MANDALAY, MONKS & MONASTERIES:
BURMA (MYANMAR) & ANGKOR WAT ADVENTURE

Season: November-March
(depart virtually any day of the week)

T R I P  B A C K G R O U N D

Long isolated from the outside world, Myanmar has preserved its rich cultural and religious traditions to a greater extent than many of its neighbors. Most visitors are enchanted by Myanmar’s exotic temples, pagodas and monasteries, but they are likewise enthralled by the Burmese people, who are quick to smile and largely uninfluenced by western ways. You’ll observe hundreds of Buddhist monks, clad in orange robes, lining up and walking quietly, with rice bowls in hand, to collect one of their two daily meals from local Samaritans. You’ll encounter men wearing sarong-style longyis, and women adorning their faces with thanaka paste to repel the sun and attract young men. You’ll see women performing centuries-old candle and umbrella dances, and expert puppeteers recounting Buddhist legends during colorful marionette shows. And you’ll see farmers and fisherman delivering their wares on bullock carts to remote village markets.

On your 13-day soft adventure and cultural tour, you’ll stop briefly in Bangkok before heading to Yangon, home to the incomparable Shwedagon pagoda. Other highlights of your trip include hot air ballooning over the ancient kingdom of Bagan at sunset; cruising by the villages on stilts and floating markets of Inle Lake; taking an easy bicycle tour of Bagan’s prominent temples and pagodas; pasting gold leafs on the Maha muni Buddha image in Mandalay; and taking a scenic horsecart ride among the picturesque villages, farms, monasteries and pagodas of Inwa.

Then proceed to Angkor Wat in Cambodia to explore some of the world’s most impressive temple ruins; teach English to Cambodian students (optional); visit a floating village on Tonle Sapp Lake; and take an easy elephant trek through the jungle!

I T I N E R A R Y

Note: We will gladly customize an itinerary to meet your preferences.

Fly to Bangkok, arriving on the evening of day 2. You will be met and privately transferred to your hotel. The Oriental

Bangkok was founded in 1782 as the royal capital by Rama I, the first king of the Chakri dynasty. Bangkok has since evolved into a modern metropolis of 6 million inhabitants that dominates Thailand culturally, economically and politically. Your private tour of Bangkok begins with a long-tail boat trip along the Chao Phraya River before stopping to visit the Grand Palace and the incomparably beautiful Temple of the Emerald Buddha. Afterwards, you’ll visit Jim Thomson’s House and Wat Pho, which houses the gigantic, gold leaf-covered Reclining Buddha. The Oriental (B, L)

Private airport transfer for your morning flight to Yangon, a charming city with wide, tree-lined boulevards, shimmering Buddhist stupas and British colonial architecture. Founded in 1755 by King Alaungpaya, Yangon became the capital after the British conquered Upper Myanmar in 1885. Formerly known as Rangoon, Yangon was renowned as the “Queen of the East.” Yangon is now considered to be the most delightful city in all of Southeast Asia, bustling without urgency, traffic jams, high rise buildings and department stores.

Upon your arrival, you’ll be met and taken to the Green Elephant restaurant for lunch. You’ll then be taken back to the airport for your afternoon flight to Heho. (For logistical reasons, it makes more sense to explore Yangon on day 10 rather than today.). Upon arrival, you’ll be privately transferred to Inle Lake. Inle Princess Resort (B, L, D)

Located in the Shan State and ringed with mountains, Inle is a beautiful lake with calm, crystalline water. The lake supports 17 villages on stilts, mostly inhabited by the Intha people. You’ll observe skillful fisherman in canoes using a leg-rowing technique that frees up their arms to handle their zaung, an ingenious, conical shaped bamboo-net trap used to catch fish. You’ll also observe villagers anchoring patches of weed, silt, roots and soil to be used as floating farms to cultivate tomatoes, squash, cucumbers and flowers.

