DAY 1
Bagan – Pakkoku (26
Miles*42 Km)
Board RV Pandaw 1947 at
09.00 hrs. We cast off
at 09.30 hrs and sail
upstream to the
Irrawaddy and Chindwin
confluence. If time
permits we stop in Thein
Gone, a typical river
village where we visit
the school and the
monastery. Continue
cruising north to the
bustling town of Pakkoku
where we visit the
monastery, cheroots and
weaving workshops. We
pass the Chindwin and
Irrawaddy river
confluence and we stop
for the night.
DAY 2
Pakkoku - Pakhan-Gyi -
Ahmyint Village – Monywa
(70 Miles*113 Km)
Visit the little town of
Pakhan-gyi. This
post-Pagan period
provincial capital was
walled with a moat and
originally had a
governor¹s palace. We
see the old walls; visit
the museum and a
spectacular 19th century
wood carved monastery.
Continue cruising to
Ahmyint village and
visit the local market,
see beautiful houses and
the lovely the 17th
century style Min Kyaw
Swa stupas with 18th
century style paintings.
Arrive at Monywa, the
Chindwin River largest
port, in the early
evening.
DAY 3
Monywa (Hpowindaung And
Shwebadaung Caves)
Visit Hpowindaung and
Shwebadaung caves where
hundreds of Buddha
Statues are placed
inside niches decorated
with wonderful mural
paintings. If the
weather and time permits
we will
also visit Twin Daung
Lake better known as
lake of “Spirulina”, the
famous green-blue algae
rich
in protein, vitamins and
minerals. The origin of
the lake is unknown,
some geologist claim to
be an extinct volcano
crater, others a crater
formed by a meteorite.
Alternatively we drive
to Kyaukka village to
visit a “plain” lacquer
ware type workshop.
Known as “Kyauk Kar”
this kind of lacquerware
has only two colors,
black and red made by
natural pigments. Late
lunch and cast off.
DAY 4
Monywa – Kani (34 Miles*
55 Km) / Kani - Kin (30
Miles*48 Km)
Late morning explore the
village of Kanee and
climb the pagoda hillock
for its view. Continue
sailing upstream until
late at night to reach
the village of Kani.
DAY 5
Kin – Mingin (Miles
40*64 Km)
Early morning we explore
Kin village with its
beautiful wooden houses
and the woodcarvings
monastery. Continue
sailing upstream to the
small enchanting town of
Mingin. Explore its
temples and 1900’s
wooden houses and the
Min Kyaung Monastery
with old Buddha Images.
DAY 6
Mingin - Kyidaw (1.5
Miles*2.4 Km) / Kyidaw –
Kalewa (42 Miles*68 Km)
At Kyidaw (Kyi Taung Oo)
we visit Shwe Za War Yaw
monastery one of the
oldest and best
preserved wood carved
monastery of Myanmar,
embellished with wooden
sculpted idols with
fascinating gold leaf
wall decorations. We
walk through a beautiful
scenario of paddy fields
to the village of Kan
where we visit another
splendid example of
Myanmar old monastery.
Afterwards we return to
the ship by local boat.
Proceed upstream up to
Kyaw Zin, a village very
close to Kalewa, where
we stop for the night.
DAY 7
Kalewa – Mawlaik (38
Miles*61 Km)
In the morning we
explore Kalewa, the main
river port for the
trading with India, the
lively market and climb
up to Shwe Moat Htaw
stupa for the beautiful
view.
Back to the ship before
lunch and keep on
cruising upstream to
Mawlaik.
DAY 8
Mawlaik – Sailing Back
Downstream
Mawlaik (situated 35 km
from the Indian Border)
was the administrative
capital of this area
rich of Teak forests. It
is a pleasant colonial
town with its golf
course surrounded by
splendid colonial houses
built by the Bombay
Burmah Trading
Corporation in the
1920’s and 1930’s (there
is still a small
community of Indians
that used to work for
the Scottish company and
their descendents).
The governor’s house,
the administrative
building, the school,
the hospital, the “Dak
Bungalows”, company
headquarter are well
preserved, still in use
nowadays and nicely
maintained.
Being this our
turnaround point, we
begin sailing back
downstream to Monywa.
DAY 9
Sailing Downstream For
100 Miles (160 Km)
Continue sailing all day
downstream. Stop at
Kyauk Hlay Gar village,
famous for its Petrified
Wood, where we visit the
school and the typical
houses.
DAY 10
Monywa - Mandalay
Arrive at Monywa in the
morning. Transfer by
coach to Mandalay with
stop enroute to visit he
splendid Sambuddhai Kat
Kyaw pagoda where more
than 500,000 Buddha
statues are placed and
the Aung Sakyar Stupa
with the longest
reclining Buddha of
Myanmar (333 ft/100 m).
Lunch
at a restaurant in
Sagaing. Continue to
your Mandalay Hotel or
Airport.
