Splendours of Myanmar Gay Cruise & Tour

9 days gay cruise & tour from/to Yangon, Myanmar (Burma)

October 20 – 28, 2016
Belmond Road to Mandalay

See mysterious Myanmar (Burma) visiting the city of Mandalay, the lost temple city of Bagan, the colonial outpost Yangon. Included a 4-night gay river cruise on brand new luxurious all suite Belmond Road to Mandalay on the beautiful Ayeyarwady River from Bagan to Mandalay with daily sailing and excursions to village, markets and historic sites.

Now is the moment to visit this extraordinary land, scattered with gilded pagodas, where the traditional ways of Asia endure and areas previously off-limits are opening up.

Myanmar (Burma) Gay Cruise & Tour Itinerary

Day 0 - Wednesday, October 19, 2016
Depart Home to Yangon, Myanmar
Depart Home on any regularly scheduled flight to Yangon, Myanmar.

There are flights directly in to Yangon via Seoul, Narita & Taipei. Otherwise a night in Bangkok and additional flight Bangkok/Yangon are required (cost not included) and departure from the USA is one day earlier to allow for this.

Day 1 - Thursday, October 20, 2016
Arrival in Yangon, Myanmar
Upon arrival at Yangon Int'l Airport, clear customs and immigration, and be met by your Burmese tour guide. (A VISA IS REQUIRED FOR ENTRY INTO MYANMAR. IT MUST BE OBTAINED PRIOR TO DEPARTURE HOME.) Transfer to your hotel, The Governor's Residence, and check-in.

The Governor's Residence is a Five Star, Victorian teak mansion and luxury hotel dating from the 1920's. A considerate and friendly concierge/staff welcomes guests to well-appointed, air-conditioned suites overlooking the lush gardens and private lotus ponds. Conveniently located in the Embassy Quarter, the Governor's Residence is near the principal sites of Yangon, such as the Shwedagon Pagoda and the National Museum.

Hotel: Belmond Governor's Residence, Yangon

Meals: D

Day 2 - Friday, October 21, 2016
Yangon, Myanmar
After breakfast in the hotel, begin a full-day tour of Yangon. Surrounded on three sides by water, Yangon has a unique charm with old colonial buildings set along tree lined streets, bustling markets, quiet lagoons and countless glittering pagodas. This morning drive to China Town and walk through 17th and 18th Century streets seeing the vegetable, fish and meat markets, and, on the hidden side streets and alleyways, view generations-old Chinese architecture functioning, even today, as homes, shops and restaurants – stop and watch Chinese noodles and Dim Sum being hand-made! Walk on towards Indian Town and visit the Indian Market, renowned for all types of exotic spices. Drive to the banks of the Yangon River and visit the Botathaung ("1,000 Military Officers") Pagoda, said to contain relics of Buddha.

Lunch at a local restaurant.

In the afternoon, visit the 100-year old Chauk Htat Gyi, an enormous (65m/213.5ft) and beautiful reclining Buddha – serene in nature, clad in richly appointed garments and wearing a crown encrusted in diamonds and precious stones. Afterwards, stop at Bogyoke (Scott's) Market for an opportunity to see Myanmar's wide range of handicrafts, from Burmese antiques, to local artist galleries, jewelry stores and gift shops. Drive on to Shwedagon Pagoda, with a stop alongside Kandawgyi (Royal) Lake to take photographs, followed by a sunset stop at the pagoda itself. Believed to be 2,500 years old, this golden "stupa" – plated with more than 8,000 solid gold slabs and its tip set with diamonds, rubies, sapphires and topaz.- is one of Yangon's most magnificent pagodas, and known as the 'heart' of Buddhist Myanmar. Always bustling with devout worshipers and religious spectacles, it is a fascinating spot to people-watch and absorb the local culture.

Dinner at a local restaurant.

Hotel: Belmond Governor's Residence, Yangon

Meals: B, L, D

Day 3 - Saturday, October 22, 2016
Fly to Bagan | Embark Road to Mandalay
After breakfast, check out of the hotel and transfer to airport for domestic flight from Yangon to Bagan. On arrival, transfer to the ship, Road to Mandalay, berthed on the Ayeyarwady River, with its lush riverbanks and verdant plains scattered throughout with over 2,000 awe-inspiring temples/pagodas. After lunch, join the guide and visit the interiors of some of the more significant temples, and, in the late afternoon, watch the sun setting over a vast field of glowing, gilded pagodas. Dinner and local entertainment provided on board.

