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Looking for a winter destination that's sunny and warm? Think Myanmar (formerly known as Burma), one of my favorite countries. Please don't get all huffy over the Dictatorship, Human Rights, etc. If you truly want to make a difference in the people's lives, visit. The Burmese are thrilled to welcome us to their country, and intereact. Gracious, sweet people who need tourism badly, starved for outside contact, and we have a chance to make a positive impact on their lives. Without outside tourism, they will become even more isolated. Extremely easy to arrange a private tour or visit, contact Diethelm Travel. Diethelm has planned four trips for us using our favorite, wonderful guide Than Toe Win.
Prefer a group? it seems as if all the big tour operators have jumped on the Myanmar bandwagon and have tours available. At the lower end of tour costs, Adventure Center (on the side bar), Intrepid Travel (bookable through Adventure Center), iExplore, and GAP Adventures . Want a little more upscale experience? Contact Snow Lion Expeditions, or Mountain Travel Sobek. That should get you started. And for even more information, read past posts on TWS..., Kyaiktiyo and Mandalay, and other unspoiled destinations within Myanmar.
Myanmar has wonderful food (I know you're surprised to hear that), hotels ranging from extreme luxury to bare bottom, and friendly, helpful people. Myanmar is also a mountainous country filled with tribes, historical sights, white sand beaches, and reasonable in cost (if not downright cheap) to visit.
Continue reading "Seven Warm Winter Destinations - #2 Easy Myanmar (Burma)" »
Another unbelievably varied and unique Myanmar trip over, I have a few thoughts and suggestions for travel here:
- In any Buddhist country, wear sandals, Tevas or flip-flops because you are constantly taking shoes on and off.
- Bring calcium and vitamin pills. This country, and many other 3rd world countrie, are very deficient in milk products, cheese, yoghurt and, depending on the season, fruit.
- Men, wear long pants; women long pants, capris or shorts that hit well below the knee. Otherwise, you will thought of as culturally insensitive.
- Check with several tour operators on the internet, tell them what you want to see and do and compare prices.
- The Narawat Hotel in Mrauk U had the best food in the remote regions.
Continue reading "Another Incredible Myanmar Experience Was Over" »
Downriver now, heading to Mrauk U with pretty much the same sights as before. Bamboo log rafts,...View image... people carrying water from the river...View image...fishing nets strung across the river....and then the Nawarat Hotel....View image...
Having seen what old ear plugs (or tribal earrings) looked like, it was a visit back to the little shop opposite the Pagoda where I purchased the Chin belt yesterday. Walked back in, bargained a bit, a bought a pair of little silver ear plugs and one amber ear plug. It wasn't easy, and took a lot of planning, to visit the Chin Tribe Area and Mrauk U but was certainly worth the effort. These are all experiences and cultures that are dying out and will never been seen again...not in my lifetime or generations to come. Worth the effort.
Amber and "Silver" tribal ear plugs
Continue reading "Mrauk U and Back to Sittwe, Myanmar (Burma)" »
Of course, another early morning transfer to a smaller boat to head upriver to the Chin Tribe area, 45 miles away from Mrauk U. This Chin tribe uses a spider-web pattern of tattoos on their faces. The legend is that the Chin women were so beautiful that the Chin men had them tattooed to keep other men away. Only about 200-300 persons visit the Chin area during the tourist season, and only five villages still have women with tattooed faces. Foreigners are only welcomed in two of them and in the one we were going to visit, only a few tattooed women still survive.
Heading upriver there were many Bangladesh and Rahkine people living along the riverbank in little villages. The Bangladeshi are refugees who have made their way over the border into Myanmar. Every now and then, Myanmar does a roundup and sends them back to Bangladesh. Bangladesh then refuses to accept them back and kicks them over the border into Myanmar. A vicious cycle and because everyone is desperate for a job and willing to work for almost nothing, the daily workers earn maybe 33 cents a day max..
on the way to see the Chin Tribe
Continue reading "Pan Paung Chin Village, Myanmar (Burma)" »
Toe took us to Lat Kauk Zay Monastery knowing my love for old relics. The Head Monk is a personal friend of Toe, 66 years old and has spent 46 years in monk service. The Monastery was filled with Buddha images and other relics but Head Monk also had over 1,000 other Buddha images in a locked storeroom that he personally had been collecting for many years. The people of Myanmar practice Theravada Buddhism, the same as Sri Lanka and Thailand.
