We booked the following itinerary with the help of Zaw at Santa Maria Travels. This is the actual trip we enjoyed but not the original. We were originally booked on a 7 day Pauken boat trip Bagan to Mandalay--which was cancelled. Looking for another boat trip we found a 7 day Pandow trip Mandalay to Bagan. We then had to change our flights from BKK to YGN and now BKK to MDL. This itinerary change also reduced the in country flights from 3 to 2.

Three weeks later the Pandow trip was cancelled. This turned out to be a blessing. We finally found a 3 day Pandow trip Mandalay to Bagan. In fact both the original 7 day trips spent two days in Mandalay and two days in Bagan.

Next our Visa cards would not work but fortunately we had prepaid the expensive stuff thru SM and my bride of 50 yrs found a debit card from a different bank and it worked. Zaw recommended to cancel the Balloon trip over the Bagan Stuppas as new rules would not allow the balloons to fly over the monuments. Instead we climbed up one of the tallest Stuppa and enjoyed a near similar view and the sunset. Zaw got us cash for the balloon flights.

We also eliminated one more in country flight by driving from Bagan to Kalaw. We enjoyed the trip over the mountains and the switchbacks and the continuous stream of Cabbage loaded trucks.


01 Dec
Arrive in Mandalay – welcomed by the guide and transfer to Mandalay City to check in the hotel. After check in the hotel, visit the city as time allows (Guided Tour by Zaw)
Car
Rupar Mandalar Resort 3* / Premier Suite

02 Dec
After breakfast, meet the guide at the hotel lobby and transfer to Amarapura to visit the Buddhist monastery, and drive to jetty and take the ferry to Inwa. After enjoying the horse cart, return to the car and continue drive to Sagaing to visit Kaung Mu Daw Pagoda, and drive up Sagaing Hill to visit Umin Thoneze and Soon Oo Ponnyashin Pagoda. Afterwards, return to Amarapura and enjoy the sunset at U Bein wooden bridge (Guided Tour by Zaw)
Car, ferry boat, horse cart
Rupar Mandalar Resort 3* / Premier Suite

03 Dec
After breakfast, meet the guide at the lobby and transfer to the jetty to take the private boat to Mingun. After walking tour in Mingun, return to Mandalay and visit the remaining highlights. In the evening, drive up Mandalay hill to enjoy the sunset (Guided Tour by Zaw)
Car, boat
Rupar Mandalar Resort 3* / Premier Suite

04 Dec
After check out the hotel, transfer to the jetty and embark the Pandaw Cruise at 12 noon, and enjoy cruising the whole afternoon
Car transfer to the jetty, Pandaw Cruise
Onboard (Upper Deck)

05 Dec
Morning walk at Yandapo village and continue cruise to Pakhokeku. In the evening, enjoy the trishaw tour in Pakhokeku
Pandaw Cruise
Onboard (Upper Deck)

06 Dec
Today morning, disembark the cruise in Bagan at 9:00am – welcomed by local guide, and enjoy the tour temple in Bagan
(Guided Tour by Min Min)
Car
Tharabar Gate Hotel 4* / Deluxe Room

07 Dec
After balloon ride, return to the hotel for breakfast. Afterwards, an excursion to Salay. On the way, visit the interesting local market at Chauk (Guided Tour by Min Min)
Car
Tharabar Gate Hotel 4* / Deluxe Room

08 Dec
After breakfast, drive to Mt. Popa, and continue drive to Kalaw, a small hill town (Guided by Zaw)
Car
Amara Resort / Boutique Style Hotel / Deluxe Room

09 Dec
After breakfast, meet the guide and visit local market & train station before driving to elephant camp. After lunch at the elephant camp, enjoy the activity like hand feeding, elephant bathing and planting the tree. Afterwards, come back to Kalaw and walk around in this little town (Guided Tour by Zaw)
Car
Amara Resort / Boutique Style Hotel / Deluxe Room

10 Dec
After breakfast, about two hours drive to Pindaya cave and continue drive to Taunggyi, the capital of southern Shan State. After visiting the winery, proceed to Nyaungshwe Jetty and boat transfer to your hotel (Guided Tour by Zaw)
Car, boat
Inle Princess Resort 4* / Lake Houses

11 Dec
After breakfast, an excursion to Sagar, seldom-visited village located deep south of the lake. On the way, visit typical five-day market at Taung Tho (Guided Tour by Ko Ko )
Boat
Inle Princess Resort 4* / Lake Houses

12 Dec
After breakfast, full day boat tour on the lake covering major highlights including Inn Dein ruins (Today five-day market will be at Ywama village but touristy one) – (Guided Tour by Ko Ko)
Boat
Inle Princess Resort 4* / Lake Houses

13 Dec
Today morning, boat transfer to Nyaungshwe Jetty and drive to Heho to fly to Yangon by morning flight – welcomed by local guide and visit the major highlights in Yangon before leaving in the evening by TG:306 at 1950 hr (Guided Tour by Zaw)
Car, flight, boat

Highlights and recommendations to follow

I will be interested to hear your recommendations since this country has been on our radar for some time.