Accommodation: Belmond Road to Mandalay

Meals: B, L, D

Day 4 - Sunday, October 23, 2016
Bagan | Cruise aboard the Road to Mandalay
After breakfast, join the tour guide to explore some of Bagan's local markets selling wood carvings, silk/tie-dyed fabrics, "longyi" (long sheets of Burmese cloth worn as skirts) and intricately woven rattan goods – stop and see a demonstration of Myanmar's famous lacquer-ware being hand-made. Alternatively, you can hire a bicycle or horse-drawn cart and explore this enchanting area on your own.

Mid-morning the Road To Mandalay begins its cruise north towards Mandalay. Relax on the top deck and watch the fascinating river-life glide by. Afternoon tea is served and an onboard guide lectures on local places and customs. The ship moors mid-river for the evening. A casual cocktail party is followed by dinner on board.

Accommodation: Belmond Road to Mandalay

Meals: B, L, D

Day 5 - Monday, October 24, 2016
Mingun | Cruise aboard the Road to Mandalay
Optional: Balloons over Bagan.

Enjoy breakfast on board followed by a lecture in the Observation Lounge. After lunch, join our Chef on Top Deck for a cooking demonstration of local delicacies, and enjoy the scenery as the ship sails past the pagoda topped hills of Sagaing and the busy river banks of Mandalay City. The ship moors late afternoon, a perfect time for disembarking for a tour of Mingun, home of the world's largest "un-cracked" bell and the huge, albeit earthquake-ruined, pagoda of King Bodawpaya. Dinner and local entertainment on board in the evening.

Accommodation: Belmond Road to Mandalay

Meals: B, L, D

Day 6 - Tuesday, October 25, 2016
Mandalay City | Cruise aboard the Road to Mandalay
After a short sail across the river, the Road to Mandalay moors at Mandalay City. Disembark for a guided tour of this fabled land of royalty and palaces – reminders of ages-lost Burmese kingdoms. Marvel at the many ornate temples and monasteries – thriving today as Theravada Buddhism is the predominant religion in the country, with 80% of the population practicing its principles – making Mandalay City a predominant religious centre for the country. Pagodas abound in and around the city, impressive in their architectural style and construction, and offering the visitor a spiritual, if not enlightening, experience.

The tour will continue through Amarapura, ending at the ancient capital of Shwe Kyet Yet Village, where the Road To Mandalay is waiting for guests to enjoy lunch on board. In the afternoon, visit the Sagaing Hills considered to be the living centre of the Buddhist faith in Burma. Sagaing is also famous for its silver and silversmiths, working much the same way as their ancestors did centuries ago. Dinner and local entertainment will be aboard the ship this evening.

Accommodation: Belmond Road to Mandalay

Meals: B, L, D

Day 7 - Wednesday, October 26, 2016
Disembark | Flight to Heho | Inle Lake
After an early breakfast you are transferred to Mandalay Airport for a domestic flight to Heho.

Transfer from Heho Airport (driving approximately 1 hour) to Nyaungshwe, charmingly located on the edge of Inle Lake. Stop along the way to visit Shwe Yan Pyay Monastery – a fascinating wooden monastery built in the early 19th Century. Board a private local boat to take you to your hotel, Inle Princess Resort.

In the afternoon, take a long-tailed boat across the lake to Indaing, and experience one of the area's most scenic water-way adventures. Passing through the busy "floating" village of Ywama, photograph its many canals, bamboo bridges/walkways, and "stilted" teak-wood houses/pagodas – enter a long tree-lined channel with its distant views of the Shan Hills, heading towards Indaing Jetty. Disembark and take a brief 15- minute walk to reach the 14th-18th Century pagoda ruins of Nyaung Ohak. A covered walkway lined with souvenir stalls leads up to Shwe Inn Thein Paya, a complex of weather beaten "zedi" (stupas) at Nyaung Ohak – here, in this marshy wetland, many pagodas remain charmingly un-renovated with vegetation sprouting through their walls and roofs, making them very eerily atmospheric. Return to the river jetty and take our long-tailed boat back along the canal to Inle Lake.

