Day 9 (Saturday) Bagan – Yangon

Your breakfast is served on board before departing for your flight to Yangon. Upon arrival, you take an excursion outside Yangon to Inle Lake. The lake is covered with lush surface vegetation; and it is here that you find the extraordinary "leg-rowing fisherman". In order to navigate their way through the dense water plants, the locals stand at the aft of their boats (not unlike Venetian gondoliers). Rather than using a pole to propel the boat forward, they steady their long oar with the lower half of one leg while they maintain their balance with the other leg.

At the Inle Lake Hotel, in a beautiful setting overlooking the lake, you are served lunch, where you select from tasty Burmese curry and rice dishes and a variety of locally-caught fish, as well as international entrees.

Later, you fly on to Bangkok and check into the Sukhothai Hotel – the only other establishment in town to share top honors with the Oriental. The interiors are embellished with wonderful ancient art. Magnificent temple facades are displayed at the impressive bar, and tabletops showcase the museum-quality terra-cotta statuettes and pottery. Throughout the hotel, glassed-in courtyards hold shallow pools embellished with scaled-down replicas of Thailand’s finest archeological finds. The accommodations are luxurious – lustrous silks, teak, oxidized metal, antiquities, and fresh flowers. (B,L,D)

You visit the Grand Palace and see the Emerald Buddha – only 26 inches, but the most venerated of all the thousands in the country. And you go to Wat Traimitr, site of the renowned Golden Buddha; this huge figure was originally thought to be made of stucco, and it was only by accident that it was discovered to be solid gold weighing 5½ tons.

This afternoon is yours to shop for souvenirs to bring home. Thai silk is perhaps Thailand’s best known craft, but jade green celadon ceramics, wood furniture, lacquerware, gems and metal art objects are all favorite purchases. Alternately, try out the large elegant lap pool in the landscaped courtyard at the hotel. You dine this evening at one of the gourmet restaurants at the Sukhothai. (B,L,D)

Mid-morning, you board the Eastern & Oriental Express, a luxury train maintained by the highly regarded Venice Simplon- Orient Express, to start your journey southward. Settle into your beautifully refurbished compartment with private bath before lunch is served in the restaurant car.

In the afternoon, there is a stop for your visit to the infamous River Kwai Bridge and an excursion by boat along the river. Bombed several times in 1945, and rebuilt after the war, the curved spans of the bridge are the original sections. Returning to the Eastern & Oriental Express, relax in your compartment as afternoon tea is served.

Refreshments and cocktails are available in the bar cars before sitting down in one of the restaurant cars for your gourmet dinner. Later, join your travel companions and enjoy the music provided by the resident pianist. (B,L,D)

This morning, breakfast is brought to you in your compartment as you follow the changing scenery outside your window – mountains, rainforest, and miles of untouched coastline – as you journey from Thailand into Malaysia. After lunch, sit with your companions in the Observation Car and watch the scenery unfold in front of you – rice paddies, working elephants, picturesque villages - before the train pulls into Butterworth, in Penang state.

Your guided excursion takes you to the colonial town of Georgetown on the island of Penang, just across the North Strait from the mainland. The British named the town in honor of King George III, but it is unmistakably an Oriental town. You travel partly by trishaw – a unique combination of bicycle and wagon – as you see the Clan Piers (a village built on stilts over the sea) and pass municipal buildings evoking memories of colonial splendor. You also visit Fort Cornwallis; its ramparts are still guarded by old cannons.

After returning to the E & O Train in Butterworth, relax before dinner when you are offered a delicious variety of dishes prepared by master chefs. (B,L,D)

Enjoy your breakfast this morning as the train crosses the causeway over Straits of Johor for a morning arrival in the city-state of Singapore – the "Lion City". (According to legend, a 13^th-century Malayan prince named the island after spotting what he thought was a lion. (There is no record of any on the island; he probably saw a tiger, as there used to be many here.) Its geographical position and commercial success were major influences on the composition of its population. Here is a unique multi-faceted society – a young nation with a vibrant and diverse cultural heritage - living and working together in harmony.

Your city tour takes you through the native, Chinese, and European districts. You visit the Colonial District, with its many handsome edifices of a by-gone era. At the National Museum, you see an amazing collection of Asian artifacts, particularly the Haw Par Jade collection.

You stop at the Botanical Gardens, founded in 1859; there are rolling green lawns punctuated with bursts of color from a profusion of orchids and other flowers. In contrast, the landscape includes areas of primary forest with a huge diversity of plant species.

You are escorted to Raffles Hotel, one of Asia’s best-known hotels, and a favorite of Rudyard Kipling, Jean Harlow, Somerset Maugham, Noel Coward, and Joseph Conrad, among others. Recently renovated to its 1915 splendor, it recaptures the past at its best and enhances it with modern amenities. Fortunately, it reopened with the renowned Long Bar intact. The hotel was originally a tiffin house; "tiffins" are tiered lunch cans used by Indian workers – one tier for curry, one for vegetables, and one for rice.

The low-rise Greek revival buildings surround landscaped courtyards threaded with shaded pathways and dotted with palm trees. The bright white atrium has Persian rugs, oversized ginger-jar planters, and a wonderful teak stairway leading to private guest rooms. This evening, you dine in the distinctive Cheng’s at the hotel, a nouvelle-Continental and Asian spot, which emphasizes the healing power of food. Exquisite gardens are dramatically lit for delightful strolls tonight after your meal. (B,L,D)

This morning, you go to the southern side of Singapore to Mt. Faber; at the peak of the hill you have a great view of the harbor and Sentosa Island to the south. Then take the cable car across to Sentosa – its name means "tranquility" in Malay. It has been developed as a recreational area for Singaporeans and tourists.

At Underwater World (Asia’s largest tropical oceanarium) you see over 2,000 species of fish; there is a 100-yard submerged acrylic tunnel; and you travel under the water on a moving walkway to view the marine life. You also see the fascinating Pioneers of Singapore Museum with an exhibit of Singapore’s history from the 14^th century up to 1945.

Tonight, you join your travel companions for a farewell dinner at one of the distinguished local restaurants to sample local curries. (B,L,D)

For those of you who must end your journey today, you are escorted to the airport to board your flight back to the States. (B)

OR (journey extension) to BALI