A wealth experience in the enchanting Myanmar

Yangon

• Activities:

  Yangon arrival, hotel check-in and relaxation

• Meal:

  Dinner]Welcome dinner in local restaurant

• Included:

  725,

Welcome to Yangon, Myanmar. Upon your arrival, you will be greeted by our guide and driver at airport then transfer to your hotel for check-in and relaxation. Have your good time then in the hotel after a long flight.

Meals are on your own account.

Yangon

• Activities:

  Yangon full day city tour

• Meal:

  Breakfast]

• Included:

  725,

After breakfast, we transfer to Mahabandola park, standing in front of the national Independence monument, take your time for a panoramic view of all remarkable historic compounds around including City Hall, Immanual church. Next up, we stroll down nearby French-architecture colonial buildings which are still preserved in its original condition since last century. Don’t forget to snap nostalgic pictures along the walk. After lunch break, spend your time to stop and relax at the picturesque Royal Palace (Karaweik) & Kandawgyi Lake. Afternoon, head to Chauk Htat Gyi Pagoda in downtown Yangon to discover the 65 meters long and 16 meters high Reclining Buddha image. To call it a day, find the way to World famous Great Golden Shwedagon Pagoda and see it magically lit at night.

Lunch and dinner are on your own account.

Inle Lake

• Activities:

  Morning flight to Heho, Inle Lake boat trip

• Meal:

  Breakfast]

• Included:

  678,

Morning fly to Heho, the primary air gateway to Inle Lake. It takes one hour to drive from Heho to Inle; along the way, after that sail along Inle Lake for sight-seeing, witness the famous single-leg canoe rowing; traditional fishing way; floating gardens; simple village life and breath-taking scenery. Also visit Shan umbrella workshop and PhaungDawOo Pagoda, one of the main principle shrines in Myanmar, dating back to the 18th century and the lotus weaving village of Inpawkhon.

Lunch and dinner are on your own account.

Indein

• Activities:

  Boat trip to Indein village, pagoda and traditoional workshops

• Meal:

  Breakfast]

• Included:

  678,

After breakfast at the hotel, visit a local market in (if open). Boat trip to Shwe Inn Thein situated on west shore of Inle Lake, with a stair path leading to the mysterious Inn Dein Pagoda; discover local traditional Blacksmith workshop and Shan Cheroot (tobacco) making. Free afternoon at hotel and overnight in Inle Lake.

Lunch and dinner are on your own account.

Mandalay

• Activities:

  Morning flight to Mandalay, tour around Mandalay

• Meal:

  Breakfast]

• Included:

  726,

After having breakfast, you will be transferred to Heho Airport for a domestic flight to Mandalay. Upon arrival, meet up station guide and together we transfer to visit Sagaing - a religious and monastic center, with numerous Buddhist monasteries offering very peaceful and calm scenery. En-route don’t miss the chance to drop by Monastic Education Free School in which you could mingle with innocent little local students from needy families and orphans and get to know about their interesting school life. Here you can see little nuns and monks in pink and maroon colors enjoying their school life. Driving up to Sagaing Hills and visit U Min Thonze Cave Temple with its impressive 45 Buddha statues and Soon U Ponya Shin Pagoda, Sagaing's central pagoda located at the top of the hill, offering you the enjoyment of seeing Mandalay's panoramic view. Next agenda is the nearby Kaungmutaw pagoda which is famous for its large white-washed edifice and 151-foot high dome, modeled after the Great Stupa in Sri Lanka.

Lunch and dinner are on your own account.

Mandalay

• Activities:

  Cruise pre-excursion through highlighted stops in Mandalay

• Meal:

  Breakfast],Lunch],Dinner]

• Included:

