A Glimpse of Tibet
The ‘Old Burma Road’ & The Ayeyarwaddy Gorges - 16 Days

Itinerary

Day 1 - Kunming (D)

• Arrive at Kunming International Airport and transfer to your hotel.
• Afternoon sightseeing will include a visit to Zhuang Tong Food Market and Yuan Tong Temple.
• Western dinner and overnight stay at Harbour Plaza Hotel (*****, RoH) or similar in Kunming.

Day 2 - Kunming - Zhongdian (Shangri La) (B,L,D)

• After early breakfast, transfer to the airport for domestic flight to Zhongdian (Shangri La) (3’300m), resting on a plateau under the blue Tibetan sky. Zhongdian is the capital of the Deqin Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. The snow covered peaks, combined with the chanting and incense from the Tibetan monasteries, bring to life the ‘Shangri-La’ described in Hilton’s book the Lost Horizon.
• Visit the Songzanglin Lamaism Monastery. resembling the Potala in Lhasa. It was built by the 5th Dalai Lama in the 17th century and has a current population of about 800 monks.
• Visit the tranquil Bita Lake and take an optional horse ride through virgin forests and flower fields.
• Pay a visit to a local Tibetan family to learn about the traditional life style of Tibetan people.
• Lunch at a local restaurant.
• Tibetan dinner and overnight stay at Songtsam Inn (***, RoH) or similar in Zhongdian.

Day 3 - Zhongdian - Tiger Leaping Gorge - Lijiang (B,L,D)

• Breakfast at hotel.
• Possibility to join the early morning prayers at Songzanglin Monastery.
• Drive to Lijiang (195 km – 5 hours) and stop at the Tiger Leaping Gorge, which is one of the deepest canyons in the world. Wedged tightly between titanic cliffs the Yangtze River is so narrow here, that according to a legend a hunted tiger made his escape to the other side of the river with a single leap.
• Continue drive through Lisu county and the land of the Yi people where horses roam freely, young men herd goats and wildflowers line the roadsides.
• Visit a Naxi minority village en-route.
• Lunch at a local restaurant en route.
• In the evening stroll through Lijiang's old town. The city was founded by the Ming Dynasty and up to today has remained a magical world of historical buildings, narrow cobblestone streets, picturesque canals and arched bridges. Unesco named Lijiang a World Heritage site in 1997.
• Overnight stay at Wang Fu Hotel (****, RoH) or similar in Lijiang.

Day 4 - Lijiang (B,L,D)

• After breakfast, stroll through the famous Black Dragon Pond Park with the Moon Embracing Pavillion. Enter through the main gate and exit north next to the museum.
• Visit the Dongba Cultural Museum which will give you an insight into the unique Naxi ethnic minority culture and their religious beliefs.
• Travel to Shuhe for lunch at local restaurant.
• The afternoon is devoted to the historical town of Shuhe with its lovely atmosphere of tea houses, art galleries and traditional Chinese houses. A horse cart will take you around the old town followed by time at leisure for your own explorations. If you would like to visit a Naxi village after Shuhe your guide will be happy to take you to the area of Lashi Lake.
• Dinner at a local restaurant in the Old Town followed by a Naxi orchestra performance of classical Chinese music.
• Overnight stay at Wang Fu Hotel (****, RoH) or similar in Lijiang.

Day 5 - Lijiang - Shaxi - Dali (B,L,D)

• After breakfast, embark on a scenic drive (260 km – 6 hrs) on the old road to Dali via Shaxi and Jianshuan, a market town which was once a bustling trade station on the Southern Silk Road.
• Jianshuan is home to a fascinating local market held every day of the week. Don’t be blinded by the modern buildings along the main road, walk into the back alleys and discover a hidden world of historical Chinese shop houses.
• Continue to Shaxi, the only surviving example of a Southern Silk Road trade town which the World Monuments Fund has listed as one of the 100 most endangered sites in the world. Walk through the cobblestone alleys and see the town square, Oyang House and the splendid entrance gates of many residences. Every Friday is market day when mountain folks meet the local villagers. Lunch box will be brought along.
• Continue to Dali through lush mountain sceneries with rice fields, tobacco, corn and vegetable plantations dotted with small villages and farms.
• Just before entering town visit the honourable age-old Three Pagodas, symbolizing the outstanding architectural technology, the wisdom of the ancient labouring people and the brilliant culture of Dali.
• In the evening enjoy a stroll amongst the shops and old houses of Old Dali, stopping for a cup of tea in one of the old teahouses.
• Dinner at local restaurant in the Old Town.
• Overnight stay at Landscape Hotel (***, RoH) or similar in Dali.

