Beyond the Chindwin in Burma
From Yangon To Mandalay, Pyin Oo Lwin, Maiktila, Bagan, Sagaing, Mandalay, Yangon - 13 Nights

Package Details

Overview

This journey, led by historian Dr Robert Lyman, follows General Bill Slim’s Fourteenth Army as they struggle to regain Burma from the Japanese in WW2. Incorporating expert local guides and private film screenings, this tour honours the men that fought in WW2 and explores how the events of the 1940s have led to where Myanmar is today.

Details

Our Beyond the Chindwin tour begins in Yangon. We will explore the history of this city: its geneses from Mon fishing village to multicultural metropolis. We will visit the Rosewood and the Strand hotels, both colonial constructs occupied by Japanese forces once the British were kicked out of Rangoon in 1942.

From Yangon we will travel to Pyin Oo Lwin – HQ of General Mutaguchi as he drove his men to “march on Delhi” and take the fight to the British in Manipur and the Naga Hills. The tour will then turn south as the British Indian Army re-enters Burma: we will sail along the Ayeyarwady and see the Nyaung U river crossings at Bagan and explore the decisive battles of Mandalay and Meiktila.  

This journey will incorporate a journey along the Ayeyarwady and a sunrise hot air balloon flight over the temples of Bagan.

Each of the 21 cabins of the Sanctuary Ananda are elegantly designed to reflect Myanmar’s rich heritage with lush silks, polished teak furniture and traditional lacquerware. À la table, guests will browse Sanctuary’s menu featuring dishes peppered with the staples of Myanmar cuisine such as lemongrass, kaffir lime and sweet chilli. Local ingredient are used in all the dishes, the chefs replenishing their stocks at the village markets passed on the way.

The temples of Bagan are a reminder that Myanmar was not always so lowly in the eyes of the world. One of the most impactful ways to appreciated the glory of Bagan is within a hot air balloon. Sampan will arrange a private flight above the temples, giving guests the chance to see the enormity of the Bagan empire and the beauty of what remains of Myanmar’s most sacred site.

In November 1944, General Bill Slim’s Fourteenth Army, hardened from the battles of Kohima & Imphal, established bridgeheads on the east bank of the Chindwin River at Kalewa. The following year they crossed the river in force and fought the Japanese back to Rangoon. It was the dramatic conclusion to the Burma Campaign – a grueling theatre of war that amassed in its tide men and women from all corners of the globe. 1945 was also the year in which General Aung San, the young Burmese nationalist, marched his Burma Independence Army to join Slim and fight against the Japanese and in doing so, ultimately liberate his country from colonialism.

After the Second World War, John Masters wrote:

“For a moment I could only see what would be gone – the sense of purpose, unselfishness, comradeship, sacrifice, courage. There was no reason why these qualities should not be devoted to peace in and between peoples, but they had not been after 1918, and I did not believe they would be now …”

In Burma, fighting did not end with the close of the Second World War. In 1947, General Aung San was assassinated, dashing hopes of easy unity between the country’s disparate ethnic groups. The Karen, feeling betrayed by their British allies, took up arms against the Bamar. After a tumultuous decade, in 1962 General Ne Win seized control of the country in a coup. Since then and until today, the country has been shaken by political turbulence. During this tour Rob will explore how the events of WW2 in Burma have in part led to where the country is today. For Myanmar, this is not just history.

A detailed 40 page brochure is available for this tour. Contact Guidepost to receive your copy

Inclusions

Full transfer service in private vehicles
Domestic flights: Yangon to Mandalay, Mandalay to Yangon
Accommodation with daily breakfast as per itinerary
Three nights aboard the Sanctuaty Ananda cruise ship
Sunrise hot air balloon ride in Bagan
Lunch every day except on the 24 February and the 5 & 8 of March
Supper on the 24, 27 and 28 of February, and on the 2, 3, 4, 6 and 7 of March, including Welcome Diner, Farewell Dinner and champagne reception
Dr Robert Lyman’s expertise as he accompanies the group from the 24 February to the 7 March
Ko Sai Kenneth’s expertise as he guides the group from the 24 February to the 8 March
Film screening hosted by Alex Bescoby on the 26 February All zone and entrance fees and permits
Carbon Offsetting Charge for domestic flights, to be donated to Help for Forgotten Allies (this can be removed upon request)

EXCLUSIONS

Any services not explicitly mentioned in itinerary
International flights
Lunch on the 24 February and the 5 & 8 March Supper on the 25, 26 & 29 February, and the 1 & 5 of March
Early check-in or late check-out at hotels (can be requested)
Tips to guide, driver and others

Photography / videography fees
Travel insurance
Visa fees
All personal expenses

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