A Buddhist Tale of Myanmar and a seaside holiday on the warm Bay of Bengal

Pick up at Yangon airport, transfer and check in Melia Yangon 5*. Free time for acclimatization. Overnight.

Full-day panoramic tour of central Yangon with a look at the Lake Kandavgi, the Sule Pagoda (outside), Pagoda of the Reclining Buddha (from inside), Maha Bandula Park with the Independence Monument, the buildings of City Hall and on The Court Chamber (outside) and other interesting colonial buildings, a legacy of the British. Yangon was the capital of Myanmar from the late 19th century until 2006 and is a bustling Asian city of many millions, the centre of the country's economic life. In the afternoon, visit the covered Bogyoke Aung San bazaar to purchase souvenirs and jade wares. In the evening, enjoy the sunset at Myanmar's most revered Buddhist temple, the magnificent Shwedagon Pagoda.
It is believed to contain several relics of the historical Buddha Shakyamuni. The whole is covered in gold and is richly decorated with diamonds, rubies, emeralds and other precious stones.
Dinner at a local restaurant, return to the hotel and overnight.

Breakfast, transfer and flight to the ancient city of Bagan - on the banks of the Irrawaddy River.
Bagan is the country's most significant architectural preserve, where for centuries, kings, generals and heads of noble families have spared no effort, expense or time to build temple after temple, brick by brick, just to perpetuate their stay on this land and ensure their next rebirth.
Visit the pagoda Sulamani - „Temple of the Little Ruby“, famous for the richest frescoes in the Bagan area. On one of them, we will find some of the Buddha's many reincarnations such as: farmer; warrior; cow; monkey, flower, monk and many more and this is an essential part of the „Buddhist Tale of Myanmar“.
Lunch at a local restaurant with delicious traditional dishes. Hotel accommodationAnanta Bagan 4* and free time for rest.
In the late afternoon visit 2 other landmark temples; the 46 meters high pagoda Chtylominlo -„The Temple of the Boy Who Wanted to Be King“ and a sunset reception at the The Golden Pagoda Schwesigon - „The Temple with the House of the Spirits“. This is one of the royal temples in Bagan and therefore it is all in gold. It was the duty of every Ruler, every government official and every family to build a temple. That is why the whole region of Bagan is dotted with thousands of temples, small and large according to the means of each. A visit to the „House of the Spirits“ will make us living witnesses of the ancient traditions and beliefs. Myanmar is the only Buddhist country where the ancient beliefs in the Spirits have been incorporated in a unique way into the local culture, local temples and Buddhism in general in Myanmar.
Dinner at a local restaurant with a traditional puppet show. Overnight.

Important! Visiting all temples in Myanmar is done without shoes and socks.

Early in the morning, if you wish, you can meet the sunrise by taking a hot air balloon ride over the Bagan Valley. As you fly, a majestic and magical view of the many pagodas dotting the plain unfolds before you. From high above, you get a real sense of the size of this fabulous archaeological complex, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site for a reason.
Breakfast at the hotel and visit the remaining three iconic temples in Bagan: Ananda; Manuha and Tatbiinyu.
Consideration of The Pagoda Ananda – „The “White Temple of the Buddha's Disciple„ - an architectural masterpiece with perfect proportions and 4 impressive statues: one of the historical Buddha Shakyamuni (Gautama) plus 3 more Buddhas (Kasyapa, Kukusanda, Konagamana). Ananda was one of the main disciples and companions of the historical Buddha, accompanying him all the time and thus earning the nickname “The One Who Heard Much„ and “The Guardian of the Dharma". The temple is under the special care of India, from where the teachings of Buddhism in Myanmar originated. A plaque commemorating the visit of the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, after a major reconstruction of the temple with funds provided by the Indian state testifies to this deep connection. There are many messages in this architecturally perfect temple, but what unites them is the cosmic sense of congruence between the spiritual and the material.
Visit to temple Manuha „Temple of the Captive King“ - famous for the giant Buddha images combined with tiny open spaces. Here the Buddhist Tale of Myanmar, which is over 953 years old, will once again come to life and during this visit we too will be „captive“ to this historical narrative of Faith and Creation.
We finish with a visit to the highest temple in Bagan - The Pagoda Tatbeenu „Temple of Omniscience”. Inside the temple on several levels were located, monastery, library, vault and traditional altars with Buddhas. Earthquakes and wars have left their mark on the architecture, but the temple is still in excellent condition and here we will learn more about the turbulent history of the region. Return to the hotel for lunch break.
At sunset, we will climb one of the hills near the city, where we can enjoy a magnificent view of the temples of Bagan. At this mystical spot we will welcome the sunset, an iconic experience in Myanmar. Dinner at the hotel and overnight