Highlights of your private boat tour of Inle Lake will include visits to the Jumping Cat Monastery, a cheroot rolling factory, a silk weaving factory, the Wish Fulfilling and Phaung Daw Oo Pagodas and the picturesque Indein village. Inle Princess Resort (B, L, D)

This morning, you’ll head by boat to a lakeside village to observe a very lively and colorful market run by the Pao people, who constitute the second largest tribe in the Heho area. The Pao’s are particularly photogenic with their brightly colored headdresses and handsome features. After the market, you’ll be transferred by boat and car to Heho for your short flight to Mandalay. Upon arrival you’ll be privately transferred to your hotel.

Though some local temples pre-date the city by 300 years, Mandalay was founded as the last royal capital in 1857, only 28 years before the British assumed control of the region. Mandalay has since remained a cultural center and is considered the most Burman of Myanmar’s cities. This afternoon, you’ll enjoy a private tour of Mandalay, visiting the Shwenandaw Kyaung (Golden Palace Monastery), Mandalay Hill and Kuthodaw pagoda, called “the world’s largest book” for the 729 stone slabs on which are inscribed the whole of the Buddhist scriptures.

This evening, you’ll enjoy a Burmese puppet show with traditional dancing. Sedona Mandalay Hotel (B, L, D)

This morning, you’ll stop at a gold leaf making workshop before visiting the Maha Muni Pagoda (“ Great Sage pagoda”), which houses the most venerated Buddha image in Mandalay. This exquisite image is cast of bronze but is lavishly gilded with gold leafs placed on it by devout worshippers (and some tourists). You will then proceed to Amarapura to visit the prestigious Maha Ghan dha yon Seminary, where 1,200 monks clad in burgundy and orange robes study and live. At lunchtime, you’ll observe them lining up and walking quietly, rice bowls in hand, to collect one of their two daily meals from local Samaritans.

This afternoon, you’ll take a half-hour boat trip down the Ayeyawaddy River to the delightful town of Inwa (Ava), which was the capital of the Burmese kingdom from 1364-1841. You’ll then enjoy a horsecart ride around Inwa, passing by picturesque villages, farms, monasteries and pagodas sprinkled around the area within the old city walls.
Sedona Mandalay Hotel (B, L)

This morning, you’ll take a one hour boat trip up the Ayeyawaddy River to the ancient city of Mingun, perhaps the most charming and interesting village around Mandalay. Accessible only by river, Mingun boasts the world’s largest intact bell (87 tons), dedicated to the huge unfinished Mingun pagoda, intended to be the world’s largest. (King Bodawpaya executed the artist who created the bell so as to prevent its duplication.) Mingun also offers friendly inhabitants, traditional thatch homes set amidst lush vegetation and the beautiful Hsinbyume stupa.

This afternoon, you’ll be transferred to the airport for your short flight to Bagan. Bagan is one of the wonders of Asia, a veritable sea of temples and pagodas amid endless greenery and ubiquitous palm trees. By the end of the Bagan Dynasty’s golden era (11th to 13th centuries), Bagan had an estimated 4,446 temples and pagodas, reflecting a period of extraordinary religious fervor. Currently, there are 2,217 temples and pagodas covering an area of 16 square miles, the result of earthquakes, erosion, looting and ransacking.

Upon arrival, you will visit a temple and then view the sunset over Bagan from a hot air balloon! Aureum Palace Hotel / Jasmine Villa (B, L, D)

This morning, you’ll embark on an easy bicycling excursion (or horsecart ride) to visit some of the more prominent temples and pagodas of Bagan’s central ar chaeological zone. Many of these architectural wonders are visually stunning, mixing gold, red brick and white plaster in varying degrees. Many contain beautiful murals depicting stories from the life of Buddha. In the afternoon, your tour will continue by car, visiting Ananda Temple, Mingalazedi, Shezigon pagoda, Thatbyinnyu and others. Then cross the Ayeyawaddy River by boat to visit the village of Selan, where you will observe riverside commerce, attractive bamboo houses, many bullock carts, pagodas and friendly villagers.

