Meditation & Cultural Tour

Meditation Centers

Provide opportunities for the study and practice of Insight-Awareness Meditation, based on
instructions in the Maha Satipat Ma na Sotto of the Theravad Buddhist Ca.
Many westerners have come to Myanmar to practice at the various center for periods ranging from 10 days to
more than a year with a Visa Permit for this purposes.
At the Center's visitors are typically attaché themselves to a respected Abbot (Sayadaw) in the Buddhist tradition
for the duration.
The most famous center in Yangon in Mahasi Tha tha na Yeik Tha. Myanmar practice through Mahasi Sayadaw
teaching - strive for intensive moment to moment awareness of every physical movement. Every Mental and Physical
sensation and ultimately every thought.
This technique has spread well beyond Myanmar's borders and is now commonly taught in Buddhist Centers
all over the world.

Buddhist Thought

" The purpose of meditation is not to achieve a perfectly still and serene mind. Although
a lovely state, it doesn't lead to liberation by itself. The purpose of meditation is to achieve
uninterrupted mindfulness. Mindfulness, and only mindfulnss, prodeces Enlightenment."

British monk brings Buddhism to Westrners.
A handful of Americans and Europeans dis enchanted with religion at home and seeking a deeper sense of
spirituality, meditation and ultimately inner peace.
Religion is seen as a source of conflict, a source of wars, a source of people who don't have reasons for doing
things. They follow blind faith, But ..........
Buddhism is seem as different. It is a religion of wisdom, which encourage people to think, encourage people
to believe in cause and effect.

Tour Code: GAH - 028

Yangon – Bagan – Mandalay – Heho – Pindaya – Inle lake – Taunggyi – Heho - Yangon (12 D /11 N)

Brief Itinerary

Day 01. Arrive Yangon and transfer to the International Meditation Centre. O/N at Meditation center. (by car)
Day 02. Training in Meditation. O/N Meditation center.
Day 03. Training in Meditation. O/N Meditation center.
Day 04. Training in Meditation. O/N Meditation center.
Day 05. Training in Meditation. O/N Meditation center.
Day 06. Training in Meditation. O/N Meditation center.
Day 07. Training in Meditation. In the afternoon transfer to hotel and free at leisure. O/N Yangon hotel.
Day 08. Transfer to airport for fly to Bagan and S/S. O/N Bagan. (by flight & car)
Day 09. Bagan to Mandalay by flight. Mandalay – Amarapura S/S. O/N Mandalay. (by flight & car)
Day 10. Mandalay to Heho by flight and proceed to Pindaya S/S. O/N Pindaya. (by flight & car)
Day 11. Drive to Inle lake and sightseeing. O/N Inle. (by boat)
Day 12. Morning Taunggyi S/S and transfer to Heho. Fly back to Yangon and departure. (by car, boat & flight)

Detail Itinerary

Day – 01: Arrival Yangon

Arrive at Yangon International Airport to be welcomed upon arrival by your gracious host. You will be transferred by minibus/bus to the International Meditation Center in Yangon where you will receive a short briefing on Vipassana meditation. Spend the night in simple twin rooms at the Meditation Center.

Day – 02-07: Yangon Meditation Centre
You will receive 6 days of training in meditation. We provide you, upon request, with detailed information. This training at the Meditation Center is for beginners and for more the more experienced. You will sleep in simple twin rooms at the Meditation Center. On the 7th day, you will be transferred in the evening to your hotel in Yangon. Spend the night at your hotel in Yangon.

Day – 08: Yangon – Bagan (by flight & car)

After an early morning breakfast at your hotel, you will be driven to the Yangon airport for your flight to Bagan. You will be transferred to your hotel to check in. You will then have a full day of sightseeing including a visit to the colorful Nyaung U Market, to the Shwezigon Pagoda (with its magnificent golden stupa), to the Htilominlo Temple (noted for its fine plaster carvings and glazed stone decoration) and to the Gubyaukgyi Temple (with its superb mural paintings of jataka scenes). Next, you will visit the Myinkaba Village where you will observe the Traditional Lacquer-ware Industry, which is one of Myanmar's best-known handicrafts. Your tour will continue to the Manuha Temple, erected over huge Buddha-images and to the Ananda Temple, an architectural masterpiece and an excellent example of an early-style Myanmar temple with four impressive standing Buddha images. Next, you will be taken to the Thabinnyu Temple, the highest temple in Bagan and, last but not least, to the Dhamayangyi Temple noted for its remarkable brickwork. Cap off a perfect day by enjoying the dramatic sunset from the terrace of Shwesandaw Pagoda. Spend the night at your hotel in Bagan.

