Visitors to Inle Lake should be sure to check out the crumbling stupas at Indein Pagoda.

PLANNING a holiday to your favourite destination usually requires a lot of time and preparation. If you still haven’t decided where to spend this Christmas, one time-saving option is to book a holiday package with a local tour company. Here are some of the attractive December holiday packages on offer for both local and international destinations.

Christmas Holiday Ngwe Saung Beach Party Package – Myanmar Treasure Resort.
Treasure Travel and Tours has three-day, two-night “Christmas Holiday Ngwe Saung Beach Party” packages, valid from 25 December to 27. The package is US$99 for foreigners and K99,000 for locals in a twin-sharing room. Children aged between six and 12 years are $55 each for foreign residents and K55,000 for locals, which includes an extra bed. The package includes a minimum two-night Garden View room at Myanmar Treasure Resort Hotel in Ngwe Saung Beach, welcome drinks and refreshments upon arrival and daily breakfast, one special dinner party beside the beach and one free drink with the DJ performance. The buses will leave Yangon on December 25 at 6am from Espace Avenir Hotel, on Pyay road, near Hledan market in Kamaryut township.

Christmas and New Year at Amazing Ngapali Resort
Amazing Ngapali Resort are offering three-day, two night Christmas and New Year packages priced at $219 per person for foreign residents and K219,000 per person for locals. The package includes a Yangon-Thandwe-Yangon air ticket, two nights hotel accommodation in a Deluxe Seaview Villa at Amazing Ngapali Resort, airport transfers from Thandwe Airport, western and local daily breakfast, fruit tray and welcome drink upon arrival, complimentary hat and necklace made of sea-shells. Children under 12 years need to buy only the air ticket.

There’s more to Ngapali than the beach – the market in nearby Thandwe has plenty of handmade local goods.

The resort is also offering a three-day, two-night honeymoon package for newlyweds. The cost is K199,000 per couple (locals only). It includes two nights hotel accommodation in a Deluxe Seaview Villa with attractive honeymoon decoration, airport transfer at Sandoway Airport by “Just Married” horse cart, western and local daily breakfast, fruit tray upon arrival, heart-shaped sea shell necklace, “I love you” titled slippers and, of course, one memorable candlelit dinner on the beach.

Welcoming 2009 at the Bay of Bengal Resort, Ngwe Saung
The Bay of Bengal Resort at Ngwe Saung beach is offering three-day, two-night New Year packages for December holidays. This package costs $155 per person for locals (Myanmar kyat equivalent) and $170 per person for foreign residents. It includes two nights in a Deluxe Garden View room, daily breakfast and New Years Eve dinner, music performance by Plus Three Band, countdown party with DJ Okka Oo Tha and New Year fireworks.

Bangkok/Pattaya holiday with MAI.
Myanmar Airways Inter-national (MAI) is offering six-day, five-night Christmas packages departing December 24. The package includes air tickets, hotel accommodation, meals, transportation, sight-seeing tours and entertain-ment. The cost is $545 per person and includes sight-seeing tours around Bangkok and Pattaya Beach, Mya Pagoda, Wat Po, Wat Arun, The King’s Palace, Siam Ocean World, Dream World, Coral Island and Alcazar Show. MAI is also offering five-day, four-night New Year packages departing December 30. This includes the same sightseeing tours around Bangkok and Pattaya Beach and the cost is $530 per person.

Cruising around Kawthaung and Ranong
Shan Yoma Travel and Tour Company is offering five-day, four-night Kawthaung and Ranong (Thailand) cruise from December 25 to 29 (locals only). The package includes sightseeing tours to Kawthaung, 115 Island, Nyaung Wee Island, Nga Mann, Myauk Ni, Ranong (Thailand) and guests will have the opportunity to take part in many activities; snorkelling, kayaking, sport fishing, swimming, trekking and bird watching. There will also be many opportunities to just relax or do some shopping in Ranong. This package costs K700,000 per person and there will be a minimum of 15 and maximum of 20 guests. It includes return flight to Kawthaung with Yangon Airways or Air Mandalay, transfers and insurance.

Bagan – Amazing Bagan Resort
Amazing Bagan Resort is offering three-day, two-night Bagan holiday packages priced at K178,000 per person for local and $199 per person for foreign residents. The cost includes a Yangon-Bagan-Yangon air ticket, two nights accommodation in a Superior Twin Share Room at Bagan Golf Resort, transfers, full day sightseeing with private car, international or traditional breakfast, fruit tray upon arrival. If visitors choose to travel to Bagan by public bus instead of aeroplane the cost is K95,000 for local and $83 for foreign residents.

Inle with Amazing Holidays
Amazing Holidays is offering a four-day, three-night Inle Lake trip this Christmas. Priced at K269,000 per person for locals and $279 for foreign residents, the package includes a Yangon-Heho-Yangon air ticket, three nights hotel accommodation in a Twin Share Room at Paramount Inle Resort or Hotel Amazing Nyaung Shwe, sightseeing by private car around Heho-Aung Pann-Pindaya-Nyaung Shwe-Inle-Taunggyi-Kakku, boat transfer and sightseeing in Inle Lake, daily traditional breakfast and dinner one night at the hotel.