Day 6 - Dali - Tengchong (B,L,D)

• After breakfast, embark on an interesting drive (246 km – 7 hours) to Baoshan and onwards on mountain roads to Tengchong through splendid landscapes ranging from tropical plantations to pine forests.
• Lunch at Jiulong Restaurant in Baoshan.
• Just before crossing the Salween river you will turn off the main road to follow the route of the ancient Southwest Silk Road, where merchants travelled since 3rd century AD.
• Upon arrival in Tengchong visit the Cemetary of the Revolutionary Martyrs giving you insight into the historical significance of the Burma Road and see the Dieshuihe Waterfall Scenic Spot and Park.
• Western dinner and overnight stay at Guanfang Hotel (*****, RoH) or similar in Tengchong.

Day 7 - Tengchong (B,L,D)

• After breakfast drive 15 minutes to the south-west and visit Heshun, a traditional walled-in historical town. Heshun looks like out of an ancient Chinese picture book and is one of the most beautiful towns remaining in today’s China. Walk into town along the cobble stoned alleys up to the square where a small market is held every day. Glance through some of the entrance gates into courtyards where residents trade their goods and wares.
• Visit the Museum of Yunnan-Burmese Anti-Japanese War one of the most remarkable places of interest explaining the geopolitical importance of the Burma Road.
• Lunch at the Household Restaurant overlooking the pond in Heshun.
• In the afternoon an overland journey (47 km – 1 hour) takes you to Yufeng Mountain dotted with Ming and Qing Dynasty temples. Enjoy a cable car ride across lush tropical forest up the 3000 m high mountain. The 100 step climb to the very top of the peak is steep but a beautiful view and small Taoist monastery will reward you. A market takes place in different small cities in the Tengchong region on a 5-day rotation schedule which you will have the opportunity to see.
• Chinese dinner in the hotel and overnight stay at Guanfang Hotel (*****, RoH) or similar in Tengchong

Day 8 - Tengchong - Ruili (B,L,D)

• After breakfast, (230 km - 5 hours) drive along magnificent sceneries and valleys full of villages and terraced rice plantations via Mangshi to Ruili.
• En route stop to visit the old Qing Dynasty residence in Lianghe.
• Upon arrival late lunch at local restaurant in Ruili.
• Early evening visit the Jewellery Street where Burmese traders deal in jade and gold. Walk to the back alleys and you will feel as if you had arrived in Burma already. See how blocks of raw jade make their way into the workshops and how they are manufactured into jewellery and ornaments.
• Dinner at local restaurant.
• After dinner visit the bustling night market thriving not only with sales activities but with billiard halls, gambling joints, games, restaurants and bars.
• Overnight stay at Jingcheng Hotel (****, RoH) or similar in Ruili.

Day 9 - Ruili - Muse - Bhamo (B,L,D)

• After breakfast, transfer to Jiegao, the China-Myanmar border post, where you will be welcomed by the Myanmar Asian Trails guide.
• After customs formality clearance, enter to Muse.
• Continue your overland journey driving (106km – approx. 7 hours) to Bhamo. After the 1945 built Shweli bridge the road follows pleasant sceneries, along rivers and small idyllic villages until into the jungle. The bumpy drive leads through rainforests which are vanishing as teak loggers and agricultural fields advance.
• Enjoy lunch at a simple local restaurant en-route.
• Late afternoon arrive in the lovely upper Burma town Bhamo. Take a bicycle ride around the town, or the less energetic can sit back and relax on a trishaw (bicycle taxi). Drive approx. 5km passing beautiful wooden colonial buildings until you arrive at a large bamboo bridge and Shwe Kina Padoga. Return back to your guest house.
• Dinner at a local Restaurant.
• Overnight stay at Friendship Guest House (**) in Bhamo.

