Myanmar - Burma Trip Summary - Austin Adventures
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Myanmar –
Burma
Trip Summary
From sapphire-studded stupas to floating gardens, Myanmar is home to a trove of little-known
treasures. Immerse yourself in a land of ancient tradition and gentle people on this enchanting
Burmese Adventure. Travel by bicycle, motorboat, hot air balloon, canoe, horse cart and 4x4 Jeep to
explore off-the-beaten-path villages, ruins and temples with your private guide. Discover ancient
pagodas and the fascinating histories that lie within. Take in the sights of a village built on stilts on
the shores of Inle Lake. Cycle through the Myanmar countryside, waving to friendly locals, visiting
colorful markets, and stopping in bustling villages along the way. In the evening, dine in leisure in the
comfort of your hotel restaurant or get adventurous and check out the local fare nearby. Myanmar is
an extraordinary land, begging to be explored, where you’ll find a beautiful mix of traditional living,
simple pleasures and engaging locals looking to welcome you to their country.
Itinerary
Day 1: Yangon
Upon arrival into Yangon by international flight, your guide will meet you at the airport and transfer
you to your hotel • Take what time you need to rest; later today, your guide will pick you up for a
heritage walk of Yangon’s unique downtown and its impressive collection of late nineteenth and
early twentieth-century buildings, religious and secular • Stroll through the back streets listening to
your guide as he explains the history of each building, some of them empty, some restored and
some used for different purposes than when originally built • Along the way, enjoy high tea at the
famous Strand hotel which will make you feel like you’re back in colonial time • Overnight Excelsior
Hotel (No meals)
Day 2: Yangon / Mandalay
So, what’s behind the golden façade of the Shwedagon Pagoda? • Our intriguing half day tour starts
us at the bottom of the hill where we’ll pass by workshops, markets and monasteries that will help us
understand our journey through Myanmar throughout the rest of our trip • Along the way, we’ll enjoy
a traditional Burmese breakfast, stop off to make offerings to monks and the pagoda, and visit a
fortune teller • Upon arrival to Shwedagon Pagoda, we’ll enter the back door to learn about the
pagoda’s full history, the daily life of all of the people living in the immediate surroundings, and a
deeper insight into the Buddhist religion and how the spiritual belief is mixed with the belief in nats –
the Myanmar spirits • After a typical Burmese lunch, we transfer to the airport for an afternoon flight
to Mandalay • Your guide will meet you at the airport for transfer to your hotel • Overnight at Mercure
Mandalay Hill Resort (B, L)
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Day 3: Mandalay
Enjoy a hardy breakfast at the hotel before we embark on another day of adventure • From the jetty
in Mandalay we take a leisurely boat cruise for about 2 hours downstream to Sagaing passing the
temple dotted hills where we stop and visit the Setkyar Thida nunnery • We continue by boat to Ava,
horse carts are ready to take us around this magnificent site with various ancient temple ruins that
used to be majestic buildings during the 400 years that Ava was the capital • Lunch will be taken in
Ava before continuing to Amarapura by car • The old capital of Amarapura is a very quiet village
nowadays where you only hear the sound of the weaving machines. We visit one of the small
weaving factories and walk over U-Bein Bridge. An ideal excursion if you don’t take the boat from
Mandalay to Bagan since the most interesting part of the long boat ride is covered in this shorter
cruise • Overnight at Mercure Mandalay Hill Resort (B, L)
Day 4: Mandalay
Begin today’s bike ride weaving through back roads to get out of town • Heading northeast of the
city, we pass through fresh markets and lively neighborhoods, eventually finding ourselves in the
true countryside where farmers tend to their fields and villagers go about their daily rituals that have
remained unchanged for decades • Water buffalo lazily roll in the mud, goats nibble at the foliage,
and friendly locals wave from all directions • At stops along the way, we’ll learn about the different
produce on sale at a fresh market and see bamboo weaving which is used to construct everything
from roofs and walls to fans • After taking a walk through a typical central Myanmar village, we’ll stop
at a tea shop on our way back to town • Upon arrival at our starting point, you’ll be brought back to
