Golden Land Cruise Pandaw – 13 days

International arrivals in Rangoon and transfer to the 4 star Dusit Inya Lake Hotel; afternoon orientation tour by coach followed by visit to the Shwedagon pagoda.

Early morning flight from Yangon to Mandalay. In the afternoon we tour central Mandalay visiting the Mahamuni Pagoda and Shwe-im-bin teak carved monastery and Mandalay Hill for sunset. We stop to see tapestry making and other traditional crafts.

Morning visit by boat and walk in the beautiful hills with over 1000 hermitages and sanctuaries, rich in wood carving and religious art. Return to ship for lunch. In afternoon we explore these ancient capitals by coach or sampan visiting the teak Bagaya Kyaung, Menu Ok-kyaung and crossing the U Bein Bridge to see the paintings in a temple.

Further explorations of Pagan; we cast off at lunchtime and proceed to the Theingone village to make a tour of construction of both the new school and the monastery.

This very small rural village that specialises in pot making. We visit the Pandaw School and the new dispensary both built with past donations from Pandaw passengers.

We tour a selection of the 3,000 listed monuments in this important World Heritage Site.

Morning further explorations of Pagan and vist lacquer workshops. Return to ship and sail downstream to Sale. In afternoon we here visit a number of teak monasteries including the Yout-saun-kyaung with its spectacular wood carvings; we also explore an area of splendid colonial-style houses; moor at the Tan-chi-taung mountain and ascend on foot or by WWII jeep for the spectacular sunset over Pagan.

We climb the river bank and wend our way through a labyrinth of passages and paths to reach the magnificent Myat-thalon Pagoda. This pagoda is constructed with solid gold bricks. Of interest are the many nat shrines and hermitages within the temple precincts.

Minhla and Gwechaung – we visit the two Italian built forts constructed to keep the British at bay from Royal Myanmar. We climb the Gwechaung hill for the view. These were captured by the British in the 3rd Anglo Myanma War. The fight for the Minhla redoubt was the only serious action in the war and the death of a young subaltern inspired Kipling to write a poem. Gwechaung, the more impressive of the forts was captured from the rear before the Myanma could turn the guns around.

This pleasant colonial town once guarded the border between Royal Myanmar and British Myanmar following the 2nd Anglo Myanma War of 1855, many of the buildings including the covered market date from this period. Thayet also boasts the oldest golf course in Myanmar (1885) said by the locals to be reciprocally clubbed with the Royal & Ancient St Andrews (however when we mentioned this in an early brochure we received a curt note from the R&A Secretary denying any such association). Outside the town is an extensive war cemetery where Turkish prisoners of war were laid to rest. Captured in Iraq, the Turks were transported to labour camps in Myanmar where they died in their hundreds of malaria. In the town itself we visit the market, see the colonial houses and ride out by horse cart to see the countryside and golf links.

Visit the 5th-8th century archaeological site of Thiri-ya-kittiya, former centre of the Pyu civilization with a fascinating museum of early Buddhist artifacts and sculpture.

Disembark and drive to Rangoon; transfer to the Inya Lake Hotel and afternoon coach trip to the Scot Market.

Early morning visit to war graves at Htaukchan; transfers for international departure. End of services. Finish your Golden Land Cruise Pandaw