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Exotic Chindwin

Exotic Chindwin

CHIHL
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Description

This journey takes you to the most famous sites in Burma, with the highlights Mandalay, Homalin and the thousands of temples filling the plains of Bagan. A view that is simply unique. You will get to know all of Myanmar, learn their language, visit cave-temple complexes that are believed to be over 300 years old, attend a special ceremony at a local monastery and more. Experience the Chindwin River – a beautiful and unspoiled part of the world where traveling is an adventure. This itinerary is thoughtfully curated to experience the scenic landscapes of Myanmar and its culture.

Trip Name
Exotic Chindwin
Days
12
Overview
Vessel Type: River Boat/Small Ship Passenger Capacity: 46 Length: 65 m Built: 2015 With the largest cabin space on the Ayeyarwady river,  Anawrahta offers the finest on-board experience in Myanmar. This impressive vessel is named after the founder of the Burmese nation, the modern day Myanmar. During his reign, from 1044-1077, he introduced and spread the religion of Theravada Buddhism throughout the land. King Anawrahta was born in 1014. His mother was Myaunk Pyinthe and his father, King Kuhshaw Kyaunghpyu was once the ruler of Pagan. His father was overthrown by his stepbrothers, Kyiso and Sokkate. Anawrahta upon coming of age and learning the betrayal of his father, challenged Sokkate to a duel and won, bringing back the crown to their family. King Anawrahta made Pagan the capital of Burma and described it as the “City of a thousand temples” because of the numerous structures, temples and pagodas built there. He also unified the country and introduced Theravada Buddhism, the oldest and most traditional form of the practice that focuses on the “Teachings of the Elders.” Blending the purity and serenity of King Anawrahta’s Buddhist beliefs with the opulence of the British Empire, Anawrahta is the perfect vessel on which to explore Myanmar’s mighty Ayeyarwady River. Built to resemble a British colonial paddle steamer, the elegant 65-meter/ 214 feet long Anawrahta features three spacious decks and 23 luxurious cabins. With its gleaming white rails, polished lacquer, intricately carved woodwork and shining brass, Anawrahta takes guests back in time to an era of bygone elegance. KIPLING'S BAR Set on the Terrace Deck, the Kipling’s Bar is the perfect place to watch the world slip by as you enjoy your favorite wine or cocktail. With its high ceilings, large windows and colonial-style rattan chairs, the Kipling’s Bar invites guests to relax and contemplate the passing river life. With colors inspired by local spices, the Kipling’s Bar is a spacious 157-square meters/ 1,690-square feet. MANDALAY LOUNGE With polished wood floors, comfortable rattan chairs and traditional Burmese decorations, the 162-square meter/ 1,744-square feet Mandalay Lounge has the relaxed feel of a colonial club, at once exclusive and welcoming. Lean back against the burnt-orange cushions and enjoy a good book, or join friends for a nightcap in the lounge’s elegant and exotic ambiance. This elegant venue is located on the Upper Deck. HINTHA HALL RESTAURANT Inspired by the lavish decorations of old Bagan and Mandalay, Anawrahta’s Hintha Hall Restaurant evokes the elegant dining halls of yesteryear. White tablecloths and gleaming glassware are surrounded by polished wood, intricately-carved floor and ceiling panels and – last but not least – stunning views, framed by large picture windows. With seating for 48, the 141-square meter/ 1,518-square feet Hintha Hall lies on the Terrace Deck. THAZIN SPA Anawrahta is especially proud of its spa, which offers expert service, locally-inspired treatments and beautiful surroundings. Inspired by Mandalay’s White Hsinbyume Pagoda, the Thazin Spa features three massage beds, manipedi stations and a steambath. Superbly trained staff and inspiring views make this the ultimate place to unwind. CULINARY Local flavors. Fresh, diverse and delicious As well as offering international favourites, Anawrahta’s chefs take great pride in introducing their guests to the authentic flavours of Burma. Influenced by the cuisines of China, Thailand and India, Burmese food is as diverse as it is delectable. Thanks to its long coastline, seafood plays a prominent role, as do fresh herbs, aromatic spices and both highland and lowland vegetables. A typical Burmese meal involves steamed rice, a fish or meat curry and a light soup. Salads, known as a thoke, are plentiful, as are imaginative condiments. Last but not least, the nation’s Buddhist culture has given rise to mouth-watering vegetarian options.

