Leah visits Myanmar - onboard the Road to Mandalay

Staff member: Leah // Trip date: Sep 2010

The Road to Mandalay - 3 Night Journey

4th August - 7th August 2010

Yangon

We arrived 2 days before the start of our Road to Mandalay Journey. We stayed at The Governor's Residence. This hotel is an Orient hotel and of 5 star standard. We checked into the hotel in the afternoon. We arranged a private transfer to pick us up at Yangon Airport and take us to the hotel. I strongly recommend this as the driver spoke great English and was waiting for us as soon as we stepped through customs.
Once we arrived at the hotel we were greeted by a staff member who took our details and showed us to a lounge where there was a complimentary watermelon juice waiting for us along with cold towels.
We were given our room key and shown through our room by the staff member. The room itself was amazing, lovely wood throughout with modern amenities including Bvlgari products. We rested after our flight from Australia then spent the afternoon by the pool. In the evening we ventured into Yangon's Chinatown and had a look around. This was a market set up with lots of food and clothing. It was extremely busy. We then went to a restaurant called Monsoon this was recommended by the Hotel. It had traditional Burmese food. It was very nice with lots of tour groups arriving whilst we were dining.
The next day we booked a private driver who took us to see Yangon's main temple then to visit the Big lying down Buddah. The hotel organized the driver and he was great. Please keep in mind there is not a lot of money in Myanmar so their cars, facilities are old and there isn't a lot of air conditioning. After our sightseeing we ventured to another market which was full of jewellery, food, clothes and other bits and pieces.
Tonight we decided to have dinner at the hotel and it was lovely, the restaurant is in a garden setting and the food was fantastic. On this night we met other people who were also traveling on the Road to Mandalay the next day. The Governor's residence is the hotel booked by Orient Express for their guests on the Road to Mandalay. We had to be up at 4.30am to catch our flight from Yangon to Mandalay to board the ship.

The Road to Mandalay begins:
Wed 4th August

Mandalay

We were up at 4.30am and at breakfast at 5am with other guests who were travelling on the Road to Mandalay. We were advised to have our luggage ready in our room by 5am as it would be taken to the bus and then straight through to the plane at Yangon Airport. This I thought was fantastic as we did not have to deal with our luggage at all. After breakfast we were met by a guide who then led the group to the bus for our journey to the airport. Once at the airport we were given our boarding passes and we went straight through to the waiting area. We did not have to deal with our luggage or Yangon Airways. We then boarded the plane for our flight to Mandalay.
Once in Mandalay again we were advised our luggage would be on the boat when we arrived so not to worry about that. Once off the plane we were met by another guide (who was to be our guide for the whole journey) from here we were escorted to a bus and then made our way to the ship. The transfer took about an hour. Once we arrived at the ship we were given our room numbers. We were assigned a deluxe twin cabin. It was very nice and modern. There were lots of documents in the room for example a welcome letter along with a cruise program. We also were given a gift which was a handmade wooden fan. Again Bvlgari products were in the room along with a robe and slippers. A flat screen TV was also in the room.
We were then advised that lunch would be served between 12- 2pm. This was the case for each day. A buffet lunch was an arrangement of curries, bread, soups and drinks in the main dining room. The food was amazing along with 5 star service by the staff.
We then had an afternoon of sightseeing. Our bus was waiting for us once we departed the ship. On our bus there was a group of around 15 people. There were other guests who had a private tour guide and private driver. We visited the Mahamuni Pagoda, we walked through a marble carving area, and we also visited the Kuthodaw Pagoda and finished our sightseeing at the Shwenandaw Monastery. The sightseeing was amazing and our guide was so knowledgeable.
Once back on the ship dinner was served from 7-9pm. This was a three course meal where you had the choice of either a western menu or an Asian themed menu. The food was again 5 star along with the service. Before our dinner we went onto the top deck to have a drink and watch the sunset. On the top deck there was an in ground pool and lounge area along with a bar. After dinner there was evening entertainment from 9- 9.30pm and this was Yamayana playing. Yamayana is a local instrument. I must mention there is also a lounge on the boat which is a piano lounge.

Thur 5th August

Mandalay

Breakfast was served from 6-10am each day. We rose early had a full buffet breakfast before departing the boat at 6.50am to walk through a local village in Mandalay to watch local monks enter the village to receive food from the locals. This was something you would not want to miss, it was amazing. The monks lined up from old to young and the locals put food in their pots. We then wandered through the village back to the ship.
At 7.30am we then boarded the bus again for more sightseeing. This morning we visited a local pottery and Silversmith. We then visited a nunnery which I found to be so interesting. We met young and old nuns who were all so lovely and excited to have visitors. At 9.45am we were back on the ship for a day of leisure. The ship set sail at 10am for Bagan. We had lunch and swam and sat on the top deck in the lovely weather and watched the scenery for most if the day which was great.
In the evening there was a cocktail party on the top deck. This was great fun. We got dressed up and got to meet other guests. We were served drinks and canapés. We mingled and met people from other countries which was lovely.
Dinner was again from 7-9pm in the restaurant. The menu was different to the night before but again it was a three course meal and you could choose either western or Asian food.
We were advised there would be a surprise on the top deck at 9.45pm (weather permitting). The surprise was amazing. It involved tea lights being let down the river and floating along the sides of the boat. It was beautiful and all the guests thoroughly enjoyed it.

Fri 6th August

Bagan

Breakfast was served from 6- 10am in the restaurant before a day of sightseeing in the ever popular Bagan.
We set off sightseeing around 9.15am. This morning we visited the Shwezigon Pagoda, Nyaung Market where there was local produce along with clothing and other artifacts. We then headed back to the ship for lunch at midday.
At 2.30pm we boarded the bus again for our final afternoon of sightseeing in Bagan. We visited three temples, a local village where we were invited into someone's home so we could see how they live. We then finished our afternoon by visiting the Sunset Pagoda. We climbed the Pagoda and could see all over Bagan which was beautiful and a lovely way to finish our sightseeing.
Our dinner was served from 7-9pm. A three course meal was offered of either Western or Asian themed meals. There was then a puppet show offered in the observation lounge.

Sat 7th August

Bagan back to Yangon

We had breakfast in the dining room before being escorted by our guide to Bagan Airport for our flight back to Yangon. Our luggage was taken all the way from our ship and checked through to Yangon. Our flight from Bagan to Yangon took an hour and a half.
Once we arrived in Yangon we had a transfer back to The Governor's residence. We stayed one night there before our flight out of Myanmar.

Overall Comment

I have to say the Road to Mandalay was the tour of a lifetime. To see how local people lived in Myanmar was something that has to be seen to be believed. The service including the guides, food and tours were exceptional. There was not one thing I could fault about the Road to Mandalay.
The guests on the boat were from Europe, Australia and Singapore and ranged from 5 years old up to 60 years old with the average age being 30-40 years old.
As the ship has recently been rebuilt it is modern, comfortable and spacious. It is like a 5* hotel on water. The people of Myanmar are the nicest, friendliest people you will ever meet. This tour I would recommend time and time again as it truly is the trip of a lifetime.

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