the hotel via motorbike • After lunch, we tour some of the most famous monuments of Mandalay
starting with the top of Mandalay hill for a great view over the Mandalay fort • Continue on to
Atumashi and the Shwenandaw monasteries which serve as excellent examples of the architecture
and crafts work of this region • End this memorable day with a visit to Kuthodaw Pagoda, famous for
its white marble slab architecture • Overnight at Mercure Mandalay Hill Resort (B)
Day 5: Mandalay / Nyaung U / Bagan
After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your flight to Bagan • You’ll be met upon arrival and
transferred to your hotel where you’ll be picked up for a full day temple tour • Your experienced
guide will show you the best known temples of the area • From here, you’ll make your way to places
like the Ananda, Dhammayangyi, Sulamani, and Thatbyinnyu – all impressive sites • Sit down for
lunch at a local restaurant and late afternoon, continue the tour by horse cart to Pyathagyi pagoda to
witness a Myanmar sunset, refreshing drink in hand • Oh… we forgot to mention the best part:
whenever you see a temple you like today, just ask your guide to stop to have a look at it – simply
pick your own favorite temple! • Overnight Bagan Lodge, Villa (B, L)
Day 6: Bagan
Early morning, opt for a sunrise hot air balloon ride over the temple zone in Bagan, one of many
highlights when visiting Myanmar • After breakfast back at the hotel, we head out on a half day swing
ride to take in the spectacular scenery and ancient temples of Bagan • You’ll fall in love with Bagan
not just because of the beautiful temples and lack of hordes of tourists, but because of the stunning
landscape of ancient temple ruins that are spread around randomly between toddy palms and
bamboo huts • Enjoy lunch and an afternoon on an optional hot air balloon ride over the temple zone
in Bagan • After floating in the air and following the wind, you will land and toast Champaign •
Overnight Bagan Lodge, Villa (B, L)
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Day 7: Bagan
Today, we embark on a trip that any photographer or culture fanatic will absolutely love • We depart
Bagan early in our 4x4 vehicle, keeping an eye out for local women carrying firewood for the market
while the sun rises behind them • First, we’ll visit the village of Nyaung Gyi, where we’ll find and
photograph a blacksmith workshop • In Se Ywa village, we’ll move between local workshops taking
in the art of plum purifying, cooking oil producing, and wooden slipper making • Then, we continue
on to Taung Kong village where the majority of inhabitants are farmers who also make beautiful
pottery • We make our way back to Bagan and rest the remainder of the morning • Meet back up for
a picnic in Minnanthu, a favorite temple area among frequent Bagan visitors • While your guide
serves up a delicious picnic lunch, you can take in your often deserted, beautiful surroundings while
reflecting on the quiet and peacefulness the area is known for • After, visit two or three more ancient
temple ruins before heading back to your hotel • Overnight Bagan Lodge, Villa (B, L)
Day 8: Bagan / Heho / Kalaw
Say goodbye to Bagan as we make our way to Kalaw, stopping along the way for a full day
immersion at an elephant conservation project site • As we walk through protected and undisturbed
Asian jungle, we’ll learn about this natural habitat that serves as a home for elephants who could
otherwise be easily hunted down and killed • Part of the project’s focus is to help the local population
get involved in order to grow out of their vicious cycle of poverty through education and micro-
finance • Enjoy a local lunch back at camp • Afterwards, it’s time to help the mahout wash and feed
the elephants before we continue onwards to Kalaw town for check-in at our hotel • Overnight Kalaw
Heritage Hotel (B, L)
Day 9: Kalaw / Inle Lake
After breakfast, we transfer to Inle Lake for a day of adventure • From you hotel we have a full day
by bike and boat starting with a boat ride to Indein village from where we bike to Than Htaung village
where you can have a chat with the monks and visit local homes • We continue by boat or bike to
Yay Mae Pin village where we visit an Areca nut plantation • Continue by boat to Khaung Dine for
lunch in a local restaurant and bike in about an hour to the stop in Nyaung Shwe • From here you
can choose to continue by bike or by boat to your hotel. • Overnight Sanctum Inle Resort (B, L)
Day 10: Inle Lake
Inle Lake in southern Shan State is a vast natural lake surrounded by traditional Shan villages • On
