THE RV SANCTUARY ANANDA The newest and arguably the most luxurious ship in Burma, the five-star RV Sanctuary Ananda features just 21 staterooms and suites, all exquisitely designed to blend contemporary Asian elegance with charming traditional colonial touches, reflecting the richness and variety of Burma’s history. Full details of the ship and the various categories of staterooms on board, along with deckplans are available on our website.
YOUR ACCOMMODATION All the staterooms and suites have been meticulously designed to embody the grace of the colonial era, with rich fabrics, hardwood floors and original artwork. Great care has been taken to make each a luxurious haven with all the modern amenities you would expect from a five-star floating hotel. Each cabin features floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors opening out to your private balcony and offering the best possible panoramic views.
DINING ON BOARD The cuisine on board reflects the diversity of the cultures in Burma and its surrounding countries but there will always also be non-Asian options as well. Your day starts with a sumptuous breakfast with freshly prepared breads, eggs cooked to order and a generous selection of tropical fruit to try. Lunch is a buffet with plenty of salads and a variety of main courses, whilst dinner is always a highlight, with choices for each course. Tea, coffee, soft drinks and local beer are complimentary all day at the bar and at lunch, as are local house wines during dinner.
DAY 1 - DEPARTURE Fly to Rangoon (Yangon), via Bangkok.
DAY 2 - ARRIVAL IN YANGON On arrival in Bangkok, we connect on to Rangoon for two nights at the five-star Shangri-La Hotel, with breakfast.
DAY 3 - YANGON Today, we begin our tour of the picturesque garden city of Yangon. There’s an eclectic mix of Buddhist shrines and many impressive remains of the old colonial city centre, like the Secretariat Building and Post Office. We visit Scott Market – crammed with colourful and exotic vegetables and plenty of local handicrafts. The truly unforgettable highlight is the Shwedagon
Pagoda, one of the world's most spectacular religious monuments. We time our visit for the late afternoon to benefit from the extraordinary light at its most magical. The pagoda’s astonishing shining golden dome, Buddhist Myanmar’s heart and soul, rises to 321ft and is covered with 60 tons of pure gold.
DAY 4 - INLE LAKE We fly to the hill town of Heho before continuing to Inle Lake. Locally-made long-tail wooden boats transport you to our hotel for two nights, the five- star Myanmar Treasure Resort, with breakfast. This afternoon we explore the local handicraft
and cottage industries that thrive in rural Burma. You’ll visit a boatyard where sleek long-tail boats are constructed using age-old techniques and a weaving workshop using wooden looms to produce intricate items from silk and lotus fibres.
DAY 5 - INLE LAKE We continue our exploration of the lake by long-tail boat and its fascinating villages, visiting local markets for an insight into the lifestyle of the ethnic tribal minorities in their colourful and distinctive clothes and headdresses. We see the famous leg rowers, local fishermen and floating gardens. Our afternoon long-tailed boat ride takes us to the 14-18th century Nyaung Ohak ruins. Many pagodas
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here are slowly being reclaimed by the jungle, with plants and small trees growing out of them at bizarre angles. The breathtaking views across the valley and the surrounding forest-covered Shan Hills make it well worth the ascent. You return to the hotel in time to enjoy the stunning beauty of a glorious sunset over the mirror-like waters of the lake.
DAY 6 - MANDALAY After some free time to relax in the luxurious surroundings of your resort, we say goodbye to Inle Lake and fly on to Mandalay. On arrival we’ll visit Mandalay Hill with its sweeping views of the city and its temples. We stay one night at the five-star Mandalay Hill Resort.
DAY 7 - EMBARK RV SANCTUARY ANANDA Enjoy a morning tour of Mahamuni Pagoda and nearby we’ll visit the Kuthodaw Paya, which contains the world's biggest book. We embark our luxurious home for the next four days and sail the short distance downstream to the small town of Amarapura, the 18th century Burmese Royal capital, to see some traditional silversmiths and silk weaving workshops, before returning to the ship for a welcome reception and the first of many delicious dinners on board.
DAY 8 - MINGUN You explore the small town of Mingun by ox-cart, taking in the unfinished Mingun pagoda with its huge bell. After lunch we continue southwards, enjoying an informative lecture on Burma, sarong tying and a cooking class demonstration before dinner.
DAY 9 - BAGAN This morning we are at Pakokku and we take tri-shaw ride to its bustling vegetable market and traditional cigar factory. In the afternoon we arrive at one of the great highlights of our journey along the Irrawaddy – the plain of temples at Bagan. We’ll visit some of the most significant pagodas and temples of the 2,000 listed around Bagan. We’ll also visit a workshop to see the ancient technique of Burmese lacquerware.
DAY 10 - OPTIONAL HOT-AIR BALLON TRIP Start the day early with an optional hot-air balloon ride (seasonal, subject to availability & bookable on board). You then explore some more intriguing local temples and monasteries. We return to the ship for time to relax, perhaps leaning over the handrail of the Sun Deck, with a chilled cocktail in hand before the splendid Captain's Dinner.
DAY 11 - RETURN FLIGHT You disembark after an early breakfast and fly back to Rangoon. Late afternoon, fly to Bangkok to connect with your overnight flight home
DAY 12 Arrive home today.
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