Welcome to Myanmar! Upon arrival in Yangon a travel-to-nature Asia guide/representative will be at the airport to greet and take us to our hotel. Please look out for your name-card once you exit out of arrival area.

Those of us who are arriving by mid-afternoon will have the opportunity to visit the massive, gilded Shwedagon Pagoda, a stunning sight, and still a vital center of the Buddhists in Myanmar. Overnight stay in Yangon.

Accommodation: 8 Mile Hotel

Getting out from our hotel in the early morning, we begin our birding tour with an orientation drive heading north toward the park of Hlawga on the outskirts of bustling Yangon and spend the day exploring the mixed lowland forest in the park, targeting the sought-after bird of Davison’s Bulbul (an upcoming split from Stripe-throated Bulbul), along with other interesting lowland species including Chestnut-headed Bee-eater, Racket-tailed Treepie, Thick-billed Green Pigeon, Black-naped Oriole, Olive-backed Sunbird, and Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker. In the late afternoon, drive back to Yangon and an overnight stay in Yangon.

Accommodation: 8 Mile Hotel
Meal: Breakfast

Departing Yangon, we travel north on a domestic flight to Mandalay, the last Burmese capital of Kounbaung Dynasty. We spend the day in Mandalay exploring the main highlights of the city including Mahamuni pagoda, Golden Place monastery, Kyauktawgyi Pagoda and Kuthodaw pagoda. Enjoy sunset from Mandalay Hill providing an opportunity to see spectacular overlooking view of Mandalay city. After soaking up the sight, we return to our hotel for the overnight  stay.

Accommodation: Bagan King Hotel
Meal: Breakfast

In the morning, we take a relaxing boat excursion (1‐hour) up the Ayeyarwaddy River to the village of Mingun. Upon arrival we pay visits to the world’s largest intact bronze bell, 3.7 meters high and also visit the huge unfinished Mingun pagoda and the beautiful Hsinbyume Paya. After sightseeing in Mingun we return to Mandalay.

In the afternoon, we make our way to the former capital of Inwa(AVA) to pay visits by horse cart to Maha Aungmye Bonzan monastery, build of brick and stucco and Bagayar monastery, famous for its impressive woodcarvings and its teak posts and then on to the leaning Watch Tower. After sightseeing in Innwa we continue to Amarapura to take a leisurely stroll along the 200‐year‐old U Bein Teak Bridge (the world’s longest teak bridge) and enjoy the sunset from there. Afterwards we drive back to Mandalay and stay overnight stay in Mandalay.

Accommodation: Bagan King Hotel
Meal: Breakfast

Leaving Mandalay, we travel southeast on a short domestic flight that carries us into the eastern mountains of Myanmar and arrive at Heho, the only gateway airport to southern Shan State, from where a short drive brings us to the former colonial hill station of Kalaw. We spend two days birding in the best birding sites around Kalaw. These birding spots afford us the chance of seeing the highly localized near endemic Burmese Yuhina, along with other highly sought-after species such as Dark-backed Sibia, Bay Woodpecker, Black-backed Sibia, Yunnan Fulvetta, Yellow-cheeked Tit, Silver-eared Mesia, Orange-bellied Leafbird, Black Throated Sunbird, Spot-throated Babbler, Rusty-cheeked Scimitar-babblers, White-browed Scimitar Babbler ,Spectacled Barwing, Spot-breasted Parrotbill, Green Shrike Babblers, Black-headed Greenfinch and Silver-eared Laughingthrush etc. We spend two nights in Kalaw.

Accommodation: Royal Kalaw Hills Resort
Meal: Breakfast

Early in the morning we take a drive to the Inle Lake and spend the day exploring the cultural highlights on the lake with a visit to the pagoda of Phaung Daw Oo, one of the famous principal shrines in Myanmar, followed by a visit to black smith and silver smith workshops, small factories of weaving, cheroot, paper umbrella, and boat factory.

After lunch we continue our afternoon sightseeing with a visit around Nga Phe Chaung village and Jumping Cat Monastery. The sightseeing on the lake will give you opportunities to see one‐legged boat rowers, their amazing fishing method and their floating gardens. After sightseeing we return to our hotel, we stay overnight stay in Inle.

Accommodation: 81 Hotel Inlay
Meal: Breakfast

We spend the day birding by boat on the lake of Inle, the second largest fresh water lake in the country. The ecosystem of the freshwater lake is home to over 200 bird species and about 79 migratory birds, targeting the highly localized Jerdon’s Bushchat, Chinese Grass-babbler and near-endemic Collared Myna, along with a bounty of other wetland species. A unique feature of the lake is its famous leg-rowers who stand on a tiny boat and use one leg to row an oar, which you cannot find anywhere else in the world. You will also have the chance of seeing the leg-rowers during our birding by book on the lake and stay overnight stay in Inle.

Accommodation: 81 Hotel Inlay
Meal: Breakfast

In this morning we transfer to the Heho airport, from where a short domestic flight take you to ancient city of Bagan dotted with over 2000 ancient temples and pagodas dating back from 9th to 13th century. We spend the day exploring the highlights of Bagan including Shwezigon pagoda, Wetkyiin Gubyaukgyi Temple with fine mural paintings of Jataka scenes, Kyansittha Umin.

