Upon arrival in YANGON, you will be met by our Asia Senses guide and driver then transferred to your hotel in downtown area. Check in and have a short break.

Yangon (formerly known as Rangoon) is the largest city in Myanmar. This city is a mix of British colonial architectures, modern high-rises and gilded Buddhist pagodas define its skyline. It’s a great starting point for any trip to Myanmar. Depend on your actual arrival time, some soft sightseeing for an orientation tour is suggested.

Start your Yangon sightseeing with a visit to the famous Shwedagon Pagoda - Yangon’s most famous landmark. The massive 99-meter high gold plated pagoda with the diamond studded spire set on top of a small hill in downtown Yangon. Its massive bell-shaped golden spires are plated with 60 tons of gold, while the tip of the stupa is inset with diamonds, rubies, sapphires and topaz. Wander through this magnificent structure and its courtyards, stupas, bells, temples, and Buddha images, and see religious and secular visitors from all parts of the globe. Enjoy breathtaking views of the golden stupa from this vantage point.

Overnight in Yangon.

Early in the morning, you will be transferred to the Yangon airport for a domestic flight to BAGAN. Upon arrival, you will be met by our local guide and driver then transferred to the hotel for check in (if the room availability allows). Bagan is an ancient city in central Myanmar (Burma) where more than 2,000 Buddhist stupas and temples were constructed by its rulers from 11th to 13th centuries.

After the refreshment at the hotel, start our Bagan cycling tour today, beginning with a visit to the colorful Nyaung U Market where locals gather each day to buy and sell fresh produce and other goods. Morning time is the best time to visit market, as you would see it at its liveliest and ways of life of local people. Then we visit the golden stupa of Shwezigon Pagoda, one of most important pagodas in Bagan.

Continue to nearby Wetkyi-In Gubyaukgyi, a cave temple with its unique architecture shows Indian influence and the elegant Htilomilo Temple, a large majestic structure towering 46 meters high with fine plaster carvings and glazed sandstone decorations. Return to the hotel to avoid midday heat and relax.

In the afternoon, we begin with a visit to a traditional lacquer-ware workshop where you can observe the intricate process of making traditional lacquer wares, from cutting bamboo into strips, and carefully build up mixtures of thit-see resin with clay and ash, finally it will be polished with the ash of fossil wood. Afterward, these items will be undergone the process of etching or painting by hand.

Then continue to the Ananda Temple, an architectural masterpiece and be considered to be one of the most beautiful of the Mon architecture. Built in the early Mon-style, the temple contains two unique Buddha images whose expressions seem to change depending on the distance from which the statue is viewed.

Later, we ride past Thatbyinnyu, the tallest temples of all monuments in Bagan which is 61m high overlooking the Bagan scene, onto the enormous Dhammayangyi Temple, the largest temple at Bagan with more than 225 feet each sides. Enjoy magnificent sunset over the plains from the upper terrace of the Sulamani Temple.

Overnight in Bagan.

Our adventure to Chin State begins today. In the early morning, follow our guide and driver on a 6-hour transfer by 4WD to Mindat, gateway to the beautiful Mount Victoria. Along the way, there will be ample opportunities to stop for photos, visiting colorful market and exploring local villages.

From Bagan, we will drive along the Ayeyarwady River, the country's largest river and most important commercial waterway to the southern small town of CHAUK. On arrival, attend a morning market which offers you fascinating insights into the ethnic diversity of the town, its produce, heritage and traditions. Then take another 2-hour drive down the road to Ka Zun Ma Village where your lunch will be served at a local restaurant.

After lunch, we continue to MINDAT, an attractive destination for tourists who interested in rural environment. Mindat is situated along the edge of the mountain, boasting its beautiful nature and friendly people. After a long journey pass through dusty, twist, rough roads, we arrive the destination in the late afternoon. Check in guesthouse, then free at leisure.

Overnight in Mindat.

Trekking: up to 7 hours - Difficulty: Hard

From the hotel, you will be transferred by car to the base camp of Mount Victoria. From here, embark on a 2-hour trekking to the peak of Mount Victoria. Spot endless rhododendrons and high altitude evergreen forests with sweeping views of the surrounding Chin Mountains. The forests feature a variety of flora and fauna including many rare species of birds. The ascent is continuous but not severe and gradually flattens out. Lunch at the summit of Mt. Victoria.

As we continue to descend we will notice the change in climatic zones and the effect on the flora. Today we descend from high altitude evergreen forest to primary rain forest. Arrive Pin Laung Village, situated at 1200m and makes a welcome stop for the night.

Overnight in Pin Luang village.

Trekking: up to 9 hours - Difficulty: Very Hard

The trek starts early this morning. Along the way, enjoy the cool mountain air of early morning while trekking towards the remote village of Kha Yaing, then see more local women with tattoos on their faces. Tattooing faces is tribal tradition in order to protect the tattooed women from being taken as wives by other tribes.

The scenery again changes during the descent down towards the Hei Phon Village which is located in an idyllic location by the river. Enjoy your lunch prepared by local people.

