Leave around 07:30 from your hotel in Yangon by private car and guide and after 1.5 hours’ drive, we arrive Bago and visit colourful market, the busy market in town where you will see the local people and vendors are trading flowers, fresh vegetables & fruits, herbs, household items and etc. After visiting the market around 10:00, we continue drive to Kyaikto train station and take a short train ride (about 30 mins) to Taung Sun train station. Upon arrival, meet with the driver and drive to Kelatha Wildlife Sanctuary. Kelatha Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected area in Myanmar stretching over 22.45 km2, established in 1942, mixed deciduous forest in Mon State. The sanctuary receives south-west Monsoon rains every year (rainfall in June, July and August) and houses, the Shwe Parami Forest Monastery and the Kelatha pagoda is the famous pilgrimage site on the hillock inside the sanctuary. The sanctuary protects the forest and wildlife animals such as pangolins, birds, butterflies and mammals (according to the report the sanctuary comprises 9 bird species, 17 mammals, 71 butterfly species, 12 beetle species and 14 reptile species). The nearby Gulf of Mottama is a famous area for the spoon-billed sandpiper birds to migrate during the winter. We will visit the small information centre of Kelatha Wildlife Sanctuary and continue by car to the village where we have a home cooked lunch, Mon specialties at the local host family house. We then meet with the ranger and start the walking passing through the ruins of former Suvannabhumi Dynasty Kingdom. You might see birds, orchards with jackfruits, bananas, pineapple and important tree species (e.g. Pride of Burma) during the walking. After the walk, heading to Kyaiktiyo (Kinpun) basecamp and on arrival, we leave the main luggage behind in the car and take bags to go up the hill by trucks serving mainly local pilgrims. One of the most important pilgrimage sites for Myanmar Buddhist and maybe one of the strangest (or unbelievab

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Lunch

Accommodation:

• Mid-Range Accommodation: The Merit Resort

We will meet our driver and transfer in the morning around 08:30 to Mawlamyine. Driving through Mon State towards Mawlamyine we pass the area which supposed to be the seat of the last capital of the Mon kingdom: the city called Suvannabhumi. Burmese archaeologists have recently started the search again for the exact location of this ancient city. We also pass the ancient city Thaton which is famous for its durian and betel nut (as is the whole of Mon state). On arrival in the colonial city Mawlamyine, we visit the Mon Museum which has some interesting displays to show the rich Mon culture. We walk around the area with impressive buildings from the colonial times when writers like Orwell and Kipling where living in this city, visit the first Baptist church and the Seindon Mibaya Monastery. The last king of Myanmar, at the palace in Mandalay, came to power by killing many of the rival heirs to the throne at the end of the 19 th century. Queen Seindon escaped and moved to what was called Moulmein in that period and became a Buddhist nun till her death (her tomb is in the compound in one of the nunneries). She built the Seindon Mibaya Monastery in Mawlamyine which is very fine example of architecture in the original Mandalay palace and has magnificent woodcarvings and other decorations. It’s a monastery so beautiful that one could actually call it a museum. We continue visit a local house where a home cooked lunch of Mon specialities is served. After lunch, heading to the jetty and board a private motor boat for a cruise over the Thanlwin (Salween) River – one of the longest rivers in Myanmar ending in Mon State. After about an hour we arrive at a small jetty in U Na Auk village from where we take a tuk-tuk to visit the amazing carvings and decorations or the temples and ordination hall donated to the village by Mr Na Auk. Mr Na Auk was a Mon trader, living in this area in the British period and he was famous for his intelligence to trade and win from the big British co

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation:

• Mid-Range Accommodation: Zwekapin Valley Resort & Spa

Be prepared for a soft adventure day with a lot of activities and impression to experience real Kayin life style. We start the day by small kayaks to go for a leisurely trip through the paddy fields for half an hour or so. If you don’t feel like paddling yourself, let us know and we arrange a local Kayin man to paddle for you. We leave the kayaks behind and continue on foot through the forest visiting Kayin villages for a leisurely walk of about an hour including a visit to the Kayin community, wears traditional clothes and are all vegetarian. We walk to a traditional Kayin house where a home cooked lunch is being served by the local host. After lunch a short kayak ride brings us to the starting point where we meet with the driver for a private transfer to the hotel. A great trip to get a feel for the real Kayin life in the nature. Attention: as the creeks in this rural part are quite shallow we use small kayaks to travel around which means that you could get wet – slippers, shorts and a t-shirt are recommended. It’s possible to shorten the village walk. Free at leisure in the afternoon. Around 15:00, your guide will pick you up for a private car transfer to visit Kawgun cave, the artwork of clay Buddha statues dates back from the 7 th century, the period of the Mon kingdom. We then heading to Water Cave for a local guided boat trip through the cave for a great experience by paddling a local boat through the dark cave where we might need to use torch light to see the inside of the cave. After 30 minutes we will arrive back to the main entrance. We walk to Yathae Pyan Cave just opposite of Water Cave and walking inside the cave to the designated place where you will enjoy a spectacular view of sunset over the paddy fields. After sunset, we drive back to hotel.

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation:

• Mid-Range Accommodation: Zwekapin Valley Resort & Spa

Around 08:30 we leave from hotel and drive to Kyaikto about 2.5 hours. We then continue about 15 mins’ drive to the Rubber Plantation and see the Rubber production process while you will have a try to taste some fruits jam which is famous for Kyaikto. Rubber plantation and production is on the most important business of Mon State. Lunch of Mon and Myanmar specialties will be served at nearby restaurant before heading to Bago where we take a train ride towards Yangon at 15:30 - a different way to see the scenery in this part of the country that’s connecting to the famous circular train in Yangon.

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch