of daily life routing. We do some shopping – of course! This nice lady is sewing my longyi (traditional skirt). I gave her a trip, of course. This market has it all, from cooking oil to diesel for the boats, cigarettes, vegetables, fish, a lot of sweets, some tasty food! We stay for a milk tee to change words with the owner, very nice, smiling man.
They sell weird stuff also. This is made of cow teethes, used for festivals, as costumes.
We take the boats to our hotel. Dinner and accommodation at hotel Sheraton Resort Inle Lake.
Great dinner!
DAY 5: Inle – Bagan
Breakfast at hotel. This morning, overland transfer (6/7Hrs) from our hotel to Bagan by passing the villages and paddy fields along the side of the road. Upon arrival in Bagan, after check-in at our hotel. After this we enjoy a charming half-hour horse-cart ride which brings us to a sunset plaform. You may like to spend more time exploring the stalls at the archaeological site or the nearby Nyaung U Market, one of the more interesting markets in the country.
Accommodation at hotel Heritage Bagan in Bagan.
Bagan, with its collection of over 2000 pagodas, is surely the most splendid sight in the whole of Southeast Asia and a must for any visitor to Myanmar. Nowhere else in the region do manmade relics mix so evocatively with nature as on the plains of Bagan.
The variety of temples, many of which were built in the 12th century, will overwhelm most visitors. The most imposing pagoda is perhaps the Dhammayangyi dating back to 1167 A.D., with bricks so finely laid that a needle could not be inserted between them.
DAY 6: Bagan
Breakfast at hotel. This morning, visit some significant pagodas and temples.
The Shwezigon Pagoda is one of the oldest and most impressive monuments of Bagan. Most noticeable is the huge gold plated pagoda glimmering in the sun. The solid and completely symmetrical stupa on top of the terraces is almost 49 meters high. On top of the pagoda is a hti, a spire ornament shaped as an umbrella, that is found on almost every Burmese temple.
Here you need a very good camera to catch all the gold! We are simply amaized by this colosal structure, gold shining in the clear sky. It is interesting to take a sit and watch the people pay respect, in their rituals. We realy enjoy it!
The Ananda temple is one of Bagan’s best known and most beautiful temples. It was one of the first great temples to be build in Bagan and is well preserved. The temple is found near the Tharabar gate, the only gate remaining of the original 12 in the old Bagan city walls. The architectural style shows Mon and North Indian influence. It is said that after the Ananda temple was completed, the King Kyanzittha had the architects executed, to make sure anything like it could never be build again.
Here we are not allowed to clime the temple so we take a rest on the grass and enjoy the sight.
Afterwards, walk over to the bank of the river and board your private boat to gently cruise down the Ayeyarwady River. We arrive in the isolated Nandaw Kyuh Village where the kids were at school. Take pictures of the village people and observe the goings on in their daily lives. We made a small donation and try to sing children songs. We learn together a new word today: FRIENDS 🙂
Accommodation at Heritage Bagan Hotel in Bagan.
DAY 7: Bagan – Mandalay
Breakfast at hotel and overland transfer towards Mandalay.
Upon arrival in Mandalay after taking 4/5Hrs driving, transfer to jetty to take the boat trip to Mingun. The boat trip is most pleasant and interesting because you can witness local life on the river itself and on its banks, always a colorful experience in Southeast Asia. We see how people live by the river, wash the cloths, grow pigs, routine…
Continue on to Mingun, a small riverside town situated at the base of an enormous, uncompleted temple. Originally designed to be 152 metres high, Mingun’s stupa, had it been completed, would have been the world’s largest. According to local legend, work on it was halted when a local astronomer prophesied its completion would spell end of the country.
Then, walk over to nearby Mingun Pagoda, After that, visit nearby Mingun Bell.
Finally, stop at the beautiful White Hsinbyume Pagoda.
The all white pagoda was built in 1816 by Prince Bagyidaw, the structure was dedicated to his first wife, Princess Hsinbyume, which literally translates to White Elephant Princess, who died during child birth. During the large earthquake of 1838 the Hsinbyume Pagoda was severely damaged. It was restored by of a successor King. It is possible to climb the stairway to the top of the structure. From the top you will have great views of of the Irrawaddy river and the nearby Mingun Pagoda.
Return by boat to Mandalay by enjoying sunset time in Ayarwarddy River and transfer by car to your hotel for check-in. Accommodation at Mercure Mandalay Hill Resort in Mandalay.
The flowers and the sweets in the room made my day. This is the best hotel in Mandalay!
DAY 8: Mandalay – Yangon
Breakfast at hotel. Transfer to the airport for the flight to Yangon.
We arrive in Yangon and the guide is waiting for us to walk us around the city.
The highlight of any trip to Yangon is undoubtedly the magnificent Shwedagon Pagoda, surely one of the most incredible sights in the world and certainly one of the best preserved and maintained. It is the most sacred and impressive Buddhist site for the people of the Union of Myanmar.
110 m high, Shwedagon Pagoda is covered with hundreds of gold plates and the top of the stupa is encrusted with 4531 diamonds, the largest of which is a 72 karat diamond. It is clearly one of the wonders of the religious world. Shwedagon Pagoda is the best in Myanmar heritage – architecture, sculpture and arts.
In this temple we stay longer, as we are amazed by its beauty and architecture. This is the golden highlight of Asia for sure! We study the people coming for prayer, also we join a short pray, while devotees sing a lovely devotion song.
Take a tour of the city mall. After pray and traditional sites we go to the SCOTT MARKET for some last shopping and after this to the mall. Here we eat what we want. The cuisine is so tasty! Yamiii…
DAY 9: Yangon
A full day for exploring the city!
For those who want to experience inner silence we recommend Mahasi Meditation Center, the headquarters of Mahasi Sayadaw after World War II; here we have meditated with monks, entered their peaceful world, enjoy the mind relax after many days of busy holiday.
We join the silence meditation and we try to feel the inner peace.
After a short meditation we continue the visit to Chauk Htat Gyi Pagoda – 65-Meter-long Reclining Buddha. During renovations in 1966 about 5 meters were added to the image. The renovation was paid for entirely with donations from Buddhists and foreign tourists.
DAY 10 Yangon – Ngpali Beach
Breakfast at hotel. Transfer to Mandalay airport for our flight to Thandwe Airport, so we reach Ngpali Beach.
We fly Golden Myanmar Airlines, small aircraft, very good service, nice food, for only 1h flight.
Arrival and transfer to Ngapali Bay Villas and Spa. Great location and best of service.
Our morning beach view is overwhelming!
DAY 11 Ngpali Beach
Free time to enjoy the beach.
Have lunch in the village, along the resorts, blend in, take a boat ride to snorkel around, go fishing for your own food. The locals just wait for you to take a ride.
DAY 12: Ngpali Beach departure
Breakfast at hotel. Transfer to the airport for our flight back to Yangon. Here we check-in for the international flight back home.
The end of a true story!
Remember Myanmar – Asia’s Best Kept Secret!
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Hai cu noi!
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Daniela Berbece
Fondator Enjoy Touring
+40741559352
daniela@enjoytouring.ro