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DAY 1: SET SAIL IN BANGAN
Welcome on board the Sanctuary Ananda.
Check in at 1pm and settle into your suite. If you arrive on an early flight we will arrange for you to take a tour in Bagan. Leaving at 9am we will visit Minanthu village in the heart of the Bagan plain, to see the way of life of the local people, before progressing to a brick factory. Onto the village of Myinkaba, a centre of the ancient craft of lacquerware which has been produced in Bagan since the time of King Anawrahta around 1050 AD. Here in the workshop the traditional methods are still used. The last stop is at a jaggery workshop which produces unrefined sugar.
Lunch will be served on board shortly after check in or upon return from the morning excursion.
Next, we will visit Bagan to see the Ananda Temple. Completed in 1091 AD, it is commonly referred to as one of the four great temples in Bagan. The Ananda is regarded by folklore as one of the most beautiful temples in Myanmar. A traditional horse cart will then take us to Htilominlo Temple; a two-storey red-brick temple built around 1211 AD. It is a magnificent structure, though now heavily restored.
The day’s finale is a quiet moment on the terraces of the Pyathatgyi Temple. Admire the light change
on the pagodas as they exude antiquity and mystery. Finally the sun sets behind the hills on the far side
of the Ayeyarwady River, filling the sky with a reddish glow, a truly magic moment.
Day 2: BANGAN
Begin your day by watching the sun rise from amidst the plain on a temple terrace in the company of a meditation expert. Alternatively, you can take an optional balloon tour (an additional charge applies) to capture a birds-eye view of the Bagan plain.
After breakfast we will visit the bustling Nyaung U local market. The daily market is where the farmers meet to buy and sell a variety of goods, ranging from fruit and vegetables to china and lacquerware.
Next, on to the great golden Shwezigon Pagoda. This holds a special place among Burmese pagodas for two reasons: it was the first major monument built in the Burmese style (as distinct from Mon style) following the country’s conversion to Theravada Buddhism, and was the first pagoda to have nat (spirit) images allowed within the precinct. The Shwezigon is said to contain important relics of the Gautama Buddha, two bones and a copy of a tooth.
Afterwards, discover the local craft of lacquerware in a workshop in Myinkaba where the traditional methods are still used.
We will then return to the ship and start sailing upstream towards Sagaing. Relax as we past villages set against a backdrop of soft browns, rich tamarind trees with white and golden pagodas gracing the distant hills. There is no better way to enjoy this riverine picture than from the Kansi panorama lounge.
After lunch a variety of on board activities will be offered including a longyi (sarong) and thanaka (cosmetic) demonstration, a cooking class with the chef, cheroot and betel nut tasting and a talk on Myanmar – covering the country’s incredibly rich history, more recent & controversial events and prospects for the future. A delicious dinner will then follow.
Day 3: MANDALAY
A meditation and yoga training session will be available before breakfast.
The morning will be spent sailing and enjoying the passing countryside. In the afternoon we will arrive beside the pagoda sprinkled Sagaing hills, an important religious and monastic centre, home to some 554 monasteries and 6,000 monks and nuns. We will take a short stop at several of the monasteries and pagodas but it is the views from the top of the hill on the terraces of the Soon U Ponya Shin Pagoda which are truly breathtaking. Below and all around, pagodas of different shapes and sizes dot the landscape.
Before returning to the ship we will visit a silversmith workshop in the village of Ywataung where the craftsmen are renowned for their engraving skills.
Visit Amarapura, once known as ‘The City of Immortals’. Today, the leisurely ‘clack-clack’ from the looms of the cotton and silk weavers has replaced the noisy bustle of this former capital. We will visit one of the textile workshops, followed by the U Bein
Bridge, a spectacular place to enjoy the sunset. This long teak bridge snakes across the Taungthaman Lake. After sunset, catch a boat up the Ayeyarwady River and return to the Sanctuary Ananda. Alternatively, guests may sail north on board the Sanctuary Ananda and visit the Sanctuary adopted village of Sin Kyun to witness the way of life in this unspoilt location. Sin Kyun specialises in farming and hat making. Guests will truly be able to step back in time to a way of life much simpler than other areas of the world.
Tonight, farewell dinner will be served on a sandbank overlooking Mingun, home to the ruins of King Bodawpaya’s folly: a pagoda which if finished, would have stood some 500 feet (152.4 metres) high. After seven years of frenetic building, the project was halted as the King’s astronomers warned that if the great pagoda were ever to be finished, the country would be ruined.
Dinner will be followed by a local performance on the banks of the river.
Day 4: MANDALAY
For those who wish, an early morning visit to the village of Sin Kyun is offered, a village just north of Mandalay sponsored by Sanctuary Retreats Philanthropy. It has a population of just under 1,000 inhabitants and specialises in farming and hat making. Witness first-hand the way of life in this unspoilt location seldom viewed by outsiders.
Following the village Chief’s request for a library and a house for an English teacher, Sanctuary Retreats Philanthropy donated the money necessary to begin this new partnership. We hope that with the support of Sanctuary Ananda guests, we will be able to provide further funds to improve the quality of life of the villagers.
At 8:30am the Sanctuary Ananda will sail for Mandalay and will arrive at 9:45am for check out. For those guests leaving on a later flight we can arrange a tour of Mandalay. This will include a visit to Mahamuni Pagoda, one of Myanmar’s most religious monuments housing the revered Mahamuni Image.
Continue on to visit Shwenandaw Monastery, the only palace building to survive the bombings of World War II. This beautiful teak monastery had been the apartment of King Mindon and after his death in 1879, his son Kong Theebaw, moved it out of the palace.
Lastly a visit to Kuthodaw Pagoda (Maha Lawka Marazein) built by King Mindon in 1857, in effect a copy of the Shwezigon Pagoda in Bagan. Kuthodaw is often called the biggest book in the world, for surrounding it are 729 marble slabs inscribed with the Tripitaka texts (Buddhist cannon).
As your cruise comes to an end, we thank you for sailing with us on board the Sanctuary Ananda and immersing yourself in the magic of Myanmar.