The three of us must have spent well over two hours sitting on the floor with Head Monk, admiring very ancient and rare images that he brought from the store room for us to see. One Buddha was worshiped by the King and many were over 1,000 year old.
sitting on the floor with Head Monk
Continue reading "Lat Kauk Zay Monastery and A Mrauk U Village, Myanmar (Burma)" »
One of the warnings given to us from Diethelm before visiting Mrauk U was...a trip to Mrauk U must be regarded as an adventure tour because of...simple accommodation with infrequent electricity supply, bad roads, vehicles with NO air conditioning and of mediocre or poor quality, erratic supply of public and private boats, etc....None of this really applied to Mrauk U. The Nawarat Hotel was comfortable, their food was good and one evening we had dinner at the Vesali Resort Hotel, a very small but pretty guesthouse with good food (e-mail: vesali@myanmar.com.mm). Take a look at the Myanmar Travel Information site for extremely detailed information on Mrauk U and other destinations within Myanmar.
Mrauk-U has over 30 monasteries, 1,000 monks and novices and probably upwards of 3,000 Buddha statues. This is the only place you will see stupas with labyrinths (or mazes) in them.
The best preserved Pagoda in Mrauk U and home to 80,000 holy Buddha images is Shittaung. ...View image...There are 33 smaller ones, that rise from platform to platform around the large central stupa, similar in style to Indonesia's Borobudur. (We haven't seen Borobudur and will take their word for it.) The inside was a maze of interior passages with different reliefs and Buddha images in niches.
Mrauk U map detailing the many sites to see
Continue reading "Mrauk U Pagodas and Sightseeing in Myanmar (Burma)" »
About 80,000 people live here and the average family earns $15 a MONTH, an extremely poor area, even poorer than Sittwe. Mrauk U is actually on the Aungdat Chatung River, a tributary of the Kaladan River, less than 40 miles from Sittwe. It was founded in 1433 and was once the center of one of Myanmar's most powerful kingdoms. The Mrauk U dynasty lasted 352 years and left temples, stupas and city-wall ruins all over the area.
Stopped by the Moe Cherry Restaurant to make dinner reservations as well as arrangements for motoring up to the Chin Tribe area. The family-owned Moe Cherry seemed to control all tourist arrangements in this area.
Moe Cherry
Continue reading "Mrauk U Trivia and Information, Myanmar (Burma)" »
Transferred to the Sittwe jetty for departure by private boat to Mraul U up the Kaladan River. There are different boat options for transport. Approaching the jetty, I saw this huge, rusted out, decrepit boat and thought..."oh my God...don't tell me that's our boat." It wasn't. It is the Government-owned boat! Our little boat was sitting behind it. There is the Government boat, cargo boats, small private boats and a passenger craft that only sails twice a week. The journey usually takes between 4 to 7 hours depending on how you hit the currents because the Bay of Bengal converges here in the Delta.
The first two hours was quite boring, the water choppy and cold. I had envisioned this river trip as being narrow and scenic. Was I ever wrong! The boat traveled through the wide delta of sea water, too far from shore to see anything and it wasn't until around 9:30 am that the journey became interesting...bring a book...View image...
Government boat
Continue reading "Mrauk U on the Kaladan River in Myanmar (Burma)" »
We hated to leave Inle Lake and the Shwe Inn Tha Resort Hotel. ...View image...There was so much to see and I never got tired of watching the leg-rowers, visiting markets and seeing the local ethnic tribes. Unfortunately, it was time to move on. On the way from Inle Lake to the Heho Airport were a few more interesting sights. Last night was a full moon. That meant a special ceremony at the local Monasteries and there were several women walking alongside the road carrying large silver bowls filled with fruits and food on their heads for Monastery offerings.
The Heho airport is a distance from Inle Lake and since most flights start early in the morning, we had to leave very early. Tip: Always bring something warm to wear on the longtail boats in the morning and evening. It is freezing on the lake before the day warms up. Most of the boats carry umbrellas, one for each passenger, and it's quite amusing watching boat after boat go by with the tourists using the umbrellas held in front of them as a windbreak. We did the same and it does make a difference. so open those umbrellas!
carrying offerings to monastery
Continue reading "Finally, Sittwe in Rakine State of Myanmar (Burma)" »
Taunggyi is the capital of Southern Shan State, another former British hill station and very prosperous. Tourists are not allowed to go any further east by road because of opium warlords, ruby miners and the occasional insurgency. We would make a a fast stop there just to pick up our Kak Ku guide at the Pa O collective office. You can only visit Kak Ku with a licensed Pa O guide accompanying you and this allows the Pa O to earn some of the tourist dollars from the site.
