Exploring Old Burma: Land of the Golden Pagoda with Vincent Versace Oct 29 - Nov 9, 2010

© Vincent Versace

Double Occupancy: $4445 • Single Occupancy: $5225
NET Internal Airfare: $795

Includes tuition, hotel, meals, land transportation, admission fees, private guide and driver, air within Asia. Tips to guide and driver not included. International airfares not included.
Space Limited to 12 participants.

Description

Isolated from the rest of the world for more than 30 years, Myanmar (formerly Burma) is a living museum, rich with pagodas, indigenous architecture, ancient villages, lively floating markets, talented craftspeople, lovers who kiss by sniffing, and tribal members who reach out to welcome travelers. Colonial Yangon, former Rangoon, still maintains its charm with wide tree lined avenues and friendly residents. The Shwedagon Pagoda, which towers almost 100 meters above the street, dominates the city of Yangon. This stupa is believed to be have been built more than 2500 years ago. Inle Lake, the jewel of Shan State, is sheltered among the hazy Blue Mountains. The lake, about 900 meters above sea-level, is studded with floating islands and water birds. Inle Lake is famous for its unique one-leg rowers, floating villages and waterfowl. As you are rowed through the shallow waters of the lake, your lens will capture the enchanting faces of the children and their parents in their stilt houses. One of the most fascinating places to watch the daily life of the people of “the countryside is in their markets. You will take your best photos of the tribal people as they come down to market to sell their luscious vegetables, fruits and flowers.

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Additional Information

CUSTOM LAND COST INCLUDES:

All meals as designated in the itinerary (B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner); hotels as shown based on double occupancy; airport transfers as indicated; all transfers to and from hotels as indicated for planned activities and sightseeing tours–entrance fees, domestic permits; all applicable service charges and taxes (excluding some international or domestic airport departure taxes); predeparture materials including a customized Travel Guide containing destination information, travel tips, and cultural primer; limited travel insurance coverage including emergency medical evacuation coverage up to $75,000 per person, and in-country emergency medical expenses up to $2,500 per person.

CUSTOM LAND COST EXCLUDES:

Any item not specifically included in your program including all snacks, extra personal beverages & bottled water, etc. other than during designated meals, alcoholic beverages; passport and visa fees, video fees, excess baggage fees, laundry, phone calls, internet and any other items of a personal nature not specifically indicated; tips for your guide, ground staff, drivers, hotel porters and other service staff; ADDITIONAL INSURANCE OF ANY KIND, including trip cancellation/interruption/delay, additional medical, and lost baggage insurance; any and all expenses resulting from delays arising beyond our direct control due to bad weather, trail, river, sea, and/or road conditions, sickness, civil unrest, government action; or any other transportation delays for any reason beyond our direct control; optional activities, free-day activities, including any additional stopover arrangements not specifically included in the itinerary. We can make additional arrangements for you. Extra charges will apply.

ADDITIONAL TRAVEL INSURANCE (not included):

e highly recommend purchasing additional insurance, including trip cancellation. We recommend Travel Insurance Select (TIS). Visit http://www.asiatranspacific.com/insurance to learn more. To be eligible for maximum benefits, you must purchase within 2 weeks of paying your initial deposit.

AIR COST INCLUDES*:

INTERNATIONAL AIR: There is no international air included in this trip cost.

INTERNAL AIR: Bangkok - Yangon on Thai Airways (TG) - Economy class. Yangon - Heho - Kengtung - Mandalay on Yangon Airlines (HK) - Economy class. Mandalay - Bagan - Yangon on Air Bagan (W9) - Economy class. Yangon - Bangkok on Thai Airways (TG) - Economy class.

* All airfare is subject to change until ticketed.

VISAS - CUSTOM TRAVEL:

Visa FEES ARE NOT INCLUDED in your trip cost. You are welcome to obtain the visa on your own or through our recommended service provider G3 Visas & Passports (visit http://www.asiatranspacific.com/visas for links to their site and select 'Asia Transpacific Journeys Custom Traveler' to print all required forms).  Myanmar (Burma) requires a visa to be pre-arranged.

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Biography

VINCENT VERSACE is a recipient of the Computerworld Smithsonian Award in Media Arts & Entertainment and the Shellenberg fine art award and the best selling author of Welcome to Oz, a Cinematic Approach Digital Still Photography with Photoshop and is a six-time nominee to the Photoshop Hall of Fame. His work is part of the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Institution's Museum of American History. Vincent was the original host of the Epson Print academy and is the photographer of Immediate Assistants Medical Rescue Go team and one of the members of the photographic team of Eco-Challenge. He is also a member of the NAPP “Instructor Dream Team” and teaches regularly at Photoshopworld as well as the Maine Photographic Workshops and Palm Beach Photographic Centre. He also leads photo workshops to international destinations such as Burma, Vietnam, India and Cambodia. He is currently a member of Microsoft's Digital Imaging Applications Group and founding member of the Epson Stylus Pros, Xrite Colorotti and Lexar Elite Photographers.

