Escorted tours of Burma with Expressions Holidays
Touring holidays to Burma (also known as Myanmar) from Expressions Holidays are tailor-made for individuals and offer the opportunity to experience this wonderful and varied country that very few destinations can rival. Our programme of travel experiences and luxury tours in Burma has
been designed with the independent traveller in mind and our personal
travel specialists will be delighted to use their experience and first-hand knowledge to tailor-make the perfect Burma holiday itinerary for you from start to
finish.
Throughout the escorted tour of Burma, you will enjoy private sightseeing with an English-speaking expert guide at each new destination on your itinerary. In addition to your journey around Burma, a beach extension can be added to the end of your stay to provide a wonderful few days relaxing on the beautiful white sands of the Bay of Bengal at Ngapali in high season. In low season, the beaches of Thailand are just a flight hop away and provide the perfect location for a multi-centre holiday.
Touring holiday ideas for Burma
This spectacular and devoutly Buddhist country has remained in a time warp for decades - a trip to Burma is like turning back the clock fifty years. Its great natural beauty, cultural splendours and gentle people will captivate you. Touring in Burma with Expressions Holidays offers you unique sightseeing opportunities with expert guides at the best times of day. Our delightful range of accommodation includes everything from small, boutique residences to grand, colonial hotels. Our hand-crafted authentic experiences make your bespoke holiday to Burma even more special and can include an air balloon flight over the temples of Bagan or learning to cook with a local family at Inle Lake.
Spirit of Burma touring holiday : This 10-night tailor-made luxury Burma sightseeing tour offers the perfect introduction to the four main destinations in Burma – Rangoon, Bagan, Mandalay and Inle Lake. We highly recommend adding a few days to relax on the beach at the end of your tour on the white sands of Ngapali on the Bay of Bengal.
Irawaddy Experience touring holiday: This magical 13-night touring itinerary with private guide includes stays in Rangoon and Mandalay, an unforgettable two-night cruise on the Irrawaddy River on board the RV Paukan, and visits to Bagan, Mount Popa, Kalaw and Inle. The tour then winds down with two days on the shores of the Bay of Bengal at Ngapali Beach before finishing in Rangoon.
Colonial Burma touring holiday: This 14-night touring itinerary reaches parts of Burma that few have visited for decades. In addition to the main highlights of the country you will travel south into Mon State to visit the magnificent Golden Rock monument, the former British capital of Mawlaymine and the nearby WWII war cemetery for allied solders - lying close to the infamous ‘death railway’. You will also enjoy the cooler temperatures and charm of the former British Hill Station of Maymyo, as well as taking a fascinating train ride through the Shan state, passing over the breathtaking Goitek Viaduct.
Facts
Burma country facts
On our suggested tours of Burma you will discover places few have trodden, as well as a country rich in tribal customs and traditions. Whether it is the colonial character of Rangoon (Yangon), the magical city of Bagan with its 3000 pagodas and temples, the cultural traditions of Mandalay, the one-legged rowers of Inle or the miles of unspeakably beautiful beaches at Ngapali, a trip to Burma is a life-changing experience. We believe now is the time to visit Burma as the pace of development is accelerating and change is inevitable. Wherever your journey takes you, the current lack of tourist development due to decades of isolation and the friendliness of the Burmese people will truly overwhelm.
Best time to visit Burma
The winter season has the most comfortable climate and is also the most popular time to visit. Some prefer the rainy season for its lack of crowds and cooler weather, although some cruises do not operate and the Ngapali beach hotels are closed, however the beaches of Thailand make a good alternative. Due to the huge rise in tourism experienced this year, we would recommend visiting during the rainy season when availability for hotel rooms will be much easier than in peak seasons.
Local highlights
A walk at sunrise or sunset around the Kandawgyi Lake in Rangoon; views at sunset from the magnificent Shwedagon Pagoda; ambling around the lesser visited upper levels of Scott’s market where the real local colour is to be found; walking up Mandalay Hill at the end of a day spent enjoying the temples of the ancient capitals Inwa and Mingun; exploring Mandalay’s arts and crafts workshops; savouring the stupas and temples of Sagaing in the early morning light before boarding the old colonial steamer, RV Paukan, for a truly relaxing journey along the Irrawaddy River; an exhilarating balloon ride over Bagan at dawn or for the less adventurous, renting a bicycle and cycling around the lesser known temples of Bagan and feasting on the sights at the market before lunch at the Green Elephant on the banks of the Irrawaddy River; for colonial enthusiasts, the lesser know southern Mon and Kayin states where few tourists venture – the little visited temples and caves, old colonial buildings and the terminus of the infamous Burma Siam Railway (Death Railway); the nearby Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery, an immensely impressive tribute to the many lost in World War II; Inle Lake, a mystical waterworld where houses are built on stilts and the local Intha fisherman practice their ancient tradition of rowing their boats with the use of one leg - life on the lake here seems to have stopped in a time warp as you meander through the villages and water channels in long-tailed boats; hiking around Inle lake and being rewarded with stunning scenery; the temples and Buddhist culture with its many customs and rituals; Ngapali Beach on the Bay of Bengal with its white sandy beach and clear azure waters where you can walk straight out of your room onto the beach and unwind.
Getting out and about
The main mode of transport in our touring holidays is by car. Our itineraries include a chauffeur driven car and guide to journey through the country. A variety of riverboats and steamers still ply Myanmar’s major rivers: there are 5000 miles of navigable river in Myanmar, with the most important river being the Irrawaddy.
Travel arrangements
The majority of flights fly into Yangon (Rangoon). There are no direct flights from the UK to Burma. Currently the best connection is via Bangkok with Thai Airways. Qatar Airlines will be flying via Doha in autumn 2012. The approximate flight time is around 12.5 hours to Bangkok and an hour onto Yangon.