Taunggyi Balloon Festival Tour

The stunning Taunggyi Balloon Festival Tour takes place in November yearly. This fantastic trip where we experience the best that Burma has to offer – including visiting some of Burma’s most interesting temples and ancient ruins, trekking off the beaten track, as well as spend time at one of Burma’s most beautiful Ngapali beach.

Tour Duration: 13 days / 12 nights
Tour Type: Adventure, Trekking, Cultural
Cities: Yangon, Kalaw, Pindaya, Nyaungshwe, Inle Lake, Taunggyi, Ngapali Beach
Price: From US$ 2100/person
Activity Level: Regular itinerary

Day by Day Tours

Day 1 Yangon arrival
Day 2 Yangon – Kalaw
Day 3 Kalaw – Trekking to Pindaya
Day 4 Pindaya trekking
Day 5 Pindaya sightseeing
Day 6 Pindaya – Inle Lake
Day 7 Inle Lake sightseeing
Day 8 Taunggyi Balloon Festival
Day 9 Inle Lake – Ngapali Beach
Day 10 Ngapali Beach
Day 11 Ngapali Beach
Day 12 Ngapali Beach – Yangon
Day 13 Yangon departure

Tour Prices (US$/person)

Group of 02 persons  : OnRequest
Group of 04 persons  : OnRequest

Important notes:
Surcharge in Peak Times eg: Christmas, New Year Eve, and Water festival may be applicable.

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DETAILED ITINERARY:

Day 1 Yangon arrival

On arrival at Yangon you will be transferred to your hotel. Depending on your time of arrival we can drive downtown and start a walking tour to observe the way of life along the river and then walk along to Pansodan street famous for its impressive colonial buildings and busy sidewalk markets. Overnight hotel.

Day 2 Yangon – Kalaw

Fly to Heho on the morning flight, after arrival we will cycle to the former British hill station of Kalaw stopping on the way to enjoy lunch at a local restaurant. Upon reaching Kalaw we will explore the surrounding pine forests and colonial houses whilst inhaling the cool mountain air. Overnight Hotel

Day 3 Kalaw – Trekking to Pindaya

Today we will start trekking in the direction of Pindaya, hiking past several traditional villages of the Palaung tribe. They are thought to be the earliest inhabitants of Myanmar and they still live a very traditional lifestyle. We will learn about the seasonal crops they grow, which include the leaves used to produce the ubiquitous cheroots. We will arrive at a local monastery or homestay where we will enjoy dinner and have welcome chance to relax. Overnight Ywadaw village homestay or monastery,

Trekking from Kalaw to Pindaya, Burma

Day 4 Pindaya trekking

The trek to Pindaya continues with several stops at different tribal villages, such as Danu and Pa-o. We will get a fascinating introduction into their culture and learn about their ancestral customs. A packed lunch will be enjoyed at one of the villages on the way. Overnight homestay in Shan Ywa.

Local people on the trekking route

Day 5 Pindaya sightseeing

We wake up to the cool mountain air and enjoy breakfast before setting out on a full day of unchallenging trekking. Along the way we will be exposed to the spectacular natural scenery of the surrounding mountains and Pindaya caves . We stop by several villages, enjoying the sight of women in colorful ethnic clothing and experiencing more of their rural way of life. Overnight in village monastery or local homestay.

Day 6 Pindaya – Inle Lake

Today we enjoy a scenic unchallenging bicycle ride to Nyaung Shwe (at the head of Inle lake) passing traditional villages and inviting countryside scenery. Accompanied by a support vehicle, you are free to cycle part or all of the way. On our approach to Inle Lake, learn about the people living in stilted houses on the lake shore. Overnight at Hotel, Inle lake

Day 7 Inle Lake sightseeing

Today leave the hiking boots and bikes behind for some spectacular sightseeing around and on the waters of Inle Lake. Explore the Lake’s morning market, visited by local hill tribes people and the Inthar before passing stilted houses. Be awed by the iconic leg-rowing fishermen of the lake. Following a visit to the monastery and lunch, stroll around the Pah-Oh villages of Indein and meet the local people. Overnight at hotel – Inle lake

Stilted house on Inle Lake, Burma

Day 8 Taunggyi Balloon Festival

This day, you will have a very interesting visit to Taunggyi to enjoy the Taunggyi Balloon Festival. On the way you can visit Shwe Yan Pyay in Nyaungshwe. After 1 and a half, you will reach Taunggyi, the capital of Shan State. Visit the Taunggyi local market. Continue to Kakku, the non-touristic attraction with many stupas of Myanmar and Shan style located harmoniously. Return to Inle Lake. On the way back to Inle Lake, you can visit the Htan Cave which is a small copy of Pindaya and Indein.

Taunggyi Fire Balloon Festival, Shan State, Burma

Day 9 Inle Lake – Ngapali Beach

This morning we will take a flight to NgaPail beach resort where you will have free time to enjoy the white sandy beaches and dine at the spectacular restaurants beneath the palm tree. Overnight hotel.