the lake itself the Intha people have been living for many centuries in villages built entirely on stilts •
Today you ride a private motorboat around the lake to discover its natural beauty, visit the floating
gardens, see some of the famous leg rowers, and have a cup of tea at a local family’s house • On
and around the lake, traditional markets are held in different villages according to a 5-day rotating
schedule • Today we take you to visit one of these colorful markets frequented by Shan and PaO
people • We’ll be sure to visit a local cheroot factory (where the Burmese cigars are made), floating
tomato gardens, Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda, Intha Heritage house - where the Burmese cats are bred
– and a weaving factory • Overnight Sanctum Inle Resort (B, L)
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Day 11: Inle Lake / Heho / Yangon
After breakfast, spend the morning learning to cook traditional cuisine • Meet Tin Tin – an Intha
native from the lake who will share her traditional Shan recipes with you today during a traditional
Shan cooking class in a family house built on stilt on the lake • It’s not a Master Chef course from a
Michelin restaurant owner but it’s simple, tasteful, home-cooked food from a local lady who has been
cooking her whole life for her family and enjoys it! • Together with your guide, we visit the local
market to find all ingredients, go by boat to the traditional house and help cleaning vegetables,
chopping the ingredients, frying or boiling it, adding the right herbs and mixing the right ingredients •
Then transfer to Heho airport, flight to Yangon • Overnight Excelsior Hotel (B, L)
Day 12: Yangon
An excellent way to end your trip to Myanmar is with a morning of shopping to pick up any last
minute souvenirs you may have missed along the way • Our specially selected shopping guide will
bring you to whatever shop you like to find a longyi (local sarong), umbrellas, old books, gold leaves,
a contemporary painting or even a trishaw (bicycle taxi) • Enjoy a one-hour foot massage by blind or
deaf people, trained by a local charity, before lunch at Sharky’s restaurant, a local spot known for its
“French” cheese, ham and other delicious delicacies • Your guide will drop you off at the airport for
your international flight three hours prior to your scheduled flight time • No overnight (B, L)
**Trip itineraries are subject to change without notice due to road, weather and other factors outside
of our control, for the safety and enjoyment of our guests, as deemed necessary and appropriate by
Austin Adventures and Khiri Travel.
Our Partner – Khiri Travel
Austin Adventures is proudly offering this trip in conjunction with Khiri Travel. Khiri Travel was
founded in 1993 and now has offices and specialist teams in Thailand, Myanmar, Indonesia, Sri
Lanka and Indochina (Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos). Khiri prides itself in authentic connections,
adaptability, and innovation and offers intimate, personalized travel experiences for any budget from
Family Travel and Regional Highlights to Community-based Tourism and Discovery Excursions.
Khiri aims to maximize the positive effects of tourism on individuals and local communities, while
minimizing negative social, environmental and economic impacts. The company strongly advocates
that sustainability is no longer a luxury, but a must-do so we can leave behind a world that is livable
for our children. You’ll find responsible travel practices at the core of all product development and
operations. Khiri travel wants you to rave about your Asia experience and will be certain to provide a
trip you’ll always remember.
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Activities
Walking – 1 to 4 hour guided walking excursions to view pagodas, ruins, villages and beautiful
scenery.
Biking – 10 to 15 miles on mostly flat, paved, backcountry roads with stops at local sites along the
way. Surfaces can be uneven and at times a bit bumpy; your guide will demonstrate technique on how
best to handle this terrain.
Canoeing – 1 to 3 hour paddle excursion on the calm waters of Inle Lake.
Boating – Sit back and relax as an experienced boatman maneuvers you around the Ayeyarwaddy
River and Inle Lake.
Hot Air Ballooning – British balloon pilots are operating each balloon under highest UK safety
standards.
*Please note that accurate weights of all passengers are required for the Balloon flights’’ safety
calculations. Pregnant women and children under the age of 8 or under the height of 137cm are not
permitted to fly. Any Passenger in excess of 125 kg/280 pounds is required to pay a 100%
surcharge of the ticket price.
