ENTIRE - Yangon - Kawthaung - Yangon
incl. Mergui Archipelago 11 Days /10 Nights

ITINERARY in Brief

Day 01 - Yangon via Bago to Golden Rock (Significant pilgrimage place)
Day 02 - Golden Rock to Hpa An's bizarre limestone formation and caves
Day 03 - Hpa An to Mawlamyine (One of the first English settlements) 
Day 04 - Mawlamyine to Ye - An idyllic town by the river
Day 05 - Ye to Dawei - Evening visit of an ancient museum
Day 06 - Dawei and its beaches
Day 07 - Dawei to Myeik - Free late afternoon
Day 08 - City Tour of  the biggest fishing town of Myanmar Myeik
Day 09 - Unseen Mergui Archipelago Day Trip
Day 10 - Flight to Kawthaung - City Tour of Kawthaung
Day 11 - Departure flight Kawthaung to Yangon 

Note: This tour can also start from Kawthaung. 
Continue: Board a live abroad cruise to discover the magnificent Mergui Archipelago
Alternative departure: Overland to Thailand (30 minutes by long tail boat)

DAY 1: Leaving Yangon by Train to Golden Rock (-/-/-)

After an early breakfast we need to procced to the train station. The train moves slowly through the outskirts of Yangon, ideal for getting an idea of the daily life along the train tracks. An attraction in Bago is the main market with a wide range of local products from food and household items to literally everything.

After lunch at a local restaurant in Bago, we continue 3.5hrs/110km to Kin Pun base camp to change our mode of transport to an open truck. The ride is shared with local pilgrimage makers for the next 11km to Yathetaung base camp, located 500m below the summit ridge. From here we will take the cable car to a great view on the mountain.

The Golden Rock, or Kyaiktiyo as the Burmese call it, is a fascinating sacred boulder covered in gold leaf and balanced precariously on the edge of a cliff. Crowning the boulder is a small shrine believed to contain Buddha’s hair relics, the source of the gravity defying magic. A continual stream of pilgrims from Myanmar and Asia come to witness the wonder at least once in their life time. Enjoy the tranquil sunset, soak in the unique atmosphere and share in wonder with fellow monk, nuns, and lay pilgrims.

Meals:  none
Overnight stay: Hotel at Golden Rock

DAY 2: GOLDEN ROCK to Hpa AN (B/-/-)

Wake up early for lovely sunrise views (if staying on the Mountain Top) and a quiet morning stroll. Breakfast at the hotel before descending back to the Kinpun base camp. We drive to the picturesque Karen State capital of Hpa-An, visiting enroute Thaton, one of the ancient Mon kingdoms, and the Thamanya Monastery, the home of one of Myanmar’s most revered monks.

Our first visiting point is Lumbini Garden with Mt. Zwekabin as a scenic backdrop. The 1000 Buddha statues and the 722 Meter high mountain are giving the place a mystic touch.

We enjoy traditional Burmese lunch at a nearby local restaurant (own account).

Probably the most beautiful cave is Saddar Cave. We walk through an entire lime stone mountain range. Especially the caves stalagmites and stalactites are incredibly beautiful. Fortunately we don’t need to return the same way. A traditional wooden boat is taking us under the lime stone range back to the car park.

If time permits we visit the bat cave, where more than thousands of bats come out every night to find food. The sky is darkening and it is said they fly as far as Mawlamyine to still there hunger.

Lunch and Dinner are to your own account.

Meals:  Breakfast at your Hotel
Overnight stay: Hotel in or around Hpa An

DAY 3: HPA AN to Mawlamyine by boat (B/-/-)

After breakfast, we take the private boat to Mawlamyine (Moulmein). Enjoy the scenic cruise along the Thanlwin River. Along the way we stop at U Nar Auk Monastery, which was built during the British Colonialization from the finest craftsmen during this time.

Mawlamyine is the 4th largest city of Myanmar as well as 1st capital of British Burma, boasting of intact colonial era buildings. We visit the Mon Cultural Museum with its displays of bronze, silverware, ceramics and sculptures (closed on Sundays and Public Holidays).

We learn about handmade clay pots at a clay pot workshop nearby Mawlamyine.

Moulmein is still a trading town. We take some time to visit old and the new market in Mawlamyine and have a chat with the shop keeper and a snack here and there.

The little shampoo island is just a stone throw away from the mainland. The name origins from the Ava period, when the kings used to washed their hair here. It is a calm and beautiful place.

