Unravel the mysteries of Myanmar in this journey through an enchanting land almost untouched by the 21st century. Venture into the heart of the country on a luxury cruise along the Irrawaddy. Witness an ever-changing landscape of timeless villages and glittering stupas, experience the daily rhythms along the river and get to know some of the most endearing people in the world.
Journey Highlights
Welcome
to Myanmar with fast track arrival services. Transfer to your historic hotel.
The Strand Hotel (Superior Suite)
Discover the four unique wonders of this city once known as the “Queen of the East”. Join your guide on a visit to the Botataung Pagoda and venture into the intriguing hollow stupa. Take a look into the future as you experience a traditional fortune reading by one of Yangon’s most experienced astrologers. Head downtown to discover the city’s colonial architecture and bustling Bogyoke Aung San Market. Later, marvel at the Reclining Buddha Pagoda and step inside the Buddha Shrine Hall filled with effigies. Your final stop is the majestic Shwedagon Pagoda, a diamond-encrusted masterpiece with a gold stupa towering 98 metres above the city. Join pilgrims lighting the oil lamps which encircle the magnificent stupa. As darkness descends, the glittering golden stupa, illuminated by the newly-lit oil lamps and carefully placed spotlights, is a sight to behold (Not available between May to September).
The Strand Hotel (Superior Suite) | Meals: BL
Transfer to Yangon airport for your flight to Mandalay. Board Sanctuary Ananda, your platform for discovery for the next four nights. If there’s time before setting sail, discover the highlights of Mandalay. Visit one of the country’s most revered Buddhist places of worship, Mahamuni Pagoda. Continue to the beautiful teak Shwenandaw Monastery, the only palace building to survive World War II bombings, and Kuthodaw Pagoda, where 729 marble slabs inscribed with Tripitaka texts have earned it the title “the biggest book in the world”.
This afternoon,
visit the pagoda-sprinkled Sagaing Hill, an important religious centre that’s
home to some 554 monasteries and 6,000 monks and nuns. Meet novice monks at a
monastic school and acquire a deeper understanding of Buddhism. Later, drink in
breathtaking views from the top of the hill on the terraces of the Soon U Ponya
Shin Pagoda. Stop at Amarapura, once known as 'The City of Immortals’, and
listen to the clack-clack of weaving looms as you wander through this charming
place. Stop awhile at the U Bein Bridge, believed to be the longest teak bridge
in the world, and witness the sunset in this spectacular place.
Sanctuary Ananda (Deluxe Suite Bagan Deck) | Meals: BLD
Sail north to
the quaint village of Sin Kyun, just north of Mandalay. Take an optional tour
to witness first-hand the way of life in a place seldom viewed by outsiders,
and learn about the positive impact being made by Abercrombie & Kent
Philanthropy. Then, set sail towards Tan Chi Taung Mountain. From your perfect
viewpoint on the ship, take in the village of Mingun and its massive unfinished
pagoda guarded by two gigantic lions. After a decadent lunch, choose from a
menu of activities. Enjoy an onboard demonstration of how to tie a longyi (the
skirt that both men and women traditionally wear) and how to make and apply
tanaka (natural sun cream). And learn about Myanmar's history and culture from
the onboard expert.
Sanctuary Ananda (Deluxe Suite Bagan Deck) | Meals: BLD
Taste a unique
blend of traditional flavours in a hands-on cooking class with the ship’s
executive chef. Then, enjoy a leisurely morning sailing downstream as you enjoy
the many luxuries onboard Sanctuary Ananda. Indulge in a spa treatment, relax
by the pool or simply soak in the timeless landscape of fishing canoes, teak
villages and hills glinting with golden spires as you sail towards Bagan. On
arrival, venture to the top of Tan Chi Taung mountain for your first glimpse of
the Bagan plain, dotted with more than 2,000 pagodas and stupas. Back onboard,
enjoy sundowners in the elegant Kansi Panorama Lounge before a candlelit dinner
on the banks of the Irrawaddy.
Sanctuary Ananda (Deluxe Suite Bagan Deck) | Meals: BLD
Rise early for
an optional sunrise balloon ride over the pagoda-sprinkled landscape
(additional fee). Visit the vibrant local market of Nyaung U where farmer
gather to buy and sell a variety of goods, ranging from fruit and vegetable to
china and lacquerware. Continue to the great golden Shwezigon Pagoda and see
where relics of the Gautama Buddha lie, and on to Ananda Temple, one of the
most beautiful temples in Myanmar. Watch the dramatic sunset over the
temple-dotted plains, followed by a local performance and farewell dinner
onboard – the perfect end to your cruise adventure.
