ONLY 5% DEPOSIT required
Discover Mandalay and Myanmar Old Capitals (Amarapura, Sagaing and Mingun), sail up to the spectacular Irrawaddy 2nd Defile (Gorges) with stops at the 50 Gallons pot-making village of Kyaw Myaung and the colonial Teak trading Town of Katha. The river journey begins or ends in Bagan, the ancient capital of the Pagan Kingdom, one of the most amazing archeological sites of Asia recently named as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
(Mandalay - Kyauk Myaung - Tagaung - Second Defile - Katha - Mingun - Amarapura - Mandalay)
Duration: 8 Days / 7 Nights
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IMAGES OF THE CRUISE
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ITINERARY
DAY 1 : MANDALAY
TRANSFER : Transfer from airport or hotel to Jetty can be arranged at supplement upon request. Pls note that it takes approximately 1 hr drive from Mandalay Int'l Airport and 30 mints from Mandalay Hotel to ship (Gawein).
Please note: We are not able to accept early arrival before 11:00 am.
Embark the ship at Mandalay jetty in the morning before noon around 11:00 am. Cast off and cruise upstream for the rest of the day.
DAY 2 : KYAUK MYAUNG
After breakfast, arrive the spectacular potteries-making village of Kyauk Myaung and see the manufacture stages of the famous 50 Gallons (200 liters) pots. Sail all day. Moor overnight mid-stream.
DAY 3 : TAGAUNG
Explore by foot the ancient city of Tagaung: the shrine of Bo Bo Gyi a famous nat, the archaeological area and the fortifications. Continue cruising upstream for the rest of the day. Moor overnight midstream.
DAY 4 : SHWEGU AND THE SECOND DEFILE
Sail upstream to view the spectacular Second defile, the largest of the Irrawaddy gorges, with its magnificent cliffs reaching down the narrow channel. In the afternoon sail downstream to Katha
Important note: In case of Low Water the excursion will be done by local speed boat.
DAY 5 : KATHA - BURMESE DAYS
The enchanting colonial town of Katha is the setting for George Orwell’s book “Burmese Days” and also the place where in the 1942 hundreds of Irrawaddy Flotilla Company ships were scuttled before the Japanese could seize them. We explore the old streets and the market by trishaw and an Elephant Logging Camp located on the surrounding hardwood forest.
DAY 6 : MINGUN
Full day cruising downstream with stop for a walk to a river village.
In the afternoon, we arrive in Mingun and visit the unfinished pagoda, the largest working bell in the world and the “home for the ages”. Drama performance by the Mandalay Arts School on the sundeck.
DAY 7 : CENTRAL MANDALAY - AMARAPURA
Enjoy morning tour Central Mandalay. We visit the Kuthodaw Pagoda, which contains the world's biggest book, as well as the Shwe Nan Daw Kyaung Monastery, the only original monastery left from the royal era. Then we proceed a workshop that produces the gold leaf commonly used to adorn Buddha images at temples throughout Myanmar, and the Mahamuni Pagoda, to see how the gold leaf is used.
After Lunch, we travel by coach to the penultimate Burmese royal capital of Amarapura to visit a silk workshop before driving to U-Bein Bridge, believed to be the world’s longest and oldest teakwood bridge. Local sampans wait to take us on a leisurely cruise of the lake while admiring the sunset over the bridge.
DAY 8 : MANDALAY
After breakfast, disembark at Gawein Jetty in Mandalay around 9:00 am.
TRANSFER : Transfer to the Mandalay Int'l Airport or hotel in Mandalay can be arranged at supplement upon request. Pls take note that it takes approximately 1 hr drive for transfer from ship (Gawein) to Mandalay Int'l Airport and 30 minuts to hotel in Mandalay.
CRUISE PRICE INCLUDES
All meals &, Coffee/Tea/Water - Complimentary local beer throughout the cruise- a glass of wine at lunch and dinner-Sightseeing as described in the Itinerary – Ayravata Cruises English Speaking Guide (additional non-English speaking guide is provided if more than 8 cabins are booked by parties speaking the same language) - All Entrance Fees.
CRUISE PRICE EXCLUDES
Drinks, laundry, all items of a personal nature; health-accident-baggage or travel protection plan outside the ship’s boundaries, fuel surcharges if applicable.
