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To those with a passion for great food & good company,
this is your invitation to join Tastings '08, our next FoodTour to Thailand & Burma/Myanmar. |
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| Our money back guarantee |
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| Your safety is paramount |
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Tour price includes airport transfers, 5-star hotel accommodation, internal transportation, daily breakfast and most meals, cooking demonstrations and market tours.
Exclusive of airfares to and from Thailand.
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| Two great countries, three delicious options: |
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Thailand and Burma/Myanmar
March 6-22, 2008 |
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Burma/Myanmar only
March 17-22 |
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| Join us for both tours and we'll add one night absolutely free at the 5-star Sofitel Central Plaza in Bangkok. Guaranteed upgrades to deluxe rooms, VIP check in, and full breakfast included, plus more! |
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| To those with a passion for great food and good company, this is your invitation to join Tastings '08, our next FoodTours to Southeast Asia. Globetrotting Gourmet® has scheduled two itineraries back-to-back, to offer you the best of Asia. Fly with us to the inaugural Isan Food Festival in Khon Kaen, with VIP reservations at the Thai Cuisine Masterclass Weekend. Travel to the luxury beachside resort of Hua Hin, Thailand's dessert capital of Phetchaburi, historic Nakhon Pathom, and Bangkok. |
In Burma/Myanmar tour colourful provincial festivals rarely seen by western tourists. Accommodation at 5-star Sofitel properties exclusively in Thailand, and in Rangoon/Yangon experience colonial grandeur at The Strand hotel, the city's finest. Daily breakfast, most meals, private coach throughout, all hosted personally by cookbook author Robert Carmack and textile designer Morrison Polkinghorne. Delicious food, great company, sumptuous hotels. What more can you wish? |
Burma/Myanmar March 17-22 |
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| DAY BY DAY ITINERARY |
Tastings '08 www.asianfoodtours.com |
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Monday 17 March Burma/Myanmar March 17-22 |
O/N Yangon |
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If continuing with us to Burma/Myanmar: Flights ex Bangkok to Rangoon/Yangon are available as a supplement, so please advise us if this segment is already included on your original international ticket. We have guaranteed seating on the most convenient flight, however, so that you do not miss out on any of our activities. Those continuing on from Thailand Tastings '08 receive Sunday night's (17 March) hotel accommodation in Bangkok absolutely free. |
| Yangon, formerly Rangoon, is "one of the most exotic and striking cites in Southeast Asia," writes Lonely Planet. And we couldn't agree more! The main gateway -- and until very recently, administrative capital -- of Myanmar, this city of 5 million chokes with crumbling colonnades, picturesque dishevelment, and old-growth teak. Outlying neighborhoods are refreshingly overgrown, taking on a provincial feel. |
After arrival, check in and a brief rest, we've scheduled a late afternoon visit to Yangon's most famous landmark. Undoubtedly the best time to see the Shwedagon Pagoda is at dusk, as the sun begins to fall over the city. One of the true wonders of the religious world, Shwedagon is believed 2500 years old, and towers some 98 meters/326 feet above the green cityscape of Yangon. Testament to the faith of the Burmese, the pagoda is covered with hundreds of gold plates, while the pinnacle is encrusted with 4531 diamonds, the largest 76 carats.
