Grand Voyage of The Chindwin River

A River Journey to discover the hidden treasures of the
Golden Land

17-26 SEP 2006 (10 Days / 9 Nights)

( Mandalay –Monywa – Mingit - Kalewa –Mawlaik – Pakhan-gyi - Pakkoku –Bagan)

17 Sep 2006 (Day 1)

Mandalay – Monywa
Transfer by coach from your hotel in Mandalay (dep. 08.00 hrs) or airport (dep. 09.00 hrs) to Monywa, the Chindwin River largest port with stop enroute for visiting the splendid Sambuddhai Kat Kyaw pagoda where more than 500,000 Buddha statues are placed and the Aung Sakyar Stupa with the longest reclining Buddha of Myanmar (333 ft/100 m). Lunch. Embark RV Pandaw 1947 in the early afternoon.

Afternoon we drive to Kyaukka village to visit a “plain” lacquerware type workshop. Called in Myanmar “Kyauk Kar” this kind of lacquerware has only two colors, black and red made by natural pigments.

18 Sep (Day 2)
Monywa (Hpowindaung and Shwebadaung Caves )
Visit Hpowindaung and Shwebadaung caves where hundreds of Buddha Statues are placed inside niches decorated with wonderful mural paintings. If the weather and time permits we will also visit Twin Daung Lake better known as lake of “Spirulina”, the famous green-blue algae rich in protein, vitamins and minerals. The origin of the lake is unknown, some geologist claim to be an extinct volcano crater, others a crater formed by a meteorite.
Alternatively we drive to Kyaukka village to visit a “plain” lacquerware type workshop. Called in Myanmar “Kyauk Kar” this kind of lacquerware has only two colors, black and red made by natural pigments.
Late lunch and cast off.

19 Sep (Day 3)
Monywa – Kani (34 miles* 55 km) / Kani - kin (30 miles*48 Km)
Late morning explore the village of Kanee and climb the pagoda hillock for its view. Continue sailing upstream until late at night to reach the village of Kani .

20 Sep (Day 4)
Kin – Mingin (Miles 40*64 km)
Early morning we explore Kin village with its beautiful wooden houses and the woodcarvings monastery. Continue sailing upstream to the small enchanting town of Mingin . Explore its temples and 1900's wooden houses and the Min Kyaung Monastery with old Buddha Images.

21 Sep (Day 5)
Mingin - Kyidaw (1.5 Miles*2.4 km) / Kyidaw – Kalewa (42 miles*68 km)
At Kyidaw (Kyi Taung Oo) we visit Shwe Za War Yaw monastery one of the oldest and best preserved wood carved monastery of Myanmar , embellished with wooden sculpted idols with fascinating gold leaf wall decorations. We walk through a beautiful scenario of paddy fields to the village of Kan where we visit another splendid example of Myanmar old monastery. Back to the ship by local boat.
Proceed upstream up to Kyaw Zin, a village very close to Kalewa, where we stop for the night.

22 Sep (Day 6)
Kalewa – Mawlaik (38 miles*61 km)
In the morning we explore Kalewa, the main river port for the trading with India which border is about 100 miles away with its lively market and climb up to Shwe Moat Htaw stupa for the beautiful view.
Back to the ship before lunch and keep on cruising upstream to Mawlaik.

23 Sep (Day 7)
Mawlaik – Sailing back Downstream
Mawlaik (situated 35 km from the Indian Border) was the administrative capital of this area rich of Teak forests. It is a pleasant colonial town with its golf course surrounded by splendid colonial houses built by the Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation in the 1920's and 1930's (there is still a small community of Indians that used to work for the Scottish company and their descendents). The governor's house, the administrative building, the school, the hospital, the “Dak Bungalows”, the headquarter of the company are well preserved, still in use and efficiently maintained nowadays.
Being this our turnaround point, we start sailing downstream back to Monywa.

24 Sep (Day 8)
Sailing Downstream for 100 miles (160 km)
Continue sailing all day downstream. Stop at Kyauk Hlay Gar village, famous for its petrified wood, where we visit the school and the typical houses.

25 Sep (Day 9)
Monywa – Pakhan-gyi – Pakkoku - Bagan (96 miles*155 km)
We pass Monywa in the early morning and we enter the lower Chindwin plain. Stop at Pakhan-gyi, this post-Pagan period provincial capital was walled with a moat and originally had a governor¹s palace. We see the old walls, visit the museum and a spectacular 19th century wood carved monastery.
Proceed downstream to the bustling town of Pakkoku where we visit the monastery, cheroots and weaving workshops. After the confluence between the Chindwin and the Irrawaddy Rivers if time permits we stop at Thein Gone village.
The arrival to Bagan is scheduled in the late afternoon.
Mini tour “by night” of some famous temples before reaching the restaurant located inside the Archeological zone for the “farewell dinner”

26 Sep (Day 10)
Bagan
Disembarkation and transfer to the Hotel or Airport.

27 SEP-06 OCT 2006 (10 Days / 09 Nights)
(Bagan – Pakkoku - Pakhan-gyi - Monywa – Mingit - Kalewa –Mawlaik – Mandalay )

27 Sep (Day 1)
Bagan – Pakkoku (26 miles*42 km)
Board RV Pandaw 1947 at 09.00 hrs. We cast off at 09.30 hrs and sail upstream to the Irrawaddy and Chindwin confluence. If time permits we stop in Thein Gone, a typical river village where we visit the school and the monastery. Continue cruising North to the bustling town of Pakkoku where we visit the monastery, cheroots and weaving workshops. We pass the Chindwin and Irrawaddy river confluence and we stop for the night.

