ICONIC MYANMAR TRAVEL

It was a clear dawn late 1287; thunder rolled eerie in the distance, but the only clouds were dust rising on the horizon. As the thunder of Kublai Khan and his Mongol hordes grew louder and the ground beneath the 13,000 temples began to shudder, the people of Bagan shuddered with it. What had taken a thousand years to build would be ruined in a thousand minutes.

Some 2,220 temples and stupas remain in good standing today, hundreds with ancient mural paintings still in tact. You can tour one of the world’s greatest archeological and architectural wonders by horse and carriage, bicycle or on foot. Please don’t ride the goats! Sunsets and sun rises viewed from a temple-top can be positively surreal!

The “Mandalay Array” is a term we coined to indicate the impressive number of impressive places to visit both in and around the city. No tour of limited duration has the logistical setup to get them all in, but this one comes close and you will have your choices. There is the longest teak bridge in the world at Amarapura; the ancient capitol of Inwa; the world’s biggest book; the great unfinished rock temple at Mingun; the Holy Hills of Sagaing with its 600 monasteries and nunneries along the Irrawaddy, and of course, much more!

To sample this Burma travel itinerary click the Game Plan tab above. For more destination details, please see Burma Destinations.

What could be better than capping a week of historical splendor with a tropical Ngpali beach bungalow and a feast-full of outrageous seafood?

About that historical splendor… An hour’s cruise on the Irrawaddy from Mandalay brings you to the great temple rock edifice of Mingun, made famous by National Geographic photographer Steve McCurry. But there’s more! Like the stunning all-white temple of Hsinbyume, giant cheroot smoking nuns in pink robes, and little boy monks in maroon often available for modeling gigs. They won’t ask, but a few Kyat donation to the monastery or nunnery is always well appreciated. Please use donation boxes!

Elsewhere you’ll stumble-upon the largest, un-cracked cast-iron bell on earth, with its un-earthly ring. How’s that for a claim to fame? One of the highlights nobody mentions but we love, is the happiest little old folk’s home you’ll ever see. Think a dirt floor cannot be immaculate? Wander on in and check it out, they love having visitors!

For sample itinerary click the Game Plan tab above. For more destination details, see Myanmar Destinations.

Looking for a place to wear your Indiana Jones hat without getting snickered at? The lost city of Mrauk U is just waiting to unleash your inner “Indy”.

Mrauk U is the stuff of legend. It was virtually unknown outside Asia in its prime; and remains so even now. It was as wealthy as Amsterdam or London by 1635, with a population of 160,000 including thousands of foreign traders, merchants & mercenaries. The Arakan Kings even employed Japanese Samurai as trusted bodyguards.

The kingdom controlled vast coastal regions from western Myanmar well into eastern India, its reign lasting 354 years. When the city finally fell to the Bamar in 1784, it was abandoned and largely forgotten. Grand palaces, 19-miles of fortifications, and some 700 uniquely designed Buddhist temples were slowly swallowed by the jungle.

Today the jungle is thick only with irony; these grand symbols of a once bustling Dynastic Capitol serving as little more than an exotic backdrop for what is now a sleepy rural village. The world still doesn’t know it’s here. You do. Get here before they figure it out?

For sample itinerary click the Game Plan tab above. For more destination details, see Myanmar Destinations.