from $2,895* per person | 14 Days | May, July, October-December |
Comfort accommodations
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Exertion level: 4
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Operator: SpiceRoads Cycle Tours |
16 people max
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On this journey we explore central Burma, traveling from the Irrawaddy River plain up to the Shan Plateau and all along we will be greeted by warm, friendly people few tourists get to meet. From the heights of Mt. Popa we cycle down to the ancient city of Bagan and cycle amongst the temples dominating a river valley that once formed the centre of a great and deeply religious empire. A boat ride up the Irrawaddy will take us to ancient temples. We arrive at Kipling’s Mandalay and explore the surroundings before we head up to the Shan lands. In the mountains we enjoy cooler weather the colonial charm of Kalaw. We then head down to the wondrous Inle Lake and embark on a relaxing full day boat trip where we can marvel at the Intha fishermen, who famously manage to row with their legs. The tour ends in Yangon, where we visit the incomparable Shwedagon Pagoda.
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Locations visited/nearby
Myanmar (Burma), Southeast Asia
Itinerary
Day 1
From Yangon we fly to Bagan and then transfer by car to Mt. Popa, which seems to pop up out of the plains at 650 meres. Enjoy the hotel pool before dinner and a trip briefing about the ride ahead.
Day 2
Wake up to superb views! We start with an easy bike down from your hotel to the base of Mt. Popa. After a visit to Popa Taung Kalat, the the Nat Temple, we continue our ride to the temples of Bagan.
Day 3
Bicycles are the perfect way to explore the temples of Bagan; we take a morning cycle around the Archaeological Zone before returning for a dip in the pool. The sunset ride, with views across the plains studded with chedis and temples, is something you will never forget.
Day 4
This morning we will drive to the Bagan Jetty for a leisurely boat journey on the Irrawaddy River to Pakokku. Once back on land we cycle towards Yazagyo where we'll visit the wooden Pakhangyi monastery that was built in 1886.
Day 5
Our loop cycle through the Chindwin Valley will takes us to two famous sites - Mohnyin Thambuddhei Paya, which dates back to 1303 and claims to house more than 500,000 images of Buddha and the extensive cave complex of Po Win Taung where more than 947 sandstone caves contain a rich collection of mural paintings and Buddhist statues.
Day 6
We ride from our hotel to Myint Mu, stopping en route to visit the Hindu-style Thanbodday Temple that has some 864 small stupas surrounding the central golden chedi and the Boditahtaung Pagoda which houses one of the largest reclining Buddha images in the world. Get your cameras ready!
Day 7
From Mandalay we explore the towns of Sagaing and Mingun on the opposite side of the Irrawaddy River and visit the ruins of Pahtodawgyi and the Mingun bell, the largest ringing bell in the world. In the afternoon we hop on a boat to take us downstream to Mandalay.
Day 8
We have a long transfer this morning to head up to the Shan Plateau. We start cycling from Ywar Ngan through a patchwork of fields. Our destination is Pindaya, home to limestone caves that house thousands of Buddhas.
Day 9
Today is a rest day to recover and explore the small town of Pindaya. In the afternoon we meet up for a guided tour of the Buddha-filled caves of Pindaya.
Day 10
Cycle through a beautiful rural landscape as the gently rolling hills takes us to Aung Ban and then we have a climb up to the former colonial hill station of Kalaw.
Day 11
We leave the pine trees behind us and then continue coasting to Inle Lake. We cover many kilometres, but the last section has two sweeping downhills, which take us directly to the shores of Inle Lake.
Day 12
We give our legs some rest and enjoy a full day boat trip on Inle Lake. We take in the five-day market, Indein temples, floating gardens, monasteries and the Intha fishermen, who famously manage to row with their legs. Lunch is in a secluded bamboo forest by the lake. We then visit several Intha cottage industries. There are a variety of restaurants in town and dinner is your choice.
Day 13
In the morning we transfer to Heho airport and fly back to Yangon where we visit the huge Shwedagon Paya, Burma's holiest religious site.
Day 14
The morning is free for shopping at Bogyoke Aung San market before heading to the airport for the flight home.
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