Myanmar (Burma) suggested Tailor made holidays

THE MYANMAR EXPERIENCE

A comprehensive itinerary that takes you through parts of Myanmar that vary greatly from each other. Spend a little time in Yangon, located on the banks of the Rangoon River, where old colonial buildings line streets interspersed by golden temples including the impressive Shwedagon Pagoda with its 91-metre-high dome covered in shimmering gold leaf. Leave the big city behind to travel to Inle Lake, where the fishermen use an unusual leg-rowing technique to steer their boats, and Kalaw, a colonial hill station surrounded by ethnic minority villages whose residents frequent the colourful local market.

Three nights are spent exploring the old capital of Mandalay where you can join the longyi-clad locals to browse in the night markets. From Mandalay you can visit another former capital, Amarapura before cruising along the Ayerwaddy River on a local boat to Bagan where you will be amazed at the thousands of spectacular pagodas and stupas scattered across a 40-square-kilometre plain - a relic to the Golden Age of Burma. Before returning to Yangon overnight on Mount Popa, a temple mountain on the edge of the central plains. You will be rewarded with astonishing views over the plains when you climb to the monasteries and temples on the mountain’s summit.

Cost per person from £855.00 (based on two people travelling in a twin/double room)

MYANMAR; OFF THE BEATEN TRACK

This itinerary takes you to areas of Myanmar less frequented than the major sights of Bagan and Mandalay. Start in Yangon, which became the capital in the middle of the 19th century. The combination of its colonial heritage under the British and its spiritualism make it one of the most fascinating cities of South East Asia.

From Yangon fly to Sittwe on the Bay of Bengal in Rakhine State and then transfer to the jetty for a boat trip on the Kaladan River to Mruak-U, around 5 hours upstream. Here you will find a legendary lost city, which in the 15th century was one of the richest cities in Asia, but today is just a sleepy town. Visit the small village of Kyauk Daw, where the ancient Palace of the Arakahnaise kings is located. Take the boat back downstream to Sittwe for an overnight before returning to Yangon. Drive south to the delightful tropical town of Mawlamyine, once a thriving teak port and one of the most relaxed cities in Myanmar, where seafood and pagodas are plentiful. Moulmein is also the site of an Allied prisoners of war cemetery. En route back to Yangon stop at Kyaiktiyo where a huge boulder covered in gold leaf is perched on the cliff edge. This boulder is a great site of pilgrimage for the Burmese people.

For the final leg of your journey fly from Yangon to Thandwe for a 3-night stay at Ngapali Beach. This three-kilometre stretch of unspoiled sandy beach was thought to have been named after Naples by homesick Italian soldiers who fought here during the first Anglo-Burmese War. The hotels are tucked away amongst coconut palms on a wide beach and here you can pass the time by watching the fishermen at work. Return to Yangon for one final night before leaving this enchanting country.

Cost per person from £1,083.00 (based on two people travelling in a twin/double room)

A Silk Steps inclusive holiday price includes:
• Private return transfers between airports and hotels (unless otherwise specified)
• The services of English speaking guides and representatives at each stage of the tour. Between most places you will travel unescorted
• Accommodation in a standard room (shared twin) with private facilities (unless otherwise specified) with breakfast
• Government taxes and compulsory service charges
• All tours and sightseeing as specified, inclusive of entrance fees
• Economy class air travel within all countries on the scheduled services of the national or domestic carrier as specified in each tour
• The services of our local representative
Extras:
• International flights - please contact us for up-to-date prices
• Travel insurance
• Meals - unless otherwise stated
• Optional sightseeing other than specified
• International airport departure tax payable overseas
• Visa fees
• Single supplement (on request)

The best time to visit Burma is in the cool, dry season from November to February. The weather is normally very comfortable, however in the Inle Lake area and Pagan the temperature can drop quite low in the evenings.   

For up to date weather details try BBC weather   www.bbc.co.uk/weather/