FEP-001 ( Cultural Trip )

Upon arrival at Yangon International airport, welcomed by our tour guide, transferred to and overnight at the hotel in Yangon .

After Breakfast & check-out at the hotel, car-transfer to the Yangon Airport to take a morning flight to Bagan. Morning visit, upon arriving there, starts with Shwesandaw Pagoda to enjoy the panoramic view of the Ancient Bagan, Nyaung-U farmers’ market, the most beautiful late 11^th Ananda Temple, 11^th century Shwezigon Pagoda, which is the prototype of most of the stupas built after it in Burma, time for lunch. Afternoon visit to the lacquer-ware cottage industry to observe the process of making lacquer-wares by hand without using any machines at one workshop, then an hour or so horse & cart drive in the ancient archaeological site on the way to enjoy the sun down from the upper terrace of the one ancient temple. Back to the hotel, time for dinner and overnight at the hotel. Remark: For conservation reason by Archaeological Department, going up to the upper terraces of the pagodas in Bagan may not be permitted & in this case, man-made earth- mounds are to be used for panoramic view & sunset. B=Breakfast

After breakfast & check-out at the hotel, transfer to the Nyaung U Airport to take a morning flight to Heho in Shan State and transfer to the famous Inle Lake, 22-km long and 11-km wide, noted for its floating gardens, unique leg rowers, fishermen fishing by traditional way, etc., and it will take 1-hr drive from the airport to the lake. On the way, make a photo stop at ShweYanpyay teak-wood monastery, built to commemorate the site where the 1st meeting between the British Officials and the Saopha of Nyaungshwe took place in 1886. the villages of weavers (fabric made from lotus fibre thread, can only be seen in Inle Lake), blacksmiths, cheroot makers and boat-builders, then Phaungdawu Pagoda, which is well-known for its 18-day-long pagoda festival yearly, traditional way of fishing can be seen on the way and time for lunch, after that a slow boat drive through the Kaylar village, which is built in the middle of the lake, also through the floating gardens of mainly tomatoes together with seasonal vegetables plus flowers, visit almost 200-year-old-ancient-Ngaphechaung-wooden monastery formerly known as jumping cat monastery ( no more jumping cats there ) to see the unique beautiful collection of Buddhist shrines made of intricate designs of wood-carvings & glass mosaic before driving  back to hotel, dinner time  and overnight at the hotel in Inle Lake. B=Breakfast,

After breakfast and check-out at the hotel, by boat, visit every-5-day market of the tribal people living in & around the lake to observe their ways of life before proceeding to explore, about 1-hour boat drive to, Indein Pa-O tribal village dotted with almost 2,000 pagodas in different sizes, dating  back to 17th , 18th  centuries, then time for lunch, after that visit Silversmiths’ village, arts & crafts shop where Padaung ladies dubbed  as long-necked,  can be seen/taken pictures together, then boat drive through the villages in the lake, watching the  traditional / modern way of fishing with 2-m-long-cone-shaped-bamboo fishing traps & with just a long net, also enjoying  the farmers taking the weeds from the lake bed, to be used as natural fertilizers for the farming on the floating gardens, before transfer to the Heho airport to fly back to Yangon. Then it will be the time for dinner and overnight at the hotel in Yangon. B=Breakfast

After breakfast & check-out at the hotel, start the full-day sightseeing in Yangon City, the name given by the founder of the Third Burmese Empire, King Alaungphaya, in 1755, symbolizing " the Peaceful City ", by paying a visit to a street market in China Town, walk in & around the downtown near Sule Pagoda dotted with such remaining British colonial buildings as Yangon city hall, High Court, Mahabandula park, Telegraph Office, Post Office, etc., explore the Yangon river shore around Sintoutan Jetty by the Yangon River for the scenery & for observing the people at the grassroots level, time for lunch.. Afternoon visit to the Bogyoke Aung San Market aka Scott's Market to see the everyday people life, 68m-long Chaukhtatkyi  Reclining  Buddha Image, 100-m-high Shwedagon Pagoda towering the sky line of Yangon, heavily gilt, decorated with pure gold plates, other precious, semi –precious stones including 76 carat diamond & the best sight of Burma, then transfer to the Yangon International  Airport to take your international flight back home.

B=Breakfast