Day 10 - Bhamo - Ayeyarwady (B,L,D)

• After breakfast, visit the colourful local market where Lisu, Kachin and Shan people meet to trade.
• Transfer to the bustling jetty to board a local, wooden boat, for the cruise to Mandalay. You have hardly cast the line when the first gold prospectors will come into view.
• See the Second Defile, of the 3 Ayeyarwady Gorges, a dramatic and lush scenery with steep rock faces.
• Visit Sinkan, a lovely village and important transit point for teak during the British colonial area.
• Take a walk past the old teak monastery and some old temple ruins overgrown by grass, moss and trees.
• Continue your journey to Kathar.
• Lunch, dinner and overnight stay on board, docked near Kathar.
• Important Note
You will travel by a local, wooden river boat. There are no cabins on board. On the lower deck which is semi open there is a ‘kitchen’ at the back as well as a toilet with cold water (no shower facilities on board). In the big open space we will set up a dining area as well as beds with cotton mattresses, pillows and mosquito nets. Every guest receives a comfort pack containing a cotton sheet sleeping bag and a towel. On the upper deck an open sundeck, partly covered by sunshade, with comfortable rattan chairs invite to relax and enjoy the passing scenery.

Day 11 - Ayeyarwady (B,L,D)

• After breakfast on board, visit Kathar, a beautiful town with an interesting market, friendly people, and a unique atmosphere. Kathar is well known from the book ‘ Burmese Days’ written by George Orwell.
• Sit back in a deckchair and observe the diverse river life: teakwood and bamboo rafts, gold prospectors, cargo boats dating from the colonial times, the government ferry and faster private passenger boats.
• Call in Tagaung, one of the oldest capitals of Myanmar. The origin’s of Burma can be found here according to some legends. The remnants of the former palace walls of the ancient Pyu kingdom, are still visible today. The kingdom was later relocated to Sri Ksetra near current Pyay city. Take a walk through the rather poor town with its unusual Nat shrine and a small market.
• Lunch, dinner and overnight stay on board docked near Tagaung.

Day 12 - Ayeyarwady - Kyaukmyaung - Mingun - Mandalay (B,L,D)

• After breakfast, explore Tagaung before the ship heads through the third Defile of Ayeyarwaddy Gorges. The scenery is beautiful, the river though wider and the hills not as dramatic.
• Your next port of call is just south of the famous pottery village Kyaukmyaung, in the small village of Nwe Nyeint. Go ashore to learn all about the production of the big eastern pots and jars.
• Visit one of the impressive ovens in which the pots are burnt traditional way as has been done for centuries. This village is a fascinating place to see different types of cottage industry and is full of life and curiosities.
• Lunch on board.
• In the afternoon, see a pagoda dotted range on the western river shore of the river and arrive shortly to Mingun one the highlights of the Mandalay region.
• Visit Mingun Bell, the world's largest un-cracked bell weighing 90 tons.
• Continue to the Hsinbyume pagoda and the unfinished Mingun padoga built as one of the world's largest chedis by King Bodaw Paya.
• Board the ship for your final leg to Mandalay which you will reach within an hour.
• Upon arrival transfer to your hotel.
• Dinner and overnight stay at Mandalay Hill Resort Hotel (****, Superior room) or similar in Mandalay.

Day 13 - Mandalay - Bagan (B,L,D)

• Early morning transfer to a traditional Mandalay neighbourhood to participate in Soon Offering. Soon offering is practiced throughout the country when monks line up along to streets to receive food donations from local people.
• Return to hotel for breakfast.
• Before becoming a monk one has to visit a Monk Accessory Shop as 8 items are needed before joining a monastery. We will visit such a shop and then continue to an Astrologer. It is of utmost importance to join monkshood on a suitable date and the astrologer will explain the philosophy and how such a date is calculated.
• Continue to a Monastery where you will observe the educational as well as religious side of monk hood and see how the monks eat the last meal of the day in total silence.
• Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant.
• After the lunch you will experience the sights and sounds of Mandalay including one of the most revered religious monuments in Myanmar, the Mahamuni Pagoda; the Shwe Inbin Monastery; the Golden Palace Monastery, a superb example of a traditional wooden architecture.
• Visit a traditional hand-woven silk workshop as well as a Kalaga tapestry craftsmen's shop before transfer to the airport for a domestic flight to Bagan.
• Dinner at a local restaurant.
• Overnight stay at Tharabar Gate Hotel (****, Superior room) or similar in Bagan.