In the afternoon, we arrive in Kha Yaing Village. Enjoy the beautiful views over the rice paddy fields. Meet with your guesthouse’s host, check in then stroll through the village, interact with locals for better understanding their cultures. Play with kids in village.

Overnight in Kha Yaing Village.

Trekking: up to 9 hours - Difficulty: Very Hard

In the morning, bid farewell to your guesthouse’s hosts and strike out towards the remote Chin village of Mulong.

Chin legend has it that when a Burmese King travelled to the region, he was so impressed by the women’s beauty that he kidnapped one to take as a bride. Because of this, Chin families began to tattoo their daughters to ensure they would not be taken away. The practice was outlawed a generation ago.

During the 1960s, the Burmese socialist government banned the practice of face tattooing as part of their program of getting rid of the old and ushering in modernisations, with missionaries in the Chin also criticizing it as barbaric. So now only the elderly women have tattooed faces.

Overnight in Mulong Village.

Trekking: up to 8 hours - Difficulty: Very Hard

After breakfast, take a scenic trek along rarely used trails to Makyar Einu Village. Despite being a Christian village, villagers still believe in animist and natural gods. Their way of life has changed little in generations.

One the way, you could notice a huge change of the scenery. In the lowland areas, you will see rice fields where farmers are working, villagers do their daily activities. The trail undulates throughout the day and you will have opportunities to enjoy this incredible panorama of mountains, rice fields, discover the beauty of Chin state countryside.

Overnight in Makyar Einu Village.

Trekking: up to 4 hours - Difficulty: Medium

Today is the final day of trekking in our exploration. After breakfast, we depart Makyar Einu village and head towards Pi Sung, a beautiful hamlet which is located on the banks of the Laymyo River. This important waterway has served as a transport link and life line for the many Chin villages in the local area and beyond.

The trail today descends gradually towards the river and as we get closer the view changes from rice paddies and agriculture land to bamboo fields, before we finally descend towards the river valley below.

From Pin Sung village, one and a half hour river adventure will take place with local small boat along the Laymyo River until Mrauk U. The boats we use have to be small and nimble in order to navigate the difficult waters of the Laymyo River.

This river trip gives us the opportunity to observe local village life at first hand and also the chance to spot the many different birds that make the river their home, including the elusive hornbill.

Overnight in Laymyo Village.

Board a local long tail fishing boat to the fabled city of Mrauk U, a little known archaeological site in western Burma. It was former capital in the 15th century and once one of the richest cities in all of Asia. At its peak, this former metropolis controlled half of Bangladesh, modern day Rakhine State (Arakan) and the western part of lower Burma. There are hundreds of ancient temples and pagodas, many of which are well preserved remain of the powerful empire that once flourished here.

The boats used to travel between Sittwe and Mrauk U are designed to be small and nimble in order to navigate the difficult waters of the Lay Myo River. The journey to MRAUK U today therefore may take up to 10 hours, providing a great opportunity to observe local villagers’ life. It is also possible to spot the wild birds including the elusive hornbill.

Overnight at hotel in Mrauk U.

Wake up early and leave the hotel at around 06:00 to enjoy the sunrise over the misty hills of Mrauk U.

After that, return to the hotel for breakfast and then start our full day orientation tour to explore Mrauk U, including the Koethaung Temple, Laungbanpyauk Pagoda and Sakaya Mannaung Pagoda. These temples and pagodas were built from the 15th to 18th centuries, set in a low-lying area surrounded by hills, are some of the most important religious shrines of Mrauk U which primarily remain day-to-day places of worship for the local Rakhine villagers.

In the afternoon, visit Shitthaung Temple, the most important monument in Mrauk U, built in 1535 – 1536 by King Min Bar to commemorate his conquest of Bengal. It contains a remarkable collection of Arakanese Buddha images and reliefs. After that, we pay a visit to Andaw Thein Temple which contains a tooth relic of the Buddha coming from Sri Lanka.

Other temples of interest include the circular Ratanabon Pagoda and the fortress like temple of Dukkhanthein, whose vaulted passages contain incredible stone sculptures. Our final stop will be at the temple of Laymyetnha. Built in 1430, Laymyethnha is thought to be the oldest temple in Mrauk-U.

Overnight at hotel in Mrauk U.

Early morning, check out from the hotel and transfer to Sittwe by car. The driving hour may take 3 to 4 hours approximately. On arrival, stop for lunch at a local restaurant, then transfer to Sittwe Airport for a short flight to THANDWE. The staff from hotel will welcome you at the airport then transfer you to hotel for check in. Relax on the beautiful beach.

Overnight in Ngapali Beach.

Spend another day in Ngapali Beach to relax. The beach is one of the best beaches in the area with its pristine, palm-tree-fringed white sand, the clear waters of the Bay of Bengal. The warm, clear waters are perfect for swimming and snorkeling. There are several small offshore islands which can be reached by boat.

Overnight at hotel in Ngapali.

Free at leisure until a transfer to the Thandwe Airport is provided by the hotel for your return flight to YANGON. From here, embark your onward flight home or to next destination. See you again in your next Myanmar (Burma) Tours with us.