Day – 09: Bagan – Mandalay – Amarapura – Mandalay (by flight & car)

After breakfast at your hotel, you will be driven to Amarapura, an ancient capital of Myanmar, which was founded in the 18th century. You will visit the Mahagandayon Monastery to observe the daily lives of the Buddhist monks who live there. Next, you will visit U Bein Bridge (a teak bridge, which is the longest wooden bridge in the world) and the Bagaya Monastery with its famous collection of Buddhist images. You will then take a lunch break at a local restaurant. After lunch, you will be driven to the Mahamuni Pagoda (Mandalay’s most fabled pagoda built in 1784 by King Bodawpaya to house the Mahamuni Image) and, then, you will visit the tapestry making home cottage, marble carving workshop, gold-leaf pounding workshop and the silk weaving factory. Next, you will be taken to the Kyauktawgyi Pagoda, which has a large Buddha image carved out of a single block of marble, to the Shwenandaw Monastery (Golden Palace) noted for its exquisite woodcarvings, and to the Kuthodaw Pagoda known as the World's Biggest Book for its stone slabs of Buddhist scriptures. In the evening, enjoy the sunset from Mandalay Hill with the panoramic view of Mandalay below. Spend the night at your hotel in Mandalay.

Day – 10: Mandalay - Heho – Pindaya (by flight & car)
After breakfast at your hotel, you will be transferred to the Mandalay airport for flight to Heho. You will be driven to Pindaya which is situated at 1,164 meters above sea level and which is famous for its extensive limestone caves set deep in the hillsides which are full of thousands of Buddha images made from alabaster, teak, marble, brick, lacquer and cement. These Buddha images have been placed there over the centuries and are arranged to form a labyrinth throughout the various cave chambers. You will visit the 15-meter high Shwe U Min Paya cave, which overlooks the picturesque Boutaloke Lake. Pindaya itself is a center for the Myanmar-speaking Taung-yo people. Local handicrafts in Pindaya include Shan paper and parasols made from mulberry bark. Spend the night at your hotel in Pindaya.

Day – 11: Pindaya – Inle lake sightseeing (by car & boat)

After breakfast at your hotel, you will be driven to Inle Lake for sightseeing beginning with a boat excursion on the lake including a tour of a Blacksmith and a Silversmith Workshop, then, you will continue by boat to the floating islands, to the Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda (where worshippers apply gold leaf to the Buddha), to the floating gardens, to see the unique one-legged rowers (who row with one leg, while standing on the other as they are fishing), to see the "traditional fishing method" and a silk weaving factory. At the end of the day, you will visit the Nga Phe Chaung Monastery, also called "jumping cats monastery" because trained cats stay there with the monks. Spend the night at your hotel on Inle Lake.

Day – 12: Nyaungshwe - Taunggyi - Heho – Yangon (by boat, car & flight)
After breakfast at your hotel, you will be driven to Taunggyi, which is the capital of the Southern Shan State and is 1,430 meters above the sea level and surrounded by many pine trees. Due to its high altitude, it has a moderate climate. You will visit the colorful Taunggyi Market where you can see the local hill tribe people in their dressed in their native (Shan) clothing going about their daily lives shopping for fruits and vegetables and their regional products. You will then visit a cheroot (cigar) production factory and the local museum displaying traditional Shan art and clothings. After lunch, you will be driven to the Heho airport for your flight back to Yangon.

.......... End of tours & our services ..........

Meditation & Cultural Tour

Meditation Centers

Tour Code: GAH - 028

Yangon – Bagan – Mandalay – Heho – Pindaya – Inle lake – Taunggyi – Heho - Yangon (12 D /11 N)

Golden Arrowhead Travels & Tours Co., Ltd.