Day 14 - Bagan (B,L,D)

• After breakfast, stroll through the colourful local market and continue the day with visits to the most significant pagodas and temples of Bagan: including Shwezigon Pagoda, built by King Anawrahta in the early 11th century as a religious shrine; Khay Min Ga Temple, noted for its panoramic view of the area’s numerous monuments and Ananda Temple, with four standing Buddha images.
• In the afternoon learn of manufacturing Myanmar’s most treasured handicrafts and visit a lacquer ware craftsmen’s workshop in nearby Myinkaba village.
• Later continue to Manuha Temple, built in Mon style in 1059 and explore the Nanbaya Temple, a unique sandstone monument which according to legends used to be palace site of the King Manuha.
• Visit Archeological Museum housing countless beautiful Buddha images of made of bronze, stone and lacquer.
• Complete the day by watching sunset over the majestic Ayeyarwaddy River from a temple top.
• Dinner and overnight stay at Tharabar Gate Hotel (***, Superior room) or similar in Bagan.

Day 15 - Bagan - Yangon (B,L)

• Your day will begin early with a nostalgic horse cart ride to the Ywa Haung Gyi Temple to celebrate the rise of dawn.
• Return to the hotel for breakfast.
• visit the site of Tayokepyay Temple in Min Nan Thu Village; Phaya Thone Zu and Nandamanya Temples noted for exquisite murals of 13th century; Kyat Kan Cave monastery, a famous meditation retreat in Bagan. Farming villages around Bagan will give you insight into the lives of the local people.
• After lunch at local restaurant in Bagan, a colorfully decorated ox-cart (if available) is waiting to show you more of Bagan's ancient temples in the traditional way of transportation used by people in Myanmar's countryside.
• Transfer to Bagan airport for an early evening flight to Yangon.
• Upon arrival transfer to your hotel.
• Dinner to your own account.
• Overnight stay at Dusit Inya Lake Resort (****, Superior room) or similar in Yangon.

Day 16 - Yangon (B)

• After breakfast, enjoy your last day in Myanmar with an extended visit to one of the world’s most spectacular monuments, the Shwedagon Pagoda.
• Complete your journey with a tour through Yangon’s colonial-style city center.
• Visit Sule Pagoda, dating back over 2,000 years ago and stroll through the Bogyoke (Scotts) Market with hundreds of food, clothes, handicrafts and gems stores.
• Transfer to the airport for your international departure flight.

Important notes

In addition to Myanmar and China visas, a special permit is required for all nationalities in order to be allowed to pass the border between China and Myanmar. Asian Trails will obtain such permits at the discretion of the Chinese and Myanmar governments. We require all client passport details as well as occupation latest 30 days prior to arrival.

Zhongdian is located at 3’300 m and it is recommended that guests check with their doctor regarding advisability to travel to such heights. Due to the high altitude and cool temperatures during the night even during the summer months (as low as 0 centigrade) it is necessary to bring along warm clothes. Due to snow and ice, overland access between Zhongdian and Lijiang may be cut off from December until February. Seasonal daily flights operate between Kunming and Zhongdian from March to October. The schedules are subject to changes without prior notice. Flights from November to February operate irregularly, check with Asian Trails for the latest schedules and update information.

This is a unique tour and only a few foreign visitors have had the privilege to experience this route. It is intended for guests who are well aware of long driving stretches and of partly simple infrastructure in hotel and meal quality. We endeavour to provide your guests with the best possible quality at each destination, but hope for their understanding in shortcomings beyond our control.

Prices

USD p.p Booking Class A All prices are per person in USD, based on twin-sharing in double rooms. Children under 12 years old sharing room with 2 adults and requiring extra bed are granted 25% discount; children under 12 years old sharing room with 2 adults without extra bed are granted 30% discount. NOTE: The itinerary can slightly change according to the season, local conditions, climate, flight schedules and room availability. Hotel Class A According to the itinerary According to the itinerary ROH Please note that compulsory gala dinners and peak season surcharges may apply during peak periods surrounding the public holidays of Christmas and New Year - these surcharges will be confirmed at the time of booking. Included in the price: Accommodation and meals as described (B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner), food only (please note that some hotels provide only CBF). All transfers within the journey, including pick-up at airport. All entrance fees. English speaking guides (other languages available upon request). Cruise on local boat Bhamo-Mandalay, no cabins only beds. Domestic airfare Kunming-Zhongdian / Bagan–Yangon. Not included in the price: Visa fees. International Airfare. Airport taxes. Personal expenses such as drinks, laundry, souvenirs. Personal insurance.

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