Visiting Myanmar 7 Nights 8 Days - July 2010
We greatly appreciate Tamarind Travel for arranging a fantastic 8-day
tour in Myanmar in July 2010. We visited Yangon, Bagan, Mandalay and
Inle Lake in a well-organized itinerary which has covered most of our
interests. Cho Cho is a wonderful lady who is very accommodating to
our requests. She is very patient in working out an itinerary with us
to ensure that the best arrangements are made within our budget and
interests. She is willing to go out of her way to ensure that we are
happy with the arrangements. She is also exceptionally fast on emails,
which makes us think that we are important clients! We used stationed
guides in each location. All the guides were professional and are very
helpful to make sure that we were well taken care of. In particular,
Melvin, our guide in Yangon, and San, our guide in Bagan, were very
knowledgeable and informative, and they made our stay especially
educational and enjoyable. We are genuinely happy with Tamarind
Travel's service and would not hesitate to recommend the company to
our family and friends.
We would also like to make a special recommendation for Aquarius Inn
in NyaungShwe. The hotel owner and staff were fantastic hosts. They
gave us maps, served us tea and snacks at all times, and delicious
breakfasts and also traditional medicine when we had stomach problems!
The hotel was one highlight of our trip!
Out of all the tour arrangements, we would just like to make a comment
on the hotel in Bagan (YarKinnThar Hotel). There was no back-up
generator in the hotel and we had not been warned. There was frequent
power failure during our stay in Bagan, and often during our siesta in
the afternoon when it was very hot. There was no air conditioning in
the room due to the power cut, and have therefore made the stay quite
uncomfortable.
In addition, you have mentioned to us your company policy that the
guide was to refrain from having meals together with clients. However,
in Inle Lake, our guide sat together with us during our meals. We did
not have to pay for her meal, and we saw other guides doing the same
at other tables, so we did not raise the issue. We did not mind her
eating with us as it seems to be the normal for all the guides, but we
thought we would just like to let you know.
Mr. Lee & Ms. Yu, Hong Kong
Visiting Myanmar 7 Nights 8 Days - May 2010
We were in the process of deciding which southeast Asian country to visit when a few people suggested Myanmar to us. As it was going to be our first time and we didn't know much about the country, we decided to take a tour agent to help us make the most of our trip and decided on Tamarind Travel because I felt the website to be very professional - and it was defintely a great choice.
Myanmar is such a beautiful country with amazing landscapes, history and culture. We have visited most all countries in SE Asia, but now Myanmar is our favourite. It is
untouched, unspoilt - just stunning. I'm very happy we decided to take Tamarind Travel to help us with our itinerary as you really need to take a plane and visit at least 3-4 places within the country.
Cho Cho, the manager, was extremely helpful and efficient and created for us a delightful itinerary. Any sudden changes we wanted made was done without hesitation. All the hotels chosen for us either met or exceeded our expectations. The tour guides were very knowledgable and passionate about their country which made the trip a whole lot more
enjoyable.
I anyone looking for a holiday in the SE Asia to seriously consider Myanmar. It is unspoilt with stunning scenery, you can feel as tho you were stepping back in time, lots of beautiful temples and things to see.
We wanted that with a mix of luxury which we got in some amazing hotels with great service too. We highly recommend the Govenors Residence when in Yangon - beautiful little colonial hotel with excellent restaurant.
We had a wonderful time in Myanmar.
Visiting Myanmar 7 Nights 8 Days - April 2010
Dear Cho Cho,
We have just returned from a wonderful 8 days in Myanmar. We were charmed from beginning to end with the friendliness of our welcome and the sights we experienced.
The trip was very well organised by Tamarind Travel to which we were first attracted by their excellent website. The responses to all our enquiries were by return and always very pleasantly dealt with. The provision of guides, cars and drivers was flawlessly organised and carried out. Based on the very good background information on the web site we were able to personalise the tour to our particular tastes and schedule, always efficiently assisted by the Tamarind Managing Director Ms Cho Cho Lwin.
The fact that we arranged, adjusted and started our visit within 10 days from initiation of the idea speaks volumes for the responsiveness and efficiency of Tamarind Travel and Cho Cho in particular. We have no hesitation in thoroughly recommending Tamarind Travel to take care of any tour in Myanmar and have already passed on our glowing reports on Myanmar and Tamarind Travel to our own friends and colleagues.
With kindest regards and thanks once more,
Visiting Myanmar 7 Nights 8 Days - April 2010
My Great Adventure
My trip to Myanmar is one that had been a long held dream. Thoughts of Rudyard Kipling and George Orwell sitting on the veranda in Mandalay sipping gin and tonic as they watched time pass transported me to another era and a wish to travel the road to Mandalay.
