Myanmar - tour of the country of golden pagodas

Day 1 Yangon

At the beginning of our tour of Myanmar we will find ourselves in Yangon, the largest city in the country, its former capital. The word Yangon itself means “the end of enmity,” as King Alaunpaya, ruler of Amarapura, called these places after his troops defeated the allied army of the Mon cities. The king thought that this was the last battle and that peace would now reign in these lands for many, many years, but how wrong he was!

In Yangon we will visit several Buddhist shrines, among which the Botatowng pagoda, which, according to legend, contains two hairs of Gautama Buddha, and the great Shwedagon pagoda, the main symbol of the country, stands out. This almost hundred-meter building rests on the basis of bricks covered with gold plates, and at the top of the pagoda, four thousand golden bells are set in motion by a light breeze. The space around them is filled with their melodic chime, penetrating directly into the heart.

The Shwedagon diamond is crowned with a weight of 76 carats, in total, the top of the pagoda is decorated with 2317 rubies, 4351 diamonds and many other precious and semi-precious stones. In the evening, lights are lit, and everything around is illuminated by a fabulous golden glow, trembling from touch, but so persistent.

In addition to Botatowng and Shwedagon, we will look at the two-thousand-year-old Sule pagoda and the Chauktaji pagoda, where we will see a huge image of the Buddha leaving for nirvana with amazingly blue eyes. If there is time, we will walk along the embankment of Lake Inya - a favorite place for all Yangonians to walk and look at the seething Bojok market, where you can see and buy souvenirs from all over the country.

Night in Yangon.

Day 2 Yangon and train to Bagan

In the first half of the day in our tour of Myanmar, we are waiting for a walk through the central part of Yangon, because in order to understand the city, you need to plunge into its life with your head. In Yangon, it is good to just walk, watch the movement of its streets, feel their rhythm. This is in the style of the Yangonians themselves, because their favorite activity, to which they give all their heart, is to sit on a small plastic chair and look at what is happening around them. Today we will plunge into the atmosphere of the narrow streets of the colonial center of Yangon, hear their voice, feel their breath, take a bus ride and see the importance of the work of the Yangon conductors.

And at four o'clock in the afternoon, there will be a train waiting for us to take us to Bagan.

Night on the train (16-17 hours) or on the bus (8-10 hours).

Warning: Myanmar trains are an extreme attraction for people with strong nerves and a well-developed cerebellum.

Day 3 Bagan

You can talk about Bagan indefinitely, but it is better to see and explore Bagan once on a tour. This is about four thousand Buddhist pagodas and temples scattered on the territory of about forty square kilometers. Along the main paved asphalt road, and some need to go through rice fields, to wade through the thickets like burdock plant. But it is worth it, because the view that opens here and the truly cosmic atmosphere of these places will be remembered for a lifetime.

We will definitely look at the Shvezigon pagoda, built by the very first King Anoratha in Bagan in the 11th century; learn what the frescoes on the walls of the Gubajaji temple tell us about; ten-meter-high Buddhas will stare at us in the temple of Ananda; we will be surprised by the strange shape of the Bupaya pagoda, admire the frescoes of the Patotamya temple, see Shiva in the Nat Laungchang temple, climb the Mahazedi stupa, and finally, from the walls of the Okchan monastery, we spend this long day with gratitude.

Night in Bagan.

Day 4 Mountain Popa and Bagan

The Myanmar people believe that everything around us is inhabited by spirits called nats. Nats can invade a person - this explains many diseases. Each village, each tree and pond necessarily has its own patron, so that the total number of spirits is in the thousands, but among all this mass there are thirty-four main ones. They live in the city of Popa, which in Myanmar means flower. We are going to visit these natas today.

And in the afternoon, on a tour in Bagan, we will continue to explore the temples and pagodas: be sure to look into the temple built by the captive Mon king Manukha and feel how cramped and dreary it was for him, even surrounded by luxury and mute; climb on the terraces of the Shvesandau pagoda and enjoy the panoramic view of Bagan; spend the sun on a boat swaying on the water surface of the mighty Irrawaddy, and later we will have a traditional dinner in the Myanmar style, during which we will be able to get acquainted with the local theater.

Night in Bagan.

Day 5 Road to Lake Inle

By bus along the picturesque road we will go to the village of Nyaung Shwe, located on the banks of Inle. (7-9 hours)

Night at Nyaung Shwe.

Day 6 Lake Inle

Lake Inle is located in a valley, closed by a ring of Shan mountains. Here on the shores of the lake and right on its surface - people have long lived in houses located on high stilts. They grow fruits and vegetables in floating gardens and gardens; here you can find a unique way of rowing - with your feet.

On the western bank of Inle, in the town of Indein, there are about two dozen small pagodas built by the Pao people many centuries ago.

Night at Nyaung Shwe.

Day 7 Road to Mandalay and Mandalay

In 7 hours we will go to Mandalay, relax a little and go to Amarapura, now a suburb of Mandalay, and once the capital of the kingdom of the same name. Here, from one bank of Lake Tauntome to the other, the U Bain Bridge is the longest bridge in the world, completely built of teak wood. In the evening it is a favorite place for walks for both tourists and locals.

Night in Mandalay.

Day 8 Mandalay

The highest point of Mandalay is the hill, thanks to which the city got its name. From above, there is a stunning view of the surrounding area: in particular, you can see the moat surrounding the former royal palace. The palace itself was badly damaged during the Second World War, but was restored. Not far from the palace is the largest stone library: 729 marble steles in the ancient Pali language carved texts from Tipitaka - the first record of the Buddha's teachings.

On the excursion in Mandalay we will get by boat to the town of Mingun, which is located fifteen kilometers northeast of Mandalay. Here in the early 19th century, the construction of a pagoda was begun, which, according to the plan of King Bodopaya, was to become the highest in the world. However, the resources of the kingdom were not enough, besides, war with the British was brewing, and the construction was suspended, and then completely abandoned.

Night in Mandalay.

Day 9 Transfer to the airport and departure. End of the tour in Burma (Myanmar).