Hotel: Inle Princess Resort, Inle Lake

Meals: B, L, D

Day 8 - Thursday, October 27, 2016
Inle Lake
Explore one of the "5-Day Markets" (the market appears in a different location on the lake each day), see the local handicrafts on display, and get an insight into the lifestyle and customs of the varied ethnic tribes, Pa-O, Danu and Intha, paddling their canoes laden with various foods and hand-made collectibles. During today's excursion by boat on picturesque Inle Lake, you will see the famous "leg rowers" maneuvering the typical floating gardens of fruits and vegetables, the centuries-old local method of net-fishing and the daily happenings of village life. A highlight is the visit to the traditional village of Paukpar, with its neat rows of bamboo houses and the warm, welcoming faces of the villagers, where we may be able to stop and visit a family for "Shan" tea.

In the afternoon we visit Phaung Daw U Pagoda, the holiest religious site in southern Shan State, and famed for its "Five Gilded Buddhas" and the 18-day Phaung Daw U Pagoda Phaung Festival celebrating them. Famous for its intricately hand-crated boats, watch a boat construction/carving workshop at Nampan Village. On the next stop at Inpawkon Village, also see some traditional handicrafts – silk weaving on wooden handlooms, a "cheroot" (the long, cylindrical Burmese cigar) factory, and an authentic "panbe" (forge), plying "…the art of the blacksmith…" Continue by boat to visit Nga Phe Kyaung Monastery, a 'stilt' pagoda erected in the 1850's, displaying in its large wooden meditation hall containing over 200 carved and gilded statues of Buddha. (Note the "jumping cats"!)

Returning to the hotel, enjoy the incredible sunset over Inle Lake.

Hotel: Inle Princess Resort, Inle Lake

Meals: B, L, D

Day 9 - Friday, October 28, 2016
Mandalay /Yangon / Departure
After breakfast, check out of the hotel and transfer to Mandalay Airport for flight to Yangon to connect to your flight Home.

Meals: B

Combine this trip with our post Amazing Bhutan Gay Tour - October 28 - November 3, 2016

Luxurious All Suite Belmond Road to Mandalay

Experience the enchanting sights, scents and sounds of Myanmar from the perfect vantage point aboard the Belmond Road to Mandalay.

Cruise along the mighty Ayeyarwady River, taking in the country's most mesmerising landscapes from the deck of our luxurious river cruiser. Stop off to explore rural villages from a bygone era, see saffron-robed monks go about their daily rituals, and marvel at the golden spires of pagodas which soar out of the lush jungle.

Prepare for the journey of a lifetime.

Life on board
With cool, relaxing spaces in which to mingle, luxurious cabins and indulgent touches you're assured a great journey ahead.

Every day is filled with events, excursions, exquisite dining and entertainment. Take in topical lectures by local and international experts or join a cooking class where you'll learn a Burmese speciality you can whip up when you return home.

Or just relax, cocktail in hand, on the teak deck and watch the marvellous sights as you cruise gently along the Ayeyarwady River.

Observation Deck
The perfect spot from which to watch life on the river and its shores. Here you can soak up the sun, have a drink at the bar, or take a refreshing dip in the pool.

Restaurant
Choose from a breakfast buffet, enjoy themed lunches and sit down in the evening to gourmet dinners with complimentary local beer and wine.

Bar & Grill Restaurant
Situated on the Observation Deck, the alfresco Bar & Grill Restaurant offers refined local cuisine in a truly inspiring setting. Watch the experts in action at the gourmet grill station, and savour fine wines from our vintage selection.

Bar
Enjoy pre-dinner aperitifs or linger over late-night cocktails. The Bar is the social hub of the ship, ideal for easy evenings spent with fellow travellers.

Entertainment
Enjoy an interesting programme of local entertainment, from Burmese marionettes to classical dancers, and insightful lectures on Myanmar's fascinating culture. In addition, you can learn to tie a traditional longyi or apply thanaka, a beauty treatment used by local women to cool and tone their skin.

Wellbeing
Stay polished and perfectly coiffed with a manicure, pedicure and blow-dry service. The spa treatment menu is designed to soothe, relax and rejuvenate. State-of-the-art fitness equipment caters for those who like to stay in tip-top condition.

Boutique
Browse the onboard boutique to find a memento of your journey. Choose from an array of exquisite wares and jewellery fashioned by local craftsmen.