Here’s our Myanmar (Burma) itinerary plus a slide show of pictures.
For journal postings from Myanmar (Burma), CLICK HERE.
- Dec. 28th Arrive in Yangon. Two nights accommodations at Chatrium Hotel.
- Dec. 29th Today’s full day tour of Yangon includes Kandawgyi Park and Karaweik Royal Barge, Chauk Htat Gyi Reclining Buddha, Sule Pagoda and what will undoubtably be one of the highlights of the trip – Shwedagon Pagoda, where we’ll stay until sunset.
- Dec. 30th Transfer to Yangon airport in Yangon for our flight to Mandalay. Upon arrival we’ll take an excursion to Mingun. In the afternoon we’ll visit Mandalay city with Mahamuni Pagoda, Shwe Kyaung Golden Palace Monastery, the world’s largest book (Kuthodaw Pagoda) and Mandalay Hill for sunset. Two nights accommodations at Mandalay Hill Resort.
- Dec. 31st Today’s excursion takes us to Amarapura, Ava and Sagaing Hills where we’ll stop at a local monastery. We’ll also visit U Bein Bridge. Tonight we’ll attend a compulsory New Years Eve dinner at our hotel.
- Jan. 1st Today we’ll take a ferry boat from Mandalay to Bagan. Lunch will be on board. The boat ride will give us a wonderful opportunity to see life along the Irrawaddy River. Upon arrival in Bagan, following sunset on the river, we’ll be transferred to our hotel. Three nights accommodation at Tharabar Gate Hotel.
- Jan. 2nd Our full day tour of the Bagan temples includes Shwezigon, Gubyaukgyi and Htilominlo Pagodas, Ananda Temple. We’ll also vist a lacquerware factory/shop and Nyaung Oo market. Sunset will be from atop Mingalazedi Pagoda. This evening we’ll attend a traditional puppet performance and dinner.
- Jan. 3rd Today we’ll travel to Mt. Popa, home of Myanmar’s most powerful Nat (spirit). We’ll have a choice of climbing to the summit of Mt. Popa or of stopping at the Sandalwood Forest, Museum and Medicinal Herbs garden. We’ll also visit a Bagan village and will stop at a palm tree plantation. We’ll then take a pony cart ride to Bagan temples not reachable by car.
- Jan. 4th Transfer to the Bagan airport for our flight to Heho. Continue overland to Pindaya Caves. In addition to touring the caves, we’ll visit Shan paper-making and umbrella-making home industries. This afternoon we’ll travel overland to Inle Lake. Upon arrival we’ll travel by boat to our hotel. Three nights accommodations at Inle Princess Resort.
- Jan. 5th Today’s full day Inle Lake tour includes the Inndein five day market where we’ll see the Shan people wearing their traditional tribal colors. Continue to the whimsical Shan temples of Inndein. Later we’ll visit Nampan cigar-making and canoe-carving village, Inn Paw Khone silk-weaving village and local homes.
- Jan. 6th Continue our Inle excursion with a visit to Phaung Daw U Pagoda, the holiest pagoda in the lake. We’ll also visit a floating farms to see how the farmers grow tomatoes and other produce in the middle of the lake. In addition, we’ll observe the fishermen with their unique one-leg method of rowing.
- Jan. 7th Transfer to the Heho airport for our flight to Yangon. Upon arrival in Yangon we’ll go into the city to visit Scott Market and then return to airport.
SLIDE SHOW HINT: If you’ve already seen the earlier pictures in the slide show, use the dot placemarks below the slides to jump around.
The grand stupa at Shwedagon Pagoda 
Washing the Buddha for blessings, at Shwedagon Pagoda 
Side temples at Shwedagon Pagoda 
A host of Buddhas from Myanmar 
Tribal temples at Shwedagon Pagoda 
Massive reclining Buddha in Yangon 
Viewing the royal barge at Kandawgyi Lake park 
Contestants for Ms. DR, Yangon 
Watch out for those potholes when you walk! 
