|
|
5N/ 6DAYS
THICHILAKE - HEHO (INLE) - PINDAYA - KLAW - MANDALAY - BAGAN -
THICHILAKE
Day 1
After crossing the Thai border at Tachileik we will endeavour to
get you as swiftly as possible to Heho, although much depends on
what time flights are available.
After landing at Heho we will drive you to Inle Lake, a journey of
about 1.5 hours across the Shan plateau.
Along the way you are sure to see many Shan – and people from the
other ethnic groups – going about their daily lives. On the way we
will stop in for a visit at the Shwe Yan Pye wooden monastery. After
lunch at a restaurant on the lake there will be an afternoon of
sightseeing around the area. This will include a trip to the Phaung
Daw Oo Pagoda, the most famous Buddhist site in Inle. You will also
have the opportunity to see the lake’s iconic leg-rowing boatmen as
they fish, travel or harvest the weeds that grow in the lake.
You will have dinner at a restaurant on the lake and overnight at
one of the hotels.
Day 2
On second morning, after leaving your hotel, we will take you to
Pindaya, which is nearly three hours by car from the village of
Nyaung Shwe at the edge of Inle Lake. The scenery along the way to
Pindaya is beautiful and you will have the opportunity to watch
farmers preparing their fields.
After arriving in Pindaya and checking into the hotel, there will be
time to visit the Pindaya cave. The whole region is dotted with
limestone cave complexes and those at Pindaya are the largest and
most easily accessible. Inside the cave you will be amazed to
discover literally thousands of Buddha images placed around the
walls, in the walkways and pretty well anywhere there is space. At
last count there were at least 8000 of these images.
After exiting the cave you will have the chance to wander about the
complex and its many monasteries, as well as taking a look at the
traditional umbrella making shops at the base of the hill.
That night after dinner you will stay in Pindaya.
Day 3
On the third morning we will drive you to Kalaw, nearly 50
kilometres from Pindaya. The town was once a British hillstation and
reminders of that occupation can be found in some of the
still-standing colonial buildings and the townspeople – many of whom
have Indian or Nepalese ancestry and whose relations came to the
town as soldiers or service people.
Kalaw is a charming town and is popular with backpackers, who trek
around the surrounding hills. Latterly it has become a hub for
mountain bikers, who use those same trails to ride around the
countryside.
The British chose the town for its cooler weather, which is a nice
change. Market days at the town are particularly spectacular because
surrounding tribes make their way into town to sell their assorted
wares.
Day 4
After a hearty breakfast at the hotel we will drive you back to
Heho Airport, where you will board a flight for Mandalay, which was
Myanmar’s capital.
After checking you into the hotel we will travel by car to the
former royal city of Amarapura and the U Bein Bridge, another of the
country’s most photographed sites. The wooden bridge crosses
Taungthaman Lake and is popular with photographers and artists
alike.
Your next stop will be the Maha Gandayon Monastery, where you will
have a chance to study the monastic way of life and interact with a
number of monks. Lunch will be eaten back in Mandalay.
Next we will take you to the Shwe Gyaung (or Golden monastery) and
the Kuthodaw Pagoda, which is home to the biggest book in the world
– the entire Buddhist canon inscribed on stone tablets which is the
biggest book in the world and Kyaukdawgyi Pagoda. Then we will take
you to Mandalay to see the sunset from there. After sundown it’s off
for dinner and back to the hotel for a good night’s sleep.
Day 5
An early start is required for the fifth day to eat breakfast
before we take you to visit Mahamuni Pagoda to pray, which will also
be filled with Myanmar people doing exactly the same thing while the
day is young.
From there you will be ferried directly to the airport for the short
flight down to Myanmar’s premier tourist draw-card, the
archaeological zone of Bagan. The zone is literally packed with
pagodas and monasteries spread across 40-square-kilometres. For most
first-time visitors the Shwezigon and Ananda pagodas inspire the
most awe but many of the others are impressive as well.
But Bagan is not just about pagodas, there is also the Nyaung Oo
market, in the town of the same name, to investigate.
After lunch we’ll take you to see a traditional lacquerware work
shop before visiting the Manuha, Gupyaukgyi and Shwesandaw pagodas.
In the evening you will have the opportunity to view the sun setting
over Bagan in the most fitting of places – the platform of a pagoda.
Dinner and bed, naturally, follow soon after.
Day 6
After breakfast at the Hotel, we will take you to Nyaung Oo
Airport and depart to Tachileik, where we have a packed lunch
awaiting before you jump aboard your departing plane for Thailand.
 
|
Travels
& Tours Co., Ltd.
