07 December 2011 Arrive Bangkok Wednesday Today, you will arrive Bangkok s Suvarnabhumi International Airport. After disembarking, you will be welcomed by a representative of VIP Service who will accompany you through Immigration and assist you to claim your baggage. You will then be met by Abercrombie & Kent, Thailand who will be waiting for you, holding a yellow Abercrombie & Kent sign and transferred to the Mandarin Oriental. Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok (Superior River Wing Rooms) No meals 08 December 2011 Bangkok Thursday Enjoy a morning s sightseeing. You will experience a religious part of the Thai culture, by partaking in the solemn Budddhist ceremony of food offering. You will embark on a short trip to one of the many wats that line the banks of the Chao Phraya River, Wat Kalayanamit. Here you will disembark and prepare yourself spiritually for the travels ahead, by offering food alms to the monks of the temple. In return, the monks will perform for you a sacred chant and offer you a saisin a symbolic string that has been blessed and is said to protect the wearer from harm. Then, you will travel by private long tailed boat along the river and then up a series of Klongs (canals) to Nonthaburi. Cruise along the legendary Chao Phaya River and canals, where you will see the serene family homes and temples dotted along the waterways which inspired Bangkok's reference as the "Venice of the East". Afterwards, disembarking at the landing pier and take a Tuk Tuk ride to The Grand Palace The Grand Palace has been the royal palace of the Kings of the Chakri dynasty since its construction in 1782. Although the present royal family no longer resides in the Grand Palace, the structure is still the official seat of the King s power and ceremonial occasions are celebrated here. Your tour of the palace will include an introduction into the distinctive styles of architecture that the different halls and pavilions possess, which reflect the contrasting influences of which the Thais have come into contact with. You will also have the chance to visit Wat Phra Kaew the home of the Emerald Buddha, carved of solid jade it is the symbol of the regency of the House of Chaki. * When visiting the Grand Palace, please be reminded that you are required to wear appropriate attire. Shorts, short skirts, sleeveless attired are not allowed within the Palace grounds.
08 December 2011 Bangkok (Cont d) Thursday Return to your hotel by around 12.30 p.m. Afternoon at leisure. Evening Welcome cocktails and dinner on the Terrace of the Mandarin Oriental. Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok (Superior River Wing Rooms) B,--,D 09 December 2011 Bangkok / Yangon Friday This morning you will visit Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall. It is the former reception hall located in the Dusit Palace. It s grand façade is due to Renaissance and Neo-Classic influences; the building is constructed from marble and features domes and lavish amounts of gold paint. Return to your hotel by around 12.00 noon. This afternoon you will be transferred to the airport for your Bangkok Airways flight PG#703 to Yangon at 3.00 p.m. Yangon is a city where contemporary and colonial Myanmar (19th and 20th centuries) continues to coexist decades after British departure. It is a handsome city with a history of over two millennia, though it has been a capital for a mere 100 years. Rebuilt on a grid plan in the 1850s, the wide treelined boulevards are bordered by fine stone buildings. In the 1880s, Yangon was renowned as the Queen of the East. Today, Yangon bustles without urgency, high-rise buildings, traffic jams or department stores. Instead, small shops sell everything from antique lacquerware to silver-backed dressing table sets left over from colonial days. Arrive Yangon International Airport at 3.50 p.m., after clearing Immigration and customs entry formalities, you will be met by a representative of Abercrombie & Kent, Myanmar and transferred to The Strand. (Myanmar is 30 minutes behind Thailand time.) Since the beginning in 1901 The Strand has been regarded as the finest hostelry east of the Suez. Recognized as a national landmark and completely renovated to reflect the epoch of the 1920s and 1930s - the three-story late-victorian colonial hotel maintains its legendary charm and history. The Strand Hotel is located on Strand Road, close by the Yangon (Rangoon) River in the city's main commercial and diplomatic district. The Strand, Yangon (Deluxe Suites) B,--,--
10 December 2011 Yangon Saturday Today, enjoy a full day s sightseeing. This morning start your sightseeing with a visit to Botataung Pagoda. This 131 foot stupa is unusual in that it is hollow and visitors are able to walk around inside. The original pagoda was destroyed in 1943 when it took a direct hit from an Allied bomb. During the cleanup a golden casket containing a hair and two other relics of Buddha were found. Continue on to visit the Sule Pagoda. If the Shwedagon is the soul of Yangon, then the Sule Pagoda is its heart. For centuries it has been the focus of much of the social and religious activity of the city. The British established the pagoda as the center of the urban area when they structured their grid-street system around it in the mid-19th century. The 157-foot pagoda remains the tallest building in the town area. You will also visit the National Museum, the showpiece of which is the Lion s Throne. The throne made of wood is inlaid with gold and lacquer work. It is a striking example of the Myanmar art of woodcarving. The throne was taken from Mandalay in 1886 by the English and later in 1964 returned as a goodwill gesture. Lunch will be served at The Governor s