Old Burma. Sacred Shrines. Villagers & Artisans. And the River of Lost Footsteps. 10 Days.
Isn't it time for an Asian holiday?
Burma (now, Myanmar) is what Thailand used to be—an unhurried, authentic land of golden temples and golden-skinned people with non-commercialized smiles.
See it before it accelerates.
Begin your private, custom tour in Bangkok, Thailand, and fly directly to Yangon (once, Rangoon). Home is the gorgeous and five-star-plus Governor’s Residence hotel, a restored teak mansion that Architectural Digest has positively gushed over.
Away we go, for there are sights to behold. Sule Pagoda, which holds a hair of the Lord Buddha. The gleaming dome of Shwedagon Pagoda rises up “like a sudden hope in the dark night of the soul” (thank you, W. Somerset Maugham). What's a 
paya? A zedi? Experience awaits. Take a lesson at the National Museum. At Scott Market, 1,600-plus merchants sell everything from hair clips to haricots verts.
Fly to Heho, our gateway to Inle Lake. People of varied ethnic backgrounds call the lake home—Pa-O, Taungyo, Danu, Kayah, Danaw, and Burmese. Board a private longtail boat to cruise the lake. Meet “leg rowers,” Intha fishermen who work their oars with their feet. Discover the absolute beauty of balance. Stroll a five-day market. Our top guide takes you into a pagoda to examine unusual statues of Buddha.
Lakeside villages are busy places. Spend a bit of time with canoe carvers and cheroot rollers and silk weavers. Visit a local family in their private home.
Next, we’re off to Mandalay. What’s here? Unparalleled romance and nostalgia. Six-hundred active monasteries. An outsized Buddha whose teeth are brushed daily by the devout.
Nearby Sagaing is the living center of Buddhism in Myanmar. More than 5,000 monks and 600 nuns live in monasteries here. Visit a nunnery, and meet a top silversmith who is keeping an ancient art alive.
In the 1700s, Amarapura was King Bodawpaya’s capital. His son, however, saw things differently, and he moved much of the city—stone by stone, on the backs of elephants—to built what would become Mandalay. Take a private, guided tour of the old town, known for its silk weaving and bronze casting.
Then fly to Bagan (once, Pagan). The incredible Archaeological Zone, a favorite on UNESCO's World Heritage list, never ceases to amaze us. For spectacular views, we suggest a hot-air balloon ride over the Plain of Pagodas. Simply indescribable and one of the best experiences you can have in Asia.
We end our time in Bagan with a sunset cruise along the Irrawaddy, the country’s most important waterway and the lifeblood of Myanmar. Kipling called it the River of Lost Footsteps. Hear why.
We urge you to take this journey in conjunction with R. Crusoe’s custom guided tour, A Dream of Indochine. Contact R. Crusoe at 800-858-8555 for more information.
To request a detailed itinerary for this journey (and others), click here.