Burma at Christmas or Easter
This family adventure, starting and finishing in Yangon, is perfect for travel between October and April when it will generally be hot and dry throughout the country. It includes all the highlights of the country as well as three nights on the beach at the end and is ideal for children of all ages. As always we can adapt any aspect of this itinerary to suit your family and travel dates.
Highlights
Visit Shwedagon Pagoda at sunset
Cycle around Bagan’s temples
Climb 720 steps at Mount Popa
Feed and bathe elephants at Kalaw
Stay in a stilt bungalow at Inle Lake
Relax on a picture perfect beach
15 days from £1,500 pp
Plus international flights from £650
A two-week holiday in Burma for a family of four usually costs from £6,500 plus flights.
Burma at Christmas or Easter day-to-day itinerary
Day 1 Yangon
Arrive in Yangon where you will be met by a representative and transferred to your hotel, immersed straight away into the hustle and bustle of downtown Yangon. The children will be entranced by the old fashioned cars and buses and the crazy traffic.
Arrive in Yangon where you will be met by a representative and transferred to your hotel, immersed straight away into the hustle and bustle of downtown Yangon. The children will be entranced by the old fashioned cars and buses and the crazy traffic.
Depending on what time you arrive there may be time for a sunset visit to the majestic Shwedagon Pagoda. This is the centre of Buddhism in Burma and a beautiful collection of golden temples, immaculately swept courtyards and devout pilgrims. This is a great place for a spot of people watching and introducing the children to Burmese culture and Buddhism.
Day 2 Yangon
A full day guided tour of Yangon. The children will love the bustling streets of the downtown area and will enjoy exploring lively Bogyoke Market, a labyrinth of stalls selling all manner of exotic produce and trinkets. You pass through Chinatown and Indiatown so perhaps stop for some delicious fresh pakora or chapattis at a local restaurant.
In the late afternoon take the overnight train north to Mandalay. Please note that this is quite a ‘local’ experience as the train tracks are old and the ride is extremely bumpy. However it is also great fun and the children love it. If this does not appeal, please let us know and we can arrange a flight instead.
Day 3 Mandalay
On arrival in Mandalay visit the Railway Market, a unique and very un-touristy market, which is held each morning on the actual rail line in Mandalay. From here head to the banks of the Irrawaddy to board a small boat to sail upriver to the ancient site of Mingun. The children will enjoy watching the great variety of wooden boats and bamboo rafts that trade on the river, carrying produce to distant markets. Mingun itself is home to an ancient brick pagoda that towers 50m over the river, and is home to the world’s largest intact bell.
In the afternoon head to Amarapura, home to the Mahagandayon monastery, which houses more than 1,000 monks. After exploring the monastery you can visit the impressive U-Bein Bridge, more than 200 years old and 2km long, constructed entirely from teak.
Day 4 Mandalay
After breakfast drive to the picturesque ancient capital of Ava, which is best explored by horse cart, always a popular mode of transport with the children.
In the afternoon explore Mandalay, including a visit to the Golden Palace and the Mahamuni Image. There are a number of craft workshops in the city which are worth a quick visit; you can see tapestry weaving, gold leaf application and bronze-melting. Later watch the sunset from Mandalay Hill, with wonderful views over the pagodas and the huge Irrawaddy River. There is also a fantastic ice-cream shop in town, which the locals love and you should try to fit in a quick visit to try one of the many unusual flavours.
Day 5 Mandalay
Drive from Mandalay to Bagan. The journey takes around 5 hours but you can stop en route in Sagaing. This is a small riverside town that is home to hundreds of monasteries, more than 500 stupas and at least 6,000 monks and nuns. It is a peaceful place and best appreciated from the top of Sagaing Hill, which offers wonderful panoramic views over the plains and monasteries below.
If the children are feeling active you can take the route that the pilgrims follow, up a series of colonnaded steps that lead to the hilltop. From here there are lovely views of the myriad temples and the slow waters of the Irrawaddy.