(*) Within the above rates the fuel cost is calculated on the Myanmar Market average price of the months of April 2017 (i.e. USD 0.7 per litre). Should the fuel price rise by more than 10%, AYRAVATA CRUISES will be entitled to impose a fuel surcharge equivalent to the amount by which the fuel price exceeds the price allowed for in the above rates, provided that the notice of this rise is given to the Passenger and/or his-her Agent within 30 days prior the cruise departure date.
RIVER CONDITIONS WARNING
The Irrawaddy and Chindwin rivers are subject to seasonal rises and falls of water level.
In the case of water levels being too high or low an alternative itinerary will be offered to Passenger.
Published itineraries are indication only and subject to sudden change. In such events alternative itineraries will be provided and we do our best to ensure that if a stop is missed we make up for it with another stop.
Though every effort will be made to ensure that the published itinerary is followed as closely as possible, given uncertain river and other local conditions, all schedules and itineraries may be subject to alterations and delays at short notice.
The ship’s manager and captain are jointly responsible for passengers’ comfort and safety.
Passengers must accept their decisions and instructions
Itinerary Upstream
Day 1 :Bagan
Embark the ship between 10.00 to 12.00 am. Welcome cocktail and briefing. After lunch visit of a selection of the 2,000 listed pagodas and temples. Dinner and Overnight on board.
Day 2 :Bagan – River Village
After breakfast continue the exploration of the archeological area. Explore also some of Bagan's local markets selling wood carvings, fabrics, longyis and rattan products .Visit a workshop to see the ancient technique of lacquerware making. Alternatively guests can hire a horse cart or a bicycle and explore the site on their own or have a splendid Balloon Flight over Bagan (surcharge applied - optional). Back to the ship around Noon and cast off. We cruise upstream all day. Stop at Shwe Pyi Thar village for a walk. Dinner followed by a Puppet Show performance in the village or sundeck.
Day 3 :Yandabo
In the morning we arrive at Yandabo, a picturesque village that specializes in Pot-Making, where the peace treaty of the First Anglo-Burmese war signed on Feb. 24, 1826. We go ashore for a walk stopping at some pot-making workshops and to visit the school and the monastery. We cruise upstream the rest of the day, moor overnight at Myin Mu jetty.
Day 4 :Monywa (Hpowindaung and Shwebadaung Caves)
Early morning drive by coach (approx. 1½ hours) to Monywa to visit the Hpowindaung and Shwebadaung caves where hundreds of Buddha Statues are placed inside niches decorated with wonderful mural paintings dated back to the . After lunch we visit the splendid Sambuddhai Kat Kyaw pagoda with its more than 500,000 Buddha images. Drive to Sagaing (2 hours) where we will rejoin the ship. Dinner and overnight on board
Day 5 :Ava – Amarapura
We explore Ava by horse-cart visiting the beautiful 200 year old teak Bagaya Kyaung Monastery, Nanmyin watchtower (27mt. high) and the Me Nu Ok Kyaung monastery. We travel by sampan and coach to explore Amarapura, the penultimate Burmese Royal Capital (1783) and crossing the teak made U-Bein Bridge.
Back to the ship at Mandalay Gawein Jetty and cast off. Moor overnight at a jungle village North of Mandalay.
Day 6 :Kyauk Myaung (Ngwe Nyein Pottery Village)
After breakfast, visit the spectacular potteries-making village of Ngwe Nyein and see the manufacture stages of the famous 50 Gallons (200 liters) pots. Sail all day. Moor overnight at mid-stream.
Day 7 :Tagaung
Explore by foot the ancient city of Tagaung: the shrine of Bo Bo Gyi a famous nat, the archaeological area and the fortifications. Continue cruising upstream for the rest of the day.
Moor overnight midstream.
Day 8 :Shwegu and The Second Defile
Continue upstream to view the spectacular Second defile, the largest of the Irrawaddy gorges, with its magnificent cliffs reaching down the narrow channel. In the afternoon sail downstream to Katha.
Important note: In case of Low Water the excursion will be done by local speed boat.
Day 9 :Katha – Burmese Days
The enchanting colonial town of Katha is the setting for George Orwell’s book “Burmese Days “and also the place where in the 1942 hundreds of Irrawaddy Flotilla Company ships were scuttled before the Japanese could seize them. We explore the old streets and the market by trishaw and if time allows an Elephant Logging Camp located on the surrounding hardwood forest.
Day 10 :Mingun
Full day cruising downstream with stop for a walk to a river village.
In the afternoon, we arrive in Mingun and visit the unfinished pagoda, the largest working bell in the world and the “home for the ages”. Drama performance by the Mandalay Arts School on the sundeck.
