Golden Rock Renovation

In late January, caretakers of the Golden Rock, or Kyaikhtiyo Pagoda, spent one week renovating the monument, constructed scaffolding around it in order to replace the gold leaf on its exterior. The golden rock of Kyaiktiyo is a 6-metre high gilded boulder perched precariously on a cliff edge, 1,100 metres high. Kyaiktiyo means 'pagoda shouldered on the head of a hermit.' According to legend, hermits lived in the mountains and after obtaining sacred hairs from the Buddha, they then enshrined them in the pagoda on their respective mountains. But the hermit from Kyaiktiyo, reluctant to part with his share of the sacred hair, treasured it in his own hair-knot. Only after finding a boulder resembling his head did he enshrine his cherished relic in a pagoda built on it.

Balloons Over Bagan

For the season staring October, Balloons Over Bagan will introduce a larger passenger balloon that can accommodate 12 people and operate up to three balloons at a time, increasing the number of passengers per flight. The season will run from 5^th October 2005 to 31^st March 2006. Exotissimo offers Balloon Over Bagab confirmed bookings with special rates for our partner travel agents and tour operators. Please contact myanmar@exotissimo.com for more information.

Flight Schedules

Bagan

In early February, Air Bagan extended its regular flights to Dawei, Myeik and Myitkyina, and also between Yangon, Dawei and Myeik every Monday, Thursday, Saturday, and between Yangon, Mandalay and Myitkyina every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

Myanmar Airways International (MAI) began code sharing with Qatar Airlines on its new service between Yangon and Doha, which is available four times weekly. It has also begun flying between Yangon and New Delhi four times weekly on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.

PB Air flights between Nyaung Oo and Bangkok have been suspended until October.

Qatar Airways began flying between Yangon and Doha on 8^th January on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

In response to soaring fuel prices, a number of airlines have increased surcharges on their international flights. Intercontinental flights on Thai Airways International went up to 20 USD while flights to Asia and Middle East sectors went up to 10 USD. In late 2004, Silk Air and Singapore Airlines increased their surcharges to 10 USD for flights between Singapore and South East Asia and 22 USD for all other sectors. The surcharge levied on the Singapore-Kuala Lumpur service remains unchanged at 4 USD per sector. Fuel surcharges for Myanmar Airways flights between Yangon-Bangkok and Singapore-Hong Kong are now 10 USD per flight coupon. Mandarin Airlines and China Airlines have raised their prices from 10 USD to 13 USD. Phuket Air levied its fuel surcharges to 7.5 USD for Asia and the Middle East sectors and 15 USD for Europe and Australia sectors. Please contact myanmar@exotissimo.com for more information.