FROM ANCIENT BAGAN TO HILLTRIBE MT VICTORIA – 9 Days 8 Nights

Start City: Yangon (Rangoon)

Departure city: Yangon City
Yangon – Bagan – Mt Popa – Mindat – Mt Victoria – Kanpetlet – Yangon

Duration: 9 Days 8 Nights

Private Tour. Departure: Daily, upon your request. (In hot season the days can get very hot indeed; Mt Victoria is best climbed between November and February for the cool, clear air at that time of year.)
– Extendable with optional tours from Yangon.

Please let us know your international arrival and departure flight time, so that we can adjust your itinerary much better.

BRIEF ITINERARY

Day 1: Yangon Arrival
Day 2: Yangon – Fly to Bagan – Mindat
Day 3: Mindat (4 hours trekking)
Day 4: Mindat – Mt Victoria – Kanpetlet
Day 5: Kanpetlet (3 hours trekking)
Day 6: Kanpetlet – Bagan
Day 7: Bagan – Mt Popa – Discovery
Day 8: Bagan sightseeings – Fly to Yangon
Day 9: Yangon – Half Day Tour – Departure

COST: Price is quoted in US dollars per person based on double/twin room.

DETAIL ITINERARY:

Day 1: Yangon Arrival

Our tour guide & driver will welcome you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel.

Yangon, formerly known as Rangoon, is still a relatively quiet and charming city. Its impressive colonial and spiritual heritage makes Yangon one of the most fascinating and authentic capitals of South-East Asia.

Your guided tour goes to Kandawagyi Park, one of central Yangon’s greenest spots. Here you will see the glittering Karaweik barge, a replica of the royal barge, and the vast lake with views of Shwedagon in the background. Enjoy breathtaking views of the golden stupa from this vantage point.

Your highlight for this evening is the dinner in Karaweik Palace, overlooking to the Royal Lake and Shwedagon tower. The dinner is served with fine Burmese food and amazing cultural show.

Meals: Welcome Dinner.

Accommodation: Hotel in Yangon

Day 2: Yangon – Fly to Bagan – Mindat

Leave Yangon for Bagan. Our guide will pick you up at the airport and transfer to Mount Victoria.

Mount Victoria (Nat Ma Taung in Burmese, or Khonuamthung in the local Chin language) is set in the stunning and little-visited Nat Ma Taung National Park, home to a variety of rare and beautiful flora and fauna and ethnic tribes known for their tattoo-faced womenfolk. The national park’s biodiversity has led to it being awarded ASEAN Heritage Park status and of Outstanding Universal Value by UNESCO.

First, we drive to Chauk with our bus and here before we cross the bridge, we change to the 4wheel drive vehicles. Then, we cross the bridge and from here onwards, we only have dirt roads for the coming days. Picnic on the way. This drive will take about 7 – 8 hours and towards the evening we will reach the district town of Mindat (20’000 inhabitants). Mindat is located on 4860 feet above sea level.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Guesthouse in Mindat

Day 3: Mindat (4 hours trekking)

This morning we walk to the village of Pang Oo located on a steep slope outside Mindat. We will visit the first Chins and get acquainted with their tradition. In this village, if you are lucky enough, you can meet or hear about an interesting elder man specializing in reading the future in a particular way. He heats up bamboo sticks and holds them on emptied eggs and through the appearing cracks he reads the future. Return for lunch to Mindat. In the afternoon, visit another nice and very photogenic village, Ng’Nam Thai.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Guesthouse in Mindat

Day 4: Mindat – Mount Victoria – Kanpetlet

Up to summit of Mount Victoria from 5700 to 10200 feet. In the morning drive to the upper base from where we start to the summit of the Mt Victoria through the National park.

Standing at 3,053 metres (10,016 feet), Mount Victoria is the tallest peak in mountainous Chin State and the third highest in Myanmar overall (the others are in northern Kachin State). There are great views all the way up the simple ascent; in November, December and February colourful rhododendrons are in bloom; and at the twin peaks of Mount Victoria you will find 360 degree panoramas of the surrounding mountains (plus a pagoda and Buddha, for good measure).

