G Adventures: Best of Burma & Thailand (ATBT)

 		 
14 Days ex Bangkok (10 Breakfasts.)    
   
Brochure: Gap Adventures - Classic    
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Retrace the footsteps of the last Burmese King along the ancient streets of Mandalay and float down the Irrawaddy River to the ruins of Bagan. From historical marvels to serene natural highlights, this two-week adventure offers the perfect combination of guided excursions and free time to explore the best of enigmatic Burma and sunny Thailand. Encounter floating gardens and explore tribal villages and golden temples. Your expert CEO is there to take the hassle out of travel so you're free to explore the natural, historical and cultural beauty that has persisted in this region in spite of its sometimes troubling conflict.

What's Included:


Shwedagon Pagoda (Yangon), Mandalay combo entry ticket (most sights in Mandalay), Amarapura, Sagaing, Mingun, Bagan Archaeological Zone, Ayerwaddy (Irrawaddy River) boat trip, Pindaya Caves, Half day boat tour of Inle Lake, Doi Suthep Temple, Wat Po and Bangkok Klong tour.
Countries Visited: Burma/Myanmar, Thailand
ContinentsVisited: Asia
G Adventures - Best of Burma & Thailand: View Tour Map

G Adventures Tour: Itinerary

Day 1 Arrive Bangkok
     Please arrive at our start point hotel before 6pm for an important group meeting where you will meet you Chief Experience Officer (CEO) and the other group members. Please look for a sign on the hotel's notice board for the time and location of your group meeting. At this meeting your CEO will ask to sight your travel insurance and complete some other paper work. Please note that most nationalities requires a visa to enter Myanmar (Burma), please double check this with your travel agent or local Myanmar Embassy prior to your arrival. After your meeting, you may choose to head out for an optional dinner to further get to know your CEO and fellow group members. We do not have any inclusions planned for Bangkok prior to departure, although we have more time upon our return - but if you would like to explore this city in depth, we recommend arriving a few days earlier, or staying a few days at the end. We spend this evening in Bangkok. Our hotel is located in China Town, next to the central train station and MRT (Subway), and is only a short USD2 taxi ride from Khao San road and the central shopping area of Siam Square, MBK, Siam Paragon, etc. All rooms are double or twin share with air conditioning and en suite bathroom. The hotel has a small pool and wifi is available at extra cost.
Day 2 Yangon
     Today we will fly to Yangon Arrive in Yangon and have a visit to one of Myanmar's most famous structures, the magnificent Shwedagon Pagoda. The golden spire of this venerable structure dominates the Yangon skyline. Enjoy the rest of the day exploring Yangon's sights and marketplaces at your leisure. Note that it is best to travel with US dollars in cash when visiting Myanmar. There are no ATMs and the use of credit cards and travellers checks is virtually impossible, as very few places are willing to accept them. Please arrive with enough US dollars, in good condition, to last you the length of your stay. Changing money into the local currency, kyat, is a good idea for small transactions and can be done upon arrival at any of the various money changers in town. Our hotel is in the heart of Yangon and has comfortable twin / double share rooms with en suite bathrooms and air conditioners. Wifi is also available. Approx travel times: Hotel to Bangkok airport: 45 min Flight Bangkok to Yangon: 45 min Airport to Hotel Yangon: 30 min
Day 3-4 Mandalay
     We take another flight this morning and journey to Mandalay. The old capital of Mandalay is where the last king of Burma, Thibaw, held court, before the British exiled him to India in 1885. We take a full day tour to three of the nearby ancient cities: Amarapura, Sagaing, and Mingun. Amarapura is particularly renowned for its U Bein Bridge, a 2km long teak bridge constructed by the pillars of ancient palaces. Sagaing Hill is dotted with hundreds of Buddhist Stupas and provides spectacular views of the river below. Finally, travel by boat up the Ayerwaddy River to Mingun, home to the world's largest un-cracked bell and the awe-inspiring Mingun Paya. Our hotel hotel is in downtown Mandalay near the market and the night bazaar. We have twin/double share rooms with air conditioner and en suite bathrooms. Internet is available at the hotel. Approx travel times: Hotel to airport Yangon: 30 min Flight Yangon to Mandalay: 45 min Airport to hotel Mandalay: 30 min
Day 5-7 Bagan
     Get an early start and board a public ferry before dawn and cruise down the Irrawaddy (Ayerwaddy) River to Pagan (Bagan). This site was once the capital of a great civilisation dating from 849 AD to 1287, when it was believed to have been destroyed by Kublai Khan’s Mongol army. At it height, it was a mighty city, as is evidenced by the thousands of archaeological sites still remaining. Over 2,000 monuments dot the plains by the banks of the river, some still containing frescoes from historic times, whilst the spires of many of them form a dramatic skyline and provide excellent vantage points to view the other temples and pagodas. On day 6, a full day guided tour explores the highlights of Bagan. Day 7 is free to continue temple touring by bicycle, horse cart, or car or spend the day visiting the Nyaung U market or lacquer ware workshops in the area. Our hotel is centrally located within easy walking or bicycling distance of the Ancient city of Bagan. We have comfortable twin / double share rooms with air conditioning and en suite bathrooms. Internet is available. Approx travel times: Cruise to Pagan (Bagan): 7-11 hours depending on the season and water level
