The Royal Capital: Upstream Between Salay & Mandalay 7 Days

Cruise name

RV Paukan Cruise

Company

The Ayravata Cruises

Class

Luxury

Capacity

29 cabin

Type

Sharing

Destination

Myanmar - Myanmar

Itineraries

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Board the ship in Salay at 10:30 a.m and welcome you by Cocktail. And lunch will be followed before afternoon excursion time in Bagan.

AFTERNOON EXCURSION: Temples of Bagan

This afternoon our excursion takes us to one of the most incredible areas of Myanmar: Bagan. Once the center of the Pagan Empire, Bagan today is a tourist, artist, and archeological mecca. We will start the tour with the massive Htilominlo, built by King Htilominlo on the site where he was chosen from the five sons of King Nadaungmya to be the crown prince of Pagan. While the murals that once decorated much of the inside of this temple have only survived on the ceilings, Htilominlo boasts the finest plaste carvings which still remain undamaged on the arch pediments. A visit to Bagan would not be complete without exploring one of the most famous temples of Bagan, Ananda. Built in 1105 CE during King Kyanzittha’s reign, it is one of only four surviving temples from this period. We will explore the cruciform of the temple, with four standing Buddhas facing north, south, east, and west.

Meals: Lunch/Dinner

Accommodation: RV Paukan Cruise

MORNING EXCURSION: Bagan viewing tower and Oxcarts ride.

This morning we take you to Bagan viewing tower to see the scenic view of Bagan. After that we will climbing aboard traditional, ceremonial oxcarts for a short ride through the temples of Bagan.

AFTERNOON EXCURSION: The Art and Sunset Over Bagan

After lunch, we visit a local workshop where the traditional methods of creating lacquerware (known as yun-de in Burmese) are still practiced. After a demonstration of the labor-intensive process required in making each piece, we have time to shop before continuing on our tour. A short coach ride takes us to Gubyaukgyi Temple (Great Painted Cave Temple), where the richly-colored paintings are thought to date to the original construction period in the early 12th century and we will also see a sand painting demonstration by a local artist. Next to this temple is the gilded Myazedi Stupa, which offers both a linguistic and a historical significance: an inscription consecrating Gubyaukgyi in four languages (Pyu, Mon, Old Burmese, and Pali), which established Pyu as an important cultural influence in the early Pagan period. For our final stop of the day we proceed to the Bagan Viewing Hill where we will view the sunset over the pagodas and stupas of Bagan before returning to the ship.

Meals: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

Accommodation: RV Paukan Cruise

MORNING EXCURSION: Markets and Temples of Bagan

This morning, we transfer by motor coach to Bagan’s largest open market, where fresh produce, meats, spices, woodcarvings, longyis, thanaka, and rattan products are sold every day. We have the opportunity to watch the negotiations and transactions taking place, and if we are lucky, see one of the local women carrying their purchases on their heads. After our walk through the market, we proceed to the gilded Shwezigon Pagoda. This important religious site dates to the reign of King Anawrahta, founder of the Bagan Empire. The construction of this complex spanned both King Anawrahta’s lifetime, as well as his son and successor King Kyanzittha’s lifetime. The golden stupa at its center is said to contain a bone and tooth relic of the Buddha, a gold image of Anawrahta and a Chinese emerald Buddha. After exploring this large temple complex we will say goodbye to the temples of Bagan as our coach returns us to the ship and we set sail.

AFTERNOON EXCURSION: Hnaw Kone Walking Tour

This afternoon we sail to the village of Hnaw Kone, and enjoy our second leisurely walk of the day. Hnaw Kone is a typical, rural, river village, with friendly residents and adorable children. During our exploration of the village we will stop to see the local handicraft of bamboo cane basket weaving. We will watch the villagers as they expertly split bamboo and skillfully weave the strands into baskets or larger panels for building homes.

Meals: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

Accommodation: RV Paukan Cruise

MORNING EXCURSION: Yandabo Walking Tour

On 24 February 1826, the peace treaty of the first Anglo-Burmese War was signed at Yandabo. Today, it is a picturesque village famous for its pottery. As we take a leisurely walk through the village, we have the opportunity to stop at the various family homes and workshops, each with its own unique style and markings, to witness the making and firing of the Yandabo pottery, famous throughout Myanmar.

Meals: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

Accommodation: RV Paukan Cruise

MORNING EXCURSION: AVA and Sagaing.