This evening, you’ll dine at an outdoor riverside restaurant in New Bagan, entertained by Burmese dancers and a puppet show. Aureum Palace Hotel / Jasmine Villa (B, L, D)

Note: If you have an interest in Bagan-style architecture, nat worship and/or lovely scenery, you may elect to spend an extra day in the Bagan area so that you may visit Salay and Mount Popa.

Morning flight to Yangon and private transfer to your hotel. This afternoon, you’ll enjoy a private tour of Yangon, including visits to a glass blowing factory, Serene Sule Paya, Botataung Pagoda and the incomparable Shwedagon Pagoda, with its dazzling mix of pavilions, stupas, images and bells. Originally built between the 6th and 10th centuries, Shwedagon is the center of secular and religious life in Yangon. Many families from around the country make the pilgrimage to Shwedagon to paste gold leaf offerings on the pagoda and Buddha images. You will visit Shwedagon at sunset. Strand Hotel (B, L, D)

Morning flight to Bangkok, where you will connect with a flight to Siem Reap, Cambodia. You will be met and privately transferred to your hotel.

This afternoon, you will visit Banteay Srei, a truly stunning temple that is somewhat isolated from the other monuments of the Angkor Region. Built in red sandstone rather than usual grey, it is one of the very few temples not endowed by royalty. It was built by Yajnavaraha, a Bramhin priest and key figure at court in the 10th century. Banteay Srei is virtually complete in its decoration, with a wealth of religious symbolism.

This evening, enjoy a cultural show featuring traditional Cambodian dancing. Grand Hotel D’Angkor (B, D)

Your day begins with a visit to Angkor Thom, a heavily fortified city that was the capital of the Khmer Empire from 802 until 1431, when it was conquered by the Thais. With a population in excess of one million inhabitants, Angkor Thom covered an area of 10 square kilometers and was larger than any city in Europe at the time. You’ll visit the Terrace of the Elephants and Terrace of the Leper-King, named for King Yasovarman (899-910), who founded Angkor and later died of leprosy.

You’ll then embark on a short elephant back trek to the Bayon. Constructed during the reign of King Jayavarman VII (1181 - 1201), the Bayon is considered the single most outstanding monument of Khmer culture. It is also the most venerated of the city’s temples. Archeologists have long debated the identity of the 172 smiling faces adorning the temple’s 49 towers, with many believing the temple to be a shrine dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva, others to Brahamas, while modern Khmer specialists have generally concluded that this was a Mahayana Buddhist temple dedicated to the benevolent Bodhisattva, Avalokitesvara.

Another highlight is your visit to Ta Prohm, a beautiful temple that is literally intertwined with luxuriant tropical vegetation. The huge roots of giant trees coil themselves like enormous snakes around the temple, penetrating its stonework.

After lunch and a rest, you’ll explore Angkor Wat. This magnificent example of classical Khmer architecture reflects Indian and Indochinese influences and incorporates the accumulated experience of centuries into one of the world’s most beautiful monuments. At the height of his power, Suriyavarman II, one of the most important of the Khmer kings, ordered this gigantic project to be started from all four sides at once, completing the construction in less than 40 years. Grand Hotel D’Angkor (B, L, D)

This morning, you will embark on a boat trip to visit a floating village on the Tonle Sap Lake. The inhabitants of the floating village reside permanently in their floating houses, and you’ll cruise by floating schools, post offices, police stations, businesses, bars etc. The Great Lake was the lifeline of the Khmers, a source of fish and rice to an agrarian society. Afterwards, you’ll get a chance to see how silk is woven in one of the local workshops.

You’ll also have the option of visiting a Buddhist Monastery and observing or even teaching an English class to high school students normally taught by monks. No prior teaching experience is required. Grand Hotel D’Angkor (B, L, D)

Private airport transfer for your return flights to the U.S. (B)

Note: Depending on the latest flight schedule, you may need to spend a night in Bangkok (not included).

