In order to register for Bagan Temple Marathon, you MUST sign up for one of the tour packages.
The Bagan Temple Marathon is more than just a marathon - it's a journey through Myanmar! Whatever your interests, Myanmar has something for you. Showcase your adventerous side by on a hot air balloon ride over Bagan or dive deep into the culture with a cooking class or talks with local villagers.
Famous for their special leg rowing technique, the Intha people are one of several hill tribes living on and around Myanmar’s second largest lake. Beautiful floating gardens dot this vast lake and make for a meditative landscape to sail around. On shore, crumbling stupas at the foot of the mountains enhance the dreamlike scenery and it is almost as if you are on a different planet. If the included guided tours aren’t enough, you can rent a canoe and paddle through the calm waters or take a bicycle and explore the lush countryside in the afternoons. Either way, Inle Lake is balm for the soul.
After breakfast, we'll head to the airport and take a short flight to Heho. En route to Nyaung Shwe - a town which functions as the jumping-off point to Inle - we'll visit the Shew Yan Pyay Monastery, a beautiful red-painted teak building from the 19th century. Once we reach Nyaung Shwe, we'll stroll through the local morning market before sailing to Inle and checking into our hotel. We'll enjoy lunch at a cozy local restaurant.
Meals: Breakfast and lunch
This morning you'll wake up to the serene surroundings of the lake. Today we get to enjoy a full-day boat tour on its calm waters, which are dotted with floating gardens and fishing canoes. Experience the lake's unique 'leg rowers' - the Intha fishermen. Using a special technique, they row standing up with one leg wrapped around a single oar, leaving their hands free to work the conical fishing net. We'll make a stop at Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda, the holiest religious site in southern Shan State, and also visit a traditional silk-weaving workshop which uses wooden handlooms and a blacksmith's forge.
Along the way, we'll pass endless floating gardens, where Intha lake dwellers grow fruit and vegetables. Continuing by boat, we'll visit Nga Phe Kyaung Monastery, one of the oldest on the lake, where you can see exquisite Buddha statues which are more than 200 years old.
Meals: Breakfast and lunch
Today we have another tour of the lake, this time visiting a 5-day rotating market (dependent on if your visit coincides with the schedule), which offers an insight into the life of the ethnic Pa-O, Danu, and Intha people who come to these markets to sell and buy goods. We'll then take a long-tailed boat across to Indein, at the western end of Inle, for one of the most scenic trips on the lake. The trip takes us through the busy village of Ywama, the largest on the lake, with its many channels and tall teak houses on stilts, after which we enter a long, often tree-lined canal, on both sides of which farmers cultivate their land against the backdrop of the Shan Hills. Disembark at the jetty and walk for 15 minutes through Indein village to reach the ancient pagoda ruins of Nyaung Ohak. A covered walkway populated with souvenir stallholders leads up to Shwe Inn Thein Paya, a complex of weather-beaten stupas, also known as zedis.
After lunch, we'll hop into comfortable canoes operated by Inle Canoe Lady and enjoy the ride.
Meals: Breakfast and lunch
After breakfast, we'll transfer to Heho Airport and depart for Yangon on a morning flight. Flying time is approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes and arrival in Yangon is estimated before noon. However, flight times are not yet confirmed and delays do occur, so it is NOT recommended to book your onward flight out of Yangon earlier than 15:00 today.
Meals: Breakfast
Shared double room: 598 USD
Single room supplement: +198 USD