28 Sep (Day 2)
Pakkoku - Pakhan-gyi - Ahmyint Village – Monywa (70 miles*113 km)
Visit the little town of Pakhan-gyi . This post-Pagan period provincial capital was walled with a moat and originally had a governor¹s palace. We see the old walls, visit the museum and a spectacular 19th century wood carved monastery. Continue cruising to Ahmyint village and visit the local market, see beautiful houses and the lovely the 17 th century style Min Kyaw Swa stupas with 18 th century style paintings.
Arrive Monywa, the Chindwin River largest port, in the early evening.

29 Sep (Day 3)
Monywa (Hpowindaung and Shwebadaung Caves )
Visit Hpowindaung and Shwebadaung caves where hundreds of Buddha Statues are placed inside niches decorated with wonderful mural paintings. If the weather and time permits we will also visit Twin Daung Lake better known as lake of “Spirulina”, the famous green-blue algae rich in protein, vitamins and minerals. The origin of the lake is unknown, some geologist claim to be an extinct volcano crater, others a crater formed by a meteorite.
Alternatively we drive to Kyaukka village to visit a “plain” lacquerware type workshop. Called in Myanmar “Kyauk Kar” this kind of lacquerware has only two colors, black and red made by natural pigments.
Late lunch and cast off.

30 Sep (Day 4)
Monywa – Kani (34 miles* 55 km) / Kani - kin (30 miles*48 Km)
Late morning explore the village of Kanee and climb the pagoda hillock for its view. Continue sailing upstream until late at night to reach the village of Kani .

01 Oct (Day 5)
Kin – Mingin (Miles 40*64 km)
Early morning we explore Kin village with its beautiful wooden houses and the woodcarvings monastery. Continue sailing upstream to the small enchanting town of Mingin . Explore its temples and 1900's wooden houses and the Min Kyaung Monastery with old Buddha Images.

02 Oct (Day 6)
Mingin - Kyidaw (1.5 Miles*2.4 km) / Kyidaw – Kalewa (42 miles*68 km)
At Kyidaw (Kyi Taung Oo) we visit Shwe Za War Yaw monastery one of the oldest and best preserved wood carved monastery of Myanmar , embellished with wooden sculpted idols with fascinating gold leaf wall decorations. We walk through a beautiful scenario of paddy fields to the village of Kan where we visit another splendid example of Myanmar old monastery. Back to the ship by local boat.
Proceed upstream up to Kyaw Zin, a village very close to Kalewa, where we stop for the night.

03 Oct (Day 7)
Kalewa – Mawlaik (38 miles*61 km)
In the morning we explore Kalewa, the main river port for the trading with India which border is about 100 miles away with its lively market and climb up to Shwe Moat Htaw stupa for the beautiful view.
Back to the ship before lunch and keep on cruising upstream to Mawlaik.

04 Oct (Day 8)
Mawlaik – Sailing back Downstream
Mawlaik (situated 35 km from the Indian Border) was the administrative capital of this area rich of Teak forests. It is a pleasant colonial town with its golf course surrounded by splendid colonial houses built by the Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation in the 1920's and 1930's (there is still a small community of Indians that used to work for the Scottish company and their descendents). The governor's house, the administrative building, the school, the hospital, the “Dak Bungalows”, the headquarter of the company are well preserved, still in use and efficiently maintained nowadays.
Being this our turnaround point, we begin sailing back downstream to Monywa.

05 Oct (Day 9)
Sailing Downstream for 100 miles (160 km)
Continue sailing all day downstream. Stop at Kyauk Hlay Gar village, famous for its Petrified Wood, where we visit the school and the typical houses.

06 Oct (Day 10)
Monywa - Mandalay
Arrive Monywa in the morning. Transfer by coach to Mandalay with stop enroute to visit he splendid Sambuddhai Kat Kyaw pagoda where more than 500,000 Buddha statues are placed and the Aung Sakyar Stupa with the longest reclining Buddha of Myanmar (333 ft/100 m). Lunch at a restaurant in Sagaing. Continue to your Mandalay Hotel or Airport.

PRE & POST CRUISE LAND ARRANGMENTS
Stopover in Mandalay and Yangon, domestic flights, pre & post cruise tours and any sort of tourist services can be booked directly to your usual ground handling agent in Myanmar or contact us for more information and suggested programmes.

Includes
Transfer from/to Mandalay or Bagan Hotel-Airport, Full Board, All sightseeing and excursions as per programme, English speaking guide/escort, Entrance Fees

Excludes
drinks, laundry, gratuity, international and domestic flights

IMPORTANT NOTICE
The Chindwin River Cruises will be operated ONLY if there is a minimum of 14 passengers booked.

The cruise confirmation deadline is 90 days prior the departure date.