Treasure of Golden Myanmar | Yangon to Mandalay: 9-Nights

$4999 $4749 per person

*Prices are CAD per person, based on 2 people sharing in a Maugham Stateroom for shoulder season dates – All Dates on Irrawaddy Exporer (RV Paukan 2014)

*Upgrades for Other Cabin Categories for 2021 Dates:

– Orwell Stateroom: +$550 CAD pp

– Kipling Stateroom: +$1375 CAD pp

– Mandalay Suite: +$2460 CAD pp

*Price subject to change

Upstream: Yangon – Prome (Pyay) – Thayet – Magwe – Salay – Bagan – Hnaw Kone – Yandabo – Ava – Sagaing – Amarapura – Mingun – Mandalay

What’s Included:

All meals &, Coffee/Tea/Water – Sightseeing as described in the Itinerary – Complimentary local beer throughout the cruise – a glass of Wine at lunch and dinner – Ayravata Cruises English Speaking Guide (additional non-English speaking guide is provided if more than 8 cabins are booked by parties speaking the same language) – All Entrance Fees – Transfer by coach to/from Prome, Salay – Welcome & Farewell Reception, Cultural performances and other activities on board.

What’s Not Included:

Drinks, laundry, all items of a personal nature; health-accident-baggage or travel protection plan outside the ship’s boundaries, port charges of $100 CAD pp, fuel surcharges if applicable. (*)

(*) Within the above rates the fuel cost is calculated on the Myanmar Market average price of the months of April 2017 (i.e. USD 0.7 per litre). Should the fuel price rise by more than 10%, AYRAVATA CRUISES will be entitled to impose a fuel surcharge equivalent to the amount by which the fuel price exceeds the price allowed for in the above rates, provided that the notice of this rise is given to the Passenger and/or his-her Agent within 30 days prior the cruise departure date.

RIVER CONDITIONS WARNING

The Irrawaddy and Chindwin rivers are subject to seasonal rises and falls of water level.

In the case of water levels being too high or low an alternative itinerary will be offered to Passenger.
Published itineraries are indication only and subject to sudden change. In such events alternative itineraries will be provided and we do our best to ensure that if a stop is missed we make up for it with another stop.

Though every effort will be made to ensure that the published itinerary is followed as closely aspossible, given uncertain river and other local conditions, all schedules and itineraries may besubject to alterations and delays at short notice.

The ship’s manager and captain are jointly responsible for passengers’ comfort and safety.
Passengers must accept their decisions and instructions.

MEMBER BENEFIT:

As a Trip Merchant member, you will receive a 5% savings plus any additional offers available. Inquire at time of booking.

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Call for assistance: 1-800-481-9739 ext. 3

Mention Promo Code for Savings: TMPaukan

Departure Dates

2021 Dates

January 1
September 16, 25
October 4, 13, 22, 31
November 9, 18
December 15, 24

10 Days/9 Nights

All Meals

Asia and Middle East

Luxury Travel

Paukan Cruises

River Cruises

Destination

Asia & Middle East
Arrival City

Yangon, Myanmar
Departure City

Mandalay, Myanmar
Activity Level

Leisurely
Passenger Limit

28 Cabins

Yangon - Prome (Pyay)

Ship transfer meeting point: Sule Shangri-La. Guests will enjoy a scenic drive from Yangon to Prome. (7:00AM-2:00PM)

AFTERNOON EXCURSION: Pyay and Sri Ksetra - Once controlled by the Mon tribe during the Bagan Era, and then conquered by the Burmese King Alaungpaya in 1754, Prome (known as Pyay to the locals) boomed along with the Irrawaddy Flotilla Company in the 1890s and is now an important trading post for goods traveling between northern and southern Myanmar. This afternoon we drive to Thayekhittaya (also known as Sri Ksetra, the “Fabulous City” in the Pali language), an ancient Pyu city that ruled in this area between the 5^th and the 9^th centuries. We visit the well-documented Sri Ksetra Museum, full of excellent maps and artifacts including Hindu deities, Buddha images from as far back as the 6^th century, Pyu beads, and silver coins.

ENTERTAINMENT: Welcome Reception and Safety Briefing (6:30PM-7:30PM)

Meals Provided: Lunch, Dinner

Thayet

MORNING EXCURSION: Thayet Myo - This morning we put you on Tuk-Tuk to visit the charming town of Thayet Myo, stopping at the oldest golf course of Myanmar with a fascinating history (guests may hit from the first tee). We then visit the local market, passing colonial homes constructed during the British colonization of Burma before returning to the ship for an afternoon of scenic cruising.

