Burma and the Shan Hills

This trip combines well-known sights and less-visited locations to provide you with an all-round view of Myanmar/Burma. Admire the fine architecture of palaces and pagodas, cruise on the Irrawaddy River, view ancient cities and watch the leg rowers of Inle Lake. You also have the chance to get right off the beaten track on a trek in the Shan Hills, meeting local people and enjoying their hospitality.

You start in Yangon, where you have a guided tour of the main sites, from where you head to the vast temple plains of Bagan, visit former capitals of past kingdoms with their atmospheric palace ruins and watch the sunset at U Bein bridge. All this gives you a feel for the history of Burma before you venture into the hills.

The Shan Hills feels a world away from all this. The pace of life slows down as you set out on foot, pausing to take in the scenery, meet local people and visit villages where different ethnic groups live. The trek itself is not particularly challenging though you need to be able to walk for up to six hours for each of the two trekking days, so a reasonable level of fitness is required. The trek includes a night in a village house, sleeping in a shared room with bedding and blankets provided, simple but more than adequate and all part of the experience of rural life.

The trek ends at Inle Lake, famous for its floating gardens and markets and dexterous led rowers, with time to explore surrounding villages, before you fly east to Kyaing Tong near the borders with China and Thailand. Here you visit markets and trek in the foothills to reach remote villages and picnic beside a picturesque waterfall. Finally, your trip comes full circle as you return to Yangon, where the holiday ends.