By the old Moulmein Pagoda, lookin' eastward to the sea,
There's a Burma girl a-settin', and I know she thinks o' me;
For the wind is in the palm-trees, and the temple-bells they say:
"Come you back, you British soldier; come you back to Mandalay!"
A good flight was important as we were travelling overnight so we choose to travel with Malaysian Airlines and flew from Sydney to Kuala Lumpur to Yangon. Travelling business class helped.
Our arrival in Myanmar was at Yangon (formally Rangoon) International airport. The airport was a sign of things to come. It was modern, air-conditioned and clean and the people were very friendly.
Moving quickly through immigration we were met by Tamarind Travel (Cho Cho Lwin), who greeted us warmly and quickly facilitated customs and the arrival of our luggage. We were then whisked off to our hotel for a quick freshen up then lunch and the start of our great adventure.
The itinerary included Mount Popa, Bagan, Mandalay and the Inle Lake area. We travelled by plane, car, boat, canoe and bullock cart. We were continually amazed at what we saw. The age and history of the area in Bagan was fascinating especially when sitting up in the tower at the Aureum Palace hotel surveying the thousands of stupors.
Mandalay lived up to expectations, the highlight being the boat ride to Mingun and then the bullock cart ride to the Mingun bell.
The quietness of the Inle Lake area was a stark contrast to the business of down town Mandalay or Yangon, but there was still a lot to see and do. There were the jumping monkeys, the markets and the other hotels around the lake.
Our wonderful guide Sithu looked after all the arrangement including the early morning wake up calls. All arrangements worked smoothly and just seemed to flow like the Irrawaddy River.
The initial contact with Cho Cho and the booking of the tour all went very smoothly and Cho Cho was able to answer all questions promptly and made some very good suggestions about our itinerary.
I can highly recommend Tamarind Travel to anyone wishing to travel through Myanamar as I know that you will see some fantastic sights and everything will run smoothly.
Visiting Myanmar 7 Nights 8 Days - April 2010
Our seamless sightseeing tour of Myanmar was arranged by the talented Tamarind Travel team, ably and delightfully led by Mrs Jewel Cholwin(Cho Cho). Every email from start to finish was fastidiously furnished with detailed information on our visa requirements, destinations, itinerary, hotel reservations, dietary requirements, travel tips and internal flights. Cho Cho's thoughtful contingency plans for international flight connections were warmly welcomed, especially by one of our party who had to fly to a business meeting in a different destination to the rest of our party.
The choice of hotels, restaurants and transport were tailored to our needs as air conditioning was a priority in the April heat. We were able to appreciate the highlights of the political, economic, environmental, social and technological fabric of the warm folk of Myanmar in a relaxed and engaging way. The cultural insights of the Water Festival slowly emerged along our journey as with each stop we saw construction of audience seating on main city streets taking shape. The tour guide provided a first hand glimpse of traditional Myanmar culture regaling us with stories of his exciting experiences during Water Festivals in his own youth. His professional and expert guiding experience over many years was evident as he maneuvered us through crowds and maximized our sightseeing time in each location from the best possible vantage points. We were offered flexibility in our down town walking tours, hopping on and off ferries to observe local customs and ways of life. He personally transported us on motor cycles at Inle Lake to make our tour more comfortable and even collected our shopping from the tailor at the markets on our return to Yangon after a week of touring. We have travelled extensively in Asia and have never seen such patience and courtesy as this.
Cho Cho's every attention to detail was above and beyond the call of duty in her personal overseeing of our airport arrival and departure, daily checks on our needs, and the thoughtful seating and furniture arrangements at the candle light dinner on the lawn at the Governor's Residence on our last night in Yangon. This certainly made our Myanmar holiday a memorable one for us. We added a few Australian adventure pixels to the Myanmar picture but the true animation of the vacation scene was masterfully orchestrated by Tamarind Travel.
Visiting Myanmar 8 Nights 9 Days - March 2010
Dear Cho Cho,
What an amazing tour we had with Tamarind Travel. I must commend you on the organisation. Every query before we booked, and arrived, was answered promptly and always the same day. Our tour was everything that we wished. Our hotels were excellent, the food package superb and the itinerary provided us a good overview of Myanmar today. We very much appreciated meeting you on arrival at the airport, and your time with us as we left Myanmar. Your friendliness and helpfulness will remain with us. We have visited 78 countries and this tour would have been one of the best we've had in regards to organisation and lack of hassles.