After lunch we explore the old city of Bagan with visits to small home-based lacquer ware workshops to learn about the making processes of lacquarwares. Afterwards proceed to the beautiful Ananda Temple, the architectural masterpiece, Thatbyinnyu Temple, the tallest in Bagan and Gawdawpalin Temple, Htilominlo Temple, noted for its plaster carving and Tharaba Gate, Damanyangyi Temple, the biggest massive structure with the finest brickwork. We spend some time at a temple to watch a beautiful sunset from the temple. After our evening sightseeing we return to our hotel and stay overnight at a hotel in Bagan.

Accommodation: Arthawka Hotel
Meal: Breakfast

We enjoy our two full day birding among those countless red brick temple and pagodas, searching for its dry zone’s specialties including the six Myanmar’s endemic such as Burmese Bushlark, White-throated Babbler, Ayeyawady Bulbul, Burmese Collared-Dove, Jerdon’s Minivet and Hooded Treepie. Other targets in this dry zone will include Rain Quail, Laggar Falcon, Spotted Owlet, wintering Eurasian Wryneck, Thick-billed Warbler, Purple Sunbird, Burmese Shrike, Brown Prinia, Vinous-breasted Starling and Plain-backed Sparrow.

On one of the afternoons, we’ll take a short boat trip to a grassy island in the middle of Irrawaddy River to search for its specialties such as River Lapwing, Yellow-eyed and Striated Babblers, desirable White-tailed Stonechat, and Yellow-breasted Bunting. If time permits while we are in Bagan, we’ll have the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful sunset from an upper terrace of the temple, making it an unforgettable travel experience. We spend two nights at the hotel in Bagan.

Accommodation: Arthawka Hotel
Meal: Breakfast

Leaving Bagan behind, we take a long drive heading west towards the national park of Natmataung in the Chin Hills, in which the seldom-visited Mt. Victoria is situated. The Chin Hills are mountain ranges that consist of a southern extension of the eastern Himalayas. We make our way through Nagabwet Forest Reserve and see the landscape gradually grow moister. We make some stops along the way to see the scarce and habitat-specific White-rumped Falcon, along with other lowland specialties.

On arriving in the small town of Kanpetlet in the late afternoon or evening, we stay at a mountain lodge (for four nights) set inside the national park, situated at about 1,400 m (4,200 ft) above sea level. (Note: It’s situated about 136 miles from Bagan and it’ll take about 5-6 hour drive or more depending on the time you spend birding along the way to Kanpetlet). We stay overnight at a hotel in Kanpetlet.

Accommodation: Sky Palace Villa
Meal: Breakfast

We spend three full days birding in the Natmataugn National Park that is ornithologically considered to be the best birding region of the country for a variety of habitats ranging from mixed oak and rhododendron forest, montane bamboo, pine forest, thick secondary growth with tall grass and scrub, semi-cultivated fields and grasslands. We concentrate our efforts on searching for highly sought-after endemic White-browed Nuthatch, Burmese Tit and along with other Asian mountain birds & widespread Himalayan species including Striped, Assam, and Brown-capped Laughingthrushes, “Mount Victoria” Chinese Babax, Rusty-capped Fulvetta, Streak-throated Barwing, Gray-sided Thrush, Spot breasted Parrotbills, Collared Finchbill, Chin Hills Wren-Babbler, Spot-breasted Scimitar-Babbler, Yellow-bellied Flowerpecker, Darjeeling Woodpeckers, Great and Golden-throated Barbets, Chestnut-vented Nuthatch, Himalayan Cutia, Green-tailed, Mrs. Gould’s, and Fire-tailed Sunbirds, Gray Sibia, White-browed Fulvetta, Bar-throated, Blue-winged, and Red-tailed Minlas, Black-headed, White browed, Green, and Black-eared Shrike-Babblers, Yellow-billed Blue Magpie. We will watch for some raptors like Crested Goshawk, Black and Rufous-bellied Eagles, Himalayan Buzzard, and much more. We spend three nights at the hotel  in Kanpetlet.

Accommodation: Sky Palace Villa
Meal: Breakfast

Getting out from Kanpetlet, we descend from the Chin Hills and make our way back to hot and dry Bagan. We’ll leave early to spend our limited time birding in the dry dipterocarp and mid and low-altitude deciduous forest that is found along the way in search of Gray-headed, Blossom-headed, Alexandrine, Great Slaty Woodpecker, Himalayan and Greater Flamebacks, Greater Yellownape, Collared Falconet, Pin-tailed Green Pigeon, Red-headed Trogon, Large Woodshrike, Large Cuckooshrike, Brown-cheeked Fulvetta, and Blue-throated Flycatcher. We arrive back and stay overnight at your hotel in Bagan.

Accommodation: Arthawka Hotel
Meal: Breakfast

A private transfer will take you to the Nyaung Oo airport, where we will board our domestic flight back to Yangon. Enjoy your free time at your hotel in Yangon or do your own discovery. (Those who arrive by late-afternoon on their first arrival day in Yangon will have the opportunity to visit Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon today (on Day-17). We stay overnight at the hotel in Yangon.

Accommodation: 8 Mile Hotel
Meal: Breakfast

Enjoy your free time at your hotel before your transfer to Yangon International Airport for your homeward bound flight.

Meal: Breakfast