I am curious: how long prior to the scheduled departure did Pandaw cancel your cruise?

Not sure but I believe it was 6weeks before departure.



Highlights and recommendations:

We decided to stay one night in Bankok going and returning. Louis' Tavern is an airport hotel inside international. This allowed us to arrive late in Bankok and returning late to Bankok. And also eliminates needing cabs and hotels in Bankok. Yes we have been to Bankok.

First Santa Maria is a first rate outfit. They exceeded our expectations-especially providing 680$ cash in the middle of the trip and help with rearranging the multiple cancellations.

Many suggestions on this Forum say skip Mandalay if you are short of time--Mistake. Highlights were the hotel we stayed 3 nights-Rupar Mandalay with about 40-50 teak elephants on the beautiful grounds, puppet shows with music every night, a free cocktail for two every night and a fantastic breakfast--Western, Chinese, and Burmese. The boat trip to Mingun(north of Mandalay) was very interesting and relaxing. Having Zaw as our guide made everything run smooth. Since he was a Mandalay native we were able to add about 3 sites to the original plan. One negative was the horse cart to Inwa--the road is so bad I would walk.

The 3 day Pandow trip included side trips to a local high school and a few villages. The food, crew and side trips were great--one downside was a 5 min tuktuk ride that took 20 minutes and rattled my teeth. I gave the driver a big tip to take me home at 1/4 speed.

Bagan-wow. Stuppas are fantastic and the 360 view and sunset nice. Our local guide-MinMin rushed us to a Monk induction--what a spectacle--kids all dolled up on costumed horses parading thru the streets for the celebration. He also took us to his village for a Buddah festival and met his family.
- Forget bikes in Bagan--too much dust and I felt a little dangerous.
Another change I would make is to cancel the Sale trip. I scheduled this originally to find Teak Elephants. WE found better ones in Bagan.

Trip to Kalaw offered great views and time with Zaw for more language and country lesson. The Green Mountain Elephant Refuge was the highlight of the entire trip. This is a must do.
The Kalaw hotel-Amara Resort was spartan but they prepared a fire every night for us. This hotel is also in need of maintaince.

Trip to Inle via Pindaya caves and Aythaya winery for late lunch was another great ride thru the country. We jumped on a boat to ride to the princess hotel. Lake view rooms are very romantic. Views on the lake and sunset; outside private rain shower; fireplace every night and great food. the grounds have at least one hundred Plumeria trees. The boat trips the next two days with KoKo and did all the highlights. Wife bought lots of silver and gifts for grandkids.

Last day we flew to Yangon and met Zaw at the airport. We did the Giant Pagota, had a great lunch and spent an hour in traffic.
That evening back to Bankok and stayed a the airport hotel

George--

I am in the midst of preparing plans for a trip to the country and find your tips immensely helpful. I hope more people read this now that I am bringing it to the top again.

Did I get this right about how you made your transfers between locales?

You started in Mandalay and then took the boat to Bagan.

From Bagan you drove to Kalaw.

From Kalaw you drove to Inle Lake.

So your only flight was from Inle Lake to Yangon. Right?

I am thinking about all of the flights that were proposed to us and am trying to figure out how to eliminate some of them, especially as we probably would much prefer to see the local scenery and have the opportunity to stop as smaller, lesser known places.

Thanks for the tip about the balloon trip. I was wondering about this and especially wondering how it could possibly compare with the marvelous one we took in Cappadocia in Turkey.

Did you feel the Pandaw trip was a value for your money in terms of what you were able to see and experience during the trip? Or, was it primarily a nice relaxing way to slow down for a couple days while observing some pleasant scenery?

Hi George, glad to hear you had such a wonderful trip. I love staying at the Rupar Mandalar - we stayed there both times we went to Mandalay. And glad to hear you made it to Sankar/Sangar at Inle.

We have used Santa Maria for all three of our trips in Myanmar and certainly agree with your assessment.

julies,

You are correct on all the trips and the 3 days on the boat was both enjoyable and good value. In spite of the 7 day boat trip originally planned we missed nothing in Mandalay and Bagan.

The car trip provided fabulous sites and stops with the locals.

jerry