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4 Night Cruise: Bagan to Mandalay
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| Descriptive Itinerary |
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| Saturday |
Morning domestic flight from Yangon to Bagan. On arrival you transfer to the Road To Mandalay berthed on the Ayeyarwady River at Bagan. 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. 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. After lunch on board you have the opportunity to join the guide and visit the inside of some of Bagan's 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. 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. |
| Sunday |
A guided tour introduces you to the highest, biggest, most important temples, such as the Htilominlo Temple and the Schwezigon Pagoda. Alternatively, you can hire a bicycle or horse-drawn cart for a few dollars and explore this fascinating area on your own. Mid-morning the Road To Mandalay begins its cruise north towards Mandalay. After lunch on board, settle back in a comfortable chair on the top deck, drink in hand, and watch the fascinating river life glide by. There are also longyi and tanaka demonstrations on board and a lecture by the on board guide. The ship moors mid-river for the evening. Dinner and overnight on board. |
| Monday |
Arrive at the quaint little village of Shwe Kyet Yet after lunch and disembark for 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. |
| Tuesday |
After breakfast you set off by local ferry, privately hired for Road To Mandalay guests, to Mingun. There is plenty of river life to observe along the way - ferries, teak and bamboo rafts, paddle steamers and numerous small boats which always appear ready to sink at any moment. Once there, visits are made to the most important sights. The Hsinbyume Pagoda, one of Myanmar's prettiest pagodas, built in 1816, snow white, consisting of seven concentric terraces leading to the central stupa. Mingun Bell is the world's largest working bell. It weighs 87 tons, is 3.7 meters high and 5 meters wide at the base. The Mingun Pagoda was started in 1790 to house the tooth of the Buddha. Construction was halted at the turn of the 19th century due to the economic ruin. The upper sections of the pagoda collapsed during the 1838 earthquake, but the base of the pagoda still towers nearly 50 meters above the Ayeyarwady River. Return by ferry for a late lunch. In the afternoon there is an opportunity to visit the Sagaing Hills, crossing one of the very few bridges that spans the 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. Dinner and overnight on board. |
| Wednesday |
After an early breakfast, transfer to Mandalay airport for your onward flight. |
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