Discovery – Now is the time to visit this land of beauty, sprinkled with tiered pagodas, where the
traditional ways of Asia live on and areas previously off-limits are opening up. Myanmar, a nation
with well over 100 ethnic groups, has yet to be completely taken over by Western fashion –
everywhere you’ll come across men wearing longyi, skirt-like sarongs, or women covered in
thanakha, traditional make-up. Bask in a slower change of pace when you drift down the
Ayeyarwaddy River via old river steamer or cruise amongst ancient ruins in your human-powered
trishaw. Engage with friendly locals who display a gentle, humorous, inquisitive and passionate side
not found many places in this world any longer. Explore the iconic sites around Mandalay winding
through backroads and peaceful villages by bicycle. Walk amongst both the neglected and
rehabilitated brick and stucco religious structures that dot the plains of the wonder that is Bagan.
Discover Inle Lake, a seemingly vast silver sheet interspersed with island-bound Buddhist temples,
floating gardens and stilt-house villages. Come experience Myanmar with the leaders in adventure
travel!
Your guides will take the time to explain the details of each activity, answer any questions and
demonstrate the use of all equipment. Each activity has been carefully planned to include options for
all levels. Most importantly, your guides will help you select the distance that’s right for you.
Meals
The hallmark of an Austin Adventures vacation is our exceptional dining. Most breakfasts and
lunches are included in this itinerary. No dinners have been included. (B = Breakfast, L = Lunch).
Alcoholic beverages and related gratuities are not included in the trip price.
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Distinctive Accommodations
Nights 1 & 11: Excelsior Hotel
The architectural wonder that is now the Yangon Excelsior Hotel was built. It originally housed the
general headquarters of the Steel Brothers Company, a conglomerate of companies specialised in
the economic development of mining, agricultural, mineral and wood resources. Dine throughout the
day in the Newsroom, a magical place that evokes all the glorious moments of journalists of the day.
In the evening, the prestigious Steel Brothers Wine & Grill opens its doors and at any time of day,
the Excelsior Spa, the well-being heart of the hotel, offers care and treatments to guests.
Nights 2 – 4: Mercure Mandalay Hill Resort
The 12-acre Mercure Mandalay Hill Resort is set at the foot of Mandalay Hill. It offers panoramic
views of pagodas as well as the distinctive architecture of the Royal Palace and its beautiful moat.
Mandalay is a 1-hour flight from Yangon and 20-minute flight from Bagan. It is within close proximity
to some of the most remarkable archaeological sites in the world.
Nights 5 – 7: Bagan Lodge
The Lodge's room and suites are familiar, upscale sanctuaries, each with a private veranda. A fusion
of classic Burmese design and contemporary décor, and high-quality amenities. Eight private
treatment rooms are available to provide guests with an extensive range of massage and beauty
treatments – the perfect way to unwind after a day of discovery.
Night 8: Kalaw Heritage Hotel
Accommodation here is based in a gorgeous set of mock-Tudor style mansions. Complete with
international décor, savvy staff, and remarkable cuisine, the Kalaw Heritage Hotel will provide the
perfect retreat after a long day of adventure. You’ll be housed in one of 45 colonial-style rooms and
treated with a serene view of rural Myanmar fit for a king.
Nights 9 & 10: Sanctum Inle Resort
A destination as removed from the wider world as Inle Lake demands a resort where detachment is
a priority. At the Sanctum Inle Resort, arches and cloisters reference the monastic life, opening the
doors on a more contemplative experience of travel. With a design that celebrates the fundamentals,
that merges the spiritual and the secular, the past and the present, East and West, the hotel is a
gateway to one of the Asia’s most fascinating locales. Embrace the quietude cultivated by one of
Myanmar’s most ambitious new hotels.
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Arrival and Departures
An Austin Adventures representative will meet you upon arrival at the Yangon airport. Upon clearing
customs, transportation to the Belmond Governor’s Residence will be provided. On Day 12 you will be
transferred from the Belmond Governor’s Residence to the Yangon airport according to your morning
or afternoon flight schedule.