Day 10 Ngapali Beach

Free time in Ngapali to do as you please.

Snorkeling in Ngapali Beach, Burma

Day 11 Ngapali Beach

Free time in Ngapali to do as you please.

Day 12 Ngapali Beach – Yangon

We will fly back to Yangon on the morning flight and continue our exploration of this amazing city. Overnight hotel.

Day 13 Yangon departure

If time allows before your airport transfer you can take a last walk about the downtown area. End your Taunggyi Balloon Festival Tour.

Enjoy your tours with Our top favorite Burma package tours

Tour Prices (US$/person)

Group of 02 persons  : OnRequest
Group of 04 persons  : OnRequest

Important notes:
Surcharge in Peak Times eg: Christmas, New Year Eve, and Water festival may be applicable.

I NEED TAILOR-MADE

I’LL TAKE THIS TOUR

Essential Notes

Passports and Visas

The first thing goes first. You definitely must obtain valid VISA in order to travel into any country and so is Myanmar (Burma). Unless your country is in VISA exemption list, it is your responsibility to get valid VISA before arrival. There are two ways to get Myanmar VISA:

• Go to Myanmar Embassies and Consulates in your home country and you will be guided procedure. You may want to check the list of countries where Myanmar has embassies and consulate offices by clicking here.
• Obtain VISA On Arrival (VOA). For tourists coming from countries has no Myanmar Diplomatic Rep offices, you can obtain VOA online via www.myanmarevisa.gov.mm – the official portal for VOA by Myanmar government. The portal launched in Sep 01, 2014 and took its pilot operation for a month. Providing you encounter any issue, please contact us for support.

Climate & Clothing

Generally speaking, Myanmar is a tropical country with rather hot weather. Sometimes in year or in some Northern places, temperature cools down but not that can be called cold. Roughly saying that the best time to travel Myanmar is from Oct to March due to dry and cool season. Other months, however, you may get very nice deals of promotion.For clothing: comfortable clothes, absolutely. We suggest you should take at least one long pan, a long skirt and a sleeve top because we will visit some religious site and many of them require proper code of dress.All of temples and pagodas require you enter with bare feet. A pair of sandals is highly recommended.

Cell Phones & Calling Cards

You may wish to carry a cell phone while traveling. Check with your cell phone provider if your phone will work in the destination(s) you are visiting. Myanmar service is dominated by the GMS technology standard, while some of the world such as U.S uses the incompatible CDMA standard. We suggest that you should check carefully or you may incur high international roaming fees.We said previously “the SIM card in Myanmar is not very popular and still quite expensive”. But now, forget it! SIM cards in Myanmar now are cheap and easy to buy in any main city as cheap as about US$ 02 each. Cell phones, even smart phones are available on sales widely.

Making Telephone Calls from One Country to Another

When dialing a number from one country to another, you should proceed as follows: dial your country’s Exit Code + destination Country Code + Phone Number. Country Code of Myanmar is 95.

Wireless Internet Access

Passengers traveling with WiFi enabled devices (such as a personal computer, smartphone, tablet, or digital audio player) may be able to connect to the internet via a wireless network access point (or hotspot). Wifi is now popular in most hotels from three stars up. Most of them are supplying Free Wifi but some may incur extra charges. We suggest you should ask the receptionist before.

Cards and Currency

Myanmar’s national currency, the KYAT (pronounced chat, abbreviated in MMK) is divided into the following banknotes: K1, K5, K10, K20, K50, K100, K200, K500 and K1000.We once said “ATMs are still very hard to come” but from my latest inspection of Myanmar, the country now starts using ATMs. Most three stars hotels up often have at least one AMT machine right at their lobbies. Main hotels now accepts credit cards payment.Anyway, we suggest you should bring with some cashes just in case. Local buying there accept Burmese and US dollars widely. However please pay at attention when bring US notes with you:

• The US$ notes must be new.
• The US$ notes torn, marked, folded will not be accepted.
• The US$ notes having series before 2003 backward may not accepted.

You are allowed to bring up to US$ 5000 in cash per person to enter Myanmar.

Trip Preparation

A little pre-planning can make your trip go a lot smoother. We suggest you should taking a checklist below:

• Several weeks before your trip, make a list of what you will need to take with you.
• Make sure your personal documents (passports, visas, driver’s license) are in order.
• We suggest that you make photocopies of passports, visas, personal ID and any other important travel documents and pack them separately from the originals. If you lose the originals while traveling, you’ll have copies for easier reporting and replacement.
• You may consider bringing a small supply of over the counter medications for headaches and/or anti-diarrhea pills. Pack a list of medications including dosage and generic names.
• We recommend that you pack a portable alarm clock.
• Avoid placing valuables such as cameras in your checked luggage.

Happy Travelling with CRYSTAL HOLIDAYS ASIA!

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