AFTERNOON: Enjoy sailing the whole afternoon.

ENTERTAINMENT: BBC Documentary “The Life of the Buddha” (3:30 PM – 4:30 PM)

Meals Provided: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Magwe

MORNING EXCURSION: Magwe by Trishaw - This morning we venture out into the district capitol city of Magwe aboard Trishaws (three wheeled bicycle where one person sits alongside the driver). A short walk takes us to the local market. After some time to explore and shop at the market we board our trishaws for a ride through the city to visit Mya Tha Lun pagoda. Mya Tha Lun is a beautifully gilded stupa set atop Naguttama Hill which offers a wonderful view of the river and surrounding area.

AFTERNOON: Enjoy sailing the whole afternoon.

ENTERTAINMENT: Longyi and Thanaka Demonstration (3:30 PM – 4:30 PM)

Meals Provided: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Salay & Bagan

MORNING EXCURSION: Salay Walking Tour - This morning we walk ashore at Salay, a small town founded in the 13th century with Bagan-era shrines, beautiful 19th century teak monasteries and preserved British colonial buildings. We explore the Salay House, a restored 1906 colonial trading company warehouse on the bank of the Irrawaddy. Our walk takes us along the town’s main Strand Street towards the local market before turning away from the river to visit the beautiful Yoke Soun Kyaung Taw Gyi wooden monastery. This ornately carved teak monastery was designed as a copy of the Crown Prince House of Mandalay, and is now a museum boasting remarkable wood carvings and artifacts. We pass some interesting Bagan-era monuments on our way to visit Mann Paya, a pagoda with a beautiful lacquerware Buddha, before returning to our ship with a stroll past some of Salay’s many beautiful colonial buildings.

AFTERNOON EXCURSION: Temples of Bagan - This afternoon our excursion takes us to one of the most incredible areas of Myanmar: Bagan. Once the center of the Pagan Empire, Bagan today is a tourist, artist, and archeological mecca. We will start the tour with the massive Htilominlo, built by King Htilominlo on the site where he was chosen from the five sons of King Nadaungmya to be the crown prince of Pagan. While the murals that once decorated much of the inside of this temple have only survived on the ceilings, Htilominlo boasts the finest plaster carvings which still remain undamaged on the arch pediments. A visit to Bagan would not be complete without exploring one of the most famous temples of Bagan, Ananda. Built in 1105 CE during King Kyanzittha’s reign, it is one of only four surviving temples from this period. We will explore the cruciform of the temple, with four standing Buddhas facing north, south, east, and west.

ENTERTAINMENT: Traditional Myanmar Puppet Show (9:00PM-10:00PM)

Meals Provided: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Bagan

MORNING EXCURSION: Bagan - This morning we take you to visit Dhammayangyi Temple the largest of all the temples in Bagan, the Dhammayan as it is popularly known was built during the reign of King Narathu. After that we will climb aboard traditional, ceremonial oxcarts for a short ride through the temples of Bagan.

AFTERNOON EXCUSRSION: The Art and Sunset Over Bagan - After lunch, we visit a local workshop where the traditional methods of creating lacquer ware (known as yun-de in Burmese) are still practiced. After a demonstration of the labor-intensive process required in making each piece, we have time to shop before continuing on our tour. A short coach ride takes us to Gubyaukgyi Temple (Great Painted Cave Temple), where the richly-colored paintings are thought to date to the original construction period in the early 12^th century and we will also see a sand painting demonstration by a local artist. Next to this temple is the gilded Myazedi Stupa, which offers both a linguistic and a historical significance: an inscription consecrating Gubyaukgyi in four languages (Pyu, Mon, Old Burmese, and Pali), which established Pyu as an important cultural influence in the early Pagan period. For our final stop of the day we proceed to the Bagan Viewing Hill where we will view the sunset over the pagodas and stupas of Bagan before returning to the ship.

Meals Provided: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Bagan - Hnaw Kone

MORNING EXCURSION: Markets and Temples of Bagan - This morning, we transfer by motor coach to Bagan’s largest open market, where fresh produce, meats, spices, woodcarvings, longyis, thanaka, and rattan products are sold every day. We have the opportunity to watch the negotiations and transactions taking place, and if we are lucky, see one of the local women carrying their purchases on their heads. After our walk through the market, we proceed to the gilded Shwezigon Pagoda. This important religious site dates to the reign of King Anawrahta, founder of the Bagan Empire. The construction of this complex spanned both King Anawrahta’s lifetime, as well as his son and successor King Kyanzittha’s lifetime. The golden stupa at its center is said to contain a bone and tooth relic of the Buddha, a gold image of Anawrahta and a Chinese emerald Buddha. After exploring this large temple complex we will say goodbye to the temples of Bagan as our coach returns us to the ship and we set sail.