Itinerary



Day 1 - DAY 1: SAILING
Board the majestic Anawrahta, berthed at the quay of Mandalay’s riverside and enjoy a warm welcome by our staff with some refreshments and a short safety briefing as you move into your “home” for the next days. Leisurely unwind on a relaxing sailing day. Take a swim in the 360-degree view pool on the sundeck or try out the fine treatments of our Thazin Spa while sailing towards Sagaing. Our lecture today will be on “Myanmar’s ways of life” followed by a cultural demonstration on “Traditional Longyi and Thanakha”, Myanmar’s traditional costumes and a natural paste applied on the face and body. Kindly join afternoon tea served in the Kipling’s Bar while gazzing at the vast river view of the Ayeyarwady river. Tonight a longyi Cocktail Party will break the ice with your fellow guests.Mandalay to Confluence = 87 milesConfluence to Yesagyo = 15 milesLunch, afternoon tea and dinner
Day 2 - DAY 2: AH MYINT VILLAGE & MONYWA
An early morning yoga session will be held on the sundeck to strengthen your muscles and ease your mind before Anawrahta enters the Chindwin river. Our morning excursion will take us the historical village of A Myint, which endured almost all of Myanmar’s dynasties. Explore the village life and their ancient pagodas built in 11-13 AD. Back on board, we will sail a short distance to Monywa while lunch is served on board. After lunch, we go by bus to Monywa where a spectacular styled Thanboddhay Pagoda (Thambuddhei Paya) with over 500,000 Buddha images and hundreds of golden spires can be found. Further down the road is the second tallest Buddha statue in the world, measuring 116 meters. It’s located behind a tremendous religious site with Bodhi trees, gardens with hundreds of sitting Buddhas, and a huge lying Buddha. The whole interior features depictions of Buddhist teachings on several floors. Back on board, we continue sailing up the river. Enjoy BBQ dinner tonight and a “Yamayana” dance performance on the sundeck.Yesagyo to Ah Myint = 23.5 milesAh Myint to Alon = 22 milesBreakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 3 - DAY 3: MOKTAW
Today we disembark for a morning visit of Moktaw, a typical riverside village, to see their traditional way of life. If we are luckywe may witness a special ceremony at the local monastery. In the afternoon you will have the chance to join a ship tour withour cruise general manager exploring the fascinating Anawrahta. As the evening approaches and the Burmese sun immerses everything in a golden light, a special event will take place at the Kipling’s Bar. Dress up in style as we send “A toast to the past” during a British Club gathering where gents may whiff cigars and ladies sip on tasty gins with homemade tonic while listening to music and poems of a by-gone era.Alon - Moktaw = 34.25 milesMoktaw – Lon Pyi = 44.75 milesBreakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner
Day 4 - DAY 4: MAUKKADAW & KALAYWA
Start your day with a morning walk through the small village of Maukkadaw, which once was a busy teak port. We will show you their remaining teak enterprises before visiting the local school and walking through this old village. Back on board, we continue cruising upstream passing small villages amid rolling hills at the riverbanks. In the afternoon a “Burmese Speaking Lesson” will be held in the Mandalay Lounge to be prepared for our market ralley the next day. Tonight we arrive at the riverside port of Kalaywa passing by its bridge that connects the main land with the Indian border for trade.Lon Pyi – Maukkadaw = 13.5Maukkadaw – Kalaywa = 59.75 milesBreakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner
Day 5 - DAY 5: KALAYWA
This morning we will take a tour around Kalaywa by local tuk tuk. Visit the Pagoda on a hill top to have a vast view over the Kalaywa Town and Chindwin River. We continue to the Kalaywa Market. Do some shopping at the bustling colorful local market of Kalaywa, where you can practice your Burmese language skills during a market rally (no worries, language lesson, assistant and small cash is provided for shopping).Kalaywa – Kindat = 47.25 milesBreakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner
Day 6 - DAY 6: SITTAUNG
Join a lecture by our guide this morning or lounge around watching the passing sceneries of jungled cladded gorges. In the afternoon we arrive in the small Sittaung village, with its 28 houses and only 200 inhabitants. Today’s tour takes us to the ships of Irrawaddy Flotilla Company (the greatest river fleet that was ever assembled worldwide). Many of these were scuppered by the retreating British in 1942; rather than leaving them for the advancing Japanese Army. Back on board, we keep sailing upstream and afternoon tea will be served at the Kipling’s Bar.Kindat – Sittaung = 50.25 milesSittaung – Paungbyin = 21.75 milesBreakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner
Day 7 - DAY 7: TOUNGDOOT & HOMALIN
