Old Burma. A Hosted Journey. 14 Days.
Burma (now, Myanmar) is what Thailand used to be—an unhurried land of golden temples and golden-skinned people with non-commercialized smiles. Authentic, in a word.
See it before it accelerates. Join R. Crusoe & Son managing director David Weber, and his wife Patty, for a one-time-only tour deep inside Burma, with plenty of insider visits along the way. Start packing. We leave 20 October 2010.
Begin in Bangkok, Thailand. After a relaxing overnight there, fly to Yangon (once, Rangoon), Myanmar's capital city. Home is the gorgeous Governor’s Residence, a top hotel and restored teak mansion that Architectural Digest has positively gushed over.
Away we go, for there are sights to behold. Experience the gleaming dome of Shwedagon Pagoda rise up “like a sudden hope in the dark night of the soul.” (Thank you, W. Somerset Maugham.)
We visit Yangon on a special day. Thadingyut, the Festival of Lights, is the Buddhist version of Lent. Houses and streets are brilliantly illuminated, pagodas filled with people performing good deeds, paying homage, asking for pardons.
In Kalaywa Tawya Monastery, see how Burmese nuns and monks live and study. In the home of Patrick Robert, view examples of traditionally crafted furniture and hear about his experience doing business in Myanmar. Browse Scott Market, where 600-plus merchants sell everything from hair clips to haricots verts.
Begin an evening at Studio Square gallery to meet local artists and see their work. Then a U.S. embassy staff member gives us a private overview of the current geopolitical situation in Myanmar. Finally, representatives of a variety of NGOs and entrepreneurs join us for dinner. It should be a very enlightening night.
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 explore the lake.
We arrive during one of the most important holidays in Shan State, the Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda Festival. See the processions, the annual boat races, and enjoy the festivities.
At a vineyard, local ethnic Pa-Os produce some of Asia's best wine, following the traditional French process. Lunch at the estate follows an insider's tour.
Meet “leg rowers,” Intha fishermen who work their oars with their feet. Discover the absolute beauty of balance. Stroll a five-day market. Drop into a pagoda to examine unusual statues of Buddha. Spend a bit of time with canoe carvers and silk weavers. In an Intha village, participate in (or observe—your choice) a cooking class in the private home of a villager. We learn the ins and outs of Shan cuisine.
Next, we’re off on a flight to Mandalay. What’s here? Unparalleled romance and nostalgia. Six-hundred active monasteries. An outsized Buddha whose teeth are brushed daily by the devout. The world's biggest book—written in stone. See a performance in a beloved puppet theater, where the proprietor guides us behind the curtain.
Time to board our top river cruiser, the elegant Road To Mandalay, our moving hotel for the next three nights. Begin cruising the Irrawaddy River, Myanmar's most important waterway. Rudyard Kipling called it the River of Lost Footsteps. Hear why.
Nearby Sagaing is the living center of Buddhism in Myanmar. More than 5,000 monks and 600 nuns live in monasteries here. At one, we have the unique opportunity to speak to the head monk and nun to get the inside story.
Then 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.
Disembarking the Road To Mandalay, we pay a special visit to a palm plantation. Take time in a traditional village to get a handle on daily life in this part of the world. Explore Mount Popa, an extinct volcano and home to the spirits of ancestors past. Catch extraordinary views from the summit of a nearby peak.
Fly back to Bangkok, then connect with your flight home. Or speak to an R. Crusoe tour specialist about extending your visit in Thailand on a custom tour of this exotic nation.
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