Read More Day 6 Bagan Later you start to explore Bagan with a guide either by car or by bike. This is a huge plain that is dotted with ancient temples as far as the eye can see. Whilst some of the temples are well preserved and maintained, others are in a state of disrepair but this is perhaps part of the charm. You can spend many happy hours clambering up the hidden staircases of the more remote temples, admiring the views from the top and finding exquisite old carvings and frescoes adorning many of the walls. This is a truly magical place to visit and a real highlight of any holiday in Burma. At dusk take a horse-drawn carriage ride across temple plain to watch the sunset. Day 7 Bagan In the evening perhaps head into the small town of Nyaung Shwe which is beautifully lit by lanterns at night and has a number of attractive restaurants with a range of local and international food. Day 8 Bagan – Kalaw Later continue to Kalaw, high on the Shan Plateau. The road is increasingly spectacular as you wend your way up onto the plateau, leaving the plains of central Burma behind. You will be able to stop along the way for pictures or to stretch your legs. The total driving time today is 6-7 hours. Day 9 Kalaw Day 10 Kalaw – Inle Lake Day 11 Inle Lake There will be time to visit a local craft shop where you can see handicrafts being made – our favourite is the blacksmiths, where they still forge iron in the traditional way – and you will also visit the lovely Indein pagodas on the edge of the lakeshore. There will also often be a bustling village market somewhere around the lake, which we will try and arrange for you to visit. Children really enjoy the markets, which attract exotically dressed hill-tribe people from the surrounding mountains, selling a wide variety of produce. Day 12 Inle Lake – Ngapali Beach Day 13-14 Ngapali Beach Day 15 Ngapali Beach – Yangon
After breakfast visit Nyaung Oo Market, which the kids will find fascinating. The market is full of local people shopping for fish, vegetables, baskets, cotton goods, household wares etc, as well as the odd ‘antique’.
A further full day to explore Bagan by yourselves. It is very easy to hire a taxi to take you around or you can explore on foot or by bike.
This morning head to Mount Popa, a scenic journey through toddy palm countryside. The mountain itself is the core of an extinct volcano and rises very sharply from the surrounding area. It is said to be the sacred home of the nats (or spirits), and it is a long climb up the 730 steps to the animist shrine at the top. However the views from the top are wonderful and it is fun to share the route with local pilgrims.
A full day at the Green Hill Elephant Camp, a new eco-tourism venture in the hills outside Kalaw. This has been set up to teach visitors about local traditions and introduce them to the Burmese elephant. This is great fun for the children as you will have the chance to help feed the elephants before bathing them in the nearby river.
After breakfast head out of Kalaw in a tuk tuk before embarking on a hike through gorgeous scenery of rolling hills, pine forest and orange plantations with fabulous views all the way. You will hike to a hill-tribe village where you can have a rest and enjoy a local lunch of noodles. The hike will take around 5 hours and is about 12km but if this is too far we can shorten it. However, often we find that the children really enjoy this and are happy walking further than they would at home! Later transfer to Inle Lake, encircled by gorgeous mountains and one of the most beautiful places in Burma.
Today you explore the lake by longtail boat. This is a small wooden boat powered by an outboard motor that can nose through the channels at the edge of the lake. Along the way you will visit a number of picturesque island monasteries. You will also see floating villages, many of which have developed an intriguing way of growing fruit and vegetables, suspended on the surface of the water.
Transfer to Heho for a flight to Ngapali Beach for three wonderful nights on the beach. Ngapali beach is one of the best in South East Asia, a beautiful long crescent of white sand and crystal clear water. The sand shelves gently into the water making this ideal for even the youngest children as you can paddle extensively without getting too deep. There are numerous little seafood restaurants and cafes that front the beach and you can spend many happy days enjoying the sunshine, swimming, eating seafood fresh from the barbeque and watching the sun set over the ocean. Bliss!
Two wonderful days spent relaxing on the beach.
Transfer to the airport for a flight back to Yangon to connect with your international flight.
Call us and we will be happy to provide you with a free-of-charge no obligation itinerary and quotation designed for you.
01728 752751
Burma in pictures
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