Time for an early morning yoga session on the sundeck while the ship sails towards the most beautiful part of the upper Chindwin river. After breakfast, you can join a demonstration about the ancient habit of betel-chewing as well as smoking cheroots cigars. Tasting is optional! On our afternoon excursion, we will visit the town Homalin, the end of the 400 navigable miles on the Chindwin river for us. Here we will take a tour of the stunning views from the high vantage point of the Buddha Lotus Garden before starting our downstream voyage. Our guide will explain the significance of the various statues depicting scenes from the life of Buddha. On the way back from this view point, you have a great chance to visit the village of the Naga tribe; one of Myanmar’s minorities that still have their own lovely culture and customs. Join their traditional tribal dance and to enjoy their traditional cuisine and drinks.Paungbyin – Homalin = 63.25 milesBreakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner
Day 8 - DAY 8: SAILING DAY
Today you have another opportunity to simply relax, enjoy the passing scenery and enjoy the facilities on board our beautiful ship. We will sail around 142.25 miles. You may appreciate the power of the river as we now sail with the force of the current on our side. In the late morning, there will be a cooking demonstration by our Executive Chef who will show you the preparation of a local dishes. The recipes will be provided for you to try them at home! In the afternoon a presentation about “Buddhismin Myanmar” will be lectured by our onboard guide. Tonight a BBQ dinner will be served together with a entertaining performance by our crew. We will moor near the city Mawlaik.Homalin – Mawlaik = 142.25 milesBreakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner
Day 9 - DAY 9: MAWLAIK
Mawlaik has been used as the administrative capital of the British and many of the colonial-era house built by the Bombay-Burma Trading Company still remain nowadays. Our colonial heritage tour will take you to the post office, former British administrative buildings, the house of a former British commissioner, and the Mawlaik Golf Course which was built in the old colonial times. The tour ends with fun mini golf match at the greens of the Mawlaik Golf Course. Afterwards, we return to the ship and enjoy lunch on board. If today’s sailing goes well, we will have the time to visit the small village of Kyi Taung Oo where we can discover the only surviving (and still-working) wooden monastery that pre-dates the Konbaung Dynasty’s Foundation in 1752. “Kyi Taung Oo” means “Great Sacred Hill”, as you might expect there will be some astonishing views over the river and its surrounding area. Our ship’s free medical service will be include for the village people.Mawlaik – Kyi Taung Oo = 82.25 milesBreakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 10 - DAY 10: PHO WIN TAUNG – SHWE BA TAUNG
This morning you can simply relax and enjoy the passing scenery as well as our facilities on board. Our afternoon excursion will take you on a 45 minutes’ bus ride to Pho Win Taung to discover the cave-temple complexes outside of the city and the Shwe Ba Taung mountains. The caves are believed to be around 500-years-old containing many sandstone carvings of Buddha images, animals, plants, demons and ogres. In the evening a group will perform a “Puppet Show” on board in the lounge.Kyi Taung Oo – Monywa = 103.25 milesBreakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 11 - DAY 11: BAGAN
This morning you can simply relax and enjoy the last sailing hours on board and observe the passing scenery. In the afternoon we will arrive at our final destination- Bagan, the ancient city of King Anawrahta. On an orientation tour, we explore the magnificent Ananda Temple and Shwe San Daw Temple. Our evening ends at one of the “sunset “pagodas or a high plain ground to watch the breath-taking vista of the sun setting over the temple-strewn plain.Monywa – Bagan = 94 milesBreakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 12 - DAY 12: CHECK-OUT
A bid farewell to the crew and your floating home as your stay on the majestic Anawrahta ends after breakfast.Breakfast
Day 13 - Please Note:
Mentioned times are approximate. Although it is our intention to operate the proposed itinerary as outlined above, we cannot be held responsible for any last minute changes of the program that might be necessary as a result of weather conditions, alterations to cruise schedules or other operational factors. Detailed embarkation and disembarkation information is available on our website in the download section.

Trip Dates

StartEndPrice FromRoom Type

Inclusions

    • Discover one of the least-visited rivers in Asia
    • the Chindwin.
    • Walk through typical riverside villages in the cool air of early-morning, where lifestyles have changed little since the paddle-steamers of the Irrawaddy Flotilla Company first brought Europeans here.
    • Sail through rolling hills and visit secluded, carved-teak monasteries dating from the time of the Burmese Kings.
    • Enjoy Bagan, the ancient capital where thousands of ruined medieval temples and pagodas are scattered across the plain.

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