CENTRAL KINGDOMS ROADS
MANDALAY - INN WA - BAGAN - MONT POPA - NAYPIDAW - PEKON - LOIKAW - KAKKU - INLE
DURATION: 11 DAYS
RIDING TIME: 8 DAYS (3 to 5 HOURS PER DAY)
TOTAL DISTANCE TO RIDE: 1025 KM
It is freshly landed in Mandalay that we meet you for a unique trip in the heart of Myanmar. Riding your Royal Enfield across the arid plains in the direction of Bagan, a former city of the ninth century (World Heritage Site). As you progress, the landscape becomes hillier and you find yourself facing the mountainous Shan territory. You will have to climb up passes and reach the lakeside city of Inle. Around road bends, stupas covered with creepers may indicate a way to remote villages. Here we encounter one of the largest ethnic varieties of Southeast Asia, where ancestral lifestyles and religious practices have been preserved, sometimes older than Buddhism ... Starting your journey with us, is a mystical epic timeless trip that you will experience riding on your Royal Enfield.
• Starting from 3260 USD (ATI) per rider
• Starting from 1550 USD (ATI) per pillion passenger
• Minimum 4 to Maximum 10 bikers per group
" Nothing is more stirring than the first exchange with an exotic capital of which we know nothing, except through stories and books. These abstract notions are happily adjusted to the dazzling life that the eyes discover. And the images that do not allow themselves to be understood and deciphered from the beginning, enchant the mind with all the rich secrets that it promises to discover. "
Joseph Kessel, The Valley of the Rubies
ARRIVAL IN MANDALAY
ACCOMODATION : CONFORT
"Mingalabar!” or “Hello!" in Burmese. We welcome you to Mandalay, the second largest city in the country with more than one million citizens. It was the last royal capital between 1860 and 1885 until the annexation of Burma to the British Indian Empire. You can take advantage of this day to visit the former royal palace, in the center of the city, as well as other interesting sites in the surroundings where there are also various factories of traditional handicrafts.
MANDALAY - BAGAN – 190 KM
ACCOMODATION : CONFORT
The ride starts that morning! Just after we leave Mandalay, a quick visit of the old city Inn Wa, founded in 1364. It was at the time of the capital of the kingdom of Ava. Let’s get back on the road again, and ride on across great arid plains, along the Irawady, main river of Burma, to reach Bagan.
RAMBLE IN BAGAN – 30KM
ACCOMODATION : CONFORT
You are finally in Bagan. It's time to visit this exceptional site recently listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This old abandoned city dates back to the 9th-13th century. The landscape is covered with stupas and temples as far as your eyes can see. There are also old princely palaces.
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OPTION : Balloon flight over Bagan in the morning at dawn. If you are interested, please let us know so we can inform you rates and other amenities.
BAGAN – MONT POPA – 120 KM
ACCOMODATION : CONFORT
Today, we take the road to the east to go to Mount Popa taking off the beaten path. Mount Popa is a volcano in central Burma, in the Mandalay region. 1518m high above sea level, it is detached from 1150m on the surrounding plain. It is considered as the refuge of the 37 Great Nats (spirits) of Myanmar. Many pilgrims go there to venerate them, especially at the time of the full moon of Nayon (May - June) and of Nadaw (November-December). Before the "Buddhization" of the nats by King Anawrahta († 1077), thousands of animals were sacrificed for them during ceremonies. Today, Burmese superstitions forbid wearing black or red on Mount Popa, as swearing and bringing meat, especially pork, as it would offence the nats as a consequence. It is an oasis in the middle of the aridity of central Myanmar. It has more than 200 streams, which feed the rich vegetation growing on the fertile volcanic ash. The fauna includes many monkeys.
MOUNT POPA - NAYPIDAW – 220 KM
ACCOMODATION : CONFORT
We leave early because a long motorcycle day awaits us. Coming down from Mount Popa, you will have to ride a few more kilometers in the arid plain, but soon the landscape will become hillier. You will take small road running along the ridges of this mountainous teak plantation and then you will finally arrive at the entrance of Naypidaw, the actual official capital city of Myanmar
NAYPIDAW – PEKON 215 KM
ACCOMODATION : TRADITIONAL
It's a long day again! We must first ride through this strange city built by the military regime which officially became the capital of the country in 2009. In its design, Naypyidaw is not precisely a city, rather a series of isolated areas of one another, scattered on an area of 7,054 km2. Once out of Naypidaw we are now facing the mountains of Shan lands. Let's go for long hours of climbing through the karst massifs populated with Shans of course, as well as Pa-Oh, and even Kayahs, from whose state we will reach the borders tonight.
PEKON – LOIKAW – 80 KM
ACCOMODATION : CONFORT
After these two good days of rides, we have only one hour to get to Loikaw, the regional capital of Kayah State. Located in eastern Myanmar. Kayah is bordered to the north by the Shan State, to the East by the Thai province of Mae Hong Son and to the South and West by the Kayin State. Even though it is the smallest state in Myanmar, it remains very diverse. Here pagodas and churches rub shoulders. Indeed, the Kayahs were Christianized by Italian missionaries in the early nineteenth century, who even taught some villages how to make grappa! We will spend the day crisscrossing the small paths in this almost unexplored area, looking for waterfalls, elephants and caves, where hide some mysterious wood sarcophagi, disproportionately large to be made for humans...
LOIKAW – KAKKU – 125 KM
ACCOMODATION : TRADITIONAL
We leave Kayah State to enter again Shan State that we had left after our stay in Pekon. This time, we go North along the edge of Sakar Lake through rice paddy fields and others kinds of crops. We will fork slightly to the east to enter in Pa-Oh territory where Kakku Pagoda is located. The site is made of thousands of stupas that were dated as far as the Twelfth Century for the oldest. This is the main place of worship for the Pa-Ohs. Kakku festival takes place in March for the full moon of Tabaung. Finally, we will be welcomed in a village to spend the night and enjoy the traditional festivals.
KAKKU – NYAUNG SHWE – 50 KM
ACCOMODATION : CONFORT
Once awakened, after a breakfast served by our hosts, we will ride north off the bitten tracks crossing scenic villages to finally reach Taunggyi, capital of Shan State where the M-Ride base is located. The bikes will be dropped off before returning to the lake by private vehicle. On the way you will stop at a vineyard on the mountainside to enjoy a wine tasting from the local production.
THE INLE LAKE
ACCOMODATION : CONFORT
We will take advantage of this day without motorbikes to visit, in small private boats, the lake city recognized "biosphere reserve" by UNESCO in 2015. You will visit the various cultural sites and visit local handicraft workshops. The people of the lake, the Inthas, are specialized in the weaving of lotus fibers and other silks. They also make jewelry, cigars, and pretty traditional bamboo items.
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OPTION 1: Balloon flight over Inle Lake in the morning at dawn. If you are interested please let us know so we can inform you about rates and other amenities.
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OPTION 2: Local cooking class. If you are interested, please let us know so we can inform you about rates and other amenities.
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OPTION 3: Small canoe expedition on the Inle Lake.
HEHO
This is where the trip ends. Depending on your flight schedule, you can still enjoy the lake and its surroundings. Transfer to Heho Domestic Airport, which is an hour drive from the lake, to one of the Myanmar destinations of your choice that you have indicated during the booking process.
If you wish M-Ride can take care of your internal flight booking, please let us know as soon as possible so that we can check availabilities and get you the best rates.
