Day 1: Mandalay

Mandalay itself is a town with areas that have changed little throughout the past century: Riverboats, trishaws and foot are the main methods of transport. In late afternoon, you may see the spectacle of water buffalo being worked to bring logs onto the bank. Mandalay's Buddhist monasteries are among the most important in the country. About 60% of all the monks in Myanmar reside in this area. The city takes its name from Mandalay Hill, a 236 meter-high bluff that rises just to the northeast of Mandalay Fort and its royal palace. Mandalay Fort’s imposing walled palace compound was constructed in 1857. After the British occupied the city in 1885, the compound was named Fort Dufferin, and became the colony's government house and British Club. Tour the Mandalay Museum & Library, which contains a collection of Mandalay regalia, art and palm-leaf manuscripts. Visit Kyauktawgyi Pagoda, a late 19th pagoda, is known for a huge seated image of Buddha carved from a single block of marble. The marble block from the mines of nearby Sagyin required 10,000 men laboring for 13 days to transport it from a canal to the current site. Kuthodaw Paya’s central stupa here was modeled on the Shwezigon Paya has been dubbed 'the world's biggest book', for standing around the central stupa are 729 marble slabs on which are inscribed the entire Tripitaka. Sedona Hotel

Day 2: Mandalay

Today, enjoy an excursion to Inwa, Sagaing and Amarapura. Inwa served as an ancient capital of Upper Burma for more than 400 years after the fall of Bagan. Ava Bridge was engineered by the British. The 16-span bridge dates from 1934 and was the only structure that crossed the Ayeyarwady River until 1998 when a new Chinese-engineered bridge was completed at Pyay. Travel over to Sagaing on the right bank of the Ayeyarwady River. It is widely regarded as the religious center of Myanmar. The Sagaing ridge is crowded with around 600 pagodas and monasteries, where more than 3000 monks reside. There are also around 100 meditation centers in the area. Thabyedan Fort was the Burmese last defense against the British forces in the third Anglo-Burmese war in 1886. Explore some of the important pagodas here. Sedona Hotel

Day 3: Mandalay

Depart Mandalay for your next adventure.

12/08