The Road to Mandalay :

Myanmar River Cruise

A Luxury River Cruise through Myanmar’s Countryside

a singles’ cruise, but going it alone is no problem and the staff of 70 keeps things interesting, including the two lifetime river pilots, who deftly weave the boat through rocks and channels.

The Temples
On land, Buddha is everywhere. The core philosophy of this 2,500-year-old way of life pretty much eluded me until the boat’s tour guide put it like this: “To love someone is to suffer; to hate someone is to suffer.” Bagan hugs the Ayeyarwady River and is home to more than 3,000 religious monuments. (This number was 5,000 until a 1975 earthquake.) These magnificent temples made of long, domino-like red bricks—built between 1044 and 1287—are as plentiful as cacti in some deserts. The flat, dry landscape means low brush and high visibility to every horizon revealing a plateau of brick palaces that is an orgy of temples and pagodas of every dimension. One of a kind? Yes. Some of the architects of the most impressive temples were killed by the kings who commissioned them so similar structures could not be constructed elsewhere.

Despite the controversial, ongoing reconstruction of earthquake-damaged temples (most believers were happy with them as authentic ruins) and new restrictions on entering others, you can still experience a few; just be sure to wear long pants and remove your shoes first. Plan your arrival for later in the day and be doubly rewarded. The remarkable view from atop one of these World Heritage Sites is enhanced during a peaceful sunset. Ananda Temple, from the early Bagan period (1105), houses four 31-foot tall standing Buddhas, each facing a different compass direction and wearing the typical Burmese Buddha expression: When standing close to a statue, it appears that Buddha has a small, beakish mouth; yet from afar, the same lips reveal a big smile.

Season: July to April

An Orient-Express journey is soup-to-nuts, so you’re on autopilot from the time you see your name on a sign at the airport.

From Bangkok, four internal flights are required.

The Road to Mandalay
www.orient-express.com
(800) 524-2420

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