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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