Residence. In the afternoon, you will visit the Bogyoke Market, formerly Scott s Market, offering a wide selection of Myanmar handicrafts and other goods. At the bustling Bogyoke Aung San Market there are about 1641 shops and stalls in a wonderful old colonial building, selling everything from handicrafts and foodstuff to clothing, jewelry and consumer goods. The most popular market in Yangon, Bogyoke Aung San is divided into four wings and is dotted throughout with traditional Myanmar and Chinese food stalls selling delicious snacks. Then, visit the Reclining Buddha Pagoda, which is really not a pagoda, but a pavilion housing a 230-foot statue. Also within the pagoda enclosure is a center devoted to the study of sacred Buddhist manuscripts. About 600 monks live in the monastery and spend their days studying and meditating. You will end the day with visit to the Shwedagon Pagoda. This architectural masterpiece is a golden fantasy of gilded stupas, serene Buddhas and mythical beasts said to be 2500 years old. According to legend, eight hairs of the last Buddha are enshrined within. On the outside the stupa is plated with 8,688 solid gold slabs and the tip of the stupa is set with 5,448 diamonds and 2,317 rubies, sapphires and topaz. A huge emerald sits in the middle to catch the first and last rays of the sun. The Strand, Yangon (Deluxe Suites) B,L,--
11 December 2011 Yangon / Heho / Inle Lake Sunday This morning you will be transferred to the airport for your Asian Wings Airline flight AW#763 to Heho at 10.30 a.m. Arrive Heho at 11.35 a.m. you will be met and transferred to Nyaung Shwe Village where you take a thirty-minute boat ride to your hotel, situated on Inle Lake and surrounded by the Shan Hills. The Inle Princess Resort offers a secluded retreat, with 46 individual cottages constructed with wood and bamboo built by local craftsmen in the traditional Burmese style. The hotel restaurant offers a variety of International, Myanmar and Chinese cuisine, as well as some local specialties of the area s ethnic minorities. Lunch will be served at View Point Restaurant in Nyaung Shwe. This afternoon you will visit the Phaung-Daw-Oo Pagoda, which enshrines five golden Buddha images carried back to Myanmar from the Malay Peninsula by the 12th century King Alaungsithu. The images were deposited in a cave near the lake, and were not rediscovered until centuries later. Since their relocation to this pagoda, however, they have been covered with so much gold leaf that they look more like balls of gold than Buddha figures. Continue to Ngapechaung Monastery (Jumping Cat Monastery). This fascinating wooden monastery, built on stilts over the lake, got its name from the monks who used to train their cats to jump through small hoops. Here you will see stunning Buddha images in the Shan, Tibetan, Bagan and Inwa styles on highly ornate wood and mosaic pedestals. Inle Lake on the Shan Plateau is an oasis where you will see the unique methods of farming and fishing which sustain the local residents. Surrounding the lake is a wide belt of silt and tangled water hyacinths, which over time, creates a thick humus-like layer. The government sells plots of this floating land to be farmed by the villagers. Women tend the plots from boats. They grow cauliflower, tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbage, beans and eggplant. Fishing is done by means of a conical trap containing a net that the fisherman thrusts to the bottom of the lake when he sees movement. All this is done while the fisherman perches precariously on the boats stern with one foot and twists his other leg around a long oar that he uses to propel the boat! Dinner will be served in the hotel s restaurant. Inle Princess Resort, Inle Lake (Lake Front View Chalets)
12 December 2011 Inle Lake Monday Enjoy a full day s sightseeing. Begin your day with a visit to the 5 day market. This rotating market changes locations every five days and is where the local hill tribes come to buy and sell their goods. Items range from hand-made crafts to produce grown on the floating gardens. Take notice of the colorful outfits worn by the different hill tribes as they barter is this lively setting. Next visit Nampan Village where you can witness traditional village life on the lake and experience blacksmith, cheroot making factory, experience having a go at trying to make a cheroot a famous Burmese cigar, and boat builder's workshop. Continue to the ikat-style silk weaving industry at Inn Paw Khone Village. Lunch will be served at Intha Heritage House. In the afternoon, you will cruise through a densely forested river to visit Indein which is situated on the hill side in the south-western corner of Inle Lake. Then take a wander through this typical lakeside village all the while observing the lives of the local people. Through a bamboo grove and up a beautiful stairway lined with wooden columns to old Shwe Inn Dein, an impressive and thankfully unrestored collection of ancient Shan style stupas. At the top there is a stunning view out across the lake and beyond, to the hills in the east and of the rolling countryside to the west. Dinner will be served in the hotel s restaurant. Inle Princess Resort, Inle Lake (Lake Front View Chalets) 13 December 2011 Inle Lake / Heho / Mandalay Tuesday This morning you will be transferred to the airport for your Asian Wings Airline flight AW#763 to Mandalay at 11.50 a.m. Arrive Mandalay at 12.20 p.m. where you will be met and transferred to the Sedona Hotel for checkin. Sedona Hotel Mandalay s 247 elegant rooms offer superb views of the Mandalay Hill and the Royal Palace. All the rooms are graciously designed with an aesthetic eye for both contemporary elegance and traditional grace.
