CRUISE ON THE "RV PANDAW"

Day 1. Arrive Yangon. On arrival in Yangon, you will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel for overnight accommodation.

Day 2. Yangon. Begin your day with a city tour, which will take you to the diplomatic area, highlighting some of the rich colonial architecture dating back to the British occupation. Visit to the China town area will give a good insight into the every day life of the local people and to the downtown area where stops will be made at famous landmarks. Visit some of the most beautiful temples in the world including the Sule Pagoda, over 2,000 years old then visit the Chauk Htat Gyi Reclining Buddha followed by shopping in Scott Market. It has the largest selection of Burmese handicrafts. Before sunset, visit the Shwedagon Pagoda, the most famous landmark in Yangon. Enjoy dinner at one of Yangon's finest restaurants. Overnight Yangon

Day 3. Yangon/Bagan. Fly to Bagan. On arrival in Bagan, visit the Nyaung Oo market to see the local bustling lifestyle then spend the day exploring the myriad of temples in Bagan, as each has a different story to tell. See the real way of life for most Myanmar people by visiting Myinkaba Village, a perfect example of how locals live. Lunch will be at the Sunset Garden Restaurant situated on the bank of the Irrawaddy River. Later visit a lacquerware house to see the process of making lacquerware from the basic stage to the finished products ready for sale at the shop. Enjoy the perfect end to the day by enjoying the sunset over Bagan from the top of a suitable Pagoda.

Day 4. Bagan
This morning there will be an optional pre-dawn rise to see the sunrise over the ancient Pagodas of Bagan. Watch as the pagodas slowly come to life as the sun gently rises. See the real way of life for most Myanmar people by visiting Myinkaba Village. This village is a perfect example of how locals live and collect their food, but most importantly you will be able to see the intimacy of the villagers toward one another and any foreign guests. Spend the remainder of the day at leisure as you soak up the timeless atmosphere of Bagan.

Day 5. Cruising on the Irriwaddy River.
Transfer to Bagan jetty to join the RV Pandaw. The Pandaw is a refitted river cruiser that originally sailed the Irrawaddy in the 40's. The Irrawaddy flotilla has recreated the Pandaw legend and offer luxurious cruises between Bagan and Mandalay. The boat is finished in teak wood and each cabin has its own veranda area. This combined with the luxury dining room, bar and viewing areas make the pandaw a great way between Bagan and Mandalay. The Pandaw also has the ability to dock anywhere along the journey enabling guests to explore villages well off the beaten track.

After setting sail from Bagan visit Pakokku - a typical Upper Burmese market town. Visit the large and bustling market, a cigar factory and hand weaving workshops. The tour will be run in a local bus (not air-conditioned) which is a fun way of seeing the real life of this busy place and then travel outside the town to the little know archaeological site of Pakhangyi. This post-Bagan period provincial capital was walled with a moat and originally had a governor's palace. Visit the museum and a spectacular 19th century wood carved monastery.
Dinner and entertainment will be provided on board.

Day 6. Cruising on the Irrawaddy.
Spend time relaxing on board the Pandaw as it sails down the Irrawaddy, there is plenty of activity on the river banks as locals go about their everyday lives. In the morning enjoy a leisurely stroll through Sameikkon. After lunch on board visit Yandabo, this is a rarely visited small village with no road access to the world. Dependent on the riverside economy, this village is famous for the production of terracotta pottery made from riverbank mud. You will be invited into people's homes and visit the local monastery. Yandabo is famous in Burmese history as the place where the Treaty of Yandabo was signed in 1855 between the Burmese king and the British; it is now a center of pot production. Dinner and entertainment will be provided on board the cruise.

Day 7. Arrive Mandalay. Following your relaxing cruise down the Irrawaddy, arrive in Mandalay mid morning. After disembarking from the Pandaw, transfer to Mandalay city. Being rich in monasteries and pagodas, it is still accepted as the arts and cultural heartland of Myanmar. For lovers of arts and crafts, Mandalay represents the largest repository of Myanmar arts and crafts. Skilled crafts-men make world famous genuine tapestry called "Shwe Chi Htoe" (Golden Weaving), beautiful articles of ivory, wood, marble and stone, silverware and bronze statues according to the time-honoured traditions of their forefathers

The second most sacred image in Myanmar next to the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon is the Mahamuni Pagoda. A visit to Mandalay is incomplete without a visit to Maha Muni Pagoda. The image is said to have been cast in the lifetime of the Gautama Buddha and that Buddha embraced it 7 times thereby bringing it to life. Consequently, devout Buddhists hold it to be alive and refer to it as the Maha Muni Sacred Living Image. Visit the Shwe Kyaung (Golden Palace Monastery) famous for its intricate woodcarvings. Continue to the Kuthodaw Pagoda which contains the world largest book, a Buddhist scripture carved on 729 marble slabs. See the best view of Mandalay from the top of Mandalay hill as the sun slowly sets. Overnight Mandalay.

Day 8. Mandalay.
After breakfast drive to Amarapura, situated about 11 km south of Mandalay. Bein's Bridge, the longest wooden bridge in Myanmar; it crosses the Taungthaman Lake and is curved to withstand the wind & waves. Visit the Mahagandayone Monastery to gain an insight into the life and culture of the Burmese, as every male in the Burmese culture is a monk at one point of time in his life. After looking around the Monastery you will be able to witness the mid-morning feeding ceremony of the Monks where you will see a never-ending procession of monks arriving for their morning meal. Mandalay is considered to be the arts and crafts capital of Myanmar. Visit a silk weaving and arts & crafts store to see the intricate detail that goes into making each hand made piece. After lunch visit Ava and tour the ancient city by pony cart, a welcome break from the more modern forms of transport. In the early evening transfer to Mandalay Airport for the evening flight to Yangon.

Day 9. Yangon.
Today is your last day in Yangon. In the morning proceed for shopping in Scott Market (Bogyoke Aung San Market); the sprawling, 70 year- old Bogyoke Aung San market (sometimes called by its British Name, Scott market) is appropriately located in the centre of Yangon. It has the largest selection of Burmese handicrafts you will find in one place and you will find a whole variety of interesting Burmese souvenirs, gems & jewellery which are available at reasonable prices. The rest of the day is at leisure until your transfer to Yangon Airport.