Quintessences from Yangon to Hpa-an

Yangon

• Activities:

  Arrive Yangon, check in hotel and tour around city highlights

• Meal:

• Included:

  733,

MINGALABAR! Welcome to Yangon, Myanmar. Upon your arrive, our guide and driver are warmly pleased to greet you at the airport. Then we will together transfer to your city hotel for check-in and relaxation (Official check-in time: 2 pm, early check-in is subject to availability).

After short break, when you are ready, we kick off the Yangon tour with first stop at Kyaukhtatgyi Pagoda where housing the 70-meter long Buddha statue with beautifully carved and painted face. Next up, we continue to Kandawgyi park for a relaxed stroll along the Royal Lake while catching a view of floating Karaweik Hall (in the shape of mythological Karaweik bird), which is gracefully reflects its golden shade into the serence water.

When the sun is already setting down and the dark is overwhelming, we head for Shwedagon pagoda to observe its breath-taking beauty at night. The colorful lights from bottom to top of 100-metter high chedi that could be seen from anywhere in the city is very first amazing thing you could figure out of the place. Getting further inside the huge pagoda platform, learn out how Buddhism is super important to the lives of Myanmar people while seeing local devotees respectably offer flowers, worship and meditate under the Lord Buddha. With our guide’s detailed introduction and explanation about the long-standing history of the pagoda and how amazingly sophisticated architecture made out will get you a deeper insight into beautiful religion of Buddhist. Have your mind relax for a while in peaceful ambience among the echoed sound of bells before returning back to your hotel for a hearty dinner and plesant evening then.

Meals are on your own account.

Kyaikhtiyo

• Activities:

  Morning drive to Mt. Kyaikhtiyo, join a hill truck to mountain top and visit Golden Rock pagoda

• Meal:

  Breakfast]

• Included:

  702,

After a hearty breakfast, we head out to Yangon railway station for a circular train ride around the outskirts of Yangon that will take up to three hours to complete full tour around the city’s rural landscapes. But depending on your endurance and interest, we could stop and get off at any middle station as you wish. After lunch break, pack your luggage up, get in car and we start a scenic 2.5-hour drive to Golden Rock temple located on top of Kyaikhtiyo mountain. When reach the base camp in the foot of mountain, we join in a local open-air truck and continue a 45-minute ride up to last stop at Kyaikhtiyo village. Check in the nearby Mountain Top hotel – the nicest local hotel, which is just 10 minutes walking from Golden Rock. When the sun is about to set down, we climb up to visit the giant sacred Golden Rock which is hanging over a steep cliff overlooking a deep valley. While the sun is shining its last lights over the rock, the gold coat make it look like a sparkeling set of treasure. Joing the lines of ardent believers praying quietly the rock among thousands burning candles, little bells and good smell of incense sticks, it is the right time for you to relax your mind in between the peaceful atmosphere and impressive scenery the place has to offer.

Kyaikhtiyo

• Activities:

  Enjoy sunrise on the mountain top, trek through hill village of YaThaeTaung

• Meal:

  Breakfast]

• Included:

  702,

If you are fond of catching dreamy sunrise, you are invited to revisit the mountain top and Golden Rock again with us in the early morning. Don’t forget to take a long your camera and capture the awe-struck beauty of the golden rock when the very first light pouring down. After breakfast at hotel, have some time for relaxation at hotel with maybe a hot cup of coffee or tea. Afternoon comes,we walk down to get some exhilarating experience of local life in YaThaeTaung village. Just 2 km from Golden Rock, this is a less visited yet attractive village which could impress you with its thatched houses hiding themselves deep in the forest mountain. Along the way, there are plenty of opportunities for you to see how local argriculture life is going, how children enjoy their free time after school, with carefree smile timidly waiving and saying “Mingalabar” toany friendly passing-by visitors.Stop anywhere and wrap all special moments into your camara  so all senses of this slow but healthy and unstressedlife will last forever.Have beautiful sunset in the mountain before a relaxed evening then.

Hpa-an

• Activities:

  Descent mountain by joined truck, drive to Hpa-an and discover local culture and local life in Eain Du Karen Village, Saddan cave and Mt. ZweKa Bin

• Meal:

  Breakfast]

• Included:

  737,

After early breakfast, start a 3-hour scenic drive to Hpa-an, a charming little wonder of Kayin state well known for its wonderful caves and amazing limestone mountains. Arrive the land, start your orientation tourwith a soft stroll around Eain Du Karen Village to experience authentic Kayin life style and culture. You could pause at anywhere to take photo of beautiful traditional local houses or green plantations. Drop by a hand weaving workshop to learn traditional technique locals use to making unique and colorful costumes. From here,if you wish, we continue by kayak through the paddy fields to connect our starting point from where we drive to discover the well-known Saddan cave, a fabulously deep cave with natural decoration. Follow your guide lead through dark tunnel until it opens a surprise. Take your time to discover the perfect harmony of beautiful stalagmites, wall golden frescos along with beautiful Buddha statues inside before reaching the end of the cave which leads to a small lake surrounded by nature landscaae. From here, continue with a scenic boat trip on the way out. Soon enough we reach last stop of the day - Mt. ZweKa Bin, agorgeous gift of nature given to Kayin state. From the Lumbini Gardens entrance,start to conquer  this tallest lime-stone mountain  in Hpa-an within 2 hours. Along the way, you will encounter many cunning monkey playing around as playful supporters. Keep your way up, at the end of a tough climb is an staggeringly panoramic view the summit has to reward your effort. Savour the full beauty of vast landscape during the red sunset from the top of Kayin state.

Hpa-an

• Activities:

  Explore symbolic wonders of Hpa-an: Kaw Goon Cave and Kyauk Ka Lat pagoda

• Meal:

  Breakfast]

• Included:

  737,

After a hearty breakfast, we will continue exploring other wonders of beautiful Hpa-an. It would be a big miss if we travel Hpa-an without Kaw Goon Cave, also known as Cave of the Ten Thousand Buddhas in the northern side of Than Lwin river. Unlike the serene Sadan cave, Kaw Goon Cave is unusually impressive with many Mon cultural heritage evidences artfully carved on the inner stone walls and ceiling.

This natural cave is more like a archaeological museum preserving plenty of beautiful Buddhist images and statues, mural paintings,  terracotta votive tablets, ink inscriptions and old Mon inscription. Walking through the special cave, you are to live back all the golden history and quintessences of Mon culture from as far as 7th century.

After the amazing discovery in Kaw Goon cave, crossing the Than-Lwin Bridge, we continue a short drive to visit Kyauk Ka Lat pagoda, which precariously balances on top of an eye-catching limestone pinnacle, setting on a small island dotted with hanging trees and monastic buildings at the center of green lake. With surrounding paddy field and Mt. Zwegabin as the dramatic backdrop, all together  made up fantastic scenery that you could find in nowhere else. Take a walk a long the wooden footbridge connecting the lake bank and island pagoda and continue climbing up to halfway of the little rock mountain and enjoy the delightful views over the lake and surroundings. Though we do not encourage but if you want to conquer the summit, get a nerve to go up precarious wooden ladder and reward yourself with superb panoramic view the top has to offer.

Later on, get back to your hotel for free relaxation then.

Lunch and dinner are on your own account.

Yangon

• Activities:

  Check out hotel, drive back to Yangon

• Meal:

  Breakfast]

• Included:

Free until check out your hotel, get in car and we start a scenic drive back to Yangon. Upon Yangon arrival, depending on your own plan, we are to head straight to airport for connecting flight out or back to your Yangon hotel for check-in and relaxation then if your trip has to be continued. Tour ends.