Myanmar With Venture Cruise

Welcomed in Yangon by the guide and driver of Threeland. Transfer to Yangon to check-in hotel and start our visit in the former capital of Myanmar by 2006 at Shwedagon pagoda, the greatest pagoda of Yangon, the pride not just of Myanmar but Buddhist countries with thousands of stupas surrounding a 99m-high central stupa, said to have the relics of Buddha since 2,600 years ago according to Buddhist records. The pagoda takes at least two or three hours to contemplate not just for its massive scale and spectacular architecture, but for the respectfulness, calmness and serenity shown by every pagoda goer here, which helps us understand more about the religious life of the Burmese. After leaving Shwedagon, we will head to the Jetty to enjoy exciting daily life of the Yangon people by the riverbank, and visit colonial quarter opposite. Our trip ends at Sule pagoda, located at the center of the city.

Overnight in Yangon.

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for our flight to Mandalay. Welcomed at Mandalay and transfer to Amarapura. Different from other tranquil towns of Myanmar, Mandalay is much more hectic, business-minded, yet the city maintains very well great vestiges that cannot be missed like Amarapura, U-Bein Bridge or Mahamuni temple that we will visit today. We will go to the Mahagandayon monastery in Amarapura before 10am, where the brunch, the only meal of the day, of thousands monks is held every day at 10am, a very respectful and traditional ritual yet open to visitors to contemplate and discuss with the Buddhist people and monks to understand more about religious life and traditions of Buddhism in Myanmar. (Lunch between visits at a local restaurant.) Walk over from the monastery to the U-Bein Bridge, more than 1km long, the longest bridge made of teakwood in the world. Back to Mandalay via Ava Bridge built by the British and visit famous Mahamuni temple and the Teakwood house with extraordinary delicate carvings before enjoying the sunset from Mandalay Hill. Check-in hotel later afternoon.

Overnight in Mandalay.

After breakfast at hotel we will be transferred to the wharf to embark our RV Amara Cruise at 10am and sail up north to Mingun village, visiting the ancient sites at Mingun, including the Mingun Bell, weighting 87 tons and being the world’s largest intact bronze bell. Continue to the beautiful Hsinbyume Paya and the unfinished Mingun Paya (built with the intention of being the world’s biggest pagoda). Beside the incomparable view of vestiges, Mingun gives us a chance to get close to the life of countryside people either we can witness their hard-working on the river or at the villages near Mingun. The villages and school nearby Mingun temple also worth a visit. Back to our Cruise and sail south to Sagaing to visit the monasteries and pagoda, dotted on the hillside making a wonderful panoramic view in the sunset.

Overnight on board at Amara Cruise (Lunch, Dinner included on board.).

After breakfast on board, we will land to visit the traces of Myanmar’s longest kingdom (1364 - 1841) at Inwa, watching rare ruins and ancient vestiges which still remain after wars and many restoration times, including Bagaya Monastery, the Ava Palace, Yadana Hsimi Pagodas and traces of the outer walls of the old citadel  or royal pools. Back to the cruise and go on downstream to Semikhong village with old monasteries and colorful, fascinating market, back to the RV Amara Cruise in the afternoon.

Overnight on board at Amara Cruise (Lunch, Dinner included on board.)

After breakfast on board as we cruise downstream to pass Bagan with dazzling pagodas on the riverbank until reaching Mountain Tangyi on the west bank, here we will climb up to enjoy spectacular view of Bagan with splendid sunlight. With low humidity and vacant, clear horizon above ancient stupas and temples, Bagan enchants any visitors and enable incomparable pictures esp. in the sunset. Back to the Cruise for Dinner.

Overnight on board at Amara Cruise (Lunch, Dinner included on board.)

When we are enjoying breakfast on board, our cruise will sail across the river to arrive in Bagan around 8am, pick up by our guide in Bagan and transfer by vehicle to the hotel. Check in or leave the luggage hereby before taking our horse cart to visit the whole day in Bagan with Shwezigon pagoda at Nyaung-U, Nyaung-U market, and multiple of ancient stupas and towers of Bagan, enjoy the great sunset over Bagan at a good place that the guide recommended for us as temples here can be closed randomly for maintenance. Back to the hotel late afternoon.

Overnight in Bagan.

Breakfast box will be prepared by the hotel for our very early departure, normally at 4.30 or 5am, should we wish to witness the great sunrise in Bagan. Our horse cart and tourguide will pick-up us on time to depart to the Old Bagan where most beautiful testimonies of the splendors and the richness of this site conceal. After enjoying the dawn from behind stupas, we will discover more a lot from thousands of temples, shrines, stupas at Bagan, to name a few, Ananda temple - one of the finest one in architecture and most revered temples with its four standing Bagan style Buddha images and huge carved teak doors, Ananda Oakkyaung - simply a Monastery built with red bricks, located within the precincts of the Ananda Temple. It was built in 1137 AD and paintings of the 18th century are seen in the walls of the monastery, Thatbyinnyu Temple - 201ft tall, the tallest in Bagan and it is shaped like a cross, but is not symmetrical.

The temple has two primary storeys, with the seated Buddha image located on the second storey; or Dhammayangyi Temple - the widest temple in Bagan, and is built in a plan similar to that of Ananda Temple. In the afternoon visit Htilominlo pagoda, famed for its original fine plaster carvings and glazed sandstone decoration, which are remarkably well-preserved. The temple stands 46m high and houses four Buddha statues on the lower and upper floors; Mingalazedi pagoda, which is one of the few temples in Bagan with a full set of glazed terra cotta tiles or the Dhammayangyi pagoda, Bagan’s largest temple, where the brickwork is perhaps the finest that can be found around Bagan. We will also stop at the villages in Bagan to see some workshops or just talk with the locals, who earn their living here by hard jobs including making lacquerware, feeding cows and other cattle, etc. Back to your hotel in late afternoon.

Overnight in Bagan.  

After breakfast at hotel we will be picked up to transfer to Nyang-U airport to take our domestic flight to Yangon. Take your departure flight back home from Yangon Airport.