Burma Adventure

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.

Due to the popularity of Burma as a destination we highly recommend booking early to guarantee your place on the tour. Bookings less than 30 days before departure run the risk of not being confirmed.

Tour Cost	US$3,550	Single Supplement	US$725
Bike Hire	US$215	Total Cycling Distance	610 kilometres
Tour Grade	out of 5	Number of Days	14 days / 13 nights
Number of Cycling Days	8 full days/ 1 half day	Tour Meets	Yangon
Tour Ends	Yangon	Group Size	Minimum 2. Maximum 16.
Minimum age on scheduled departures	18 years old

Day 1

We will meet at our Yangon hotel for a visit to Shwedagon Paya, Burma’s holiest religious site. We then have a welcome dinner.

Day 2

We have a morning flight to Bagan where we will meet our bikes. After a short transfer we start riding towards the spectacular hilltop temple of Mount Popa and stop to visit Popa Taung Kalat, the the Nat Temple.

Day 3

Wake up to superb views! We start with an easy bike down from your hotel to the base of Mt. Popa and ride to the thousands of temples of Bagan.

Day 4

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 5

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 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

A rest day to explore the markets and monasteries of Mandalay.

Day 9

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 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.

Day 14

The morning is free for shopping at Bogyoke Aung San market before heading to the airport for the flight home.

• Very interesting route through fascinating countryside. Good to stay for short break in Mandalay. Cultural locations were great.

  Anonymous - November 2012

• My wife and I really enjoyed the trip as it was the first time we had attempted something of this nature. We enjoyed the interaction with the people we met along the way and the country is beautiful.

  Dennis Farrell - November 2012

• The trip was very well organized and had the right pace. We enjoyed all our guides and the support staff (bus driver & assistant in both Yangon and Bagan to Heho, and truck driver and mechanic) were all excellent and lots of fun.

  We enjoyed the stops at tea houses and more authentic Myanmar and Shan restaurants. The rest stops were excellent - good snack food and drinks, and plenty of wet towels and water were always available. Thank you!

  Wendy Carter - November 2012

• We were very impressed by the quality of all of the guides and our primary driver. In particular our primary guide was a wonderful instructor and companion, both well versed in Myanmar's history and culture and attentive to our preferences and needs. Our primary driver kept a watchful eye on our safety and well being and was always sure to provide us with drinks and food for our frequent rest stops and always kept the van clean and tidy.

  Roy and Roz tucker - July 2012

• The whole trip was fantastically planned and executed. The riding was fun, the guides were wonderful, warm and funny, and the accommodation was far better than we would have imagined.

  Stephen Sheldon - January 2012

• One of the highlights of the trip was an unexpected turn off the main road, heading in the direction of music and a ceremony. It turned out to be a novitiate ceremony and it was truly an experience of a lifetime.

  Bob Hayssen - January 2012

• Excellent balance of biking, visits and tasting local food.

  Chris Grossick - December 2011

• We've just returned from our trip and wanted to thank you for all the organising and emailing you have done. We had a fantastic time - guide and driver were wonderful. None of us spent any time in the van and it's the best holiday we've ever had.

  Adelle Lindsay - July 2011