Day 1 Rangoon
Outbound flight via Bangkok to Myanmar.
Day 2 Yangon/Rangoon
Arrival in Yangon in the morning. After a short stop at the hotel, you will discover your first pagoda, Shwedagon. It is one of the most important sacred buildings of the country. You then visit the biggest reclining statue of Buddha in the Chauk-Htat-Gyi pagoda, followed by a lovely walk through the Mahabandoola Park and Chinatown.
Day 3 Heho – Kalaw 34 km
To avoid difficult mountain roads the transfer to Heho is by plane. The landscape is hilly, but this is what makes the charm of the area. Admire the beautiful view on the way to Kalaw. which is unique with its colonial houses. They were built by the British as a hill station to get away from the sweltering tropical heat. Relax and enjoy the city tour.
Day 4 Kalaw – Pindaya 52 km
Kalaw is known for its wonderful morning market which we visit before setting off to cycle towards Pindaya. A narrow windy road, in breathtaking surroundings brings us to Pindaya, which is famous for its interesting cave system, in which we can find 8,000 golden Buddha statues. The impressive pagoda Shwe U-Min is located at the entrance of the southernmost cave. We then cycle through wonderful landscape to Nyaung Shwe, a small village at the northern end of lake Inle.
Day 5 Aungpan – Inle lake 55 km
Before we are hopping on the bikes we have a short transfer. We will meet a producer of paper umbrellas – a family business. We are now in the State of Shan, home of many ethnic minorities. Colorful garbs distinguish the diveres ethnic people. Afterwards we cycle through a wonderful landscape to get to Nyaung Shwe, a small village on the northern end of lake Inle.
Day 6 Lake Inle by bike 45 km
We start our trip in Nyaung Shwe. Here we will meet members of the Shan, Pan-O, Danu and other ethnic groups. We are welcome everywhere with our bikes. On the west coast of the lake, our path leads us beside the hot springs. Now, the excitement! Bikes and cyclist will be ferried across the lake to its eastern side.
Day 7 Lake Inle by boat
Lake Inle is 22 km long, 11 km wide and 900 m above sea level. Around the lake there are approximately 100 monasteries and 200 villages. Their inhabitants are members of the Intha tribe. The atmosphere on the lake in the morning is buzzing. Going past houses built on stilts, we arrive at the very active floating market. The fishermen row very skillfully with their feet. Mystical pagodas line the lakeside.
Day 8 Mandalay
Transfer to the airport in Heho and flight to Mandalay which is one of the cultural highlights of this trip. We visit the fascinating monastery of Shwenandaw. It is entirely built out of teakwood and underlines the beauty of the ancient kings’ palace. Not far away is the pagoda of Kuthodaw. There we can find what is probably the biggest book on earth, made out of marble! Admire the gold leaf that covers the five Buddha statues.
Day 9 Mandalay – Sagaing 47 km
A fascinating day’s cycling, which will take us first to Amarapura, the 1.2 km long, 200-year-old U Bein Bridge, constructed out of teakwood. Silk and cotton have always been important trading goods for Myanmar and here we will learn how they are produced. The new capital of the ancient kingdom Ava Inwa is the destination of today’s trip. Explore the city by boat, bike and on foot. Along the river Irrawady and past monasteries and the Nanmyint watchtower we reach Sagaing. With its 600 ivory-colored pagodas and monasteries, it is considered the spiritual centre of Myanmar.
Day 10 Monywa 51 km
Today we cycle to Monywa, but first we will not miss a visit to the traffic free central region of Myanmar. Cars are very rare here and oxcarts are much more common in this area. On the way to the provincial capital Monywa we see several sights: the pagoda of Thanboddhe with more than 500,000 pictures of Buddha and the Boddhi-Tatuang pagoda with its 90 m long reclining Buddha (2 nights).
Day 11 Pho-Win mountains 30 km
After breakfast we cross the Chindwin River by ferry and then cycle to the Pho-Win mountains with their natural sandstone caves. In these caves we explore Buddha statues and murals, dating from the 17th and 18th centuries and even a few from the 14th century.
Day 12 Bagan 55 km
Short transfer to Ma Au where our tour begins. We cycle south on quiet roads and continue through the rice-growing area along the Chindwin-River to the harbour town of Pakokku. On the road we will stop at one of the oldest teakwood monasteries. We continue by boat on the Irrawaddy river to Bagan. Here you can admire the magnificent sunset from the boat (3 nights).
Day 13 Bagan 20 km
The local rulers created a field of giant pagodas in Bagan between the 11th and the 13th centuries. From the original 6,000 there are now about 2,000 remaining. Visit to several of these by bike: the Ananda and Dhammayangyi temples and the Dhammayazaka. The village Phwa Saw with its rattan houses is also worth a visit. Continue to the Shwezigon pagoda, which was built as a religious shrine in the early 11th century by king Anawrahta. Afternoon visit to other temples which are partially under the protection of UNESCO.
Day 14 Mount Popa 42 km
Today’s programme is our last cycle. It is to the holy mountain of Popa. This extinct volcano is regarded as one of the holiest places in Myanmar. According to Buddhist tradition 37 “Nats” (guardian spirits) are located here. Admire the panoramic view! Transfer to Bagan.
Day 15 Flight to Yangon/Rangoon
Flight to Yangon/Rangoon. Free day (1 night)
Day 16 Goodbye Myanmar
Transfer to the airport and flight to Germany.
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