Monywa is considered the most important town in the Chindwin Valley, and owes its name to the river Chindwin. It is a very important commercial town due to the amount of agricultural trade that is produced in the area. Likewise, it is located 130 km northwest of Mandalay, and relatively close to the town of Pakhoku, where we can easily reach Bagan by boat, so this extension is ideal between the two cities, combining rural and cultural visits.
Pindaya is hidden in the mountains of Shan State, a few kilometers from Heho airport. The small town of Pindaya is ideal as a first day of visits, before visiting the Inle Lake.
Pindaya hides a beautiful mountain nature, which highlights its unique caves and the Shwe U Min Pagoda, which has more than 8,000 images of Buddha.
Pwin Oo Lwin, previously May Myo, is an inner Burmese city located about 67 kilometres east of Mandalay. During the British colonial occupation it was boosted in 1896 as a recreational city, because of its fresh mountain climate. The colonial government of Burma was moved to May Myo during the warm season to escape the high temperatures and humidity of Yangon. May Myo means City of May in Burmese. It is called that in honour of the first city administrator, Colonel May, as a legacy of the colonial period. The city has about 10,000 inhabitants originating from India and 5,000 Nepalese who served in the Gurkha regiment of the British army, and who settled in May Myo after the British granted independence to Burma.
Tucked away in a corner section of the country, in north western Shan State, is the placid and historic Kyaing Tong. It was built around a small lake, dotted with Buddhist temples and long-lived ruinous British colonial architecture and is probably the most attractive town in Shan. The town was opened to tourism in 1993, offering one of the most remote inhabited mountainous valleys of Myanmar. Besides visiting temples and monasteries in the area we may enjoy the water buffalo market which is celebrated on the outskirts of the city. The market is open every day and is like a used car shop, with sellers who preach the virtues of their animals while buyers note defects. Additionally the area around the city has interesting mountain landscapes, ideal for trekking followed by interesting ethnic minorities like Akha or Mon.
Golden Rock is considered as one of the most sacred places across the country as a place of Buddhist pilgrimage. Showing a great challenge to the laws of gravity, Golden Rock is located in the mountains which guard the Gulf of Martaban, about 250 kilometers east of Yangon, exactly at the summit of Mount Kyaiktiyo, about 1,100 meters above sea level. Its religious greatness, coupled with breathtaking views of the area, make this extension an interesting adventure along the local legend.