AFTERNOON EXCURSION: Hnaw Gone Walking Tour - This afternoon we sail to the village of Hnaw Gone, and enjoy our second leisurely walk of the day. Hnaw Gone is a typical, rural, river village, with friendly residents and adorable children. During our exploration of the village we will stop to see the local handicraft of bamboo cane basket weaving. We will watch the villagers as they expertly split bamboo and skillfully weave the strands into baskets or larger panels for building homes.

ENTERTAINMENT: Tea Leaf and Ginger Salad Demonstration (2:00PM-3:00PM)

Meals Provided: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Yandabo

MORNING EXCURSION: Yandabo Walking Tour - On 24 February 1826, the peace treaty of the first Anglo-Burmese War was signed at Yandabo. Today, it is a picturesque village famous for its pottery. As we take a leisurely walk through the village, we have the opportunity to stop at the various family homes and workshops, each with its own unique style and markings, to witness the making and firing of the Yandabo pottery, famous throughout Myanmar.

ENTERTAINMENT: Lecture “Myanmar: Past and Today” (3:30PM-4:30PM) / Burmese Karaoke Party (5:30PM – 7:00PM)

Meals Provided: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Ava - Sagaing - Amarapura

MORNING EXCURSION: AVA - This morning we will explore the town of Ava by horsecart, visiting the beautiful 200 year old teak Bagaya Kyaung Monastery, Nanmyin watchtower (27mt. high) and the Yadana Hsemee pagoda complex.

AFTERNOON EXCURSION: Sagaing and Amarapura - After Lunch, we visit Sagaing by coach, an important religious site with countless pagodas dotting the surrounding hillsides. Here, stop to see Soon U Ponya Shin Pagoda at the top of Sagaing Hill for stunning views of the Irrawaddy and across to Mandalay. Next continue onto a Nunnery to witness life in a local nunnery. Next we continue by coach to the penultimate Burmese royal capital of Amarapura to visit a silk workshop before driving to U-Bein Bridge, believed to be the world’s longest and oldest teakwood bridge. Local sampans wait to take us on a leisurely cruise of the lake while admiring the sunset over the bridge.

ENTERTAINMENT: Myanmar Traditional Dance Performance (9:00PM-10:00PM)

Meals Provided: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Mingun - Mandalay

MORNING EXCURSION: Mingun Walking Tour - After breakfast we will enjoy a leisurely walking tour of the small town of Mingun. Our first stop is King Bodawpaya’s monumental, uncompleted stupa. During construction, an astrologer to the king argued that the king would die upon completion of the temple, and work was immediately halted. Had it been completed, it would have been the largest in the world. The cracks we see are the result of the 23 March 1839 earthquake that shook the area. We continue our walk to the Mingun Bell, which was the heaviest working bell in the world until 2000 when the Bell of Good Luck was unveiled in Henan, China. After having the opportunity to stand inside the bell as it is rung, we have time to shop in the local market, famous for its makeshift galleries that display inexpensive art from both local and internationally known artists.

AFTERNOON EXCURSION: Mandalay - Enjoy an afternoon tour Mandalay. We visit the Kuthodaw Pagoda, which contains the world's biggest book, as well as the Shwe Nan Daw Kyaung Monastery, the only original monastery left from the royal era. Then we proceed a workshop that produces the gold leaf commonly used to adorn Buddha images at temples throughout Myanmar, and the Mahamuni Pagoda, to see how the gold leaf is used.

ENTERTAINMENT: Farewell Reception and Crew Farewell (6:30PM-7:30PM)

Meals Provided: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Mandalay (Disembarkation)

After your breakfast, disembark at Gawein Jetty, Mandalay. (8:00 AM)

TRANSFER: Transfer to the Mandalay Int'l Airport or hotel in Mandalay can be arranged at supplement upon request. Pls take note that it takes approximately 1 hr drive for transfer from ship (Gawein Jetty) to Mandalay Int'l Airport and 30 minutes to hotel in Mandalay.

Meals Provided: Breakfast

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Treasure of Golden Myanmar | Yangon to Mandalay: 9-Nights