- 16 Days
- Cultural Touring
We begin exploring this enigmatic land in Rangoon, a relaxed and slightly worn Asian capital – although all the more charming for it. Stunning, gold-plated Shwedagon Pagoda rises over 300 feet above the green treetops, the spiritual focus of the gentle, Buddhist Burmese. Another astonishing scene of devotion is the gold-leafed boulder at Kyaiktiyo, graciously balanced among chanting worshippers and flickering candles upon the brink of a lofty cliff. We descend from its green heights to board a boat upon the gently lapping waters of Inle Lake, home to farming communities along its shoreline and islands. City life is again on our agenda when we fly to Mandalay to explore its jeweled temples, peaceful gardens and hectic markets. A two-day cruise down the Irrawaddy River transports us to Bagan, the "land of five thousand pagodas." Built over almost 250 years from 1050 to 1290, the multitude of stupas and temples covering this broad plain attests to a religious fervor that has long simmered within this mystical land.
Trip Highlights
- Kyaiktiyo, the golden rock pagoda
- Mount Popa, abode of Burma's most powerful nats (pre-Buddhist spirits)
- Two-day river cruise on Irrawaddy
- Pagodas and art treasures of Rangoon
- Scenic Inle Lake with its stilt villages and leg-rowing fisherman
- Colonial city of Mandalay
- The plain of Bagan with thousands of 800-year-old temples
What's Included
- Pagodas and art treasures of Rangoon
- Kyaiktio, the golden rock pagoda
- Scenic Inle Lake with its stilt villages and leg-rowing fishermen
- Mont Popa, abode of Burma's most powerful nats (pre-Buddhist spirits)
- Colonial city of Mandalay
- Two-day river cruise on the Irrawaddy River
- The plain of Bagan with 1000s of 800-year-old stupas and temples