Breakfast. Next, transfer to Bagan airport for flight to Mandalay. This is the second largest city in Myanmar and the last imperial capital until 1885 when it was captured by the British.
Meet and greet by a local guide and visit The Pagoda Mahamuni - one of the most significant modern temples in Myanmar. The golden splendour of the temple is impressive. Here we will witness a unique ritual paying homage to the Buddha - the pasting of thin gold leaf (the thickness of cigarette paper) over the Buddha statue, and so over the years it has „grown“ by more than 15 centimetres of gold layer. Poor and rich alike come here every day to place another gold leaf - an expression of their adoration, faith and reverence. You will be direct witnesses of this ancient Buddhist, Myanmar ritual !
Hotel accommodation Rupar Mandalar Resort 4* and free time for rest.
Afternoon visit to Shenandoah - „The Monastery of the Golden Palace“. The only surviving building from the royal palace is the teak monastery with impressive carvings and decorations. The last Emperor of Burma decided to build it outside the palace and this proved crucial in saving the temple from bombing during the wars. n
Next is a visit to The Pagoda Kittenau which will confirm our belief that Mandalay and Myanmar have a special place in the history of Buddhism. In 1871 the Fifth Buddhist Council was held in this place, under the leadership of the King of Burma, and many important clarifications were made about the doctrine of the historical Buddha, as recorded in the Pali Canon, the oldest and most complete written text of the Buddha's precepts. For the grand historical event, 729 marble chapels (shaped like a small pagoda) are being built in the pagoda courtyard, each with a stone tablet embedded with texts from the Pali Canon. But that's not all ! More than 2,400 monks and High Lama initiates chant the Pali Canon psalms around the clock for 5 months - while the Council lasts.
To end the day, we greet the sunset from the Mandalay Hill - a wonderful panoramic view, almost fairy-tale and unreal, as if you were in another era and in another world where other laws and harmony reign. Return to the hotel dinner and overnight.

Breakfast. Depart for a full day cruise on the Irrawaddy River, Myanmar's largest waterway, flowing from Himalayan glaciers in the north and into the warm waters of the Andaman Sea in the south. After crossing to the opposite bank of the Irrawaddy, we will visit the rock-cut pagoda Patodowgi. Construction began in 1790 and was so grandiose in idea and scope that the state was in danger of bankruptcy because of the unbearable costs in the then troubled times. To this end, court astrologers created a „false prophecy“ that „after the Temple is built - it will not be long before the King dies“. This delayed the completion of the rock temple, and after the King's death in 1839, the building was completely abandoned. But „The Buddhist Tale of Myanmar“ has a sequel !
Just 20 years after the King's death, a major earthquake shatters the façade of the main entrance, and it looks like the Prophecy is turning out to be a real ...
We continue with a photo break at the giant temple bell, and then on to the Sagaing Hills area. Lunch at a local restaurant and visit a silver souvenir and wares factory. Today we will meet another sunset on the banks of the Irrawaddy River at the historic 200-year-old teak bridge - another emotional experience in Buddha land !
Return by bus to Mandalay. Free time and overnight.

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your flight from Mandalay to Ngapali resort - on the shores of the warm Bay of Bengal. Transfer and check in at the luxury hotel Amazing Ngapali Resort 5* situated along the vast white sands. Dinner and overnight.
Here on the shores of Ngapali resort you will see that the white sands, crystal clear and clean water are not a photoshop ! There are no dangerous sea dwellers in the resort - neither sea urchins nor starfish, but most importantly, there are no crowds of tourists and non-stop noise from restaurants.
Sunny serenity, friendly and courteous hosts, tropical gardens immersed in greenery and beach coolness on the shores of the warm Bay of Bengal await you.
February is a wonderful month to relax in Ngapali, with no rainy days, air temperature around 30 °C and water temperature around 27 °C. This is the beginning of your holiday !

Breakfast. Free days to relax in the beautiful 5* complex.
If you happen to feel bored or want something more dynamic to happen, the Ngapali resort gives a good choice. The clear, transparent water and small waves are perfect for snorkelling.
There is also the possibility of day trips in the area, diving and fishing.

Breakfast. Free day.

Breakfast. Free time for rest and relaxation.
Today will be the last part of the Myanmar Tale - we have planned something special: a festive dinner (included in the price), on the beach - directly on the white sands of Ngapali !
A fabulous evening under the stars awaits you with memories of the wondrous Kingdoms of the land of Myanmar !!

Breakfast and departure flight Ngapali - Yangon.
Landing around noon and transfer to hotel Melia Yangon 5* for lunch in the hotel restaurant.
A short break and a chance for one last shopping spree at a nearby shopping mall.
Transfer to Yangon airport.