📝 Detailed information
🏢 About the local organisation
GREENLION BURMA
💼 What the programme involves
Our Myanmar Culture week is a must for you to truly appreciate your new surroundings and overcome any 'culture shock' you may experience.
You will be introduced to this country's culture, traditions, history and lifestyle in a short amount of time though:
Burmese cooking lessons;
Language lessons;
Tours to famous historical spots;
Visits to ‘off the map' local treasures;
Mingling with the locals;
This is a great first step to take part in before you begin your community engagement projects. Familiarizing yourself through this Culture week will help you enjoy and appreciate your time here even more!
The aims are to ensure you understand and respect Burmese customs and to help you memorize helpful phrases in the local language
🏠 Accommodation on site
During your participation in the program, you will be staying in an authentic monastery. You will share your room with 2 - 4 people. There are western toilets available and cold showers only.
There is wifi available in the office areas. There is not much around the monastery as it is located in a residential area in the outskirts of Mandalay, but there is a library where you can relax inside the monastery as well as a local shop where you can buy basic things.
The accommodation covers 6 nights and 7 days. Arrival is on Sunday and departure is on Saturday at 12:00.
Food will served as Burmese food, which has a lots of rice, vegetables, meat, egg etc. We provide three meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) per day on weekdays and two (breakfast and dinner) on weekends at the monastery.
📍 About the location
During the program, you will be staying at the same monastery where you will be teaching. The monastery is located in Nanshe, a residential suburb in Northeastern Mandalay. Since the monastery not only teaches but also aids students in other way, it is the home to over 1,000 children aged 7-18 whose parents are unable to take care of them. Monks reside here as well.
The students are friendly and always curious to meet newcomers. Many are pre-university students, which will allow you to interact and maybe even become friends with them. This is a great chance for an authentic cultural exchange!
Since the monastery is not located in the center of Mandalay, there is not much around. However, there is a local shop located inside the monastery. The main city is still quite close and can be reached in 5 - 10 minutes driving.
Mandalay is a favorite among those who visit Myanmar as it has a great number of attractions, including the Golden Palace Monastery, the Mahamuni Pagoda, the Kuthodaw Pagoda, Mingun Temple, the Bargaya Monastery, to name a few.
Mandalay Hill is another attraction that you can visit during the weekends. In fact, the city of Mandalay got its name from this hill. Mandalay Hill is famous for its abundance of pagodas and monasteries and for being a pilgrimage site for Buddhists. Getting to the top of the hill is a rewarding experience and once there, you will be greeted by a panoramic view of the city and the Sutaungpyei Pagoda ('wish-fulfilling' pagoda).
Close to the monastery is a bridge that is a must visit for those who love watching spectacular sunsets or sunrises!
ℹ️ Additional information
Open all year, starting on Mondays, participation fee 210€ per week. Program runs Mon-Fri (free weekends). Mandatory to start the programme.