Tours of Burma

Get beyond the tourist façade of the countries you visit. Focus on the local culture, past and present, and discover the lifeblood of any country – its people. Discovery and culture tours uncover different ways of life, and offer the opportunity to meet and sometimes stay with local people or tribal groups. Our discovery tours explore cultural sites – both ancient and modern – and help you learn about the people and their culture. Visit the remote tribes of Ethiopia’s Rift Valley, live the nomad life in desert camps or meet the local people of the high Andean altiplano in Peru. There’s no better way to get to the true heart of a country than through its people.

Burma In Depth

Tour Map of Burma In Depth

This adventurous tour of Burma (Myanmar) takes us to fascinating sights beyond the classic highlights. We travel deep into the Mon State to Ogre Island and join local pilgrims as they admire the sunset from the sacred Golden Rock at Mount Kyaikhtiyo. We marvel at the grandeur of Bagan, discover authentic rural life in and around Hsipaw and witness the fascinating world of Inle Lake. We also cross the dramatic Gokteik Viaduct by train and explore the cities of Mandalay and Rangoon.

Our Discovery collection draws together the best of our holidays that focus on the culture of a destination, as well as on visiting iconic sights and embracing local traditions. Some of these Discovery holidays will also have an element of activity, combining sightseeing with short walks, for example. Others might have a multi-activity holiday format, including biking and/or rafting, for instance, and these holidays are specifically designed for the adrenaline seeker! Also within our discovery collection are those of our holidays with a wildlife emphasis, photographic workshops, and polar cruise holidays. Never too physically demanding, these are predominantly touring holidays and their grade (usually towards the lower end of our 1 to 12 scale) reflects, in part, the remoteness of the area visited and the conditions likely to be encountered. Our Discovery holidays allow the discerning traveller to get right to the heart of many of the world's most stimulating destinations.

Temples and Trails of Burma

During 2 weeks in Burma (Myanmar) we will seek out many of the acknowledged highlights, but also take time to get off the beaten track on a 4-day hike through the forest and farmland of the hill-country north of Inle Lake. We start our journey in the capital city of Rangoon (Yangon), with its magnificent, golden Schwedagon Pagoda. From here, we fly north to Heho and visit the collection of Buddhist stupas at Kakku, before spending a couple of days on an around Inle Lake, home to floating villages and fishermen with conical nets and a distinctive style of 'foot-rowing'. After our trek from Pindaya to Kalaw, via hill-tribe villages and monasteries, we make the short hop to the former royal capital, Mandalay. Here, our sightseeing tour will include a boat trip to the giant bell at Mingun and a sunset stroll along the 1200 metre-long teak bridge at U Bein. An unforgettable day's journey by boat down the Irrawaddy then takes us to Bagan, one of the outstanding highlights of the region thanks to its many hundreds of ancient temples, scattered across a tree-studded plain. This largest and most diverse of SE Asian countries has the power to surprise, with its amazing variety of landscape, cultural richness and charming people. KE's Position on Travel and Tourism in BurmaOff-limits for 15 years, the National League for Democracy (Aung San Suu Kyi's political party) announced in early November 2010 that the boycott on tourism should be lifted. With the general message from the Burmese people also encouraging outside visitors, we made the decision to set up our first ever holiday in Burma. From the outset, we were careful to design the itinerary with the help of a Burmese agent who, as much as is possible, makes use of independent and privately-run businesses, rather than those run by the military regime. We feel that it is appropriate now to let KE clients have the chance to make their own minds up about this fascinating and fast-changing country and believe that tourist visits by well-informed people, who have an interest in Burma's social and political issues, can be of benefit to the Burmese people.

Get beyond the tourist façade of the countries you visit. Focus on the local culture, past and present, and discover the lifeblood of any country – its people. Discovery and culture tours uncover different ways of life, and offer the opportunity to meet and sometimes stay with local people or tribal groups. Our discovery tours explore cultural sites – both ancient and modern – and help you learn about the people and their culture. Visit the remote tribes of Ethiopia’s Rift Valley, live the nomad life in desert camps or meet the local people of the high Andean altiplano in Peru. There’s no better way to get to the true heart of a country than through its people.

Burma Highlights

Tour Map of Burma Highlights

Half-hidden from the world for decades and only recently re-opened to visitors, Burma (Myanmar) is an exciting and adventurous destination. On this trip we admire gold-encrusted pagodas in Rangoon, floating gardens and stilt villages at Inle Lake and the giant pagoda and bell at Mingun. We explore the many temples of the spectacular Bagan Plains and the ancient cities of Amarapura and Inwa. We also explore the Shan Highlands, discovering the old British hill station of Kalaw.

Great value, reasonable prices, quality experiences. Comfortable and varied tourist-class accommodations chosen for location and character. Mix of public and private transport for the best overall experience. All the top highlights included, plus plenty of time to explore on your own.

The trips we've build our reputation on. Designed for maximum variety, these trips are geared towards travellers searching for a healthy mix of active exploration, uncommon landscapes, amazing wildlife and local cultures.

Classic Burma Adventure

Tour Map of Classic Burma Adventure

As a relative newcomer to adventure travel, exploring the mysterious nation of Myanmar (also known as Burma) often feels like setting foot on a foreign, untouched planet. With few other travellers to contend with, the natural and man-made wonders of this underexplored part of Southeast Asia often feel like they’ve been placed here just for you. And what wonders they are: Inle Lake’s unique floating gardens, the staggering imperial ruins of ancient Bagan, the incomparable palaces of Mandalay, and enveloping forests throughout. Unknown pleasures await – come find them.

Undiscovered Burma

Tour Map of Undiscovered Burma

Starting in the bustling metropolis of Rangoon, we soon escape the main tourist trail as we set off on an exploratory tour of the far south of Burma. Venturing into an area that few tourists have been before, we visit fading colonial towns, cruise amongst tropical islands, encounter traditional Burmese fisherman and camp overnight on pristine white sand beaches. There are opportunities to snorkel, kayak and sample fresh seafood caught straight from the ocean the very same day. It is also possible to add on a 3 day extension to the magnificent and vast temple plains of Bagan. Please see trip code BARP for more details.