In the morning board Metta cruise and leave the bustling jetty, set sail the cruise to Mandalay. Soon as you leave the jetty, the first eye catching sites are the gold prospectors who do the traditional panning on the river bank. See the Second Defile, of the Ayeyawaddy Gorges, dramatic and lush scenery with steep rock faces.

Visit Sinkan, a lovely village and important transit point for teak during the British colonial era. Take a walk past the old teak monastery and some old temple ruins overgrown by grass, moss and trees. Continue your journey to Kahta. Lunch, dinner and overnight stay on board. Dock near Kathar.

After breakfast on board, visit Katha, a beautiful town with an interesting market and friendly people. Katha is well-known from the book “Burmese Days” written by George Orwell.

Visit Tagaung, one of the oldest capitals of Myanmar. The origins of Burma can be found here according to some legends. The remnants of the former palace walls of the ancient Pyu kingdom are still visible today.

After breakfast on board, sit back in a deckchair as the ship heads through the Third Defile of the Ayeyarwaddy Gorges. Shortly after lunch, Thabeikkyin, a small town on the eastern shore of the river which seems to be built on a small cliff overlooking the Ayeyarwaddy River comes into view.

Take a guided walking tour of the small village of Kyar Nyat and you’ll spy archaeological treasures and get an authentic taste of local life.

The scenery is beautiful, the river though wider and the hills not as dramatic. Stop at the famous pottery village Nwe Nyein near Kyaukmyaung. Go ashore to learn all about the production of big earthen ceramic pots and jars. Nwe Nyein is the main pottery village of the country where thousands of large ceramic pots are traditionally crafted by masters and baked in huge kilns.

After breakfast on board, a faous highlight of Mandalay, Mingun will come into view. A delightful stroll in Mingun village will be rewarding with its largest un-cracked bell in the world, weighing 90 tons, which was dedicated to the grandiose unfinished Mingun Pagoda. Visit and observe the beauty of Mya Thein Tan Zedi which best described the Hindu cosmologic beliefs of Mount “Meru” that was later integrated into Buddhism. Mingun village is also famous for its country’s renowned artists.

Board your boat for your final leg to Mandalay which you will reach within an hour.