WF-003
(5 Days/4 Nights)
 

Taunggyi Tzaaungdaing Festival, also known as the Taunggyi Hot Air Balloon Festival, is one of the most famous and popular events in Taunggyi, the capital city of Shan State. Held annually on the full-moon day of Tazaungmone (the eighth month of the Burmese calendar), this festival takes place at the end of October and the beginning of November, lasting for seven days. Traditionally, it is a time to pay homage to the Sulamani Pagoda by sending up beautifully decorated hot air balloons. Recently, it has also become a Hot Air Balloon Competition Festival, divided into daytime and nighttime events. During the day, hot air balloons are crafted into shapes of various animals and mythical creatures. At night, balloons filled with fireworks and firecrackers (known as Nya Mee Gyi) and lantern-adorned balloons (known as Seinnaban) light up the sky.The full-moon day of Tazaungmone is the most crowded, with people carrying offerings—such as monks’ umbrellas, fans, slippers, and robes—on decorated wooden stands. In the evening, there is a weaving competition (known as Mathoe Thin Kyan) where participants create offerings for Buddha images to be presented at the pagoda by dawn.This festival is a mesmerizing blend of tradition, competition, and community spirit, offering a unique cultural experience you shouldn’t miss. Enjoy the vibrant and enchanting Taunggyi Tazaungdaing Festival!

Day 01: Yangon – Heho – Pindaya – NyaungShwe

Our local guide will pick you up at the hotel and drive you to Yangon Airport for your morning flight to Heho. Upon arrival in Heho, drive to Pindaya to visit the Pindaya Mystery Caves and Shwe U Min Pagoda. Explore the famous Pone Ta Loke Lake and observe bamboo umbrella making. Then, proceed to Nyaung Shwe (Inle Lake) and stay overnight at the hotel.

Day 02: Inle Sightseeing

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel and transfer to Nyaung Shwe jetty for your Inle Lake boat trip. See the unique “Leg Rowers,” where the Intha people row standing up with one leg wrapped around an oar. Visit the floating tomato gardens and traditional handicraft workshops for silverwork, silk weaving, lotus tissue fabrication, cheroot making, and Shan paper-making. Afterward, visit Shwe Indein Pagoda, Ah Lo Taw Pauk Pagoda, and Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda, where five Buddha images are placed, with four ferried around the lake during the Phaung Daw Oo Festival (late September/early October). Then, visit Nga Phe Kyaung (Jumping Cat Monastery), one of the oldest wooden monasteries on Inle Lake, containing over 200-year-old Buddha images. Enjoy dinner at your hotel and stay overnight at a floating hotel on Inle Lake.

Day 03: Inle Lake – TaungGyi – Kakku

After breakfast at the hotel, check out and take a boat transfer to Nyaung Shwe jetty. From there, proceed by car to Taunggyi, the capital city of Shan State. On the way, stop at Ayethayar Wine Garden to enjoy some wine (at your own expense). Upon arrival in Taunggyi, visit the Taunggyi Tazaungdaing Festival (Festival of Lights) where lighted hot air balloons are sent up as offerings to pay homage to Sulamuni Pagoda. The festival is also a competition among various town quarters. Continue to Kakku Pagodas, a stunning site with over 7,000 pagodas, located about 25km from Taunggyi near Mway Taw Village. Return to Taunggyi for dinner at a local restaurant and overnight at the hotel.

Day 04: TaungGyi TaZaungDaing Festival

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before visiting the Taunggyi Tazaungdaing Festival. This annual event features a hot air balloon competition, with balloons made of hand-crafted paper, decorated with colorful fireworks and firecrackers. The competition is divided into daytime and nighttime events. Ensure you have a meeting point with your guide in case you get lost in the crowd, especially during the nighttime festivities. Enjoy dinner at a local restaurant and stay overnight at the hotel.

Day 05: TaungGyi – Heho – Yangon

After enjoying breakfast at the hotel, proceed to Heho airport for your flight back to Yangon.

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