Your Financial Protection

All monies paid by you for the air holiday package shown [or flights if appropriate] are ATOL protected by the Civil Aviation Authority. Our ATOL number is ATOL 3145.

For more information see our booking terms and conditions.

Classic Myanmar Small Group Tour

This 9-day small group tour takes in the very best of Myanmar, including the historic capital of Bagan, the modern-day metropoles of Yangon and Mandalay, and the natural wonder that

is Inle Lake. The tour departs twice monthly between June and September. £769 (before intl. flights)

Day 1 - Arrive Yangon (Green Hill Hotel) Upon arrival in Yangon you will be met at the airport by your guide and transferred to your hotel. The rest of the afternoon is at leisure. In the evening, meet with the rest of the group and, after a short introductory briefing from your guide, take a guided tour of Myanmar's holiest site, the Shwedagon Pagoda. A huge temple complex (the 99m tall central stupa is only the focal point) the origins of Shwedagon are disputed, but it is believed by many to have been built in the 5th century BC, and is said to house relics of all four Buddhas. The pagoda attracts pilgrims from across the region. You will often see Thai and Lao monks here on pilgrimage, their saffron robes distinguishing them from the maroon-robed Burmese monks that tend to the temple. The evening is the best time to visit Shwedagon Pagoda. At sunset the pagoda is lit up, and offers a spectacular show of lights and shadows. Return to your hotel after an evening at the temple.

Gane and Marshall

Tel: +44 (0)1822-600-600 e-mail: info@ganeandmarshall.com website: www.ganeandmarshall.com

Day 2 - Yangon and surrounds Set off this morning on a tour of Yangon and the surrounding countryside. The former capital, Yangon, or Rangoon as it is still more commonly known, is Myanmar's largest city, but don’t expect anything comparable to Bangkok or Saigon. Yangon is a relatively quiet, though charming city, its wide, tree-lined boulevards, old mansions and attractive parks and lakes a reminder of its British colonial heritage, while its golden temples and stupas highlight the intense spirtualism of its people. Rather than a standard driven tour of Yangon, this morning you'll travel by rail, taking the local circle train from Yangon's central station, through its outlying neighbourhoods and into the countrside. The train travels at a slow pace giving you plenty of time to observe local life in Yangon and its surrounds as you journey out of the city. After about an hour on the train, you’ll disembark at Insein township, where you can visit one of the best fresh food markets in Yangon. It's very much a local market, so you needn't bring money for souvenirs; just take the time to explore the various food stalls and learn a bit more about the local culture and cuisine. After you've explored Insein at leisure, take a car back to central Yangon. Enjoy a late morning walking tour of Little India and Chinatown, vibrant and diverse market places where you can sample the local street food. The rest of the day is at leisure. Explore the city at your own pace or ask your guide to return you to your hotel.

Day 3 - Yangon to Inle (Pristine Lotus) After breakfast at the hotel, meet with the group and transfer to Yangon airport for your flight to Heho, in northern Shan state. Heho is a pretty town in the Shan Highlands, but it's not your destination today. Rather, on arrival in Heho you set off for the town of Nyaung Shwe, on the shores of Inle Lake. It's a scenic drive to Nyaung Shwe, through hill plantations, pine forest and rice paddies. On arrival in Nyaung Shwe, take a private motorboat onto the lake. Spend the afternoon exploring the lake, one of Myanmar's most stunning natural wonders. As you cross the lake, you'll pass by the bamboo stilt homes, floating gardens and markets of the local Intha people, who have lived on Inle for hundreds of years. You'll also have time to explore Inle's most sacred temple, Phaung Daw Oo, and learn about some of the local crafts, from weaving to cheroot making, in guided workshop tours.

Time-allowing, take a tour of one of the lakeside villages in the late afternoon, before checking in at your lodge on the lakeshore.

Gane and Marshall

Tel: +44 (0)1822-600-600 e-mail: info@ganeandmarshall.com website: www.ganeandmarshall.com

Day 4 - Inle Lake This morning you'll have the chance to explore Inle Lake's main floating market. The market occurs daily but changes location each morning, moving around the Lake in a five-day rotation, and attracts traders from the lake's floating villages as well as the surrounding hills. It provides a fascinating insight into local culture and the different peoples who inhabit this region.