  112,

We begin our day in Mandalay with a welcome breakfast in a private area by the illustrious Royal Lake, before visiting the magnificent U-Bein Bridge, a crossing that spans the Taungthaman Lake near Amarapura. It is also believed to be the oldest and longest teakwood bridge in the world. After a tour of the bridge, we travel onwards to discover the Mahamuni Pagoda and the Shwe In Bin monastery, a beautifully carved teak monastery known as the perfect spot for meditation in the heart of Mandalay. At midday, the Strand Cruise crew will be waiting to greet you on board and welcome you with a generous buffet lunch of Mediterranean cuisine. After lunch we will stop in Mingun, one of the country’s former capitals, at the foot of the unfinished pagoda, one of the largest pagodas ever constructed in the history of Myanmar. We will visit the pagoda by a popular local means of transportation, the Tuk Tuk. The pagoda is home to the magnificent Mingun Bell, claimed to be the largest un-cracked hanging bell in the world. We will also visit Paya Hsinbyume, an impressive pagoda that rises in seven curved whitewashed terraces representing the seven mountain ranges around Mt Meru, the mountain at the centre of the Buddhist universe. As the sun sets, admire the magnificent sights over the Ayeyarwady river from the ship’s Sundeck, sipping one of the Strand Hotel’s signature cocktails, before joining your fellow travellers for a Myanmar dinner in the Strand restaurant.

Lunch and dinner are on your own account.

Ava

• Activities:

  Horse cart trip to Ava village, join cultural activities on board

• Meal:

  Breakfast],Lunch],Dinner]

• Included:

  112,

Our day begins with a visit to Ava, the ancient imperial capital of successive Burmese kingdoms from the 14th to 19th centuries. Horse carts await the ship to transport guests for a delightful ride through the naturally preserved Ava landscape and key landmarks. A once prominent city, throughout history Ava has been ravaged by war and natural disasters and rebuilt numerous times. Today, all that is left are the ruins and remains of an abandoned kingdom forever imprinted in history. Here we will visit the Yadana Shemee and Wingaba, temples, as well as the Bopaya monastery and the brick monastery. Once back on board the Strand Cruise, an Asian family style lunch is served on the Sundeck while enjoying the beautiful landscape passing by as the ship cruises onwards to the ancient city of Bagan. Throughout the afternoon, relax, meditate, or just lie by the pool, enjoy activities and workshops arranged by the crew as well as a number of performances by talented local artists and entertainers before enjoying a sunset cocktail. As night falls, our ship will moor on a remote and wild section of the river. Surrounded only by the soft whispering of nature, our Captain invites you to a cocktail and grill dinner in the Strand Restaurant. Night owls can linger in the bar over a glass of fine wine or single malt whiskey and recreate the golden age of the Strand as a meeting place for explorers and raconteurs.

Lunch and dinner are on your own account.

Bagan

• Activities:

  Explore Bagan ancient monuments

• Meal:

  Breakfast],Lunch],Dinner]

• Included:

  112,

This morning sees our arrival in Bagan and the start of the much-anticipated Bagan Heritage Trail. Bagan is remarkable for the magnificent architecture of its buildings and the contribution they have made to Burmese temple designs. Marvel at Bagan’s wonders including the Ananda Temple, one of the most exquisite temples of the country, and the Shwezigon Pagoda, renowned for its gold leaf decor. After a delicious buffet lunch back on board, we continue our day in Bagan with a visit to the magnificent Shwe San Daw temple, followed by a journey to the beautiful Sulamani temple and Gubyaukgyi temple. As twilight sets in, admire the sunset from the sundeck before a festive evening and farewell French dinner in the Strand Restaurant.

Lunch and dinner are on your own account.

Bagan

• Activities:

  Cruise check-out, waliking tour in Minanthu village

• Meal:

  Breakfast]

• Included:

  340,

After a last breakfast, you are to disembark in Old Bagan and will be accompanied onwards to your hotel. After check-in, it is your free time for relaxation. Afternoon, meet up your tour guide and we start a short trip to Minnanthu village. Here we will take a stroll and explore real local life and culture. See how the villagers go about their day to day activities like collecting sesame seeds, weaving cloth and spinning cotton. There is also a silversmith shop where they make their own silver jewelry. You are to keep on walking to Lay Myat Hnar complex to experience the layout of brick monastery compound and monastic life in Bagan.

Warm notice: From October to March, you can request a hot-air balloon ride which takes you above the charming Bagan plain and the impressive Ayeyarwaddy River to watch sunrise. Remember to get up early.

Lunch and dinner are on your own account.

Yangon

• Activities:

  Morning flight to Yangon, departure

• Meal:

  Breakfast]

• Included:

After breakfast, transfer to Nyaung U airport and take a flight back to Yangon. Find your way to relax before connect to your departure flight home later on. Tour ends.