4 Days / 3 Nights
Bako National Park
Overview
Grab a bike and hit the road. Leave Mandalay’s bustling streets behind and discover a quieter, less touristy side of Myanmar. Absorb the rhythms of countryside life, pedalling through farming villages and along riverside roads. Stop in Monywa to see remarkable religious monuments and complete the journey in inspiring Bagan.
Trip Highlights
Bike through rural Myanmar
Cross Myanmar’s dry zone from Mandalay to Bagan, seeing the contrasting landscapes and stopping to explore local farming communities.
Explore Monywa’s religious sites
See the impressive collection of 500,000 Buddha images at Thanboddhay pagoda and the country’s largest standing Buddha statue.
Discover Bagan by bike
Gain a deeper appreciation for the size and scale of Bagan’s temple zone with a fabulous day of biking.
Itinerary
1
Mandalay – Monywa (Cycling)
Transfer from Mandalay to Myin Mu: 3 hoursCycling distance up to: 50kmElevation: +273 m / -168 mDifficulty: Medium
We will leave Mandalay and take a transfer about 3 hours beyond the small town of Chaung-U. This transfer will bring you from the bustling city to the starting point for your pleasant ride on a tarmac road with little traffic as we cycle through the Chindwin Valley and see a variety of crops from orange orchards to sugar cane. We will stop at Monywa's famous Mohnyin Thambuddhei Paya, dates back to 1303 and claims to house more than 500,000 images of Buddha. Then we ride into Monywa.
After lunch at a local restaurant in Monywa, cross the Chindwin River by boat and continue cycling to Pho Win Taung Cave famous for its carving and mural paintings dated between the 14th and 18th centuries for another 22 km. Pass through several small farms and villages where we will have a glimpse of the Burmese way of life. After visiting the cave, return to Monywa and check-in at hotel.
Dinner will be served at local restaurant in Monywa.
Overnight in Monywa.
2
Monywa – Pakokku – Bagan (Cycling)
Transfer to Bagan up to: 2 hoursCycling distance up to: 66 kmElevation: +127 m / -122 mDifficulty: Medium
After breakfast, we ride south along the Irrawaddy River bank in search of A Myint & A Neint villages where we can find a group of very ancient pagodas and get to experience the life of the local villagers. It’s a lovely ride, rural and quiet but mostly paved. We can take regular stops and interact with the locals who rarely come into contact with foreigners.
Upon arrival to Yesagyo junction we transfer by car until we reach the small river town of Pakokku. For centuries the only way to reach Bagan, the original capital of Burma, was by boat. Until more recently, when bridges and roads were built, Pakokku acted as the gateway to Bagan.
We’ll arrive in Pakokku at midday and stop for lunch in a local restaurant.
After lunch, continue to our hotel in Bagan for some down time. This evening will be at our leisure.
Overnight in Bagan.
3
Bagan Temple (Cycling)
Cycling distance up to: 27 kmElevation: +123 m / -124 mDifficulty: Very Easy
We will spend a half day biking around the ancient temples today morning. (Note: due to our biking route today in Bagan, we will not have a support car with us today. But a motorbike will be accompanying the group with drinks and snacks as well as to take care of any emergency situations.)
The perfect way to explore ancient Bagan is riding through and cover the famous temples and pagodas in the Archaeological Zone. After taking a morning cycle around the Archaeological Zone, we return to hotel. This is good opportunity to cool down by taking a refreshing dip in the hotel pool.
This afternoon, we observe the process of making traditional lacquerware, one of Myanmar's best-known handicrafts and a specialty of Bagan. It’s then onwards to a place where we can enjoy the sunset studded with chedis and temples and fading light is something you will never forget.
Overnight in Bagan.
4
Bagan Departure
Transfer to airport up to 15 mins
This morning is free at our leisure before transferring to the airport for our onward flight.
Important Information
Inclusions
Notes
Our services include:
- Vehicles: (varies based on local conditions and vehicle sizes available). Private air-conditioned vehicle for transfer and back up as itinerary.
- Bike and helmet rental
- 1 biking water bottle per each
- Plenty of water provided throughout the day while cycling
- Snacks and local fruits for cycling days
- 1 EXO Adventure Certified English Biking Guide
- Assistant guide on biking days for 11 cyclists and above
- Mechanic on biking days for 7 cyclists and above
- 1 first aid kit per guide
- Each guide will have a full set of travel bike tools
- Main support vehicle will have spare parts for biking days except in Bagan
- Meals as mentioned in the itinerary (B – Breakfast, L – Lunch, D – Dinner)
- Sightseeing tickets where mentioned in the itinerary.
- Accommodation as listed above with Twin/Double sharing included breakfast
- Flight reconfirmations
Our services don’t include:
- Visa arrangement
- International and domestic flights
- Meals other than mentioned above
- Soft drinks, or beverages beyond water – we can add this into costs at agents request
- Beverage and alcoholic drinks at mealtimes
- Tips
- Energy drinks or powders, performance bars, or performance gels (Gatorade, Powerbars, Gu, Isostar, etc)
- Personal Travel Insurance
- Personal expenditure (Laundry, telephone)
- Any other services not clearly mentioned in the itinerary and in the inclusive portion.
- Credit card and bank transfer fees
- Other language speaking guides
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