A long boat ride from Swe Inn Tha Resort back to Nuangshwe where the car was waiting for our road trip to Kak Ku via Taunggyi. But first, a stop at a Myanmar Vineyard. Yes, that is correct...a Myanmar Vineyard. By now, a drinkable glass of wine sounded mighty good so when Toe asked if we wanted to stop and taste some, he got an enthusiastic thumbs-up.
tasting and buying Aythaya wine
Continue reading "Taunggyi and Kak Ku, Myanmar (Burma)" »
Most tourists explore Inle Lake for one or two days at the most and have to cram everything into that amount of time. It can certainly be done easily, but it was a lot more interesting spending at least three days in and around the Lake. There is extended walking that can be done around Nyangshwe and on the east side of Inle, where we planned a day hike. You can arrange your own guided hikes through any hotel or guesthouse, but wear hiking boots, bring lots of water and a packed lunch. This was considered a "rugged" all day hike and Toe had not only hired a young man from the Princess Hotel to accompany us, but also bought high-topped sneakers to walk in. Toe was only familiar with one route and wanted to make sure that we didn't get lost or take a wrong turn in the hills. (This is why Toe is such a great guide.)
It was now around 9:30 am and already quite warm before we left the Mine Thauk 5-Day Rotating Market to start hiking. It was a gradual incline up to the the Mine Thauk Monastery and Retreat (Meditation Center).
Continue reading "Day Hike to Lwe Khaw Villages By Inle Lake - Myanmar (Burma)" »
Over 100,000 people live on and around Inle Lake with approximately 60 families per village. Having a long-tail boat with an engine is an excellent way to earn a living on Inle.
Our meal situation around Inle Lake was: An early breakfast at hotel. A buffet was served every morning with fresh fruit, eggs, coffee, breads, etc...... Lunch was always at one of the restaurants somewhere on or around the Lake and dinner back at the Shwe Inn Tha Floating Resort with whatever we felt like eating.
It was always necessary to get an early start because the boat crossings took time but were never boring. Also, it gets quite hot during the day and we wanted to get a little headstart before the day became unbearable. February starts the "Hot Season" when tourism really winds down, but we thought it was pretty "Hot" right now in January. Today, the rotating 5-day market was being held at Mine Thauk on the east side of Inle Lake which is where our day hike would start.
hiking map
Continue reading "Mine Thauk (Maing Thauk) Market, Inle Lake - Myanmar (Burma)" »
Nga Phe Kyaung or "Jumping Cat Monastery" is located close to the Ywama village and floating market. The Monastery is wooden, built on stilts and the monks have trained their cats to jump (or leap) through hoops. I'm not quite sure how many times a day the cats perform but there was still 30-minutes to go when we arrived and spent the time walking around and admiring another unique Monastery.
Nga Phe Kyaung had very tall and ornate pedestals and cases for their collection of Buddha images. The pedestals are a speciality of Shan and Thai Buddhist art and over 100 years old. The gilded wood images, silver, mosaics and intricate pedestals were brilliant in the sun shining through the windows. In every Monastery we visited, the Buddha images were in different styles. Shan, Tibetan, Bagan, Inwa...alabaster, wooden, stone, gold, silver...an infinite variety. There were exactly four other tourists inside "Jumping Cat Monastery" besides us and perhaps three or four cats wandering around, waiting for their big moment.
Nga Phe Kyaung Monastery
Continue reading "Jumping Cat Monastery and An Intha Massage in Myanmar (Burma)" »
Indaing (Indein) is located at the western end of Inle Lake reached by a boat ride through a long channel. This river channel is too shallow to use later on in the dry season and even now it was difficult to use a longtail boat with motor. On the way we watched farmers cultivating their produce and even more leg-rowers.
Shwe Intaing Pagoda is an 800-year old pagoda reached by a long walkway covered by a roof held up by 400 wooden columns. We visited Shwe Intaing Pagoda once before during a downpour, wading through mud to reach this Pagoda. Today? Completely different...sunny and hot. But before heading up, Toe took us on a little walk along streams and channels at the base because he had noticed a tour group heading up to visit and wanted us to enjoy the complex alone. On his advice, we took a path up instead of the traditional walkway, the longer way to the top.
leisurely walk around the streams
Continue reading "Shwe Intaing (Shwe Inn Thein) Pagoda and A Cheroot Factory in Myanmar (Burma)" »
Every hotel on Inle Lake seemed to cater to its own specialized clientele. Japanese because of their Japanese-style cuisine, another Italian and Spanish. Our hotel was primarily filled with the Swiss, German and French tourists and we saw more Americans on this trip than on our last three trips combined. The English tend not to visit Myanmar...perhaps because of their Home Office warnings or Human Rights sensitivities. We personally feel that it is a disfavor to these wonderful people not to visit.
