IMO the 3 main cities that one should visit in Myanmar are Yangon, Bagan and Inle. I would try to add Inle Lake to your itinerary by perhaps cutting out or reducing days in Mandalay , Pyin Oo Lwin and/or Hsipaw.

I agree with Hanuman - it would be a pity to miss Inle, one of the highlights of Burma.

Frankly, I found Pyin U Lwin disappointing. The town has an overwhelming military presence, which detracted from my enjoyment of the town. There is a large military academy there and many generals are tearing down old houses and building McMansions. We id enjoy the markets and the botanical gardens, but a day trip from Mandalay was plenty for me.

We loved Sagaing outside of Mandalay, and could have spent a whole day there, and enjoyed sunset at the U Bien Bridge, but Mandalay was not a highlight for us. We saved Mandaly for our second trip to Burma, and we felt it was a good decision to spend most of our first trip in Inle (4 nights) and Bagan (4 nights).

Have you confirmed the specific date of the festival you want to attend? I'd suggest that you check carefully if this festival is important to you, as what is on the internet and what actually happens in Burma is often different.

I will be flying out from Mandalay, so will definitely explore the area for awhile. I intend to go back again to Myanmar for more extensive Yangon and Inle Lake trip as I would like to trek around there, so that takes more time which I do not have a the moment. Also, this is the rainy season so Inle Lake may be wet.

I'm still in the midst of confirming, but I think Mingun Shwe Nat Pwe should be ongoing when I am in the Mandalay region at that time. Will have to see when would be a good time to drop by and include it in my itinerary at the right time.

Thanks for your replies!