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3 Night Cruise: Mandalay to Bagan
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| Descriptive Itinerary |
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| Wednesday |
Morning flight to Mandalay. On arrival you transfer to the Road To Mandalay berthed on the Ayeyarwady River at Shwe Kyet Yet opposite the beautiful Sagaing Hills studded with numerous white pagodas. You will be greeted by the ship's Captain, the Hotel Manager and Road To Mandalay staff. Settle into your comfortable private cabin, complete with ensuite facilities. After lunch, enjoy a guided tour of the key sights of Mandalay. Four hundred miles north of Yangon, Mandalay is the capital of Upper Burma and is little more than a century old. To the Burmese people Mandalay represents Burma's past and present and is regarded as the center of Burmese culture and Buddhist learning. Visit the Maha Muni Pagoda, one of the most important religious structures in Mandalay and the object of intense devotion to pilgrims from all over the world. The Shwe Nandaw Monastery was once part of the royal palace and is the only building that has survived the ravages of the last century. Return to Road To Mandalay via the U Bein Bridge, a 1.2km long teak bridge. Enjoy a relaxed dinner and local entertainment before retiring for the night.
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| Thursday |
After an early breakfast there is an opportunity to visit the Sagaing Hills, crossing one of the very few bridges that spans the mighty Ayeyarwady River. Sagaing is considered to be the living center of the Buddhist faith in Burma and the hundreds of monasteries reverberate with the echoes of cymbals, gongs and pagoda bells. Sagaing is also famous for its silver and silversmiths who still work in much the same way as their ancestors did. Returning to the Road To Mandalay mid morning, the ship gets underway and begins its journey south towards Bagan. The rest of the day is spent relaxing on board, admiring the many beautiful views from the top deck, observing the local river life or taking part in one of the tanaka and longyi demonstrations. An on-board guide lectures on local places and customs. |
| Friday |
The ship arrives at Bagan mid-morning and you disembark for your first glimpse of this awe-inspiring plain. Bagan is the most amazing sight in Burma and arguably in the whole of SE Asia. During the 11th to 13th centuries the kings of Burma devoted their resources to building pagodas and temples. Today, over 2,000 temples and pagodas remain on the banks of the river. Many temples have suffered earthquake damage and survive in various states of preservation. A guided orientation tour introduces you to the highest, biggest, most important temples, such as the Htilominlo Temple and the Schwezigon Pagoda. After lunch on board you have the opportunity to rejoin the guide and visit the inside of some of the more significant pagodas - Ananda Pagoda, considered to be the masterpiece of Mon architecture and the Gubyaukgyi Temple home of some of Bagan's finest frescoes of the "Jataka" tales. Alternatively, you can hire a bicycle or horse-drawn cart for a few dollars and explore this fascinating area on your own. Late afternoon you climb the steep exterior slopes of one of the pagodas for the breathtaking vista of the sun setting over the plain, turning the brick-built temples and pagodas a fiery red. Dinner and local entertainment await you on board. |
| Saturday |
After an early breakfast you are transferred to Bagan airport for your onward flight to Yangon. |
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