The main reason for Inle Lakes popularity among tourists is the abundance of markets, especially the 5-day rotating market that moves from village to village on certain days. The ethnic Pa-O, Danu and Intha inhabitants come to these markets to buy and sell their goods. These markets happen to be a tourist attraction but are a necessity for the people. Today, we went to visit the Ywama Floating Market and Village (not part of the 5-day rotating markets).
boats heading to market
Continue reading "Ywama Floating Market On Inle Lake, Myanmar (Burma)" »
There is only one way to get one of the 11 hotels on (or in) Inle Lake or any of the communities built on floating islands of water hyacinths...by boat....and this is where we and every other tourist was headed. Inle Lake is unbelievably beautiful with its calm water, surrounded by mountains, and bustling villages built on stilts.
Basically the floating islands are made from water hyacinths, grass and straw. The primarily Intha people dig down into mudlike hyacinth mess, put in 100-foot long by three feet wide strips tamped down, let it dry for up to six months, and stick bamboo poles into the sod at intervals to stabilize while everything grows together. Only then do they either sell off the sod or create a new island. (Most of the islands are only five feet deep.) Inle Lake is about 13 miles long and only six miles wide. ex-Marine and I were excited about revisiting Inle Lake and it is one of Toe's favorite places. On our boat and we're off...View image...
tourist boats lined up and waiting
Continue reading "Heading Into Inle Lake, Myanmar (Burma)" »
Leaving Kalaw...would have liked another day to mosey around and headed back into the hills. Through Heho, the town where the airfield is, on our way to Shwenyaung, a junction for the road to Nyang Shwe and Inle Lake. All the airlines fly into Heho on a small landing strip (one after another) and when the weather is bad, everything gets backed up. It then takes at least one hour to get to Nyang Shwe, up and over the mountains, where you catch your boat out onto Inle Lake.
Heho was holding the largest of the 5-day markets today in this area of Shan State and, in my book, there is no such thing as too many markets. Each is unique. Pa O women walking along the road in their distinctive orange head scarves, their woven carrying baskets slung over their shoulders, carrying goods to and from the Heho market.
women walking to Heho market
Continue reading "Heho Market and Inle Lake, Myanmar (Burma)" »
The next morning we set out for a four-hour hike to a Palaung tribal village. It's possible to arrange treks around Kalaw, everything from a one-day hike to five-day treks into the hills with licensed guides. The Palaung people were formerly animists but have mostly converted to Buddhism
The women wear colorful red and blue costumes and cultivate large leaf tobacco to wrap cigars (cheroots to them). Pinnabin was one of the only villages reachable on a day-hike with a few longhouses left. Our driver took us to the trail head and we began. At first the steep track led down in a narrow valley where the Palaung cultivate their tobacco, tea, plums, orange groves and mangos both on the hillside and valley bottom. If you have never heard of or seen a Pomelo, this is what one looks like. Resembles a grapefruit but the fruit is sweeter and the thick rind peels like a naval orange. Really good...
a Pomelo
Continue reading "A Day Hike to Pinnabin, A Palaung Village Near Kalaw in Myanmar (Burma)" »
On the way to Kalaw, Toe took us to a very old teaching Monastery he was familiar with built in the 1800's. Absolutely gorgeous filled with carvings and old Buddhas. ex-Marine already had his fill of Monasteries by now and decided to wait in the car, but when I saw the magnificent decorations and people in it, asked Toe to go back out and tell him he had to see this one.
