Sanctuary Ananda’s Myanmar Specialities

We are always excited to bring you something new here at Time Spent At Sea and here is a great new river-cruise opportunity from Sanctuary Retreats, with eight enticing itineraries available on the luxurious all-suite Sanctuary Ananda in Myanmar.  

These itineraries include three, four and seven-night ‘Discovery Cruises’ between Bagan and Mandalay as well as a selection of longer and more unusual ‘Exploration Cruises’ allowing guests time to explore the Upper and Lower Ayeyarwady and the shallower Chindwin River. 

Sanctuary Ananda will sail every day on each itinerary and, where possible, guests will experience local transport to reach off the beaten track villages and must-see sights to ensure a true local and unique experience.

Discovery Itineraries include:

Three Nights – Bagan to Mandalay

Setting off from Bagan, this three-night experience includes a visit to some of the most important temples and pagodas in Bagan; a horse-drawn cart visit to Ava, the old imperial capital and archaeological site; Sagaing with its convents, pagodas and silversmiths; and Amarapura to visit textile workshops and drinks at sunset at the mile-long U Bein bridge.

Four Nights – Mandalay to Bagan

This itinerary begins in Mandalay, the cultural capital of Myanmar, and makes its way down to Bagan, the spiritual heart of the country and home to over 2,000 gilded pagodas.  Highlights on the journey include the textile workshops of Amarapura; Sagaing, the centre of Myanmar Buddhist faith; Pakokku with its local markets and traditional shoe factories; and the Sale monasteries

Seven Nights – Bagan-Mandalay-Bagan

This longer cruise is a combination of the three and four-night itineraries but also offers a train ride across the Gokteik Viaduct to Naung Pein and a visit to Pyin Oo Lwin and its Botanical Gardens. There will also be visits to jaggery, lacquerware and brick workshops; the Thone Zu Pagoda with its Nat shrine; and a hike up Mount Popa, an extinct volcano, to see the stunning summit monastery, pagodas and shrines. 

For more info, visit www.sanctuaryretreats.com and, for more luxury adventure-cruise ideas, follow this link to The Cruise Line, the UK's river cruising specialists.

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