The tour itself was very interesting. The three guides we had did an excellent job. They were knowledgeable and keen for us to have a memorable tour. Stopping to take photos was never a problem, best places to take photos was suggested and going out of the way was not a problem. We did make a few changes as there are only so many temples and stupas one can take. The guides were always sympathetic to our needs and at no time were we made to feel a nuisance. Having said that, our changes to the itinerary were very minor. We have done much travelling throughout Asia and the world and are very experienced in cultures and mores, so there was no need to visit silversmiths etc when we have seen the same techniques in all the other Asian countries and South America. Instead, we used the time to visit places and shops that appealed to us. Guides are not allowed to take commissions and this was confirmed by you, and we appreciated their help in finding suitable shops, items and at a good price.
It is impossible to speed in Myanmar (50kph is breathtakingly fast at times) so we always felt safe in our car with our driver and guide. Despite the slow speed we didn't feel as if we were dawdling, and the scenery was never boring.
Its people that make a place. The Myanmar people were friendly, quick with a smile and showed great tolerance for we tourists. At all times we felt safe. The visit to Mandalay, Bagan & Inle Lake showed just how diverse this country is; each location providing so much history, culture and fabulous photo opportunities.
Thank you again for your friendship, help and for providing us with a great tour.
Cheers,
Visiting Myanmar 11 Nights 12 Days - February 2010
I am John Ang, a Yoga Instructor and Asian Art Consultant from Taipei, Taiwan. I booked my tour with Tamarind Travel from February 22nd to March 5th, 2010.
As I have never been to Myanmar I was willing to look at it with an open heart and to trust the tour agency, Tamarind Travel.
Thanks God I was in good hands.
My host Cho Cho Lwin, was there with her guide and quickly cleared me through Customs (with a Visa on Arrival), and took me immediately on my tour of Yangon.
I think that Tamarind Travel is a very experienced travel company. I felt that from the very beginning they grasped what I desired on this trip.
One of the best moments of my trip was sipping Myanmar milk tea on the roadside of little India, in Yangon. Everything was so basic and simple, styrofoam boxes for our tea tables and folded cardboard for our chairs. It was so unpretentious and the tea was sumptuous. The most amazing aspect was the contrast of the simple surroundings against the people around me, who were dealing from their pockets little paper packages of precious gemstones.
Though the itinerary was prearranged before my trip and I had agreed to everything. I found that the guides that Tamarind selected were not only very relaxed about my sudden wish to change the itinerary and were even very accommodating about trying to include anything new that was not in my itinerary. For example when I arrived at Mandalay I found I was no longer interested in visiting the silver workshops but instead was keener to go to the pottery village. My personal guide immediately arranged this and it was done so smoothly that I thought it had initially been part of my itinerary.
Other aspects of my travel was also made convenient as the guides know exactly where to take us to change money for great rates and the drivers were all also very pleasant.
Altogether I had three guides and all three were very knowledgeable not only about the history of Myanmar and all its historic buildings and sites, but also about where are the good places to eat. In Mandalay the guide did not even ask me what I would like to eat he just brought me straight to a vegetarian restaurant because he knew I was vegetarian.
One aspect I think the guides can pay more attention to is shopping. Many of the common items like longyis or ladies silk blouses or modern lacquer ware should be part and parcel of every guides vocabulary. Especially regarding the price and the percentage that we can bargain. This will definitely help the unwary tourist who over bargains or who don't have any concept about bargaining.or what the market price should be.
However, one very good aspect about Tamarind's guides is that they do not take any commissions from any of the shops or restaurants that they bring you too. This Jewel Cho Cho Lwin had confirmed with me, as she believes it is part and parcel of a guide’s job.
Also I found that even though I had been very annoying asking the guides to stop every other minute to take pictures, none of them complained. In fact they tolerated my ignorance as I took many pictures from the wrong positions. It was after I took the photos that they asked me if I was interested in taking a better view from another angle that they as guides were familiar with. Their patience was much appreciated since many tourists like me always think that we know better.
Though my areas of interest with regards to Burmese culture, mostly ancient sculptures, miniature lacquers, textiles and ceramics, are very specific and not often what the guides are familiar with, I found they took keen interest in what I wanted to learn more about. They also tried to find out more by telephoning other guides and asking them to help.
On the whole I am very pleased with the services of Tamarind Travel. As a tourist I had many worries like my over-weight luggage, getting a proper vegetarian lunch before my departure and clearing customs. But all these details were very well handled by Tamarind Travel as the allowed me to use their office for repacking my luggage and accompanied me all the way into the customs clearance counter to see that I make it through.
I would highly recommend Tamarind Travel to anyone who wants to have a smooth and enjoyable trip to Myanmar.