This morning we will explore the town of Ava by horsecart, visiting the beautiful 200 year old teak Bagaya Kyaung Monastery, Nanmyin watchtower (27mt. high) and the Yadana Hsemee pagoda complex. After visiting AVA, we continue to visit Sagaing by coach, an important religious site with countless pagodas dotting the surrounding hillsides. Here, stop to see Soon U Ponya Shin Pagoda at the top of Sagaing Hill for stunning views of the Irrawaddy and across to Mandalay. Next continue onto a Nunnery to witness life in a local nunnery.

AFTERNOON EXCURSION: Amarapura

After Lunch, we travel by coach to the penultimate Burmese royal capital of Amarapura to visit a silk workshop before driving to U-Bein Bridge, believed to be the world’s longest and oldest teakwood bridge. Local sampans wait to take us on a leisurely cruise of the lake while admiring the sunset over the bridge.

Meals: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

Accommodation: RV Paukan Cruise

MORNING EXCURSION: Mingun Walking Tour

After breakfast we will enjoy a leisurely walking tour of the small town of Mingun. Our first stop is King Bodawpaya’s monumental, uncompleted stupa. During construction, an astrologer to the king argued that the king would die upon completion of the temple, and work was immediately halted. Had it been completed, it would have been the largest in the world. The cracks we see are the result of the 23 March 1839 earthquake that shook the area. We continue our walk to the Mingun Bell, which was the heaviest working bell in the world until 2000 when the Bell of Good Luck was unveiled in Henan, China. After having the opportunity to stand inside the bell as it is rung, we have time to shop in the local market, famous for its makeshift galleries that display inexpensive art from both local and internationally known artists.

AFTERNOON EXCURSION: Mandalay

Enjoy a afternoon tour Mandalay. We visit the Kuthodaw Pagoda, which contains the world's biggest book, as well as the Shwe Nan Daw Kyaung Monastery, the only original monastery left from the royal era. Then we proceed a workshop that produces the gold leaf commonly used to adorn Buddha images at temples throughout Myanmar, and the Mahamuni Pagoda, to see how the gold leaf is used.

Meals: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

Accommodation: RV Paukan Cruise

DISEMBARKATION

After your breakfast, disembark at Gawein Jetty, Mandalay. (8:00 AM)

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: N/A

Check rate

Important Notes

Price includes:

All meals as mentioned
Coffee/Tea/Water
Sightseeing as described in the Itinerary – Ayravata Cruises English
Speaking
All Entrance Fees.

Price excludes:

Port tax
Tip
Drinks
Laundry
All items of a personal nature;
Health-accident-baggage or travel protection plan outside
The ship’s boundaries, port charges
fuel surcharges if applicable
Travel insurance of any kind
Others services not mentioned
Port tax USD 100 per pax.

Remark:

Cruise itinerary and schedule are subject to change due to weather and operating conditions. Unused services are not subject to a refund.
Meals on board are fusion: Vietnamese, seafood & international. Guests should advise of any special food preferences, allergies or dietary requirements at least three days prior to the cruise date.
Advance registration is required with full name, date of birth, nationality, gender, passport number and visa expiry date for all passengers. A valid passport is required upon check-in. Otherwise, boarding may be denied by port authority.
For All the departures should the occupancy be less than 10 PASSENGERS the Company reserves the right to cancel the cruise up to 30 days prior the departure date. A written confirmation notice will be released to all booked clients and/or their agents within and not later than 30 days prior the departure date. In case of cancellation an alternative cruise will be offered and if not acceptable all down payments will be refunded
Surcharge on Christmas and New Year & on Lunar New Year on Feb.

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Irrawaddy Explorer: Yangon -Mandalay 10 Days

Upstream

Destination : Yangon, Prome, Minhla,Magwe,Salay,Bagan,Yandabo,Monywa, Mingun,Ava,Amarapura, Mandalay

The Royal Capital: Upstream Between Salay & Mandalay 7 Days

The Royal Capital: Upstream Between Salay & Mandalay 7 Days

Itineraries

Day 1: Salay (Embarkation) - Bagan (L, D)

Day 2: Bagan (B, L, D)

Day 3: Bagan-Hnaw Kone (B, L, D)

Day 4: Yandabo (B, L, D)

Day 5: Ava-Sagaing-Amarapura (B, L, D)

Day 6: Mingun-Mandalay (B, L, D)

Day 7: Mandalay (Disembarkation) (B)

Check rate

Important Notes

Other itineraries