Burma in Style
‘Premium Tour?’, ‘Comfort Class?’, ‘5 star Journey?’. We call it “Style”. Burma is an enigma. Beautiful smiling faces, stunning landscapes and cultural mysteries found nowhere else in the world. Yet the pariah status remains. Come and see why the people of Burma so desperately need our attention
We make no apologies for it. Some of us like to feel pampered and enjoy the little luxuries of ‘life on the road’. We provide some amazing hotels and locations for our accommodations on this particular trip. Riverside bungalows, a Sedona on the moat surrounding the Mandalay Palace, a hotel in Yangon with views of the Swedagon Pagoda. What do they all have in common? Style!
"Thank you for a wonderful experience in Burma. The trip was everything I needed. Wonderful fellow travellers, great food, exceptional accommodation, exciting scenery, fantastic guides. I left with great photos and memories of our amazing journey"
Janet Ewing, New Zealand
***THIS TOUR CAN BE EASILY COMBINED WITH OUR INDEPENDENT BEACH ESCAPE - NGAPALI BEACH EXTENSION*** |
Day 1 - Yangon Arrival day (no activities planned) Day 2 - Yangon We visit the astonishing Shwedagon pagoda this morning. Asia’s largest Stupa is an experience for all travellers. We also have time in the city in the Sule Pagoda downtown area and the huge Bogyoke market Day 3 - Yangon to Inle We fly to Heho and enjoy a lovely short drive on to the beautiful town of Nyaungshwe gateway to Inle Lake. On arrival we head onto the vast expanse of the lake for our pre festival accommodation on the water Day 4 - Inle (Lake Festival) ***Phaung Daw Oo lake festival day***. We are fortunate to be here on the prime day of the 'Festival of Lights’ as we follow the procession of highly decorated boats, each with its own musicians and colourfully dressed villagers from one remote village to the next. We can follow the festivities as the Buddha images arrive into town for display. We then return to the lovely town of Nyaungshwe Day 5 - Nyaungshwe (Inle Lake) Our destination is the rotating rural lake market where trading has existed for 100's of years. Tribal people arrive from regional areas to trade and barter. We enjoy lunch near the festival Pagoda and see the thriving silk industry on the lake. We stop to view canoe making and other cottage industries, pass floating gardens and hopefully see the famous leg rowing fishermen. This evening we may be able to enjoy a Shan banquet in Nyaungshwe Day 6 - Nyaungshwe to Kalaw We catch the rickety old Taunggyi Express which takes us to the peaceful town of Kalaw - a touch of rural Burma. Tonight we savour dinner at the ‘Seven Sisters’ restaurant Day 7 - Kalaw Relax in this lovely village in the hills visiting the caves and the quirky ‘bamboo Buddha’ or take a trek to tribal Palaung villages Day 8 - Kalaw to Maymyo We enjoy an amazing travel day descending through rugged mountain scenery then a short drive back up to the ‘Hill Station’ town of Maymyo. Back roads are a great way to get in touch with the ‘real’ Burma. Here we will see few other travellers, only rural dwellers who will be just as interested in finding out about our lives as we are of theirs. Endless cups of tea will be shared as we drop in on the small villages and view the various farming enterprises on the rich soil of the plateau. On arrival we enjoy dinner at our lovely hotel Day 9 - Maymyo This morning we enjoy the beautiful and well-kept botanical gardens. After lunch we catch the stagecoaches for a short tour of the town. The rest of the afternoon is free to enjoy a wander through this sleepy town and local market. You may be interested in a round of golf at the old "Maymyo Club" Day 10 - Maymyo to Mandalay We return to Mandalay, the cultural capital of Burma and enjoy a city tour, including the world's longest teak span U Bein's bridge, the magnificent Shwe Ein Bin teak monastery and the revered Mahamuni Buddha image. We finish with an optional climb up the many steps (or a drive) to the top of Mandalay Hill for great sunset views. This evening join your leader in an (included) authentic local Mandalay BBQ meal or you can have dinner at your hotel (optional) Day 11 - Mandalay A free day in Mandalay where you can explore this fascinating city. Dinner in a nearby Burmese restaurant can be followed by an optional performance of the fascinating Mandalay Marionettes Day 12 - Mandalay onto overnight boat Morning visit to the ancient capital of Mingun. Then we board our gorgeous overnight river boat for the journey south to Bagan. Time to settle back and perhaps take a few Gin and Tonics as the river life rolls by. Evening on deck after a sumptuous meal is a trip highlight before settling into our private cabins Day 13 - arrive Bagan Enjoy breakfast on board as we plan to arrive in Bagan mid-morning. After checking into our hotel we continue in horse carts, a peaceful way to explore the 40 sq km of countryside dotted with pagoda and ancient structures. Our guide will help to unlock the secrets of this ancient and mysterious region. In the afternoon visit the gallery of a master in the art of lacquer ware, see the process and perhaps buy high quality lacquer ware. Tonight enjoy dinner at a riverside garden restaurant under the evening stars Day 14 - Bagan Horsecarts are the best way to explore one of the most astonishing archaeological sites in the world Day 15 - Bagan to Yangon A short flight to Yangon. You can still top up on your shopping in Bogyoke market if need be. A farewell banquet will give us the opportunity to reminisce about the two weeks in this wonderful country Day 16 - depart Yangon Departure day |  |
Trip Options
| Single Travellers: | USD$590 | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Extra Accommodation: | Single USD$120 | Details |
| Double USD$120 | ||
| Arrival Airport Transfer: | USD$25 | Details |
***THIS TOUR CAN BE EASILY COMBINED WITH OUR INDEPENDENT BEACH ESCAPE - NGAPALI BEACH EXTENSION***
Local Payment
Your Local Payment is collected by your group leader in cash at your group meeting on Day 1 of the trip and is part of your tour price. The money is spent locally on your tour.
Inclusions and Exclusions
Extra Accommodation
Pre and post trip accommodation is offered on most journeys pending availability. Please indicate in your enquiry if you require any rooms before or after your tour and the amount of nights requested.
For tours where the start and finish points are different w can assist you with your arrangements in both locations.
Single Traveller
Global Drift encourages interactive experiences for all of our travellers. As such we presume that you will be happy to share accommodation with a same sex person should you be travelling alone.
However, for those that would prefer a single room for the tour we do offer a single supplement. This also applies to single travellers who we are not able to match up.
It must be stated however that on many of our tours we stay in small family owned guesthouse accommodation. In certain instances with full groups the passenger combinations may not always allow you to enjoy a single room. Please keep this in mind when booking your single supplement. We will however, always do our best to accommodate you.
Please make your request for this service a minimum of 3 months prior to your journey.
The quoted extra payment is for the entire trip.
Single Travellers
Global Drift encourages interactive experiences for all of our travellers. As such we presume that you will be happy to share accommodation with a same sex person should you be travelling alone.
Due to the exploratory nature of this journey no single supplement is offered.
Airport Arrival Transfer
Global Drift offers an optional arrival transfer to your hotel at the quoted fee.
In your trip dossier you will receive directions on how to make your way to your starting point hotel. It is quite easy and possibly cheaper than we are able to offer it.
Should you require this service please advise us at the time of your booking.