Visiting Myanmar 6 Nights 7 Days - December 2009
Ms. Cho Cho,
Zhe Zu Tim Bah Re and very thankful for the recent trip that we selected Tamarind to be our tour agent. Your services and assignment of the tour guide to us Mr. Seetu is beyond what words can describe. He has the patient and put our needs above himself and the services to the visitors like us ( Group of 16 person ) has never expected. It would be nice if you can arrange in future visit for Seetu to be staying together with the group at the same hotel so that we can enjoy the night together as a group.
Just want to say it slow and better still be felt in your heart that I meant to thank you very very much the utmost bottom of my heart ..........
Zhe Zhu Tim Ba Re Cho Cho ( Chin Chin ) and Seetu. If there is any chance to recommend Myanmar tour for choice, It will definitely be Tamarind .., Uu la La..
I recommend traveling to Myanmar.
Visiting Myanmar 6 Nights 7 Days - December 2009
Dear Miss Cho Cho,
Thank you for your kind arrangements that makes our tour trips to Myanmar a sweet and memorial one to remember and we really enjoyed ourselves to the fullest and also with the help of Mr Situ who is a very good, knowledgeable and friendly tour guide.
Much appreciated and thank you once again.
Love
Ms. P M – Singaporean in Singapore
Visiting Myanmar 6 Nights 7 Days - December 2009
Dear Miss Cho Cho,
We had a wonderful time in Myanmar from 20 Dec – 26 Dec 2009, and would like to sincerely thank you for the well planned itinerary catering to our group’s needs to every detail (especially our dietary needs).
Indeed, this is our first ever memorable experience with the superb standard and personalized service of Tamarind Travel, and am indeed touched by the simple gestures- making time (despite your busy schedule) to ensuring smooth and safe departure for our group right to the airport.
We were also impressed with the knowledge of our tour guide (Mr Situ) and his patience with us, showing us the many breathtaking views eg the beautiful Pindaya town, Inle Lake etc … which we may never see otherwise.
Tamarind Travel, has greatly changed our perception of Myanmar and allowed us to explore the world and ourselves further. After being seeing most of the scenic views and panoramic landscapes of Myanmar, we finally left with a deep impression of Myanmar. We hope to look forward to another adventuring trip with Tamarind again in the future and of course will definitely share this experience with our friends and loved ones who have missed out on this trip and encourage them to discover Myanmar all over again.
Once Again, we would like to express our gratitude to Ms. Cho Cho, Mr. Situ and the rest of the stuff for creating such memorable moments for us. More importantly, we would like to thank you for making special arrangements to allow us to share our joy with the needy children In Myanmar.
Thanks to Aunty Yen and Uncle Paul too for taking the pain to co-ordinate and get our visas done.
Last of all, we wish you and your staff a Happy and Prosperous Year Ahead!
Best Regards
Visiting Myanmar 13 Nights 14 Days - December 2009
Hi Cho Cho
We arrived back in Singapore with fond memories of our 2-weeks Magnificent Myanmar Holiday (9 - 22 December 2009). We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and are very impressed with the professionalism and excellent services of Tamarind tour guides, and especially yourself. Your standard of personal services and attentive details to your clients are very commendable. All the accommodation and arranged meals are excellent, no complaint.
Each of the destinations that we visited has its own unique characters. We enjoyed the evening visit to the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, sunset view from Shwesandaw Pagoda in Bagan, evening walk along the U Bein Bridge in Mandalay, appreciating the unique lifestyles around Inle Lake, and leisure relaxation in Ngapali Beach.
We hope to return to Myanmar for another holiday in the near future, and will definitely encourage our relatives and friends to visit your beautiful country and to engage the services of Tamarind Travel.
Best Wishes & Regards,
Visiting Myanmar 4 Nights 5 Days - September 2009
I visited to Myanmar from 19th September until 23th September this time. For entry to Myanmar for my visits, I ask to Tamarind Travel always.
Myanmar is a fantastic country, there are famous sightseeing spots, shopping and eating. So I have a new discovery of visiting to this country!
To go to Myanmar are smooth and easy.
I recommend traveling to Myanmar.
Ms. T N - Japanese in Japan
Visiting Myanmar 15 Nights 16 Days - August to September 2009
Hello Cho,
We are very pleasant with your service, it was really cool!
There is something that we will always remember and will never forget..... Kyaing Tong! It was much more wonderful than we had thought! The nicest people, most beautiful landscape, not so many tourists..... If I had to come back again, I would spend some days there, going through rice fields to reach the minority villages! It is my best remember!
