Myanmar by Rail
Follow in the footsteps of Kipling and Theroux
Discover magical Myanmar along the tracks of its nationwide railway, from bustling Yangon to the ancient temples of Bagan, exotic Mandalay to the placid waters of Inle Lake. We climb aboard for a photographic adventure, following in the footsteps of Kipling and Theroux. Myanmar’s railways are slow but scenic, and highlights of the trip include the slow train from Inle Lake to Kalaw, and a jaw-dropping trip across the Gokteik Viaduct. Along the way we document a country on the cusp of incredible change. Our photographic tour leaders will help you to develop your composition and storytelling skills, and our team of local guides welcome us to the real Myanmar.
This is a premium photographic adventure, and we’ll enjoy beautiful accommodation and delicious cuisine throughout the trip. When not on the train, we travel by spacious and comfortable minibus, with an extra vehicle to transport our luggage between accommodation. At the same time, our close connection to the people of this region, local friendships and many years of experience give us unparalleled access to the authentic life of local Burmese. As working photographers and journalists, with many years of teaching experience, we provide you unique insights and knowledge about Myanmar and photographic storytelling.
Due to Covid 19 and current political events Myanmar by Rail has been postponed until further notice.
Expectations
Guiding Team
Tour leader Mostafa Mansour is a documentary-style and travel photographer from Cairo who has been living in Southeast Asia for over three years. His work is mainly focused on capturing the daily life of people from different ethnicities, and photographing aspects of culture and street life with a journalistic approach. His photography has most recently featured in Vice Magazine, and he has documented numerous NGO projects in Vietnam and Indonesia.
Mansour has travelled extensively in Myanmar, and led acclaimed photography tours both here and in Vietnam.
Transportation
The trains in Myanmar are slow, creaky, bumpy, and sometimes late, but an unparalleled adventure. We will only be taking relatively short daytime journeys by train, of two to six hours maximum (according to schedule). The longest journey will be from Pyin Oo Lwin to Hsipaw (six hours), but this is also the most spectacular one, traversing the immense Gokteik Viaduct. The train journeys in general are a visual feast for photographers, and we’ll soon forget a bit of backache. Bathrooms on board vary in quality, but are generally serviceable. Dining facilities are not great, so we make sure to include as many meals before and after journeys as possible, and bring our own prepared picnics for the longer trips.
We’ll be taking three domestic flights during the trip, from Yangon to Inle Lake, from Inle to Mandalay and from Bagan to Yangon. We use Myanmar’s number one carrier, Myanmar Airways.
Our river cruise from Mandalay to Bagan is on a comfortable, modern tourist boat equipped with AC cabin, open deck and well-maintained bathroom and dining facilities.
At all other times, we travel by comfortable 16-seat, AC minibus.
Tour Add-Ons
Balloons over Bagan: $325
Enjoy a spectacular hot air balloon ride over the temples of Bagan
Seasonality
This is a small private group tour with designated departure dates. However we can tailor this tour or something similar for your required dates.
Due to Covid 19 and current political events Myanmar by Rail has been postponed until further notice.
What's included
Transfers upon arrival and departure
Accommodation as indicated in the itinerary
Meals as indicated in the itinerary
Daily activities and excursions as indicated in the itinerary
All gratuities
What's not included
Airfare to and from destination, as well as internal airfare where applicable
Trip cancellation insurance or any other travel insurance
Visas
Alcoholic beverages