11-Day Cambodia and Myanmar Jetsetter Tour

After breakfast, your experience of this city rich in history begins with a stroll around the pristine gardens of the Royal Residence, before taking in the impressive collection of sculpture, relics and prehistoric artefacts in the National Museum of Cambodia. Next you’ll marvel at the soaring spires and golden nagas of the Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda, glinting in the mid-morning sun before sampling the many artisans workshops nearby.

After lunch at a local restaurant, you’ll spend a reflective afternoon touring the Killing Fields and the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. Cambodia’s recent tragic history is well-known, yet you can’t truly appreciate the great strides forward this quaint Kingdom has made without understanding the atrocities of the Khmer Rouge, committed less than 40 years ago. The evening is your own to indulge in all this now rejuvenated city has to offer.

Today you’re free to explore this lively city on your own, soaking the carefree ambience and rich culture, perhaps visiting the sprawling Central Market housed in an unusual art deco mall. Indulge your senses with the fascinating new sounds, smells, and sights of the capital, and when it’s time to leave, your guide will collect you and take you to the airport for your short flight o Siem Reap, having seen the very best of this colourful capital.

Upon arrival in Siem Reap, the gateway to the enigmatic jungle temples of Angkor, a friendly local guide will greet you at the airport and take you to your hotel for check-in. The remainder of the day is yours to explore this quaint yet bustling town, a hidden gem of world-class wining and dining, kind locals, and charming markets.

After breakfast at your hotel, your awe-inspiring tour of Angkor begins. Entering through the grand South Gate, you’ll explore Angkor Thom, the last capital of the once great Khmer Empire, with the 216 enigmatic faces of The Bayon at its centre. Still within the ancient city walls, you’ll marvel at the view from the summit of Baphuon, the enormous temple mountain, affording unspoiled views over the surrounding ruins. You’ll round off the morning poring over the intricate bas-relief of the Elephant Terrace and Terrace of the Leper King, before having lunch at a local restaurant.

In the afternoon, you’ll venture deeper into the jungle to the crumbling ruins of Ta Prohm. Here you’ll witness the monstrous jungle vines and sprawling tree roots that seem intent on claiming the ruins as their own. We cap off our day of adventuring with a delicious welcome dinner at a traditional Apsara dance performance at Angkor Village Resort.

After breakfast, you will witness the spectacular UNESCO World Heritage Site, Angkor Wat, in all its glory. This incredible twelfth century monument stands testament to the dedication and skill of the ancient Khmer people and is truly a wonder of the world.

After lunch at a local restaurant, you’ll savour the remote peace of Banteay Srei, or the ‘Citadel of Beauty,’ some 20km away. This less-frequented woodland temple is beautifully preserved and is incomparable with any other in Angkor. En route to your hotel, we stop at a rural Khmer village to give you insight into the everyday lives of the friendly local people. The evening is yours to explore Siem Reap some more.

After breakfast you’ll head for the Tonlé Sap, dominating the map of Cambodia as the largest freshwater lake in southeast asia. While here, you’ll observe life on the lake for the fishermen and their families who make their homes on the stilt-housing in the water. Once back on dry land, you’ll have the chance to stroll through Psar Chas, a bustling old market, where you’ll find your pick of souvenirs to treat loved-ones back at home. In the afternoon, you’ll be taken to the airport for your short flight to Yangon, Myanmar, leaving Cambodia with the fondest of memories.

Upon arrival in Yangon, a friendly local guide will greet you at the airport and take you to your hotel for check-in. The remainder of the day is yours to explore the Yangon, a mesmerising City of Gold which while no longer the capital, remains Myanmar’s most vibrant and commercially important city.

After breakfast you will be taken to the airport for your short flight to the breathtaking plains of Bagan, where thousands of ancient stupas stretch as far as the eye can see. Upon arrival, you’ll take a tour around the giant, gold-plated Shwezigon Paya, the most hallowed of all the temples on the plains, before stopping for lunch.

In the afternoon, you’ll visit Ananda Pahto, famed for its outstanding architecture and decorative detail, and Dhammayangyi Pahto, Bagan’s largest temple. Next we visit the gorgeous Sulamani Temple before enjoying a pleasant horse-ride through the countryside to the grand Shewsandaw Pagoda. Climb to the top to watch the sun set behind a myriad of ancient stupas silhouetted against the burning orange sky. The remainder of the evening is yours to relax in your riverside resort hotel.

In the morning, you will be taken to the airport for your flight to Myanmar’s cultural capital, Mandalay. Upon arrival, your tour begins with an insight into the lives of the saffron-robed monks that call this nation home. A private car will drive you the short distance to the tree-shaded Maha Ganayon Kyaung Monstery at Amarapura, the ‘City of Immortality.’ Amarapura was Myanmar’s penultimate royal capital, entirely separate from Mandalay, but is now a leafy suburb connected to the city. Take a meditative stroll around the expansive monastery grounds and chat with local monks before heading for the gilded pagodas that top the hills of Sagaing, stopping at a silk-weaving workshop En Route. Explore the crescent-shaped collonade of 45 Buddha images at Umin Thounzeh, before ascending to Pon Nya Shin Temple to take in breathtaking views over the Ayeyarwady River and innumerable white and gold stupas that cap the highest peaks.

Next you’ll head for Inwa (The Kingdom of Ava), another historic royal capital, where after a spot of lunch you’ll explore the remarkably backwater ruins by horse-drawn cart. Round off the day at the iconic U Bein Bridge, the world’s longest teak-wood bridge, where private boat will take you to the perfect spot on the lake from which to appreciate the sun setting behind the stilted bridge of silhouetted monks. The evening is yours to relax in Mandalay.

After breakfast at your hotel, you will be taken to the airport for your flight to Heho. Upon arrival, you’ll be met by a private driver to complete the journey to the stunning lake at Inle. After check-in at your hotel on the lake, you’ll board a traditional motorised longboat for a glimpse of one of the most extraordinary places on Earth. The calm waters of Inle are the life-blood for the many ethnic minority communities you can see still living in the stilt-houses in the lake’s shallow waters. Peacefully observe the  the distinctive leg-rowing of the graceful Intha fishermen; marvel at a labyrinth of vegetable plantations floating on the lake’s surface; see long-necked Palaung women, paper mills and silver smiths. Relax as the layered Shan Hills are reflected in the glassy waters as the sun sets, before returning to your resort for a glass or two of wine by the lake.

After breakfast at your resort, you’ll be driven to Heho for your flight back to Yangon, where you’re free to explore until evening, when your guide will meet you for a sunset tour of Myanmar’s most important religious site, the Shwedagon Pagoda. Myanmar isn’t called the Land of Golden Pagodas without good reason, and Shwedagon is inarguably its most impressive. The 325ft stupa adorned with over 25 metric tonnes of gold leaf dominates Yangon’s skyline and can be seen from almost anywhere in the city. Soak up the contemplative atmosphere on the main terrace as Burmese monks in saffron robes light candles to place at the stupa’s base, the setting sun shimmering against the golden spire.

After breakfast at your hotel, you’ve time for one last wander to pick out those last-minute souvenirs for friends and family. When its time to leave, your guide will take you to the airport for your return flight home, or on to your next destination, having seen the very best of the ancient kingdoms of Cambodia and Myanmar.

9-Day Yangon and Angkor Wat Tour with Beach Break

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