The Head Monk had died four days ago and the Monastery was filled with people paying their respects (very similar to a wake). It took us a bit to realize that the deceased monk was actually laid out right in the middle of the Monastery. (He looked pretty good.) Several people spoke English and came up to us with an invitation to sit with them, drink tea and talk. Toe knew the Head Monk well and was saddened as were the locals in mourning. One woman expressed what a good man Head Monk had been. This Monastery had some of the most beautiful, ancient Buddhas we had ever seen, some decorated with silver. ...View image... Unfortunately, we had some real time constraints and had to move on. The Myamar people are always so polite and eager to converse with us that its difficult not to spend hours with everyone, but...places to go....
teaching monastery
Continue reading "On The Road To Kalaw In The Mountains of Myanmar (Burma)" »
Pindaya Caves had over 8,000 Buddha images in the various limestone cave chambers - alabaster, marble, teak, cement, etc.. ...View image...Most of the Buddha's have been gold-leafed or painted by people seeking to gain merit, and little plaques were placed in front of them...reading ..."donated by .....". Toe related tale about a prince and a spider (don't remember the story)...and there was a big spider statue outside of the entrance. The caves had some interesting stalagmites dripping water from the condensation and you really had to watch your step through some of the slippery labyrinths.
There were two ways of entering the caves -- an elevator to the top floor or a covered stairway (200 steps). Short of time, we took the elevator. Tip: There are entrance fees AND camera fees everywhere in Myanmar...just be prepared to pay. They give you a little tag to put on your camera showing you've paid and watch like hawks for this tag.
Pindaya Caves near the river
Continue reading "Pindaya Caves and Parasol Making in Myanmar (Burma)" »
The plan for the day was to transfer to Myitkyina Airport for a domestic flight to Mandalay, arrive in Mandalay, transfer to the Mandalay City Hotel (the first chance to Internet...strictly controlled by the Government), overnight in Mandalay and fly out the next morning to Heho. In Heho, a 1-1/2 hour drive to visit the Pindaya Caves set in a limestone ridge overlooking a lake. From there, a visit to see Shan paper and parasols produced there and end up in Kalaw, a former British Hill Station. This certainly sounded ambitious enough for one day. (You need lots of stamina for trips like this.)
A fast stop on the way to Myitkyina's little airport to admire a line of monk statues outside a Pagoda. Then the airport with another unusual way of checking in. All passengers stood outside in a little parking lot ringed with stalls and restaurants, milled around and at a certain time, the check-in person took your bags and gave a boarding pass, followed by two security checks, Toe handing in duplicate forms to be checked off against their register, and finally on the plane with every seat taken.
monks in a row
Continue reading "Myitkyina to Mandalay to Heho, Shan State - Myanmar (Burma)" »
There were several sights on the agenda today. First, a visit to the Myitkyina Cultural Museum with its traditional artifacts, tribal costumes and cooking utensils. The majority of the people in Myitkyina are Kachin Christians although part of the downtown area has a Muslim population.
Second, a walk through Myitkyina market with excellent navel oranges imported from China, locally-grown small oranges (looked like a tangerine) and the biggest avocados I've ever seen. I dearly love avocados and three super-duper sized avocados cost 40 cents...that's for the three of them. (Slightly different from the $1.99 I pay back home for ONE!) Papaya trees also thrive in this part of Myanmar and they get crops all year. My curly, highlighted hair created lots of buzz in a place where most women have beautiful straight black hair. The women sellers were all excited and smiley and just loved it whenever we said "hello" and "thank you" in Bama laughing uproariously and admiring my hair. This one lady, selling her chickens...View image...was just the nicest person...
happy chicken lady
Continue reading "Myitkyina Sightseeing, Northern Myanmar" »
Some other interesting trivia about the Indawgyi area and Myanmar:
- There was some gold panning going on about four miles away from one of the villages but foreigners aren't allowed to visit.
- In Myanmar, you can buy one cigarette, one orange, etc.
Even though the Indawgyi Guest House II was primitive, there was a rural charm to it. The manager's wife had a new little baby and thrilled to show him off, her first child. As a grandmother, I did all the required ahhing and oohing over him and sincerely meant it. Instead of game viewing, ex-Marine and I would sit out in the back yard and have farm animal viewing. First the local pigs would wander through...View image...uprooting whatever grass there was and turning over the earth...closely followed by chickens...eating the easily available worms and grubs thanks to the pigs...with cattle, the last in the chain, meandering past us. City-girl me found it enjoyable and if we turned our heads, the huge trucks hauling gigantic Teak logs were heading up the road.
Indawgyi Guest House II
Continue reading "From Indawgyi Lake Back to Myitkyina, Myanmar (Burma)" »
Another day, another village. Toe pointed out from the boat how to easily distinguish the "rich" section of the village from the "poor" part. If you have a corrugated roof on your house, you are rich. A thatched roof, you are poor. It was always interesting walking through each village. There were some very strange implements (or tools) standing outside every home used to put on a fire if your thatched roof happens to ignite by removing sections of burning thatch. At first we thought these were some sort of esoteric items used for worship...what do we know?
