Bagan - Bhamo - Mandalay

Bagan

• Activities:

  Cruise check in. Start the voyage by paying a visit to a local village in Bagan followed by a lacquerware workshop. Next stop is Ananda Temple. Take a horse cart to Htilominlo Temple . Finale is a visit to the Pyathatgyi Temple

• Meal:

  Lunch],Dinner]

• Included:

  104,

Check in at 1pm and settle into your suite.
If you arrive on an early flight we will arrange for you to take a tour in Bagan. Leaving at 9am we will visit a local village in the heart of the Bagan plain, to see the way of life of the local people. Next visit a lacquerware workshop. This ancient craft has been produced in Bagan since the time of King Anawrahta around 1050 AD. Here in the workshop the traditional methods are still used.
Lunch will be served on board shortly after check in or upon return from the morning excursion.Next, we will visit Bagan to see the Ananda Temple. Completed in 1091 AD, it is commonly referred to as one of the four great temples in Bagan. The Ananda is regarded by folklore as one of the most beautiful temples in Myanmar. A traditional horse cart will then take us to Htilominlo Temple; a two storey red-brick temple built around 1211 AD. It is a magnificent structure, though now heavily restored.
The day’s finale is a quiet moment on the terraces of the Pyathatgyi Temple. Admire the light change on the pagodas as they exude antiquity and mystery. Finally the sun sets behind the hills on the far side of the Ayeyarwady River, filling the sky with a reddish glow, a truly magic moment.
Join us at the Kansi Panorama Lounge for a welcome briefing along with a champagne and canapés reception. This will be follwed by a candlelit sandbank dinner with a local performance. 

BAGAN TO SIN TEA

• Activities:

  Sail upstream towards Sin Tea. Enjoy the luxuries on board. Satisfy the eye with almost unintended beauty. Transferred by an ox-cart to golden pagodas and enjoy riverside picture

• Meal:

  Breakfast],Lunch],Dinner]

• Included:

  104,

We’ll spend today sailing upstream towards Sin Tea, which means you have ample time to enjoy the luxuries on board Ananda. As you will be sailing all day, why not take advantage of our spa treatments? We have a range of specially prepared offers on our holistic spa treatments for use on board today and tomorrow.

Visually Myanmar is unique: the eye is constantly delighted by scenes of casual, almost unintended beauty. A group of ladies perch on rocks chattering as they do their daily wash. An ox-cart waits on the banks for a boat to arrive and unload its goods set in a background of soft browns, noble tamarind trees with white and golden pagodas gracing the distant hills. There is no better way to enjoy this riverine picture than from the Kansi panorama lounge or the Pool deck.

Enjoy the on board activities including a longyi (sarong) and thanaka (cosmetic) demonstration.

SIN TEA TO NWE NYEIN

• Activities:

  Sail past Sagaing. Enjoy lecture on board. Take a house tour of Sanctuary Ananda to lear more about the ship

• Meal:

  Breakfast],Lunch],Dinner]

• Included:

  104,

Around midday we will be sailing past Sagaing, an important religious and monastic centre, home to some 554 monasteries and 6,000 monks and nuns. Sagaing was the capital of a Shan kingdom for nineteen years but in 1364, the founder’s grandson moved the capital across the river to Inwa (Ava). Enjoy the rest of the day at leisure while cruising towards northern Myanmar. Today you can learn more about Myanmar during our lecture – covering the country’s incredibly rich history, more recent & controversial events and prospects for the future.
After lunch, take part in a back of house tour of Sanctuary Ananda where you will learn how the ship works behind the scenes, from the engine control room to the wheel house.

NWE NYEIN TO KYAR NYAT

• Activities:

  Visit Nwe Nyein, home of pottery makers. Spend the day getting through soul-stirring riverscapes to ancient Tagaung.

• Meal:

  Breakfast],Lunch],Dinner]

• Included:

  104,

Visit Nwe Nyein, the home of the pottery makers. Vast mat-sheds are filled with pots of all shapes and sizes; watch the master-potters deftly working the wheel with their feet. The pottery making technique requires great skill which you will be able to watch first hand while walking through this bustling town. We’ll then spend the day travelling through soul-stirring riverscapes to ancient Tagaung. On the way, we will screen one of the most famous movies about Aung San Suu Kyi, The Lady, in the Kansi Panorama Lounge with canapés.

Mogok to Kyan Hynat

• Activities:

  Sail to Burmese teak forest, turn to Mogok

• Meal:

  Breakfast]

• Included:

In the morning our ship will sail upstream until it reaches a Burmese teak forest where you can meet some working elephants. Our ship will continue sailing further upstream where you will travel by that towards Mogok where you will see the forest reserve in which there many rare botanical specimens used for production of essential oils.

Kyan Hnyat to Katha

• Activities:

  Pass through rural villages, take a walk in Kyan Hnyat village and local market

• Meal:

  Breakfast]

• Included:

Our ship will continue sailing upstream passing rural villages on its way. In the afternoon you can walk around Kyan Hnyat village where you can see children on their way back from school and the local market.

Katha to Shwegu

• Activities:

  Visit Katha, sightseeing, ride a smaller boat to Shwegu port, visit San village and meet local people

• Meal:

  Breakfast]

• Included:

In the morning you will visit Katha, the town made famous by George Orwell in his book 'Burmese Days', by trishaw including a trip to the market. Our ship will continue sailing south with the mountains coming into view. In the afternoon enjoy a smaller boat ride to the industrious port of Shwegu and beyond to visit a typical Shan village and its people. Enjoy a Shan style dinner in the evening.

Shwe Paw, Bhamo & Zinbon

• Activities:

  Visit Bhamo town, enjoy local market, sail back to Shwe Paw and drop by the second gorge, logging camps and Zinbon village

• Meal:

  Breakfast]

• Included:

In the morning you will visit the town of Bhamo where you can see the local market. Our ship will sail back towards Shwe Paw and in the afternoon our ship will sail through the second gorge and pass logging camps and the old colonial village of Zinbon.

Shwe Paw to Katha

• Activities:

  Shwe Paw Island arrival and its ancient pagodas, sail to Mae Dar village

• Meal:

  Breakfast]

• Included:

Our ship will arrive at Shwe Paw Island where you will visit its ancient pagodas. Our ship will continue sailing south and during the afternoon you will visit the riverside village of Mae Dar.

Katha to Kyan Hynat

• Activities:

  Train to the forest station of Naba and travel around Kachin jungle and teak forests, cruise to Nwe Nyein

• Meal:

  Breakfast]

• Included:

In the early morning guests can disembark and take a train to the forest station of Naba and journey into the thick Kachin jungle and teak forests. During the afternoon our ship will sail towards Nwe Nyein.

Nwe Nyein to Mingun

• Activities:

  Walk to Nwe Nyein, local craft of traditional clay pot sculpting, sail through Thihadaw Island Pagoda, cruise through the third gorge

• Meal:

  Breakfast]

• Included:

In the morning take a walking tour of Nwe Nyein and watch the local craft of traditional clay pot sculpting. In the late morning continue sailing and pass the island pagoda of Thihadaw. At around lunchtime our ship will sail through the 3rd Defile, the third of the three gorges.

Mingun to Mandalay

• Activities:

  Departure

• Meal:

  Breakfast]

• Included:

Early morning breakfast and check out at 6.30am. For guests leaving on a later flight, you can take a tour of Mandalay (extra charge and subject to availability) which includes visiting the Mahamuni and Kathodaw pagodas, the Shwenandaw monastery and a gold leaf beating workshop.