Luxury Irrawaddy

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 Cruise Length
11 Days
 Cruise Starts
Mandalay
 Cruise Finishes
Yangon
11 Day Luxury Irrawaddy Itinerary (Scenic)
Countries Explored: Myanmar
Cruise Line
Scenic
Ship
Passengers
44
Crew
41
Launched
2016
Cruise Code
MYST-2

Overview

Enjoy the perfect Irrawaddy River experience as you cruise in all-inclusive luxury on board Scenic Aura. Sit back and relax as a parade of incredible treasures slips by the window of your private Scenic Sun Lounge. Myanmar is a country few have had the opportunity to visit. Take your time discovering all the earthly (and unearthly) delights that can be found sprinkled across this mystical land. Spend time in Sagaing mixing with local nuns and novices; cruise to the rarely visit town of Pakkoku to visit Cheroot and Longyi home workshops, and stand agape at the sheer majesty of the Old Bagan temple...read more complexes. Or simply stay on board and make the most of your beautiful cabin, fantastic dining and host of facilities. You’ll disembark fighting the urge to turn around and do it all over again.

Itinerary

Welcome to Myanmar. Meet your guide at Mandalay Hill Resort at 3:00pm and transfer to the luxurious Scenic Aura. Enjoy a welcome on board reception whilst cruising to Mingun. (D)

This morning in Mingun, discover the stories behind a huge unfinished brick pagoda and the all-white Hsinbyume Pagoda, Myanmar’s Taj Mahal. Nearby, admire the un-cracked Mingun Bell. Sail to Mandalay to visit Amarapura. Sundowners In Amarapura, relax with evening drinks in boats under U-Bein Bridge, the world’s longest teak bridge, to capture that memorable photo of the bridge’s silhouette at sunset. (B/L/D)

Take in the amazing views from the sundeck during the dazzling approach to Myanmar’s spiritual capital Sagaing, dotted with hundreds of gilded pagodas and monasteries. Enrich: Interact with novice monks, nuns and orphans during a special visit to a monastic supported school before continuing to a quiet nunnery where you will partake in the ritual and our donation to the resident nuns before their midday meal. Also take in the views over the Irrawaddy River from Sagaing Hill before sailing to the pottery village of Yandabo. (B/L/D)

Arrive in Yandabo where in 1826, the peace treaty ending the First Anglo-Burmese war was signed. Now famous for its pottery, stroll through the village and witness the artisans honing their craft and observe their unusual way of firing the pottery. Later cruise to Pakkoku and travel by local tuk tuk to a cheroot cigar workshop, the local market and longyi and blanket factory – perfect for shopping. (B/L/D)

Arrive into Bagan early this morning. After breakfast, visit the most iconic sight of this hypnotic region, the Ananda Temple. Continue travelling by horse and cart through a local village and the surrounding plain filled with temple ruins. Afterwards learn all about the production of Burmese lacquerware, a Bagan specialty. Enrich: Tonight, be wowed by a Scenic exclusive magical themed dinner, with included free flow drinks and a cultural show played out in front of candle lit Bagan temple ruins. (B/L/D)

Optional Hot Air Balloon Flight Balloons over Bagan - Between 01 October and 31 March, take a hot air balloon flight over the majestic temples of Bagan. Flights last approximately 45 minutes and must be purchased prior to your cruise to guarantee availability. This morning continue cruising downstream to Salay. On your exploratory walking tour of this colonial riverside town, admire the mix of old Burmese and British architecture and visit Youqson Kyaung, a beautiful teak monastery now converted to a museum. Enrich: Soak up the ambience of the river and the colonial feel of the town whilst enjoying traditional local Burmese tea and snacks in a restored colonial villa dating from 1906. Remain alongside Salay overnight. (B/L/D)

This morning continue cruising downstream to Minhla and it’s Italian built forts where their capture by the British brought to an end to an independent Burma. Explore the fort before accepting the challenge to shop as a local in the market. Afterwards begin sailing back upstream towards Magwe. (B/L/D)

This morning discover the town of Magwe, exploring the town by traditional trishaw. Take in the elevated views from Mya Tha Lun Pagoda, a mesmerising architectural vision set on Naguttama Hill. This afternoon relax on board and watch the changing scenery go by as you sail towards Bagan. (B/L/D)