Picnic lunch served on the way. In the afternoon, return to upper camp and continue to drive down to old town of Kampelet. During the British occupancy the village of Kampelet was located here whereas later the villagers moved to lower levels because of the temperature.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

Accommodation: Overnight at home stay

Day 5: Kampelet (about 3 hours trekking)

Today, we visit some smaller Chin Villages around the town of Kampelet. We will find tribes such as: Ngara, Yindu, Dai, Okpu, Magan, Mwyn. All these groups speak different dialects and have different costumes. The women, mostly elderly ones, also we spotted a few young girls, have tattooed faces, with very different patterns. We count about 5 different ways of putting the tattooes on: dots, spider, lines, curls, almost black. Walks to each village take about 1 to 1.5 hours. The Chins are mostly Christians with a variety of all beliefs from Methodists to Catholics. In every village one will see houses decorated with buffalo corns. These are from animals called Mithan a cross between a domestic cow and a wild Gaur. Each time such an animal is slaughtered a kind of wooden pillar decorated with all sort of ornaments is erected in front of the house. In addition a stone table, which is also used as cover for urns is placed nearby. Some of the houses have up to 10 such pillars and in some villages the stone tables are all gathered together (like a cemetery) whereas in others they are near each home. Picnic lunch served on the way.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

Accommodation: Overnight at home stay

Day 6- Kampelet – Drive back Bagan

Full day drive back to Bagan via Saw. On the way, we stop for picnic. Today, we can see scenic landscape; however as we do not cross villages, a little bit monotonous. We will cross two elephant camps and depending on the season of the year, we might be lucky to watch them working. We will arrive Bagan in the late afternoon and transfer to your hotel.

From the 11th to 13th centuries, when Bagan was the capital of Myanmar, the rulers constructed thousands of huge stupas and temples many of which are still standing today on the banks of the Irrawaddy River.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

Accommodation: Hotel in Bagan

Day 7: Bagan – Mt Popa – Discovery

After breakfast, you will be picked up at your hotel, begin your first experience to visit Nyaung Oo Market where dozens of vendors come to sell their fresh products. The market is at its busiest early in the morning as the locals come to do their shopping. This is a great opportunity to observe the daily life of the friendly locals.

Enjoy a scenic drive to Mt. Popa (65 km and takes us 1.5 hour), an extinct volcano with spectacular views known as the most sarced site for meditation in Myanmar. You will have chance to challenge yourselves to climb the 777 steps to the shrine at the top of the peak. Its shrine is dedicated to animist spirits known as “Nats”. Our guide will lead you to Popa Kalat Monastery where you can enjoy the panoramic view of Popa national park.

On the way back to Bagan, we will experience the traditonal palm work, cigar maker and peanut oil distillation.
Discover the traditional way of making lacquer wares by local people; you can stop over at one of the most treasured handicrafts workshops where craftsmen create fine lacquer ware which features a part the Bagan fame, nearby Myinkaba village.

As today comes to a close, proceed to Mingala Zedi Stupa or Bu Paya, travel to the boat jetty and embark on a sunset cruise. Enjoy a cocktail and a stunning view of Bagan as you cruise along the Irrawaddy River. Stay overnight at the hotel.

Meals: Breakfast.

Accommodation: Hotel in Bagan

Day 8: Bagan Sightseeing – Fly to Yangon

After breakfast, we start with the exotic horse cart to one of the biggest temple in Bagan: Nan Paya, a unique sandstone monument said to have been the palace of King Manuha. Proceed to Manuha Temple, which built in the Mon style in 1059, and follow on to many other interesting sites nearby such as Dhammayangyi, the largest built by King Narathu in the 12th Century, continue with sightseeing to Minkaba Gubyaukyi Temple, experience the architectural difference in MyaZedi pagoda.

A visit to Bagan archeaological museum is arranged later today, so you will have more information about the region and establishment history of Bagan.

Continue the day with visits to the most beautiful pagodas and temples of Bagan including Shwezigon Pagoda, built by King Anawrahta in the early 11th century as a religious shrine; enrich your experience with a visit to Ananda Temple with four standing Buddha images. Continue to the elegant Htilominlo Temple, noted for its fine plaster carvings and glazed sandstone decorations, the next visit is Sulamani Temple.
Travel back Yangon by a late afternoon flight. Stay overnight at the hotel.

Note: Guests have the option of exploring some lesser known temples around the complex or tourguide can deduct some of temples as mentioned above depending on guests’ time and interest.

Meals: Breakfast.

Accommodation: Hotel in Yangon.

Day 9: Yangon – City tour – Departure

Checking out from your hotel, travel by car to Yangon International Airport for your departure flight.

If time permits, you can explore Yangon and its highlights such as Shwedagon pagoda – the most prominent monument in Yangon which dominates the sky with golden flash, giant spires and holy relics.

Spend a little time for shopping at the Bogyoke Market, formerly known as Scott’s Market, – one of the biggest market in Yangon for handicrafts and other goods. (Note: Market is closed on Mondays and public holidays).

The guide and the car will remain at the client’s disposal for your convenience and to use as you please, until your international flight departure.

Meal: Breakfast

Accommodation: N/A