Before the sun is setting we make our way up to Kyaikthanlan Pagoda, immortalized in Rudyard Kipling’s poem that begins: “By the old Moulmein Pagoda, lookin’ lazy at the sea/ There’s a Burma girl a-settin’, and I know she thinks o’ me…”.

Lunch and Dinner are to your own account.

Meals:  Breakfast at your Hotel
Overnight stay: Hotel in Mawlamyine

DAY 4: MAWLAMYINE to Ye (B/-/-)

After breakfast we leave for one Thanbyuzayet. It is located about 34 km from Mawlamyaing and starting point of the Death Railway connecting Myanmar (Thanbyu Zayet Station) and Thailand (Bang Pong Station) with the Bridge over River Kwai, constructed by the Japanese during WWII. This Death Railways was started in May 1943 and official opened on 25th October 1943. More than 20.000 prisoners of war died during the construction period. The newly opened Railway Museum is well worth a visit.

10 Miles before Ye we will stop to visit the Banana Mountain from where you can overlook the whole Ye valley. The translation Banana Mountain comes from the Mon language. The tower at the top with its nine levels and nine different decorations are well worth a climb.

After arrival in Ye we refresh at our hotel. A local brick factory on the outskirts of the town is showing us how bricks been made (seasonal). The local workers are delighted to show there hard labor to us and are always happy to be photographed. If there is enough time we can enjoy a marvelous sun set from the Ye Railway Bridge.

Lunch and Dinner are to your own account.

Meals:  Breakfast at your Hotel
Overnight stay: Hotel in Ye

DAY 5: Ye to Dawei (B/L/-) 

After breakfast in Ye we will start our journey over a stunning mountain range, which divides the Tanintharyi Division and the Mon State. The drive is winding up and offers a stunning landscape.

Before we reach Dawei we visit Nabule Beach, where the Burmese Government plans the biggest Deep Sea Port in South East Asia. You will find a nice empty beach stretch for yourself as finances of the project are unclear until today. Feel free to go for a swim. Please note there are no facilities at all. We prepare a simple picnic snack lunch for you on the beach. Take your time and relax on the magnificent beach it might be gone in the near future. In this case we will prepare an alternative program.

After arrival check in to your hotel for refreshments. Dawei is the capital of Tanintharyi division in the south of the Myanmar, formerly known as Tavoy. Dawei was one of the first cities, where the English settled after the 1st Anglo-Burmese in 1826. As a result the town has a long lasting history and picturesque buildings from the colonial times.

If time permits we go for a stroll along Dawei’s interesting riverfront waterfront. Lunch and Dinner are own your own account.

Meals:  Breakfast at your Hotel, Picnic Lunch on the beach
Overnight stay: Hotel in Dawei

DAY 6: Dawei and its Beaches (B/L/-) 

We will have a look around to get a picture of Dawei’s daily life and famous sights. A family owned cashew nut business with its ever smiling workers will show us how much work it is to peel one nut. How people can make a living in Dawei is the question we will ask on the way to San Maria Beach. By the end of the day we hope you have all the answer you need.

Most of the farming nowadays is rubber plantation. How the white rubber sheets are made we will show you at one of the uncountable plantations. Beside the rubber trees there is another big industry, dried fish. How long fish has to lie in the sun we can find out at one of the fishing villages. Everywhere in Tanintharyi Division you can find beetle nut trees. They even export the beetle nuts to India.

We will have lunch in front of Myaw Yit Pagoda, connected by a bridge with the main land. Afterwards we are going for a swim or simple stroll along San Maria Beach. Be not surprised if you are the only one for the day at the beach as mass tourism is still far away.

On the way back we can stop at hot springs to wash the salt of. It is been said, that the 60 C hot waters have healing powers.

In the late afternoon we reach the well-known Maung Ma Gan Beach. Enjoy the relaxed and uncrowded beach atmosphere (except holidays) with a sun downer and a delicious seafood dinner. Lunch and Dinner are to your own account.Return to your hotel after a fabulous sunset.

Meals:  Breakfast at your Hotel, Picnic Lunch on the beach
Overnight stay: Hotel in Dawei

DAY 7: Dawei to  Myeik (B/-/-) 

After breakfast we leave for Myeik. These 230 kilometers of road have been closed for foreigners for a long time. In past even locals needed a permit to pass that road, plane and ferry boats were the only way of transport. Just a few miles after Dawei we visit the Shin Mok Hti pagoda, which can be dated back to 1438 and houses original pieces of the bodhi tree.

Our drive takes us through tiny villages. We will stop every now and then to discover the daily lives of the rural community. Lunch along the way in a clean local restaurant to your own account.