Late morning, travel to the village of Indein, site of a 12th-century pagoda complex that has only become accessible to visitors in recent years. It is a remarkable sight, consisting of hundreds of gently-decaying stupas of varying sizes, partially obscured behind the dense foliage. The stupas are perched high with fantastic views of Inle Lake. You'll also have time to explore the village itself, visiting a local school. Return to your lodge in the afternoon. The rest of the day is at leisure. Day 5 - Inle to Bagan (Shwe Yee Pwint Hotel) Leave Inle Lake this morning and transfer to Heho airport for your flight to Bagan. The historic capital of Burma, Bagan was the seat of the Paganese Kings from the 11th to 13th centuries, before being abandoned to Mongol invaders. All that remains of the ancient capital are its religious structures, which survive in their thousands, enlivening the otherwise empty and barren plains. There are as many as 3,000 temples in Bagan, and more than 2,000 of these are originals rather than reconstructions. With the exception of the temples of Angkor in Cambodia, there are no temple complexes in South-East Asia that can rival Bagan for sheer spectacle. On arrival at Bagan airport, you'll be met by your guide and given a brief tour of some of the region's highlights en route to your hotel. Stop at a high temple to start, a perfect vantage point from which to get a view of the Plains, and a feel for the scale of the area. Continue to visit some of Bagan's more famous temples, including Gubyaukkyi (Wetkyi-in) Temple, notable for its Jakata mural paintings, and Htilominlo Temple, with its intricately carved plaster and sandstone decorations. Check into your hotel early afternoon for lunch and a rest. In the afternoon, ditch the car for a more authentic mode of transport! Travelling by horse and cart, you’ll take a tour of central Bagan's standout temples, including the highest, That Byin Nyu, and

Gane and Marshall

Tel: +44 (0)1822-600-600 e-mail: info@ganeandmarshall.com website: www.ganeandmarshall.com

Dhammayangyi and Sulamani Temples, notable for both their scale and their detailed carvings. Finally, visit Shwesandaw, more commonly known as the sunset pagoda, for a spectacular sunset view of the plains and temples. Return to your hotel in the evening.

Day 6 - Bagan Wake early this morning and take the time to explore Nyaung U Market, a busy daily food market. Wandering the stalls, you'll be amazed by what is grown in this hot and arid region – much is imported from Inle, but a remarkable amount is grown locally. You may also like to visit a teahouse, from which you can observe the morning activities, before continuing your tour of the temples of Bagan. Late morning visit the Ngat Pyit Taung, a monastic cave complex, and learn more about the local religious traditions, including the worship of the 37 nat, or spirit deities, a Burmese tradition that pre-dates the introduction of Buddhism to the country. In the afternoon, learn more about the region's crafts, visiting a lacquerware workshop (Bagan is considered the lacquer capital of Myanmar, and you’ll quickly see why) and a wood carving workshop, both of them ancient Burmese crafts. Return to your hotel late afternoon.

Day 7 - Bagan to Mandalay (Shwe Ingyinn Hotel) After breakfast, drive to the airport for your flight to Mandalay. You may want to wake early this morning to watch the sunrise over the plains – there are a number of great spots from which to experience the sunrise, just ask your guide. On arrival in Mandalay, you will be met by your guide and taken on a driven tour of the city. Begin the tour with a visit to the Mahamuni Pagoda, which houses one of the most sacred Buddha images in Myanmar; over time it has been decorated with gold leaf to such an extent that it is almost unrecognisable as a Buddha image.