Sanctuary Ananda (Deluxe Suite Bagan Deck) | Meals: BLD
Leave your
cruise ship behind and journey to the village of Myinkaba. Explore a place
where locals still rely on centuries-old craft techniques. Step inside a
lacquerware workshop for your hands-on masterclass in one of Myanmar’s ancient
handicrafts.
Aureum Palace Hotel (Orchid or Jasmine villa) | Meals: BL
Fly to Heho and
check into your elegant, boutique hotel on the edge of Inle Lake, a culturally
vibrant, untouched corner of the world. See where fisherman row using their
legs, farmers work on floating land, and stilt villages punctuate the
landscape. Visit the Phaung-Daw-U Pagoda and see the five golden Buddha images
carried from Malaysia to Myanmar by the 12th century King Alaungsithu. Then,
visit the wooden Nga Pe Chaung Monastery built on stilts over the lake.
Villa Inle Resort (Lake Front Villa) | Meals: BL
Start your day
with a visit to the Fifth Day Market, the lively rotating market that travels
by boat around the towns. Browse handmade crafts and fresh produce grown on the
floating gardens, while admiring the vibrant dress of different hill tribes.
See firsthand why Inle Lake is renowned for its silk weaving in the village of
Inn Paw Khone. This afternoon, cruise through a densely-forested river to visit
Indein perched on a hillside in the southwestern corner of the lake. Slow down
to wander through this typical lakeside village and watch daily life unfold
before walking through a bamboo grove and up a beautiful stairway lined with
wooden columns to old Shwe Inn Dein, an impressive collection of ancient Shan
style stupas. Bask in the stunning view across the lake and beyond, to the
hills in the east and the rolling countryside to the west.
Villa Inle Resort (Lake Front Villa) | Meals: BL
Enjoy
a day at leisure. Optional tours may include a visit to Aythaya, Myanmar’s
first and most notable vineyard. Sample some of their fine wines in the heart
of the beautiful estate surrounded by countless rows of vines nestled high on
the mountainside. Or take a leisurely bike ride to Nanthe village
to see the Kyauk-phyu-jyi pagoda and a vibrant town on the lake to visit the
Shan Royal Palace, a tomato warehouse and bamboo weaving factory. Pause at Red
Mountain Winery for wine tasting before visiting the Intha Heritage Bamboo
School. Alternatively meet a traditional Shan chef for an immersive culinary
experience. Visit the vibrant local market by boat to select the freshest
ingredients before being welcomed into your chef’s stilted house for a unique
cooking class followed by lunch (additional cost).
Villa Inle Resort (Lake Front Villa) | Meals: BD
Transfer to Heho for the flight back to Yangon where
you are transferred to a local restaurant for lunch. Later, weave your way through Yangon’s
hive of independent galleries and artist’s studios with a leading curator and
researcher to discover a flourishing creative arts scene often missed by
passing visitors. Your guide today has been an active part of the city’s arts
scene since 2009 and founded Myanm/art, an institution that promotes local
contemporary art to domestic and international audiences. See the city through
her eyes as she leads you to hidden exhibition spaces in historic buildings.
Get a brief overview of the nation’s art history at the curator’s own gallery.
Then continue to various venues scattered around the downtown area to learn
more about the nation’s emerging artists, their unique visions and dynamic body
of work. Or visit Sule Pagoda. If the Shwedagon is the soul of Yangon, then the
Sule Pagoda is its heart. This evening is at leisure or you may wish to dine at
the acclaimed Le Planteur, one of the finest restaurants in the city
(additional cost).
Belmond Governor’s Residence (Deluxe Garden View Room) | Meals: BL
Transfer to the airport, where your journey ends.
Meals: B
Highly acclaimed as one of Southeast Asia's leading luxury hotels, and with a name synonymous with welcoming and intuitive service, the i ... Read more
The luxurious, all-suite Sanctuary Ananda carries guests in style on voyages of breathtaking beauty and discovery on the mysterious river ... Read more
The Aureum Palace Hotel is a tranquil paradise, set in 27 acres of tropical gardens. Adjacent to the Bagan Archaeological Zone, the 114 ... Read more
Villa Inle Resort and Spa has a stunning location in 20 acres of private grounds on the lakeside with a selection of villas that have bee ... Read more
A romantic, colonial-style mansion dating from the 1920s, Belmond The Governor's Residence is redolent of the days when it was home to ... Read more
As this Private Journey can be personalised to your specific requirements, it is not available for online booking.
Depending on your preferred dates and arrangements, final pricing will vary from low season to peak season travel.
Please call A&K on 1300 851 800 or send us a booking enquiry to book this journey
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