ULTIMATE MYANMAR WITH STRAND CRUISE 7D

Mingabar – Welcome to Myanmar! Upon arrival to the Yangon airport, you will be welcomed by your Discovery DMC guide and transferred to your hotel.

Formerly known as Rangoon, or the garden city of the east, Yangon is the thriving economic heart of the nation and an epicentre of transformation in Myanmar. Yangon’s city centre is blessed with many fine colonial-era buildings and is an exotic mix of spiritual heritage and colourful street life that makes it one of the most fascinating and vibrant cities in Asia.

Starting from Mahabandoola Park and Sule pagoda we explore the quaint old quarter of Yangon and its colonial buildings and heritage. Your guide will share interesting insights into key events and architecture of the city’s landmarks. In the local fashion, we make a tea stop in a popular tearoom to try typical Burmese tea and snacks.

We stroll by the iconic Strand Hotel, old time classic and sister property of the Raffles in Singapore, a great spot to try their signature cocktail Strand Sour or one of the more recent house creations.

By the Yangon pier, we hop on trishaws (bicycle taxis) for a short ride along the lively riverfront and small street market. Walk through the sprawling Chinatown and Indian quarter market streets to Bogyoke Market Bazaar, area and maze of hundreds of shops selling all kinds of merchandise from longyis to gemstones.

We complete the day with a visit to one of the world’s most spectacular monuments, the Shwedagon Pagoda, a gold-covered bell dome structure that dominates the city’s skyline. The Shwedagon is an iconic symbol of the country, a sight not to be missed.

After breakfast at your hotel, meet your private heritage walk expert for an in-depth city tour covering some buildings and locations along the historic commercial and administrative centre, as well as the most well-preserved residential area in the eastern part of downtown. It includes the former headquarters of the legendary Irrawaddy Flotilla company, the Armenian Church, Gandhi Hall, and the Secretariat—where General Aung San and cabinet ministers were assassinated in 1947. The walk takes approximately 3 hours.

In the afternoon visit the Scott’s market a maze-like bazaar filled with colourful boutiques. Then it is time for a restorative foot massage and a sundowner at the charming Governor’s Residence hotel.

Your dinner tonight will be at the charming Le Planteur Restaurant set in a beautiful villa by the Inya Lake. Le Planteur has long been undisputedly the best restaurant in Myanmar. The food here is Indochina influenced fusion cuisine. Wine cellar has nice variety of high quality wines.

You will have an early morning flight to Bagan.
We begin our journey through this golden land with a freshly made welcome breakfast in the tranquil shaded gardens of the oldest lacquerware house in Bagan. Lacquerware is a traditional art that began when the Pagodas of Bagan were first being built in the 11th century and is still practiced today. We will then move onto the nearby Shwezigon Pagoda, famous for it’s gold leaf décor, and the Ananda temple, famous as being one of the four great temples of Bagan and one of most exquisite temples in Myanmar. A short scenic transfer takes us to The Strand Cruise for check-in and to meet fellow passengers over lunch. For those arriving in Bagan later in the day, our rendezvous point is aboard the ship. Once settled into your cabin, meet your fellow passengers for lunch prepared by our Chef. During the afternoon, we will continue our exploration of the Bagan Heritage Trail, including the beautiful Sulamani and Gubyaukgyi temples. As the sun sets, admire Bagan’s magnificent sights over the Ayeyarwady river from the ship’s sundeck, sipping one of the Strand Hotel’s signature cocktails, before joining your fellow travellers at the long tables of our fine dining restaurant for a dinner of sharing tapas, followed by a menu of gourmet cuisine and fine wines.

Additional optional activities today include a guided visit by private car around Bagan or tickets to an evening performance of the nearby Dandaree show, a contemporary cultural show depicting Myanmar’s art and history.

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast this morning as we cruise downriver to the glass monastery of Tant Kyi Taung. Once ashore at the Tant Kyi river bank, a short transfer will take you to the monastery to witness the amazing view of Bagan from the hilltop, before descending the hill where a surprise awaits. By mid-morning, we begin cruising upstream toward Mandalay. The passing landscapes and typical Ayeyarwady villages have inspired many authors and artists throughout history, including Rudyard Kipling. As we cruise, lunch is offered either buffet style in the air-conditioned restaurant or al fresco at the more informal sundeck lounge while enjoying the beautiful landscape passing by. We will spend the afternoon drifting on the gentle waters of the ayeyarwady, relax on the sun deck and enjoy the many activities and workshops arranged by our experienced crew, before enjoying a traditional Strand afternoon tea. As night falls, our ship will moor on a remote and wild section of the river. Surrounded only by the soft whispering of nature, our Captain invites you to a cocktail and dinner, followed by a traditional cultural performance on board. Night owls can linger in the bar over a glass of fine wine or single malt whiskey and recreate the golden age of the Strand as a meeting place for explorers and raconteurs.

Enjoy a late breakfast this morning as the ship will cruise until mid-afternoon when we arrive in Mingun. Throughout the morning, relax by the pool with a book or participate in the many activities and workshops prepared by the crew as we pass through the wonderful countryside After a generous buffet lunch of international and Asian cuisine taken on the sun deck or in the restaurant, as you prefer, we will stop in Mingun, one of the country’s former capitals, at the foot of the unfinished pagoda, one of the largest pagoda’s ever constructed in the history of Myanmar. We will visit the pagoda by a popular local means of transportation, the Tuk Tuk. The pagoda is home to the magnificent Mingun Bell, claimed to be the largest uncracked hanging bell in the world. We will also visit Paya Hsinbyume, an impressive pagoda that rises in seven curved whitewashed terraces representing the seven mountain ranges around Mt Meru, the mountain at the center of the Buddhist universe. Once back onboard, relax and prepare yourself for a fabulous feast on the sand banks opposite Mingun (weather permitting) accompanied by local entertainment.

We begin our day with a freshly prepared breakfast while surveying the next and most awaited stop, Mandalay, the second largest city and the last royal capital of Myanmar. Our first stop ashore is the U-Bein Bridge, a crossing that spans the Taungthaman Lake near Amarapura. The bridge is believed to be the oldest and longest teakwood bridge in the world. We continue the Mandalay Heritage trail by visiting the Mahamui Buddha temple. Legend has it that the great Buddha himself visited the city of Arakan in 554 and that King Sanda Thuriya ordered a likeness of Buddha’s face to be created and placed in the temple. From here we visit the Shwe In Bin monastery before rejoining the Strand Cruise. After lunch on board as we cruise, we will explore Sagaing, the most important religious center in Myanmar, famous for its many hundreds of white, silver and gold pagodas and monasteries. A traditional local truck will collect passengers from the ship and bring them to the top terrace of the Soon U Ponya Shin pagoda to enjoy a stunning vista of Mandalay surrounded by its ancient royal capitals linked by the golden thread of the Ayeyarwady River. During the afternoon we will set sail again towards Ava, the ancient imperial capital of successive Burmese kingdoms from the 14th to 19th centuries. Horse carts await to transport guests for a delightful ride through the naturally preserved Ava landscape and key landmarks. We will have an exclusive mooring overnight at Ava next to a remarkable temple, allowing Strand Cruise passengers access to the site after the crowds have departed in the late afternoon until the following morning. As we reach the end of the day, a special Champagne Sunset Cocktail will be held overlooking the Ava bridge and Sagaing Hill as they are bathed in the evening glow, before a fabulous Shan style farewell dinner on board complete with traditional local performances.

This morning the monks of Ava will join us for a very special farewell before breakfast and our final cruise towards the Gaw Wein jetty in Mandalay, where guests will depart the cruise and are transferred to airport.