Rendezvous in Burma - 9D/8N - French-speaking guide - Half board

Trip Description

Accomodation

Stay program

• day 1

  YANGON

  Arrival at Yangon airport. Meet your driver, transfer to your hotel. Free time. Check-in from 2:00 pm. Dinner at leisure. Overnight in Yangon.

• day 2

  YANGON

  After breakfast, you will be welcomed by your French-speaking guide at 8:30 am at the hotel. Departure for a city tour to soak up the charm of the largest city in Myanmar. Stroll through the colonial district to admire its old buildings, such as the post office, the famous Strand Hotel, and the Yangon port. Then, visit the Sule Pagoda as well as the Chinese and Indian quarters. Visit the Chauk Htet Gyi Pagoda, renowned for its famous reclining Buddha of extravagant dimensions. Walk in Kandawgyi Park with its picturesque wooden walkways crossing the lake. This green haven is very popular with locals who come to enjoy the fresh air and the serenity of the eponymous lake. In the afternoon, visit the Sule Pagoda and the Chinese and Indian quarters. Lunch in a local restaurant. At the end of the day, visit the majestic Shwedagon Pagoda, whose golden dome dominates the city. Legend has it that the building was constructed during the lifetime of Buddha Gautama by King Okkalapla, who is said to have received some of Buddha's hair from two merchant brothers a few weeks after his spiritual awakening. Today, the site is considered one of the most important pilgrimage sites in Southeast Asia. Overnight in Yangon.

• day 3

  YANGON / NYAUNG U – BAGAN

  After breakfast, transfer to Yangon airport and flight to Nyaung U. Stroll through the very lively Nyaung U market before visiting the Shwezigon Pagoda: the elegant bell shape became the model for all stupas built thereafter in Myanmar. Lunch in a local restaurant. The afternoon is dedicated to visiting the main monuments of old Bagan: the ruins of the Royal Palace and the Tharabar Gate, the Ananda Temple, a jewel of Burmese architecture with its 4 immense Buddha statues, and Ananda Okkyaung, one of the last brick monasteries. Overnight in Bagan.

• day 4

  BAGAN

  After breakfast, departure for a new day of exploring the archaeological site of Bagan, by classic bicycle or electric scooter (your choice). Visit the beautiful Gawdawpalin temple, then the monuments around Myinkaba: the Manuha, Myinkaba-Gubaukkyi, Nampaya, and Nagayon temples. Lunch in a local restaurant located on the banks of the Irrawaddy River. In the afternoon, transfer to "new" Bagan, south of the site, to visit a lacquerware workshop. Here, for several generations, families have passed down ancestral manufacturing techniques. From resin to painting, discover the different steps involved in this artisanal specialty. At the end of the day, enjoy a sunset cruise with an aperitif on the Irrawaddy River. Overnight in Bagan.

• day 5

  BAGAN – NYAUNG U / HEHO – PINDAYA - KALAW

  After breakfast, transfer to Bagan airport and flight to Heho. Upon arrival, drive to the typical village of Pindaya through a surprising landscape (about 2h). The large lake overlooking this Shan village, in the shade of the great banyan trees, contributes to the peaceful atmosphere of Pindaya. Artisans make mulberry paper umbrellas and traditional hats here. A very important sanctuary, the nearby Shwe U Min caves house more than 8,000 Buddha effigies, gathered by pilgrims. Discover the caves housing thousands of Buddha statues as well as local craft workshops, including an umbrella factory. Lunch in a local restaurant. Continue to Kalaw, a hill station built by the English during the colonial era. Check in at the hotel and free time to explore the town. Overnight in Kalaw.

• day 6

  KALAW - ELEPHANT CAMP – NYAUNG SHWE

  After breakfast, walk to the local market of Kalaw. Departure by road through the Shan mountains to reach the "Green Hill Valley" elephant camp. The excursion in this elephant camp is different from the shows or elephant-back rides offered elsewhere. The elephants are cared for and housed by Tun Tun, his uncle the veterinarian, and their team of mahouts on the vast property where butterflies, orchids, and colorful birds mingle. Beyond the tourist attraction, visitors learn to feed and bathe the elephants in the river and spend a special moment with these gentle giants. The excursion concludes with a delicious Indian meal, with a panoramic view of the lush valley. In the afternoon, transfer by road to the village of Nyaung Shwe. Walking tour in the village then check-in at the hotel. Overnight in Nyaung Shwe.

• day 7

  Inle Lake

  After breakfast, transfer to the pier and departure by local pirogue to discover the lake. Inle Lake is one of Myanmar's jewels. Nestled at nearly 900 meters above sea level in a setting of hills in Shan State, where ethnic communities such as the Pa-O live, Inle Lake is known for its Intha fishermen and their unique rowing technique, its stilt villages, and its floating tomato plantations. Stroll among the stilt villages to observe the lifestyle of the Intha, who have developed very particular techniques of navigation, fishing, and agriculture. The walk is punctuated by stops in weaving villages, especially among the artisans in the far south of Inle Lake, who work with lotus fiber to create refined robes, a fascinating and painstaking craft. Lunch in a local restaurant. In the afternoon, visit the floating gardens, Ngaphe Chaung Monastery, and Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda. Overnight in Nyaung Shwe

• day 8

  Inle Lake

  After breakfast, departure by motorized pirogue for another day of exploring the lake universe of Inle. Stroll at the "five-day market." There are several in the villages of the region, which operate in rotation and return every five days to the starting villages. (*Visit to the market possible depending on the rotation on the lake, sometimes on the lake, sometimes around the lake). Stop at the Inthar Heritage House, a traditional Inthar house transformed into a center for raising awareness about the lake's fragile and threatened ecosystem. There is also a breeding program for the last living Burmese cats, with the aim of reintroducing them after their near disappearance. Lunch in a local restaurant. Visit the village of Indein, located on the shores of Inle Lake. This archaeological site consists of a hundred pagodas from the 15th century, some of which are buried in vegetation. Overnight in Nyaung Shwe

• day 9

  INLE LAKE – HEHO / YANGON

  Breakfast at the hotel, then transfer to the airport. Return flight to Yangon. Free day. Car at your disposal. Depending on your flight schedule, transfer to the international airport for your return flight. NB: In order to ensure connection with the international flight, the return flight must be after 3pm. END OF OUR SERVICES