Itinerary FLT 03

[Name] Myanmar exploration I

10 Days / 9 nights (For people who want to see all the classic sites and Kakku, a "hidden" place, combined with an economy boat trip on the Ayeyarwady river)

Day 1. Yangon - arrival
Day 2. Yangon - Bagan (by flight)
Day 3. Bagan
Day 4. Bagan - Mandalay (by public boat)
Day 5. Mandalay - Amarapura
Day 6. Mandalay - Heho (by car and flight)
Day 7. Inle Lake - Indein
Day 8. Inle Lake - Kakku - Aye Thar Yar (by car) (trekking to Kakku is possible at additional cost)
Day 9. Aye Thar Yar - Heho - Yangon (by car and flight)
Day 10. Yangon - International departure

Day 1. Upon arrival in Yangon, you will be welcomed by your FLT Tour guide and transferred to the hotel. Visit Yangon city center with many colonial style buildings, Sule pagoda, the reclining Buddha image of Chauk Htut Gyi, Karaweik Hall, a floating barge on Kandawgyi Lake and stroll around Scott (Bogyoke) Market with hundreds of food, clothes, handicrafts and gems stores. Your visit today will conclude with the Shwedagon Pagoda, one of the most awesome and spectacular monuments of Buddhists.
Lunch and Dinner on your own account and overnight stay in Yangon.

Day 2. Breakfast at the hotel and transfer by early morning flight to Bagan. Continue the day with visits to the most significant Pagodas and Temples of Bagan including Shwezigone Pagoda, built in the early 11thcentury, Ku Byauk Gyi, a temple with superb mural paintings and Ananda temple with four standing Buddha Images and a huge teak door.
After lunch, visit one of the lacquer-ware workshops. Visit will follow to Manuha Temple, built in Mon style, Nanbayar Temple with a unique sand stone monument. Your visit will also include Myinkaba Gu Byaukgyi Temple, a Temple known for its mural paintings.
Lunch and Dinner on your own account and overnight stay in Bagan.

Day 3. After breakfast visit the site of Tayoke Pyay Temple with 13th Century Bagan Style Temples. Continue to a farming village around Bagan to know life of local people and local rice-noodle making. Few tourists go to those villages, you have time to explore the village life. In the late afternoon, return to Bagan.
Lunch and Dinner on your own account and overnight stay in Bagan

Day 4. Take away breakfast and very early morning transfer to the jetty for the public boat "Shwe Keinnary" to go upstream on Ayeyarwady River to Mandalay. Enjoy watching the landscape passing by and the life along the river during a relaxing day. There is an air-conditioned room available. The trip takes approximately 12 hours depending on the river conditions and water levels. Upon arrival to Mandalay, transfer to the hotel.
Lunch and Dinner on your own account and overnight stay in Mandalay.

Day 5. After breakfast, visit Amarapura (former capital) with Mahaghandayone Monastery, where thousands of monks are taking their meals in total silence as well as 200 years old U Bein bridge. You will also see the most revered Buddha Images of Mahamuni Pagoda Visit will also include a silk weaving factory.
In the afternoon, you will proceed to the Kywae Zun working buffaloes & rafts site on the banks of the Ayeyarwady. In the evening, explore the Night market with many local food stalls and China made items being sold.
Lunch and Dinner on your own account and overnight stay in Mandalay.

Day 6. After breakfast transfer to the airport (1 hour) for your domestic flight to Heho. Drive to Nyaung Shwe (30 km - 1 hour), the main gateway to get to Inle Lake.
Afternoon excursion on the lake by private long-tail boat will include the weaving village of Inn Pawkhone and a cheroot rolling workshop as well as the famous Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda. You will also see floating gardens, leg rowers, local fishing methods and village life of Inle Lake. Visit will conclude with a 150 years old wooden monastery, Nga Phae Chaung Monastery filled with beautiful Buddha images in various styles.
Lunch and Dinner on your own account and overnight stay at Inle Lake.

Day 7. After breakfast visit the five day's market at nearby village (if coinciding with market day schedule). Continue your journey to the western bank of Inle Lake upstream on a creek to get to Indein Pagoda where thousands of Shan style stupas exist. You will also get a chance to stroll around bamboo forest and visit local villages to experience village life of tribal people.
Lunch and Dinner on your own account and overnight stay at Inle Lake.

Day 8. After breakfast, drive to Kakku Pagoda complex in the territory of the Pa-O ethnic group (70 km from Nyaung Shwe - 2.5 hours; if your hotel is on the Lake, you will need to go by boat to Nyaung Shwe). The highlight of this site is the 2,500 temples and stupas aligned in rows, in a 1 sq-km area. Huge and shady Banyan trees and charming Pa-O villages surround it. A Pa-O guide will also assist you in addition to your tour guide. In the afternoon, drive back via Taunggyi to Aye Thar Yar
Lunch and Dinner on your own account and overnight stay at charming Aye Thar Yar Golf Resort

For guests in very good physical condition, we can arrange trekking from Inle Lake to Naung Khe village (500 Meters difference in elevation - 4 hours fast walking) uphill to continue from there by your car to Kakku. The car will carry your luggage. This is possible at additional cost. The rest of the day from viewing Kakku is the same as above.

Day 9. Transfer to Heho airport (20 km - 45 minutes) for your domestic flight to Yangon.
Lunch and Dinner on your own account and overnight stay in Yangon.

Day 10. Yangon - International departure
Rest of the day is at your leisure for relaxing, shopping or sightseeing until transfer to airport for departure. Tour Guide and car will be at your disposal.

(Guests arriving to Myanmar by morning or mid-day flight will follow the above-mentioned program. But if you arrive only in the afternoon, you will be directly transferred to your hotel and Yangon sightseeing will be provided on the last day.)

PRICES

Validity: Prices are valid during the high season from 01 October 2006 until 30 April 2007 (there might be surcharges during peak season times, e.g. Christmas and New Year and depending on the hotels chosen – please inquiry with us for your travel date). Please ask for discounted rates for the low season.
All prices are in USD per Person

Add on for German speaking through-out tour guide: 195.-- USD for the whole tour (not per person). Tour guides speaking other languages can be arranged – please check with us)

Included:

- Accommodation (twin shared room)
- Breakfast at hotel
- English speaking local "through out" guide including all miscellaneous cost for the guide. Additional Pa-O guide for the visit to Kakku.
- Entrance fees and camera fees
- Transport (domestic flights as advised / car-, boat- and cart transport as mentioned in the itinerary / all airport- and jetty transfers as mentioned, luggage handling included)
- Public boat "Shwe Keinnary" (except Mondays and Thursdays)
- Bottled drinking water & refreshing towels in normal quantities

Excluded:

- International airport tax (US$ 10 per person)
- Personal expenses such as beverages, laundry and souvenirs and tips
- Meals (Lunch / Dinner)
- additional cost for trekking to Kakku
- Personal insurance
- Visa fees for Myanmar
- International flights
- If guest's wish to alter the itinerary, extra charges may apply.

• Kindly keep in mind that our itineraries might need to be amended on short notice depending on changes to flight- and boat schedules, condition of roads etc.