Majestic Myanmar

Day 1-2

Mandalay

Kick start your trip in Mandalay. The city won’t win any beauty contests, but it’s full of interesting people and historic sites. Your guide will introduce you to gold-leaf makers, weavers and wood carvers. You’ll also get your first taste of Theravada Buddhism at the Golden Palace Monastery, built by the last monarch of Myanmar, and Kuthodaw Pagoda, home to ‘the world’s largest book’. On your second day explore three rural towns, each one a former capital of Myanmar. Sagaing has beautiful temples overlooking the Irrawaddy. In Ava, take a horse drawn carriage to the watch tower and monasteries. Finish the day at sunset in Amarapura on a boat ride alongside U Bein Bridge.

Highlights

Dip into Myanmar’s religious heritage at Mandalay’s most iconic temples

See the sun set from Mandalay Hill and by the world’s longest teakwood bridge

Slow the pace on a rural day trip to the ancient capitals of Sagaing, Ava and Amarapura

Day 3-5

Bagan

The best way to reach Bagan is from the Irrawaddy River, just as explorers have done since the 6th century. Now it’s your turn: Set sail on a teakwood cruiser from Mandalay, drifting past longtail boats and thatched-roof villages. You’ll know you’re in Bagan when you see Buddhist monuments, 3,000 of them, dotted across the sun-baked earth. Some are working temples, some are monasteries, pagodas and stupas. Wind your way between them by horse and cart as your guide points out the best-preserved frescoes and tells stories about the kings who dreamed up this spiritual landscape. If you fancy seeing all of this from the sky, we can arrange a hot air balloon ride.

Highlights

Cruise down the Irrawaddy River past scenes of oxcarts, fishing villages and stilt houses

Explore the temples of Bagan, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Get a bird’s eye view of Bagan from a hot air balloon (optional extra)

Hot air balloons over Bagan - Charlie Costello (c)

Day 6

Pindaya

The drive to Pindaya is one of our favourites. Red soil, green crops and brightly coloured flowers make a patchwork of farmland, with the odd water buffalo to complete the scene. For the best views head to Shwe Oo Min, a spectacular cave temple packed with Buddha statues halfway up a limestone mountain. This fertile region is also the ideal place to get to grips with Burmese cuisine in a farm-to-table cooking class. In an upmarket restaurant in Thit Ael Pin village, professional chefs will guide you through the preparation of tea leaf salad, fried chicken, a curry and coconut noodles, which you can wash down with a glass or two of wine.

Highlights

Journey through beautiful farmland scenery in Shan State

Get hands-on with Burmese cuisine in a restaurant cooking class

Stay in an old farmhouse that’s now a family-run boutique hotel

Day 7-9

Inle Lake

Next up is Inle Lake, a beautiful place of big wide skies in the hills of Shan State. It’s home to the Intha people who live, work and worship in villages built on stilts above the water. Take to a longtail boat with a guide who knows the lake and its people inside out. You’ll see the Inthas’ infamous one-legged rowing style, as well as their floating gardens, textile workshops and golden pagodas. To visit the Pa’O, another ethnic minority group, you’ll need to pull on your hiking boots for a day trek through grape and avocado plantations. After a sweaty climb, you’ll be rewarded with spectacular views of Inle Lake below and a traditional Pa’O lunch in Lwekhaw village.

Highlights

Explore Inle Lake’s stilt villages, pagodas and floating gardens by longtail boat

Hike to an ethnic minority village in the hills above the lake

Accompanied by local insider guides, meet members of the Intha and Pa’O minority groups

Day 10-12

Ngapali

Welcome to Ngapali, where 15 miles of pristine beach laps the Bay of Bengal. Picture palm trees, white sand, and nary a soul in sight apart from a handful of fishermen. There’s a cluster of upmarket accommodation here, all low-rise beach villas, and if you don’t want to leave your sun lounger for the next three days, we wouldn’t blame you. But it you do fancy something active, snorkelling is a must-do, as well as a spectacular hot air balloon ride over Ngapali’s jungle interior. As the days draw to a close, the restaurants serve some of the best seafood we’ve tasted anywhere. The gigantic king prawns, red snapper and octopus curry are our favourites.

Highlights

Do absolutely nothing on one of Asia’s most beautiful beaches

Tuck into ocean fresh seafood including giant king prawns

Explore the wildlife under the water on a snorkelling trip (optional extra)

Day 13-15

Yangon

Your final stop is Yangon. Under the British this was Rangoon, and echoes of those days linger in crumbling colonial-style buildings. On a guided architecture walk drop into The Strand for high tea and visit The Secretariat, once the centre of British administration. Contrast this with Yangon’s green parks, pagodas and teahouses, and you’ll get a sense of the exoticism that has lured travellers here for centuries. Of all Yangon’s sights, the Shwedagon Pagoda is the most iconic. At 100m tall, the golden central stupa glows as the sun goes down. This is the most magical time to visit when crowds gather to pray - a beautiful finale to your travels.