Make use of the ship’s luxury and take the time to sip a cocktail by the pool, attend an on board demonstration or enjoy some solitude on your private balcony whilst sailing upstream towards Bagan. Relax on the sundeck with a cocktail in hand viewing the many temples and pagodas that line the river as you approach this ancient location. (B/L/D)

For the early risers, attend and partake in morning alms for the local monks. Freechoice: Visit a toddy farm en-route to Mount Popa, home to Myanmar’s nats or nature spirits, before enjoying lunch overlooking the temple or cross the river to Tant Kyi Tuang to take in the expansive elevated views of Bagan. Alternatively, either explore the Temple Circuit in more depth, or enjoy a visit to the sites of Old Bagan. Relax on board for the remainder of the day before your farewell dinner tonight. (B/L/D)

Disembark and fly to Yangon and take lunch at the historical House of Memories Restaurant, once the office of General Aung San. After lunch continue onto Yangon airport where your adventure ends later this afternoon. This itinerary is a guide only and may be amended for operational reasons such as high and low water. As such, the cruise may operate altered from that stated above. (B/L)

Life Onboard Scenic Aura

Scenic All Inclusive
Scenic All Inclusive

Navigate the fascinating waterways of South East Asia from the elegant and comfortable surrounds of your intimate luxury floating hotel. Read more

Scenic Freechoice
Scenic Freechoice

These are hand-selected activities for you to choose from and enjoy at a pace that suits you. Read more

Scenic Enrich
Scenic Enrich

These are experiences that offer once-in-a-lifetime multi-sensory moments that are completely inaccessible to the ordinary traveller. Read more

The Nth Degree
The Nth Degree

Scenic go above and beyond, making your trip a truly carefree, all-inclusive experience. Read more

Up to Five Dining Options
Up to Five Dining Options

Dishes inspired by the region, as well as standard western fare. Exclusive Teppanyaki Bar on board Scenic Aura, all-day River Café and the elegant Crystal or Bamar Dining.

Butler Service
Butler Service

From nightly turndown to shoeshine and drinks service included for all guests, your butler is there to make your Scenic experience extra special.

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Trip Reviews (1) Most Recent 'Luxury Irrawaddy' Reviews

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AVG. RATING 5.0 / 5
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A peaceful and spiritual place   7 , VIC, Australia, Dec 2016
Scenic ‘Luxury Irrawaddy’, 11 days, Yangon to Mandalay (28th December 2016 to 7th January, 2017)

We had a great time cruising the Irrawaddy River in Myanmar. The Scenic Aura is a lovely ship – it has only been operational since September. There were 44 passengers on board (full capacity). Most were Australian. The cabins were very spacious, including ...read more a bedroom, separate lounge room, bathroom and toilet. They also had balconies. There were great facilities on board, including a pool. We chose a perfect time to travel: 30 – 31 degrees each day, very little humidity and no rain. The itinerary was very interesting. We stayed overnight in Yangon at the Sule Shangri-La, then travelled by bus to Pyay where we boarded the ship. The cruise went for 11 days, ending in Mandalay. It was lovely gliding past the small villages and seeing the many different types of watercraft travelling along the river.

We visited many different pagodas, local markets, traditional villages and schools, and a monastery and nunnery. We really enjoyed interacting with the Burmese people – they were all so friendly and kind, with lots of smiles and very happy dispositions. There were two tour guides (Pa Pa and Pu Pu); both were Burmese and they really made the trip a lot of fun. It was interesting learning about Buddhism from our guides. The sight of all the temples in Bagan was amazing. The staff members on board the ship were lovely, and the food and facilities were excellent.

This is the third time I have used Global Journeys to manage holiday arrangements. Michelle did a fantastic job and everything went very smoothly. Looking forward to our next holiday, which has also been booked through Global Journeys.

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Tour & cruises prices are per person. Prices shown have savings applied, are subject to availability and may be withdrawn at any time without notice. Prices and trip information are correct at the time at this point in time, however are subject to confirmation at the time of booking and are subject to change by Scenic. For cruise itineraries, cabin images are sourced from Scenic. These should be treated as indicative only. Cabin inclusions, upholsteries and room layout may differ to the image(s) shown depending on the ship selected and your sailing dates.

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