We reach Myeik in the afternoon. Already in the early 17th century the East Indian Trading Company were unloading their ships at the ports of Myeik. Most of the goods would go inland and from there up to Tanintharyi and further on to the old capital of Siam Ayutthaya. The rest of the afternoon is for your own leisure. Lunch and Dinner are to your own account.

Meals:  Breakfast at your Hotel
Overnight stay: Hotel in Myeik

DAY 08: MYEIK archipelago Day Trip (B/L/-)

After breakfast we will start our discovery of the Mergui Archipelago. We leave from Seik Nge Jetty (Main Jetty) in Myeik. We observe the daily life of the fishermen during a short visit of one of the villages along the way. After about 2 hours cruise along pristine waters we reach an inhabitant beach with snorkeling possibility. Now it is time to relax and kick back. Go for a snorkel in clear waters or just enjoy in the shade on the beach or float in the ocean or just play on the beach. We stop in one of the villages and enjoy fresh cooked lunch there nearby the beach.

Enjoy the beach and forget about the outside world. We will return in the afternoon to Myeik.

Dinner is to your own account.

Please note: The Mergui Archipelago will be a joint tour with other customers. Program might change on tide and weather conditions. We advise not to participate if you are pregnant or have back problems.

Meals:  Breakfast at your Hotel, Seafood lunch on boat trip
Overnight stay: Hotel in Myeik

DAY 09: city Tour of Myeik (B/L/-) 

Arrive breakfast at your hotel we start to explore Myeik is one of the biggest fishing towns in Myanmar.

“Beik” as the locals call it there hometown produces everything for the fishing industry what is needed. Have you ask yourself where all the ice comes from to keep the seafood fresh? We visit a ship dock yard where they still build the wooden boats like in the old days. One of the export products are soft shell crabs. We will explain you on a farm how the crabs take off their shells.

Myeik’s dry fish area might not be for everybody, but it has not change for decades. We will take you for a wander and explain what fishes been tried in the sun to preserve them for later.

For lunch we take you to a traditional fried rice noodle shop, where Myeiks all-time favorite food Kyi Kite is made.

Another industry widely used industry in Myeik is the harvesting of bird nest. We take you to one of the bird hotels and let you know what it is good for. As many nations came together the local cuisine became a mix of Burmese, Thai, Malaysian and Indian. We can have a taste of it at the local snack market of the specialties.

The pearl industry is another of Myeik’s local specialties. How difficult it is to cultivate them will be explained at the Pearl Trading Shop, which is run by the same family for over a hundred years.

After a long day and many impressions it is time to spend a quite sunset with a 180 panoramic view over Myeik and the islands either from the Thein Daw Gyi Pagoda or a roof top bar. We leave this decision up to you.

Meals:  Breakfast at your Hotel, Traditional Myeik Lunch
Overnight stay: Hotel in Myeik

DAY 10: Myeik to Kawthaung (B/-/-)

After breakfast we transfer you to the airport for your flight to Kawthaung.

On arrival at the airport you will be welcomed by your guide and driver. It is very little known about the city’s history formerly known as Victoria Point. Before Kawthaung established itself, Maliwan was the main port in the most southern part of Myanmar, but the shores were too shallow for the big ships. So Kawthaung was founded in the late 19th century about 25 Miles to the south.

Our first stop is Mali Wan Waterfall. The all year waterfall and its park is a great place to have our have some snacks and take a swim in the refreshing waters..

We will visit the famous King Bayinnaung statue, which is greeting visitors from the cape. It is said he was very much accepted in Thailand for his policy to leave the country ruling be his own King. Bayinnaung only demanded loyalty. Nearby Victoria Point is the most Southern Part of Myanmar and a great photo opportunity.

Our last stop of the day is 5-5-5 Mountain as the locals call it. The hill offers a spectacular sunset view over the whole town and nearby islands of the Mergui Archipelago.

Lunch and Dinner are to your own account.

Meals:  Breakfast at your Hotel
Overnight stay: Hotel in Kawthaung

DAY 11: Departure (B/-/-)

After breakfast if time permits we take you to the tax free market in the down town area. The goods come straight from Thailand and can be paid in Thai Bhat. We visit the busy water front again see the long tail boats going back and forward to Thailand. Now it is time to say good bye to Kawthaung and prepare for the return flight to Yangon.

Meals: Breakfast at your Hotel

Extension: Join one of our Mergui Archipelago Day Tours from Kawthaung —>
Continue: Board a live abroad cruise to discover the magnificent Mergui Archipelago —>
Alternative departure: Overland to Thailand (30 mins by long tail boat)