Website: http://www.versacephotography.com

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Itinerary

Friday, Oct. 29, 2010

Meals Provided:  L D

Fly Bangkok to Yangon on TG #303 (07:50 - 08:45)
Economy Class

Welcome to Burma! On arrival set our watches back 30 minutes - or is it 30 years? Yangon is old Asia, with tree-lined avenues, Victorian architecture, pungent markets and a raucous waterfront. The people wear the traditional longyi, chew betel with great vigor, and paint their gentle faces with swirls of thanaka powder.

After clearing Immigration and Custom formalities exit into the Arrival Hall and meet our guide and transfer to your hotel beautiful, centrally located hotel with the remainder of the afternoon free to rest and relax after our long international flights.

fterwards we visit the Kalaywa Tawya Monastery where over 1,300 monks and novices reside and witness and photograph them gathering to partake in the midday meal which is their last of the day.

After our own lunches we will continue to explore the capital including a late day visit to the Shwedagon Pagoda, the glistening golden stupa that towers over the capital and never fails to enchant visitors.

Overnight at the Kandawgyi Palace Hotel – Yangon

Saturday, Oct. 30, 2010

Meals Provided:  B L D
Very early this morning, after breakfast, we depart the hotel on a full day exploration of what is arguably Asia's most charming capital city. Laid out by the British in a typical colonial grid, Yangon's shady streets are a delight to roam.  This morning we will wander on foot or aboard a trishaw through the downtown, with its frenetic markets and aged buildings with fading colonial facades.  Pass Buddhist pagodas, Hindu and Chinese temples, Islamic mosques, Anglican cathedrals, and even a synagogue.

During the course of the day we will visit Chaukhtatkyi Pagoda with it's enormous reclining Buddha, the colorful waterfront and the Indian Market on Anawrahta Street, where vociferous merchants sell sweet smelling cinnamon bark, tropical fruit, fiery chilies, medicinal herbs, and fish of every description.

Overnight at the Kandawgyi Palace Hotel - Yangon

Sunday, Oct. 31, 2010

Meals Provided:  B L D
Early this morning there will be free time to wander the shores of Kandawgyi Lake and the streets surrounding the hotel. After breakfast we transfer to the airport for our direct flight to Heho, the jumping off point for excursions to Kalaw and Inle Lake.

Fly Yangon to Heho on HK #727 (10:30 - 11:40)
Economy Class

On arrival this morning in Heho we immediately depart for the the former British hillstation of Kalaw, which is situated nearly 5,000 feet above sea level. The cool, misty climate is perfect for growing "English" vegetables and fruits like lettuce and strawberries. The local market here is especially colorful as are the old Tudor mansions that were used by the English colonists to escape the heat of the plains. There are numerous Indians and Gurkas still living here giving the town a decidedly different feel and look than other places in the country.

This afternoon and evening we will explore the town and it's market which attracts hill-tribe minorities from the surrounding countryside.

Overnight at the Amara Resort - Kalaw

Monday, Nov. 1, 2010

Meals Provided:  B L D
Early this morning we will continue to explore Kalaw especially its morning market before we depart on the three hour drive to the town Nyaungshwe on the northern shore of Inle Lake.  Here we board our private motorboats and transfer to our lake front accommodations. Afterwards we will spend the afternoon and evening exploring the lake.

Late this afternoon we transfer to our lakeside resort and settle into our bungalows followed by a wonderful dinner and then off to bed for a much deserved nights rest.

Overnight at the Pristine Lotus Resort - Inle Lake

Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2010

Meals Provided:  B L D
At sunrise, the glassy waters of the lake reflect the surrounding hills and serene skies and there are birds everywhere. After breakfast we will explore smaller canals and villages, where the locals weave lovely silks and cottons. The local markets rotate regularly from town to town. These are community markets, that are held on a rotating basis, in which a particular town or village hosts a market every fifth day. It is a wonderful opportunity see various ethnic minority people as they trade, sell and barter items in a manner that has remained unchanged for generations. You will have an opportunity to purchase unique items such as baskets, textiles, shoulder bags and traditional foodstuffs.

Today, the market will be taking place at Ywa Ma where we spend as much time as we like absorb and photograph this fascinating hodgepodge of bright flowers, flopping fish, and exotic spices.

Overnight at the Pristine Lotus Resort - Inle Lake

Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2010

Meals Provided:  B L D
Early this morning, after breakfast, we transfer to the airport at Heho for our flight to Kengtung, located in Shan State, and the unofficial capital of the Golden Triangle.

Fly Heho to Kengtung on HK #727 (12:05 - 13:50)
Economy Class

Upon our arrival in Kengtung this morning we transfer into town where we have a chance to get settled into our simple, yet comfortable hotel.