These two little boys reflect the really feeling that the tourist takes from people: everything is possible with a smile.
Thank you very much!
Visiting Myanmar 1 Night 2 Days - April 2009
To all visitors,
My name is Anders Korswing from Sweden doing aid work in several countries. This means I have to travel a lot and I visit many countries. My first visit to Myanmar was planned with the help of Tamarind Travel service. Having used several agencies I must say that Tamarind was a very pleasant company. Very friendly and most importantly, very professional. All travel arrangements worked out beautifully and most appreciated was for me the VISA on arrival. Traveling a lot seldom gives me the time go to Embassies and therefore this service was most appreciated. The pleasant approach and easiness to communicate I also found helpful and reassuring.
I would not hesitate to visit Myanmar again especially with the help of Tamarind Travel Service
Mr. Anders Korswing - Swedish in Swedin
Visiting Myanmar 8 Nights 9 Days - April 2009
Thanks ever so much for organising a wonderfull holiday to Myanmar.
Every detail was taken care of;
The hotels were excellent - really clean, the staff very friendly and helpful. The location was great for me as a lone traveller, just a few minutes' walk from the centre, which was just perfect. The tour guides and drivers were very friendly and profesional.
Myanmar is stunning, just stunning. No hesitation in recommending Tamarind to friends and family and will do so if anyone I know is planning to visit the region!
Best Wishes to Tamarind!
Visiting Myanmar 12 Nights 13 Days - December 2008
I have just returned from a spectacular and relaxing visit to Myanmar via Tamarind Travel. A Tamarind staff member was there to meet and greet me upon my arrival at immigrations-it was nice to have this support at the Yangon International Airport.
Because there is not a Myanmar embassy in the country I reside in, I required a visa on arrival. This went very smoothly and I encountered no problems at all-Tamarind Staff facilitated all of this for me.
I spent 9 nights at the Amata Resort in Ngapali Beach for the Christmas Holiday. The accommodations were perfect as was the wonderful and beautiful Ngapali Beach. Ngapali is a quick 50-minute flight from Yangon and the Burmese from the Rakhine State which is one of the 14 different states in Myanmar.
The highlights of my trip included a snorkeling and fresh seafood grilled lunch excursion to a secluded beach. This was an excellent way to spend the day and also included fresh coconut juice! My favorite highlight was being able to experience the cultural highlight of the nearby fishing village called Jade Thoe. Upon my arrival to Jade Thoe, I was fortunate to observe the local staff offloading the evening priors catch on the beach where the fish (or nga) was being spread out over gigantic tarps to be dried in the sun to make a local favorite dish called nga chauk.
Tamarind arranged all of my reservations etc. and provided outstanding support during my time in Burma. I would like to thank Tamarind Travel for their efforts and support during this unforgettable stay in Myanmar!
Visiting Myanmar 12 Nights 13 Days - December 2008
I am at a loss for words to describe Tamarind Travel and their excellent service. I enjoyed my Magnificent Myanmar Tour more than I asked for or even anticipated.
I knew very little about Myanmar prior to my trip, and after a 14-day stay Tamarind’s hand-selected tour guides provided me with a clear understanding about this lovely country. They were professional at all times, and did everything that I would expect from a guide for a visitor to their lovely country. This was especially the case in Bagan where there were no unnecessary delays while waiting for one of the most breathtaking times of the day-the sunset. And it was nice to have some personal time at the end of the day so that I could enjoy the ambiance of this historic region.
I learned that air travel can be difficult to arrange domestically in Burma due to seat availability and Tamarind ensured I was always on the first flight to the next destination.
The hotel accommodations were outstanding, and my favorite was the Amazing Nyaung Shwe in the Shan State.
Truly I have a lot of admiration for Tamarind and their staff and words cannot express the handling by their staff.
Thank you Tamarind for making my stay in lovely Myanmar a memorable one!
Visiting Myanmar 5 Nights 6 Days - November 2008
We would like to thank Tamarind for the wonderful experience we had in your lovely country. We were looking forward to a good holiday, but Tamarind made it exceptional. It was hassle-free 100%-good choices of restaurants and hotels especially Myanmar Treasure Resort at Inle Lake and Bagan. I would like to make a special mention about your guides-very professional and top-class both in knowledge and attitude. Thank you Tamarind! Indeed a complete experience!
Visiting Myanmar 8 Nights 9 Days - September 2007
Hello Cho, mingalar bar!
We had a great time in Myanmar, your organization was perfect!
Thank you very much for this wonderful trip, from the beginning, when we met you at the airport we knew that "we were in good hands", very happy to choose Tamarind!
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