Day 8-9 Inle Lake
     On Day 8 we fly from the plain of Ayerwaddy to the Shan Plateau which only takes 40 minutes. On arrival, drive through mountainous plantation and paddy fields to Pindaya, an interesting drive up of approximately 1.5 – 2 hours into the hills and across the Shan Plateau, through fields of mountain rice and Pa-O and Danu villages. Then, visit magnificent Pindaya Caves, set in a limestone ridge overlooking a picturesque lake, where over 8000 thousands of different types of Buddha images are on display in the various cave chambers. From Pindaya we drive to the township of Nyaung Shwe (4 hrs), located close to Inle Lake. On Day 9, we take an excursion to Inle Lake, the land of the Intha people. These people are known as leg-rowers and as the architects of floating villages and gardens. The life of the Intha, who originally came from the south of Burma, revolves completely around the lake. Visit the great Phaung Daw Oo pagoda with five holy Buddha images, floating villages with beautiful gardens, silk and lotus weavers, silversmiths, and the Nge Phe Chaung monastery, famous for its Buddha images. Our hotel is situated near the entrance to Nyaung Shwe township, very near to Inle Lake. The rooms are twin/double share with en suite bathrooms. Approx travel times: Hotel to airport Bagan: 20 min Flight Bagan to Heho (Inle Lake): 40 min Travel around Shan Plateau and back to Inle Lake: 6-7 hours with stops.
Day 10 Chiang Rai
     Today we fly from Heho to Tachilek and then cross the border into Thailand at Mae Sai, eventually arriving in Chiang Rai for the night. Chiang Rai has some of the finest craft markets in the region so hopefully you will have the opportunity to shop before we head for dinner. Approx travel times: Inle to airport: 45 min Flight Heho to Tachileik: 1 hour Border crossing and into Chiang Rai: 2-3 hours
Day 11 -12 Chiang Mai
     This morning we take the short drive to Chiang Mai. Surrounded by rolling hills, Chiang Mai offers both pretty surroundings and architecture. Enclosed by a moat and crumbling walls, the old city features great cafes, shops and accommodations. An important Buddhist centre since the 14th century, Chiang Mai is home to more than 300 temples. Many visitors come here to attend cooking courses, massage classes or yoga lessons. It is also a centre of handicraft production, with a long history of silverwork, woodcarving, pottery-making and weaving. A trip out to the countryside is another option for those interested in riding elephants or cruising down a stream on a bamboo raft. Not to be missed is the Night Bazaar, a series of covered markets, shops and stalls that offer the best selection of handicrafts in Thailand. Your CEO can help organize any activities that you would like to do during your stay in Chiang Mai. Late afternoon of day 11 we set off to visit the famous temple complex of Doi Suithep. If we are lucky we can witness the resident monks perform their evening chants. And late afternoon on Day 12 we make our way to the train station for our journey back to Bangkok. Our accommodation is an overnight sleeper train. Beds are dormitory style, with bunks on two layers along the side of the train carriage. There are curtains along each bunk for privacy. Your luggage will be accessible during the journey. The train has air-conditioning and clean bedding is provided for each bunk. There are both western style and asian style toilets at the end of each carriage. Food and drinks are served on the train but you can always bring your own food from the shops and restaurants in the train station. Approx travel times: Private transport Chiang Rai to Chiang Mai: 2 hours Private transport to Doi Suthep temple: 45 min each way Transfer to train station: 15 min Overnight train to Bangkok: 12-13 hours
Day 13 Bangkok
     Early morning arrival into Bangkok. After breakfast we begin with a one-hour long tail boat tour of Bangkok's famous klongs, or canals. A guided visit through Wat Po will introduce you to the Thai and Buddhist culture. There will then be time for some afternooon shopping or a visit to Grand Palace and Wat Phra Keow. We will return to the same hotel we used for Day 1 of the trip. In the evening we have our final night dinner,a chance to enjoy some tasty Thai food and reminisce on our great adventure.
Day 14 Bangkok
     You may depart at any time today. We look forward to receiving your evaluation regarding this tour itinerary and your CEOs performance. We value your input into what we could improve to make this trip even better and of course love hearing about what we are already doing well! You will be sent a post tour email on your return with details on how to go in line and fill in this simple form. Thank you so much in advance.
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