13 December 2011 Inle Lake / Heho / Mandalay (Cont d) Tuesday Lunch will be served at A Little Bit of Mandalay Restaurant. In the afternoon, travel by boat along the Irrawaddy River to the little village of Mingun. Your sightseeing here will be taken to the Mingun Bell, the largest working bell in the world and the nearby unfinished Mingun Pagoda. Had it been completed, it would have been the world s largest pagoda, at an intended 499 feet. Your last visit in Mingun will take you to the Myatheindan Pagoda, with its distinctive architectural style modelled after the mythical Mount Meru. Sedona Hotel, Mandalay (Premier Suites) B,L,-- 14 December 2011 Mandalay on board the Road to Mandalay Wednesday After breakfast at the hotel, you will be transferred to the Road to Mandalay berthed on the Ayeyarwady River at Shwe Kyet Yet. After lunch, enjoy a guided tour of the key sights of Mandalay regarded as the centre of Burmese culture and Buddhist learning. Return to the Road to Mandalay for dinner and local entertainment. Road To Mandalay (Deluxe Cabins) 15 December 2011 Mandalay / Sagaing Thursday After an early breakfast visit Sagaing, the living centre of the Buddhist faith in Burma and famous for its silversmiths who still work in much the same way as their ancestors did. The ship gets underway mid-morning, and begins its journey south. The rest of the day is spent relaxing on board observing the local river life from the top deck. An on-board guide lectures on local places and customs. A casual cocktail party is followed by dinner on board. Road To Mandalay (Deluxe Cabins) 16 December 2011 Sagaing / Bagan Friday The ship arrives at Bagan where over 2,000 temples and pagodas are scattered on an awe-inspiring plain beside the river. A guided orientation tour introduces you to the most important temples. After lunch you have the opportunity to rejoin the guide and visit the inside of some of the more significant pagodas. Alternatively, you can hire a bicycle or horse-drawn cart and explore this fascinating area on your own. Late afternoon your guide takes you to watch the breathtaking vista of the sun setting over the plain. Dinner and local entertainment on board. Road To Mandalay (Deluxe Cabins)
17 December 2011 Disembark in Bagan Saturday Early this morning enjoy the sunrise over Bagan from aloft aboard a hot air balloon (OPTIONAL). Get a magnificent bird s-eye view of the thousand year-old pagodas, temples and the mighty Ayeyarwady River to fully appreciate the scale and historical importance of this magical place. Today, disembark the Road to Mandalay in Bagan and enjoy an excursion that takes you to the environs of Mount Popa. In 442 BC a great earthquake roared through central Myanmar - and from out of the barren Myingyan plains rose Mount Popa. Volcanic ash on the mountain slopes gradually became fertile soil and the peak blossomed with flowers of many colors (Popa is the Sanskrit word for flower ). For the inhabitants of the surrounding regions, the sugar-loaf peak became regarded as the home of the gods, the Mount Olympus of Myanmar. Alchemists and occultists made their home on the mountain slopes, and others were convinced mythical beings lived in the woods and among the flowers. So it was a matter of course when Mount Popa became the focus of national nat worship and the official home of the Mahagiri Nats during the reign in Bagan of King Thinlakyaung. Lunch will be served at the Mt. Popa Mountain Resort before returning to Bagan in the afternoon. This evening, farewell dinner will be served at the hotel. Thiripyitsaya Sanctuary Resort, Bagan (Deluxe River View Rooms) 18 December 2011 Bagan / Yangon / Bangkok Sunday This morning you will be transferred to the airport for your Asian Wings Airline flight AW#902 to Yangon at 8.30 a.m. Upon arrival Yangon at 9.45 a.m., you will be met and transferred into town for some sightseeing. You will visit the Gem Museum where you can see all Myanmar s semiprecious and precious stones including world famous Ruby, Sapphire and Jade. And spend some time looking around the Kaba Aye Pagoda (World Peace Pagoda) built between 1950 and 1952 by the first Prime Minister of independent Burma, U Nu, who dedicated it to world peace. The pagoda was built a few miles north of downtown Yangon in preparation for the Sixth Buddhist Synod of 1954 to 1956. Lunch will be served at the Monsoon Restaurant.