Trip Price
Call for pricing.
Trip Length
12 days/11 nights
2020 Dates
Departs weekly, call for availability.
Host City
Yangon, Myanmar (RGN)
Reservations & Availability
800.575.1540
Take a back-door tour of Yangon’s golden
Shwedagon Pagoda, Myanmar’s most revered
shrine, whose stupa alone boasts over 7,000
diamonds, rubies, and sapphires
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Trip Reservations
Reservations, Deposits and Balances Due
To make a reservation, contact Austin Adventures with your choice of trip and dates. A $750 per
person deposit is required to confirm your reservation. Some Custom and International programs
may require additional deposits. Full payment is required at the time of booking if your trip departs
within 90 days. Choose one of the following contact methods:
Toll free: 800-575-1540
Phone: 406-655-4591
Online: austinadventures.com
Email: reservations@austinadventures.com
Mail: Austin Adventures, P.O. Box 81025, Billings, MT 59108
* You may also book your Austin Adventure with your preferred travel professional.
** We accept most major credit cards and personal checks (U.S. funds made payable to Austin
Adventures). Please do not send cash.
Included in the Trip Price
• Double occupancy rooms with private baths.
• All meals as listed in daily detailed itinerary (B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner).
• Fully trained, English-speaking professional guides and knowledgeable local partners.
• Bikes, helmets and other necessary equipment – all safe and well maintained.
• Vehicle support and land transportation during the trip.
• All internal flights within Myanmar.
• Austin Adventures T-shirt, luggage tags and luggage service.
• Pre-departure and packing information.
• All entrance fees.
Not Included in the Trip Price
• Gratuities.
• Alcoholic beverages and related gratuities.
• Meals as not designated in itinerary.
• Visa fees and/or visa authorization.
• Hot air balloon trip over Bagan (optional).
• Pre-and post-trip accommodations and associated expenses.
• Air and land transportation to/from host cities.
• All types of personal insurance.
• Personal expenses.
Pre-departure Information
After receiving your reservation and deposit, we’ll send you a pre-trip planner with general information about
the area you’ll be visiting, a packing list, exercise guidelines, a guest information questionnaire and a liability
release agreement for you to sign and return within 10 days.
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Private Custom Trips
Maybe your vacation schedule doesn’t fit our list of trips and dates. Or perhaps you’d prefer a slightly
different itinerary or level of luxury and activity. A Custom Adventure is the perfect answer. You pick
the date and destination and brief us on the size of your group, what activities you want, your “must
haves” and just how you like to relax and unwind. No detail is too small, no idea too outrageous. Our
staff of experts will help create a tailor-made vacation that’s just right for you and your group. In
short, if you can dream it, we can make it happen.
Room Occupancy, Single Supplements, and Shared Room Assignments
All trip prices are based on double occupancy. Single rooms are available for an additional charge,
referred to as a “single supplement.” If you’re traveling alone and wish to share a room, make the
request at the time of booking. Austin Adventures will attempt to find a suitable roommate for you.
Minimum Age
The minimum age on our non-family designated adult and teen adventures is sixteen years old.
Cancellations and Refunds
The following cancellation policies and cancellation fees are in effect:
***As with deposits on some international and custom programs, refund schedule may vary, speak
with your Adventure Consultant for details.
Cancellation 91 days or more before trip departure – Full trip payment refunded less a $300 per
person administration fee
Cancellation 61-90 days before trip departure – Full trip payment less 25% per person is
refunded
Cancellation 31-60 days before trip departure – 50% of the trip payment is refunded
Cancellation 0-30 days before trip departure – No refund is given
Our Guarantee
Exceeding your expectations is our number one priority. In the unlikely event that you are
dissatisfied with something during your trip, immediately notify your guide(s). If he or she is unable to
resolve the issue, call our main office and give us the details of the problem, and a chance to correct
it. We will do our best to find a resolution. If we are unable to do so during your trip, we will work with
you upon your return home to arrive at a fair and equitable solution, including up to a full refund.
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