Day 1
Depart from USA
Day 2
Enroute
Day 3
Arrive Yangon. Transfer to Savoy Hotel. Welcome dinner at the Green Elephant. O/N Savoy Hotel
Day 4
Breakfast at Seik Tain Kya for a local experience of Burmese rotti, dosa, buri & naan, then tour Indian, Chinese and Bogyoke Aung San (Scott) Markets to learn more about local Burmese foods, spices and handicrafts. In the afternoon, tour the dramatically golden clad Shwedagon Pagoda, the epicenter of Burmese Buddhism and one of the great cultural sites in Southeast Asia. Cocktails at the U.S. Embassy, then on to a cooking demonstration & antiques discussion in the home of Claudia Saw Lwin, co-author of The Food of Burma, and her husband Patrick Robert, a world renowned designer/curator, followed by a tour and dinner in their magnificent home. O/N Savoy Hotel
Day 5
Depart for Mandalay. Observe 5,000 pongyi (monks) and their students stream out of the kyaung with their alms bowls for lunch at Sagaing Monastery, considered to be the living center of the Buddhist faith in Myanmar today. Then trek U-Bein Bridge, just as it has been for two centuries. In the afternoon, we'll explore more of Sagaing, the 14th century Shan capital, and then the sleepy village of Mingun--home to the Mingun Pagoda and the world's biggest working bell. O/N Sedona Hotel
Day 6
Morning visit to Mandalay's colorful Zegyo Market for seasonal specialties and ingredients for our afternoon cooking classes on the Pandow, our home for the overnight trip to Bagan. Before arriving we'll see skilled puppet makers and intricate wood carvers at shops along the way. Lunch and dinner will be on board as we cruise the Irrawaddy River on one of the original Flotilla Riverboats. We'll watch the sun catch the gold tops of the ancient temples that rise by the 100s from the austere plains. O/N Pandow
Day 7
Sunrise breakfast on-board. Tour by rickshaw of Pakokku village to see the local market and demonstrations of cigar making and longyi weaving. Lunch on local specialties at the beautiful outdoor Riverview Restaurant, then visit a local family-run rice noodle factory in the afternoon followed by a mohinga tasting at a local restaurant. Enjoy a late afternoon horse cart tour of surrounding temples, culminated by a sunset climb to the top of an ancient Pagoda. Finish the day with dinner in the gardens of the luxurious Bagan Hotel, complete with Voss's musical review. O/N Bagan Hotel
Day 8
Optional AM Hot Air Balloon Ride over Bagan. Morning visit to the local food and crafts market where we will enjoy some free time to shop, then participate in curry making and lunch at a nearby restaurant. Next, we'll visit a bamboo factory for a bamboo-weaving lesson and then on to the Golden Cuckoo Lacquerware workshop for a demonstration on lacquerware making. Along the way, we'll visit temples of interest. In the evening, we'll enjoy a marionette show and dinner at Nadar Restaurant. O/N Bagan Hotel
Day 9
Breakfast at the hotel. Participate in a morning hands-on cooking class of mohinga,
curries and fish crackers with the hotel chef. The afternoon and evening are free to relax
at the pool or participate--for a fee--in one of the following options: --day excursion to
Mount Popa including lunch at the resort; --explore surrounding temples by bicycle or horse cart. O/N Began Hotel
Day 10
8am flight to Helo, then a short ride to the Shwe-Yan-Pai Monastery, followed by a boat ride to the Inle Princess Hotel, where we spend the next three days exploring minority tribes and this lake community by boat. Upon arrival, we'll enjoy local specialties of kaukswa and butterfish followed by a magical boat tour of floating vegetable gardens, golden-clad temples, markets and fabric weaving shops. We'll savor the sunset overlooking the lake from the deck of our hotel. For dinner we'll enjoy a cultural dance program and traditional Shan meal arranged by the Princess Inle Hotel. O/N Inle Princess Hotel
Day 11
Climb aboard our boat for a tour of Mainthauk Market and see ethnic minority tribes hawking their wares before spending the day building a bamboo hut in the middle of the lake, which we will dedicate to a needy Burmese family at the day's end. Midday we'll visit a preschool and orphanage to assess needs and financial support, then return to our home at dusk to complete the dedication and bid our family farewell. O/N Inle Princess Hotel
Day 12
Participate in morning hands-on cooking class with the hotel chef. Free day to relax at the hotel, boat to a favorite spot, trek uphill to the local Monastery or rent bicycles and take a spin around Inle Lake. Enjoy a Night Market Showcasing Inle's Best Restaurants & Farewell Dinner at the hotel. O/N Inle Princess Hotel
Day 13
Breakfast at the hotel. AM transfer by boat/car to airport for Yangoon (0935). Direct flight connection to Singapore or Bangkok. Evening free. O/N Singapore or Bangkok
Day 14
Transfer to the airport for flight to the U.S. or elsewhere.