Gane and Marshall

Tel: +44 (0)1822-600-600 e-mail: info@ganeandmarshall.com website: www.ganeandmarshall.com

You'll also have time to explore the many craft shops for which Mandalay, traditionally the trading capital of Myanmar, is famous, including wood and marble carving, weaving, gold pounding and bronze casting. If of interest, you might also like to visit a marionette workshop before returning to your hotel. Here you can design your own marionette to take home as a souvenir. The one-hour visit is a great option for kids. (The workshop tour is included but marionettes will need to be paid for locally.) Once you've rested and lunched, further explore Mandalay with a visit to the Kuthodaw Pagoda, often referred to as the World's Largest Book, owing to its 729 marble tablets carved with teachings of the Buddha. It's a remarkable sight, with each tablet housed in an individual stupa and set up in neat lines. Continue with a tour of Shwenandaw Monastery, formerly King Mindon's royal apartment and the only building from Mandalay's 19th-century palace to survive to this day.

End the day by climbing to the top of Mandalay Hill (you can drive or walk, though do keep in mind that it's a long walk and must be done barefoot, in keeping with local religious customs!) The sunset views of the city and Ayeyarwaddy River from the top of the hill are magnificent. Return to your hotel after sundown.

Day 8 - Outer Mandalay (Ava, Sagaing and Amarapura) If of interest to enough members of the group, you have the option this morning of a very early start (4am) to watch the dawn cleansing of the Buddha at Mahamuni Pagoda, during which the monks who tend to the temple wash the Buddha statue from top to bottom (even brushing its teeth!) with purified water. Following the ritual, return to your hotel around 7:30 for breakfast. After breakfast, set off on a tour of Mandalay and its surrounds. Begin by crossing the Ayeyarwaddy River to Sagaing to visit the monastic heart of Myanmar, Sagaing Hills, home to several hundred monasteries and temples housing thousands of monks, as well as over one hundred meditation centres, all still active. It's the most important centre of monasticism in the country. You'll have the time to visit some of the larger and more important of the pagodas, before continuing to Sagaing's market, a local crafts market that few tourists take the time to explore.

Gane and Marshall

Tel: +44 (0)1822-600-600 e-mail: info@ganeandmarshall.com website: www.ganeandmarshall.com

From Sagaing, continue south to the city of Ava, capital of the lnwa Kingdom from 1364 to 1555, which developed in the wake of the destruction of Bagan. Unlike Bagan, Ava was never abandoned and remains a vibrant trading centre to the present day. It's become overwhelmed by Mandalay as the great city has expanded outwards, but it still has its own identity, visible in a number of unique landmarks such as the Maha Aungmye Bonzan Monastery, a detailed, carved brick monastery that, with its intricate carvings, recalls Shwenandaw monastery in Mandalay. You'll have the afternoon to explore Ava at leisure, on foot or by horse and cart.

Set off on the journey back to Mandalay in the afternoon, stopping at Amarapura en route, another former capital of Myanmar. Unlike Ava, Amarapura has become fully enveloped by Mandalay, and is now very much a part of the city, though it was once a separate city and the capital for over a century before the royal seat moved to Mandalay. Today it is most famous for its 1.2km long wooden bridge, U Bein, the longest wooden bridge in the world, which covers the full length of Lake Taungthaman. It's a spectacular sight, and a pleasure to stroll across in the early evening, when locals return from work and market in Mandalay to their villages on the other side of the lake. Return to your hotel in Mandalay in the evening.

Gane and Marshall

Tel: +44 (0)1822-600-600 e-mail: info@ganeandmarshall.com website: www.ganeandmarshall.com

Day 9 - Departure You will be transferred to Mandalay Airport this morning for your flight to Yangon and connecting flight home. End of tour.

Price Guide: The cost of this itinerary is £769 per person, based on twin/double accommodation. The single supplement is £220 (you may opt to share with another member of the group if travelling alone). This is a small group tour that is open to anyone to join. It departs twice monthly between June and September. For more information, or if you would like to enquire about a tailor-made holiday combining part or all of the above itinerary, please contact us.

Includes: • Twin/double accommodation (B&B

basis) – hotels listed in itinerary may be changed depending on availability

• Internal flights and airline taxes • Private transportation throughout • All entrance fees • Experienced regional guides

Excludes: • International flights – please ask us for a

quote • Visas • Personal travel insurance • Personal expenses and tips • Lunch and dinner to own account unless

stated otherwise in itinerary