DAYS 2 & 3: Eastern & Oriental Express
On Day 2 you will be driven to the train station and board the Eastern &
Oriental Express in the late morning. Your adventure by luxury rail
takes you from Singapore to Bangkok. The journey recaptures the golden
age of rail travel through one of Asia’s most beautiful regions. You
enjoy luxury accommodations, gourmet cuisine and discerning personal
attention every mile of the way. The train has an Observation Car
designed to enhance views of the lush changing scenery. In Penang, enjoy
a guided tour to see the mosques, elaborately-roofed temples, churches,
bazaars and colorful shops. On Day 3 of your journey you arrive at the
River Kawai Bridge Station. Disembark and take a cruise along the
picturesque Yai River, passing under the Bridge. A local historian will
provide a brief history of the Thailand-Burma Railway and the Bridge,
and you will visit the Railway Centre Museum. Eastern & Oriental
Express
DAYS 4 & 5: Bangkok, THAILAND
Disembark the train on the afternoon of Day 4 and you will be
transferred to your hotel. On the morning of Day 5 your half-day tour
provides an overview of Bangkok along with a visit to the enchanting Wat
Arun, Temple of Dawn . The morning tour also includes a long-tailed
motorboat cruise along the Chao Paraya River, with its colorful
merchants in boats along the river’s shoreline. Your afternoon tour
takes you to the Grand Palace, Emerald Buddha, Royal Funeral Hall, Royal
Coronation Hall and Wat Po Temple. ►Somesuggested Bangkok hotels(in alphabetical order): Banyan Tree Hotel, Bangkok Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok (V) Mandarin Oriental Bangkok (V) The Peninsula Bangkok (V) Siam Hotel (V) St. Regis Bangkok (V) Sukhothai Bangkok (V)
►Together, we will find the best choice for you!
DAYS 6 & 7: Yangon, MYANMAR
You fly from Bangkok to Yangon (known as Rangoon by the British.) On Day
7 enjoy a full day sightseeing tour of this charming city, a unique
blend of old English colonial buildings, wide tree-lined streets,
sparkling lakes, verdant parks and gilded shrines. Highlights include
the Schwedagon Pagoda, constructed with more than 60 tons of pure gold
and believed to have been built more than 2,500 years ago; the octagonal
Sule Pagoda; the National Museum and bustling Bogyoke Market.
►Suggested hotel: The
Governor Residence, Yangon
DAYS 8 – 10: Irrawaddy River Cruise
On Day 8, fly from Yangon to Mandalay where you will board the ms Road
to Mandalay cruise ship. This luxury vessel by Orient-Express offers
newly refurbished cabins, dining with an acclaimed gourmet menu of
Eastern and Western delicacies served with Burmese courtesy and charm, a
large fitness center and beauty treatments including aromatherapy
massages. After boarding the ship, you will enjoy a guided tour of the
key sights of Mandalay. The ship then cruises gently along the
astonishing Irrawaddy River, which is lined with ancient palaces and
pagodas. An on-board guide lectures on local sightseeing highlights and
Burmese customs. On Day 10 the ship arrives in Bagan, and during the
morning you will have a special guided orientation tour of the city to
see the most important temples. After lunch onboard the ship, you have
the opportunity to rejoin your guide for a visit inside some of the most
significant pagodas, or you can hire a bicycle or horse-drawn cart to
explore this fascinating city on your own. ms Road to Mandalay
DAYS 11 & 12: Yangon, MYANMAR
You disembark the ship in Bagan and then fly to Yangon to begin your
trip home. Stay in Yangon for the final night of your Burmese adventure.
Then you will be transferred to the airport for your flight home. Depart
with memories of a golden land and gracious welcoming people.
►Suggested hotel: The
Governor Residence, Yangon