Old and new buildings in Yangon 
St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Yangon 
The old British colonial and more recent buildings, Yangon 
Selecting from the satay in a street food stall, Yangon 
Fishing on the Irawaddy River near Mandalay 
240 foot square base for planned 500 foot tall pagoda ca.1800, Mingun 
Village child, Mingun 
Pagoda representing heavenly Mt. Meru rising over the seven seas 
Array of temples each housing a section of Buddhist scripture, Mandalay 
Stele with text of Buddhist scripture, comprising world’s largest book, Mandalay 
Golden Palace Monastery in Mandalay, former residence of King Mindun 
Detail in teakwood, Golden Palace Monastery, Mandalay 
Kids and kids amd garbage just off central Mandalay 
Royal palace re-creation, The Citadel, Mandalay 
The moat at end of day, The Citadel, Mandalay 
Praying and attaching gold leaf to the Mahamuni gold Buddha 
Three faces at Buddhist confirmation – happy, anxious, sad 
19th century teakwood monastery at Ava 
Queen’s swimming pool, Ava 
Sagaing Hills, Mandalay, with over 2000 pagodas 
Donations flow into the cavern of 45 Buddhas, Sagaing Hills 
Happy 2012, Mandalay – show with gay rocksinger, 50s pop and Burmese hip-hop 
Market vendors with traditional Burmese beauty cream on cheeks 
Bagan landscape 
Pale image of thousand year old frescoes, Bagan 
Thousand year old Ananda temple, Bagan 
31 foot high Buddha statue from 11th century, Bagan 
Thousand year old temple, Bagan 
Bagan landscape 
Thousand year old frescoes of the Buddha, Bagan 
Image of Buddha, frescoes of Bagan 
Temples of Bagan at sunset 
Mt. Popa, where spirits and medicinal herbs live in peace 
Paya atop table mountain, Mt. Popa 
Detail from temple at Mt. Popa 
Tourists at Mt. Popa temple 
Cultivated fields, Pindaya, Myanmar 
Legendary hero defeating spider, Pindaya Cave 
Among the 4000 Buddhas of Pindaya Cave 
Unloading passengers and freight from the bus, Nyaung Shwe jetty 
One legged rowing of Inle Lake villager 
Sunset, Inle Lake 
Village homes on stilts, Inle Lake 
Setting the basket net to catch fish, Inle Lake 
Slapping the water to drive fish into nets, Inle Lake 
Shan women at Indein’s five day market 
500 year old stupas of Indein 
Stupa carvings, Indein 
Phaung Daw Oo Buddhist pagoda, Inle Lake 
Five Buddhas covered in gold leaf squares, Inle Lake 
Village on stilts, Inle Lake 
Floating vegetable farm, Inle Lake 
Sunset, Inle Lake 
A village farm – you think this is land, but it’s water 
Floating umbrellas in a field, Inle Lake 
Gate to the home of Aung San Suu Kyi 
Fresco from Bagan temple
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just heard about the blast in Yangon. Please let us know your okay.
okay…just got more info…looks like it was a warehouse blast…Probably was not near you guys…nevertheless, let us know your okay.
We are completely fine, no where near the warehouse explosion and have toured central Yangon all day. But we appreciate the concern.
However, hundreds of residents in eastern Yangon have been killed or injured so this is a sad day here. We stopped at a local shop for a rest and the owner and several others were anxiously reading a circular about the blast, though we were not even aware of its magnitude or its consequences till then.
the unfinished base for the pagoda (photo) made me think of this:
(Statue of Liberty)
http://6.mshcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/statue-of-liberty.jpg
Very interesting subject , appreciate it for putting up. “Men who never get carried away should be.” by Malcolm Forbes.
Thanks for the note, and the quote from Forbes!
I see in your itinerary that you made a stop in Bagan. What an amazing place. Of all the countries I have traveled I would say Myanmar is right there at the top of the list. Between Bagan and the Swedagon Temple, just incredible.
No question, Bagan is pretty spectacular – in both the scope of the place and the myriad details. Of course, Inle Lake and its ruins are equally wonderful of a different sort.