Afterwards enjoy lunch and then a leisurely afternoon tour of the unspoiled town including a sunset visit to Wat Pha, That Jom Non, and an evening stroll around Nawng Tung Lake in the center of town. With its surrounding hills, numerous monasteries, crumbling colonial architecture and surrounding hills, this area is one of the more charming towns in Burma.

Overnight at the Princess Hotel – Kengtung

Thursday, Nov. 4, 2010

Meals Provided:  B L D
In the rugged hills surrounding Kengtung live a fascinating array of tribal people, including Wa, Akha, Lahu and Palaung. Today we drive into the countryside and then walk to several of these villages. In this isolated corner of undeveloped Burma, the life of these minority people remains very traditional.

One of the smallest groups in this region are the Ang people, who wear coarse indigo dyed garments and live high in the hills. They are very a shy people, so we need to tread softly here.

Overnight at the Princess Hotel – Kengtung

Friday, Nov. 5, 2010

Meals Provided:  B L D
This morning there will be a chance to wander Kengtung's fantastic bazaar which is one of the most colorful morning markets in Burma. Afterwards we transfer back to the airport for our flight to Mandalay.

Fly Kengtung to Mandalay on HK #728 (15:15 - 16:55)
Economy Class

On arrival in Mandalay this afternoon we will transfer into the city stopping at the U Bein Bridge, a long meandering structure built of teak, spanning a seasonal lake, a sunset stroll here is an absolute delight, before settling into our comfortable hotel located in the heart of the city.

Overnight at the Sedona Hotel - Mandalay

Saturday, Nov. 6, 2010

Meals Provided:  B L D
This morning, after an early breakfast, we depart on a photographic exploration of Mandalay beginning with the Zegyo Market with its endless panoply of color, hustle and heady aromas. Afterwards we explore other interesting sites including the Shwenandaw Kyaung Pagoda; the Kuthodaw Pagoda, with hundreds of marble slabs inscribed with the entire Buddhist Canon; and the venerable Mahamuni Pagoda, whose Buddha is covered with gold leaf.

Late this afternoon we transfer to the airport for our evening flight to Bagan.

Fly Mandalay to Bagan on W9 #228 (16:40 - 17:10)
Economy Class

On arrival in Bagan this evening we transfer to our hotel located in Old Bagan on the banks of the Ayeyarwady River.  After getting settled we will enjoy dinner at a local restaurant.

Overnight at the Thiripyitsaya Sanctuary Hotel - Bagan

Sunday, Nov. 7, 2010

Meals Provided:  B L D
This morning, after an early breakfast, we depart on a full day photographic exploration of the ancient monuments and temples of Bagan. For those interested a sunrise balloon trip over the monuments can be arranged at additional cost.

During its golden age in the 12th century, Bagan was known as “the city of four million pagodas”. While Kublai Khan and several massive earthquakes have reduced that inflated number drastically, what remains is quite incredible. Today, by means of our private bus, we will explore the principal pagodas and temples of the archeological zone.  Built in 1090, the whitewashed and gilded Ananda is among the finest and best preserved temples, with delicate decorations in glazed tiles along its base and terraces.  Late in the afternoon climb to the summit of a tall, serene structure and watch the sun drop into the distant hills.  Magical moments!

Overnight at the Thiripyitsaya Sanctuary Hotel - Bagan

Monday, Nov. 8, 2010

Meals Provided:  B L D
This morning after breakfast, depart with our guide for the village of Myinkaba, with the opportunity to explore the local market. From Myinkaba, we head to the 12th century Gubyaukgyi temple, an Indian-style monument that features exquisite interior murals. On our way back to Old Bagan, visit the Shwesandaw, a graceful 11th century temple. Climb the terraces and enjoy panoramic views of the surrounding temples, including the 14th century Shwegugyi temple.

After lunch at the Riverview Restaurant, relax at our hotel or by the pool, before embarking on an afternoon exploration of Bagan. Begin with the Kyaukgu Ohnmin cave temple, then head for the beautiful 12th century Suliman pagoda, a classic example of Bagan's later sophisticated temple design. Notice the plethora of windows, which allowed for improved natural lighting. Also, look for the monastic niches carved into the temple walls, a feature unique among Bagan's ancient monasteries.

In the late afternoon we transfer to the airport for our return flight to Yangon for one last overnight before returning to Bangkok.

Fly Bagan to Yangon on W9 #228 (17:25 - 18:45)
Economy Class

On arrival this evening we transfer to our beautiful boutique hotel. This evening we gather for a farewell dinner at Le Planteur, considered the best restaurant in the country.

Overnight at the Kandawgyi Palace Hotel - Yangon

Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2010

Meals Provided:  B
This morning, after breakfast, we transfer to the airport for our flight to Bangkok.

Fly Yangon to Bangkok on TG #304 (09:45 - 11:30)
Economy Class