Trip Cost Includes:
o Accommodations for 12 nights in first class and deluxe hotels
o All elective soft adventures (hot air ballooning, bicycling, elephant back trek)
o Private touring and transfers
o 30 meals as indicated
o Entrance/park fees

GENERAL INFORMATION

Trip Grade: Easy. All included adventures are elective and low intensity. Activities include bicycling, elephant back riding, and walking. Adventures may be replaced at travelers request with cultural excursions. Because the trip ventures into remote areas, some discomfort may result from the elements, cultural differences, rough roads and schedule changes.

Land Cost Includes: All vehicle transportation and transfers as stated in the itinerary; accommodations in first class and deluxe hotels based on double occupancy (except in Hue); 30 meals as indicated in itinerary; entrance/park fees; service and handling charges; instruction and leadership.

Land Cost Does Not Include: Airfares (quoted separately); meals not indicated on itinerary; excess baggage charges; alcoholic beverages; laundry, passports or visas, personal insurance, other personal items; airport departure taxes; hotel nights en route or return from Thailand, Cambodia and Myanmar.

Accommodations: Accommodations are based on double occupancy in first class and deluxe hotels. Singles who sign up will be subject to a single supplement charge.

Climate: The best time to travel in Myanmar and Cambodia is between the months of November and March, when rainfall is minimal and temperatures are more moderate. High temperatures range between 88-93 degrees, while lows are between 66 and 73 degrees.

Reservations and Payments: A deposit of $500 with the completed reservation form will ensure you a place on this trip. Departures are guaranteed during the season with a minimum of two passengers. Final payment of the land cost is due 60 days prior to departure.

Cancellations and Refunds: If you need to cancel your trip, please notify us in writing or by fax immediately. The cancellation penalty is calculated from the day we receive cancellation notice. (For those persons who do travel, there are no refunds for any unused meals, accommodations or other trip activities.) In certain cases, the cancellation policies of NEI's subcontractors will supercede NEI's policy. The cancellation penalty is calculated based on the schedule below.

Number of days prior to departure. Cancellation fee per person:
    61+days         $500 plus applicable airfare penalties
    45–60 days    30% of land/cruise price plus applicable airfare penalties
    30–44 days    60% of land/cruise price plus applicable airfare penalties
    0–29 days     100% of land/cruise price plus applicable airfare penalties

Insurance: Trip cancellation, accident and baggage insurance are recommended and will be offered to all participants. Trip cancellation insurance is strongly advised; this will protect you in the case of cancellation due to personal or family illness. NEI offers a comprehensive travel insurance plan at a significant discount to its trip participants. Please contact us if you have any questions about travel insurance.

Responsibility: Nature Expeditions International is responsible for conducting this trip as outlined in the published itinerary. It reserves the right, however, to cancel the trip should it become affected by conditions beyond the company’s control. In such an event, NEI will return all monies paid to it by the affected participants as full and final settlement. NEI also reserves the right to substitute other lodging during the trip or to change the trip leader(s), itinerary, or travel arrangements if the staff believes it is in the best interest of all participants. In addition, NEI may decline to accept or retain any member or prospective member of an announced expedition. Full refund for the unused portion of the trip will be paid to the affected participant in such an event.

Airline Clause: All arrangements for airline transportation are made by the respective airlines, which companies shall not have or incur any responsibility or liability to any person taking an expedition except their liability as common carriers. Nor shall such carriers be or be held responsible for any act, omission, or event occurring after the passenger has disembarked from the conveyance. The usual passage contract in use by the carrier, when issued, shall constitute the sole contract between said carrier and the passenger. All rates are based on tariffs currently or those tariffs to be placed in effect and are subject to adjustment in the event of changes therein. The air transportation services of any IATA/ARC member may be used.

© Nature Expeditions International