About
Example Itinerary
Gems & Dolphins in Central Myanmar
- Duration
- 7 days / 6 nights
- Price Per Person
-
Terms & Conditions
Price is based on double or twin hotel room occupancy and includes accommodation, transfers, car/driver, English-speaking guide, activities and entrance fees, breakfasts and some casual lunches while touring. Flights and optional special activities will be quoted separately. Most personal expenses, including dinners, alcoholic beverages, spa treatments and gratuities can be paid on the spot while traveling. Prices may vary depending on season, choice of accommodation and other factors.
- Destinations
- Myanmar
The center of Myanmar (Burma) combines the best of lush wildlife, exciting industries and diverse history, all waiting to be discovered on this exciting journey. This compact seven-day adventure itinerary takes visitors from the former British outpost of Pyin Oo Lwin and the local gem mining areas, to the Ayeyarwady river to meet the iconic Irrawaddy dolphins and enjoy a memorable two-night cruise.
This itinerary is an example. It’s designed to inspire you and provide you with thoughtfully curated ideas. You can choose to do this exact itinerary or completely personalize it. All trips are 100% bespoke.
Highlights
- Mining in Mogok: For centuries, the world’s finest rubies have come from Mogok in northern Myanmar, and today travelers can tour the mines, visit with miners, and visit the central gem market in the city.
- Ayeyarwady Cruise: A private boat on Myanmar’s most famous waterway, where travelers can take in the scenery from the comfort of sleeping cabins.
- Freshwater Dolphins: One of the rarest of all freshwater cetaceans, the Ayeyarwady River’s dolphins can be experienced from the Kyauk Myaung village and Ngwe Nyein village, where fishermen use these friendly creatures to help their catch.
Day-by-Day
Day 1
Map ▲Pyin Oo Lwin »
Arrive at Mandalay international airport and head two hours east to Pyin Oo Lwin, a former British military outpost located in the Shan Highland. Spend the afternoon exploring this picturesque town: visit former British stations; enjoy a local botanical garden; and take a pony cart around the forested outskirts.
Hotel Options
Day 2
Map ▲Mogok
On the second day, head two hours north to Mogok, a city renowned for its mining and gemstones. Check in to the comfortable three-star Golden Butterfly Hotel and then visit the central gem market in the city - perhaps picking up a few precious finds. Spend the evening enjoying a sunset and panoramic views from Padamya Pagoda, an incredible monument that sits high above the city, or taking a dip in the hotel pool.
Mogok
Day 3
Map ▲Mogok
Today you’ll visit the mines to learn about the exciting gemstone industry. On the drive out of town, you’ll stop at the gem market once again, and then visit Kyat Pyin to see how it all works. Tour the mines and meet the miners themselves - perhaps you’ll even get to see them find some rubies! On the way home, you’ll stop at another gems market to see how the selection varies.
Day 4
Map ▲Ayeyarwady River
Today, you’ll head out on an exciting cruise down the Ayeyarwady river. Enjoy the beautiful landscape on the four-hour drive to the river, then sit back and relax as you float down the Ayeyarwady valley. Enjoy lunch and dinner on board before we stop near Kyauk Myaung Village for the night, as the boat calmly rocks you to sleep under a star-blanketed sky.
Hotel Options
Ayeyarwady River
Day 5
Map ▲Ayeyarwady River
After breakfast, your dolphin excursion will begin with visits to a local fisherman village, Kyauk Myaung village and Ngwe Nyein village to learn how fishermen interact with dolphins and use them to help with fishing. Get up-close and personal with these friendly animals - and perhaps watch as they help with that day’s catch! After the exciting day, you’ll spend another night on board.
Day 6
Map ▲Mandalay »
On the final day of your excursion, you’ll cruise down to Mingun, famous for its unfinished monument, the Mingun Pahtodawgyi - unfinished, the story goes, because an astrologer once said if the monument was completed, the King would die. Afterward, enjoy a final lunch on the boat before disembarking in Mandalay.
Hotel Options
Mandalay
Why Remote Lands?
Exclusively Asia
With Remote Lands you'll travel with people who have made Asia the solitary focus of their own lifelong adventure. As our guest, you'll discover Asia on a journey that is completely, authentically your own, adapted from our own remarkable experiences and adventures over the years.
With Remote Lands you'll travel with people who have made Asia the solitary focus of their own lifelong adventure. As our guest, in the continent that our north American founders Catherine and Jay have adored and explored for decades, you'll discover Asia on a journey that is completely, authentically your own, adapted from our own remarkable experiences and adventures over the years.
Travelogues
An Asia-focused magazine brought to you by Remote Lands - a platform for adventure, luxury, and authenticity from experts and explorers around the continent.
Trekking the Shan Hills with the Palaung People of Northern Myanmar
- Author
- Elisha Donkin
A trek through the Shan Hills of Myanmar leads to incredible scenery, historical perspective, and a deep, abiding understanding of the Palaung of Northern Myanmar.
The Jews of Yangon: A Look at Myanmar’s Smallest Religion
- Author
- Ronan O'Connell
The Musmeah Yeshua Synagogue serves a small, tight-knit community of 20, but the story and heritage of this site draws travelers from around the globe.
Four Luxe Riverboat Cruises in Myanmar
- Author
- Jim Algie
Myanmar riverboats have been traveling the Irawaddy since Burma’s colonial days, and these four are the premier luxury options for discerning travelers.
What Others Say
Here is a small selection of the kind words our clients have said about us recently.
A Couple from France
I want to thank Remote Lands very much for taking us to such a haven. Everything was perfectly planned