Day 11 :Mandalay (Gawein Jetty) – Central Mandalay
After breakfast, disembark.
Itinerary Downstream
Day 1 :Mandalay – Sailing North
Embark the ship at Gawein Jetty between 10.00 to 12.00 noon. Welcome cocktail and cast off.
Day 2 :Kyauk Myaung
After breakfast, arrive the spectacular potteries-making village of Kyauk Myaung and see the manufacture stages of the famous 50 Gallons (200 liters) pots. Sail all day. Moor overnight mid-stream.
Day 3 :Tagaung
Explore by foot the ancient city of Tagaung: the shrine of Bo Bo Gyi a famous nat, the archaeological area and the fortifications. Continue cruising upstream for the rest of the day.
Moor overnight midstream.
Day 4 :Shwegu and The Second Defile
Sail upstream to view the spectacular Second defile, the largest of the Irrawaddy gorges, with its magnificent cliffs reaching down the narrow channel. In the afternoon sail downstream to Katha.
Important note: In case of Low Water the excursion will be done by local speed boat.
Day 5 :Katha – Burmese Days
The enchanting colonial town of Katha is the setting for George Orwell’s book “Burmese Days “and also the place where in the 1942 hundreds of Irrawaddy Flotilla Company ships were scuttled before the Japanese could seize them. We explore the old streets and the market by trishaw and if time allows an Elephant Logging Camp located on the surrounding hardwood forest.
Day 6 :Mingun
Full day cruising downstream with stop for a walk to a river village.
In the afternoon, we arrive in Mingun and visit the unfinished pagoda, the largest working bell in the world and the “home for the ages”. After dinner guests can enjoy a Dance and Drama performance by the Mandalay Arts School on the sundeck (if available). Moor overnight in front of Sagaing Hill.
Day 7 :Mandalay - Ava - Amarapura
After an early breakfast visit central Mandalay: Mahamuni Pagoda, Mandalay Hill where spiraling staircases lead to sweeping views of the city and its temples and the nearby Kuthodaw Paya, which contains the world's biggest book, the workshops of gold leave making, tapestry making, woodcarving, marble carving and bronze casting. Lunch on board.
In the afternoon we explore Ava by horse-cart visiting the beautiful 200 year old teak Bagaya Kyaung Monastery, Nanmyin watchtower (27mt. high) and the Me Nu Ok Kyaung monastery and then we travel by sampan and coach to Amarapura, the penultimate Burmese Royal Capital (1783) to visit U-Bein Bridge and Silk factories. Moor overnight in front of Sagaing Hill.
Day 8 :Monywa (Hpowindaung and Shwebadaung Caves)
Early morning drive by coach (approx. 2 ½ hours) to Monywa to visit the Hpowindaung and Shwebadaung caves where hundreds of Buddha Statues are placed inside niches decorated with wonderful mural paintings dated back to the . After lunch we visit the splendid Sambuddhai Kat Kyaw pagoda with its more than 500,000 Buddha images. Drive to Myin Mu jetty (approx. 1½ hours) where we will rejoin the ship. Dinner and overnight on board.
Day 9 :Yandabo
In the morning we arrive at Yandabo, a picturesque village that specializes in Pot-Making, where the peace treaty of the First Anglo-Burmese war signed on Feb. 24, 1826. We go ashore for a walk stopping at some pot-making workshops and to visit the school and the monastery.
Continue cruising downstream with an afternoon stop at Shwe Pyi Thar village for a walk.
Moor overnight midriver.
Day 10 :Bagan
We arrive at Bagan in the early morning. Full day visit of a selection of the 2,000 listed pagodas and temples. Lunch on board and in the afternoon continue the exploration of the archeological area.
Dinner on board or in a local restaurant. Overnight on board.
Day 11 :Bagan (disembark)
Disembark at Aye Yar Jetty.
RIVER CONDITIONS WARNING
The Irrawaddy and Chindwin rivers are subject to seasonal rises and falls of water level.
In the case of water levels being too high or low an alternative itinerary will be offered to Passenger.
Published itineraries are indication only and subject to sudden change. In such events alternative itineraries will be provided and we do our best to ensure that if a stop is missed we make up for it with another stop.
Though every effort will be made to ensure that the published itinerary is followed as closely as possible, given uncertain river and other local conditions, all schedules and itineraries may be subject to alterations and delays at short notice.
The ship’s manager and captain are jointly responsible for passengers’ comfort and safety.
Passengers must accept their decisions and instructions.
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