18 December 2011 Bagan / Yangon / Bangkok (Cont d) Sunday Abercrombie & Kent Myanmar is strongly committed to helping the local community. With this in mind we would like to take you to one of the three local orphanages in Yangon that we actively support and your visit to Myanmar also actively supports. Spend a few hours interacting with these adorable children of Myanmar who are helped by your visit to our country. After lunch, you will be transferred to the airport for your Bangkok Airways flight PG#704 to Bangkok at 4.40 p.m. Arrival Bangkok s Suvarnabhumi International Airport at 6.35 p.m. After clearing immigration and customs formalities, you will be met by Abercrombie & Kent, Thailand and transferred to the Mandarin Oriental. Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok (Superior River Wing Rooms) B,L,-- 19 December 2011 Depart Bangkok Monday Today you will be transferred back to Bangkok s Suvarnabhumi International Airport for your departure flight. B,--,-- BON VOYAGE
COSTS US$ 7,990.00 PER PERSON SHARING FOR THE LAND US$ 2,560.00 SINGLE SUPPLEMENT AND US$ 868.00 PER PERSON AIRFARE - BANGKOK/YANGON/HEHO/MANDALAY & BAGAN/YANGON/BANGKOK IN ECONOMY CLASS ** (** AIRFARES VALID AS OF FEBRUARY 18 2011 AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE) ABOVE COSTS BASED ON 10 PERSONS MINIMUM TRAVELLING TOGETHER. SUPPLEMENT FOR UPGRADES AND OPTIONAL BALLOONING US$ US$ US$ US$ 870.00 PER PERSON SHARING FOR THREE NIGHTS IN AN EXECUTIVE SUITE AT THE MANDARIN ORIENTAL, BANGKOK 750.00 PER PERSON SHARING FOR THREE NIGHTS IN A STATE CABIN ABOARD THE ROAD TO MANDALAY 100.00 PER PERSON SHARING FOR ONE NIGHT IN A RIVER SUITE AT THE THIRIPYITSAYA SANCTUARY RESORT, BAGAN 290.00 PER PERSON FOR EARLY MORNING BALLOONING IN BAGAN
OUR COSTS INCLUDE: - ALL TRANSFERS & SIGHTSEEING AS OUTLINED BY PRIVATE A/C VEHICLES & BOATS WITH DRIVERS AND ENGLISH SPEAKING GUIDES - 12 NIGHTS ACCOMMODATION IN A/C ROOMS/CABINS WITH PRIVATE FACILITIES INCLUDING SERVICE CHARGE & TAXES - PLANESIDE MEETING SERVICE ON ARRIVAL BANGKOK S SUVARNABHUMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ON DECEMBER 07 2011 - FLIGHTS IN ECONOMY CLASS INCLUDING AIRPORT TAXES BANGKOK / YANGON / HEHO / MANDALAY AND BAGAN / YANGON / BANGKOK - BILL HURST AS YOUR TOUR MANAGER/RESOURCE TO ACCOMPANY YOU FROM BANGKOK DECEMBER 07 2011 AND BACK TO BANGKOK DECEMBER 18/19 2011 - PORTERAGE AT AIRPORTS, HOTELS AND PIERS - GRATUITIES TO DRIVERS, GUIDES, HOTEL STAFF AND SHIP S CREW - BOTTLED WATER WITH ALL MEALS AND ON TRANSFER AND SIGHTSEEING VEHICLES - ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES WITH WELCOME AND FAREWELL DINNERS DECEMBER 08/17 2011 - FOLLOWING MEALS: DECEMBER 07 2011 NO MEALS DECEMBER 08 2011 B,--,D DECEMBER 09 2011 B,--,-- DECEMBER 10 2011 B,L,-- DECEMBER 11 2011 DECEMBER 12 2011 DECEMBER 13 2011 B,L,-- DECEMBER 14 2011 DECEMBER 15 2011 DECEMBER 16 2011 DECEMBER 17 2011 DECEMBER 18 2011 B,L,-- DECEMBER 19 2011 B,--,-- OUR COSTS DO NOT INCLUDE: - VISAS FOR MYANMAR (MANDATORY) - TRAVEL INSURANCE - GRATUITY TO BILL HURST