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For dinner, head directly to Le Planteur, arguably Yangon's best restaurant. Run by Swiss-French chef owner Boris Legrange, we cannot fault its food -- and setting! The eatery is in new digs since last April, when it moved into town from its suburban garden. The wine list is superb, one of the best we've tippled in Asia -- and don't overlook the unusual Swiss offerings, as well as its extensive Bordeaux range! Visa, Mastercharge and American Express accepted tonight. Dinner included, drinks no-host. Before returning to the hotel, we'll stop briefly for an evening walking tour through the city's Chinatown. |
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Tuesday 18 March |
O/N Pindaya |
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| Enroute to the airport this morning, we'll stop for Yangon's best la pey yay tea, and a quick snack of soufflé balled puree. Then we're off to the Inle lake region, the prime attraction of the Shan state. Upon arrival in Heho, lunch on simple, yet satisfying, bowls of Shan Khauk Swei, or Shan noodles -- the regions signature dish. Be ready -- local masseurs will try to massage you the minute you sit down and continue through your meal! So either enjoy, or politely say no. (Very cheap tips expected.) Then drive through the picturesque hills of Shan State, with a quick stop at Aung Ban for tea or coffee and rest stop, and an opportunity to purchase some of the state's best tea. Then onto Pindaya caves and its 8000 Buddhist figurines. This is the first day of the city's annual cave festival, so expect the streets to be overflowing with vendors and partying late into the night. Of special interest are the craft shops making hand-made paper umbrellas. Our 3-star accommodation tonight is in quaint individual bungalows, within view of the caves. Tonight, we'll sample Shan fare, the local foods of Myanmar's largest state. |
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Wednesday 19 March |
O/N Kalaw |
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| We begin the morning visiting Pindaya's famous caves, early before the throngs of pilgrims. We'll pass Pindaya's quaint local market, and time permitting, we'll stop for delicious la phet salad made from fermented tea leaves, and a light Chinese tea. The local brew here is delicious, and be sure to purchase dried "sticky rice" leaves to add to your green tea back home. In the afternoon we drive to Kalaw, an historic hill station town rich in colonial-era mock Tudor buildings. |
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Thursday 20 March |
O/N Kekku |
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| We begin at Kalaw's 5-day market, so named after the rotation repeats every fifth day to a different town in the area. This local gathering of tribes people is a colorful introduction to vibrant daily life. Afterwards, drive to Shan's state's capital city Taunggyi, staying at a brand new complex just out of town, and onto Kekku and its fabulous festival in an orchard of stupas, some dating back to the 3rd century B.C. The local Pa-o tribe is in full celebration today, so have your camera ready for a unique spectacle! |
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Friday 21 March |
O/N Yangon |
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| This morning we head back to Taunggyi, and its annual morning parade. Taunggyi is Shan state's capital, and has a fascinating local market. (Due to the festival, the market will probably be closed.). Afterwards, stop at Aythaya winery, where we will, albeit incongruously, visit the vineyards to sample the local grappa and espresso (included). Then to Nyaung Shwe, gateway to Inle lake. A great Shan restaurant, The Viewpoint, serves "enlightened" Shan fare, from huge "boats" filled with individual bowls of local specialities. Very smart, and delicious. In the afternoon fly back to Yangon for a final gala dinner at The Strand. Dress up, dress fancy. The management is prepared a very special dinner for us, using historical crockery and serving pieces from the hotel's museum collection. |
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After The Strand's sumptuous breakfast, today we say goodbye to beautiful Burma/Myanmar. Morning at leisure till transfer to the Yangon International Airport for departure back to Bangkok, Singapore, or to your final destination. For those with later departures, we can also organize an optional early morning mohinga, widely reputed as Yangon's best. The setting and hygiene, however, is extremely basic. Our hotel is in the midst of the city's colonial architectural heart, and a short taxi to thriving Scott Market, so time permitting, do some last minute morning exploring and shopping on your own.
NB: Ensure you have a clean, crisp US$10 bill to pay your airport departure tax. Worn notes are likely to be rejected. |
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| Transfers to the airport are included this morning. We can also arrange additional nights in Yangon, plus extended tours across the country. Please let us know how we can assist. |
| Flight details: Please advise us of your connecting flight back to your home destination (North America, Australia, Europe or Asia). If your connection is late afternoon or evening, you will be able to connect easily in Bangkok. Dawn or early morning connecting flights will require an additional night's stay in Bangkok. We recommend the Novotel Souvarnabhumi hotel, for its proximity to the airport, plus its free and frequent shuttle service. For longer layovers, we can arrange additional nights at the Sofitel Centara Grand Bangkok, plus transfers. As the nearby Chatuchak weekend market is open tomorrow (Sunday), the Sofitel Centara Grand Bangkok is an ideal location, plus you avoid the congestion of downtown traffic |
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tour 2
Tastings Burma |
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tour 1
Tastings Thailand |
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DOWN LOAD REGISTRATION FORM HERE! |
| www.asianfoodtours.com |