Almost every village had a Monastery, a necessary fixture for the people. It not only functions as a place of spiritual worship but also aids villagers who need monetary assistance, and settles disputes between families or villagers. Even though the Burmese are not allowed to let tourists stay in their houses, you can usually find lodging in the local Monastery, exempt from the rules.
fire tools
Continue reading "Another Indawgyi Lake Village and Nant Mee Nuang Monastery, Myanmar (Burma)" »
He Pu Village had 1,500 people living there, primarily Tai Leng minority. Our boat would pull up to shore, we'd jump out and start walking through each one, stopping to talk to the locals and learn a little about their daily lives.
While walking, we came to State Middle School of the Indawgyi Lake Area. Rushed by children, Mrs. Daw Nu, Headmistress of this school and several teachers came out to see what was going on. ex-Marine and I were the first Westerners to ever visit their school and they were very excited. The children are probably still talking about my world-famous rendition of "Head, shoulders, knees and toes." Mrs. Daw Nu insisted we have tea with them and sit for a while to chat. The school had 268 primary and 201 middle-class students and our visit there was definitely a highlight for us as well as them. ...View image...
Mrs. Daw Nu and teachers
Continue reading "He Pu Village and Shwe Myint Zu Pagoda, Northern Myanmar" »
The Indawgyi Guest House II was as basic as Diethelm had warned. Our room had a bathroom with toilet, bed and mosquito net that was completely unnecessary. It was warm during the day and very cold at night. This was another one of those "wear all your clothes to bed" places. If you wanted to attempt a shower..ha...ha, the Guest House would heat buckets of water and bring it to your room. Settled for sponging off with one bucket of hot water. The electricity was only on for two hours each night...nothing in the morning. Good thing we brought flashlights (torches) because you needed them.
The Guest House only had three rooms with toilets used for VIP's (I guess we were considered VIP's). Unbelievably, there was another couple staying here from Australia but originally Czech, in their 70's...hitchhiking around Myanmar! Talk about some gutsy people. They'd just stand in a road and flag down a vehicle but there are heavy fines for the Burmese if they are caught picking up a foreigner or even letting one stay in their houses. One night we were awakened by a tremendous crash. The Aussies bed a suddenly collapsed. Fortunately, neither one of them was hurt.
a very cold breakfast
Continue reading "Around Indawgyi Lake In Northern Myanmar" »
You wouldn't believe the amount of people milling around Trader's Hotel lobby at 4:00 a.m. We were heading to the airport for the Myitkyina (pronounced MITCH-EENA) flight via Mandalay while most of these large groups, primarily Japanese, were heading to Bagan (Pagan) and Mandalay. Many flights leave around 6:00 a.m. and the Domestic Terminal was jam-packed with tourists waiting for their plane to be announced. There are no monitors...a person holds up a sign when it's boarding time and everyone rushes the gate.
Remember - It is rare to have a non-stop flight in Myanmar unless you are getting on at the 2nd to last destination. Every airline makes multiple stops on every route. We expected the majority of our flight to unload in Mandalay and were surprised that almost every passenger stayed on with us heading to Myitkyina. Toe said that the Japanese were searching for graves of family members who died during World War II to pay their familial respects.
inside Yangon domestic terminal
Continue reading "Myitkyina and Indawgyi Lake, Myanmar (Burma)" »
(Note on the current political situation in Myanmar/Burma - I'd definitely take a "wait and see attitude" at the moment, but don't dismiss Myanmar from your mind when things calm down. Staying away will just hurt the ordinary people by taking away the few meager chances they have to supplement their income -- NOT THE GOVERNMENT. And Tourism is their only chance to have contact with the outside world increasing the opportunity for Democracy in the future.)
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Suvarnabhumi is the new Bangkok Airport and a nightmare. Multiple flights deliver luggage on the same carousel. If you are in transit, you can't get onward boarding passes until 5:00 a.m. and the lines are incredibly long...just a big mess. I hope they re-think this entire onward boarding pass procedure because it would be very easy to miss a connecting flight. And now they are discussing transferring some flights back to the old Don Muang Airport. Let's see how confusing they can make it...
We decided to gut it out and fly Chicago-Tokyo-Bangkok, arriving about midnight and stay in transit since the flight to Yangon was early the next (or same) morning. There is a transit hotel with day rooms down Concourses A & G, called "Louis Tavern." They have a limited amount of very nice rooms with bath. Four hours is the minimum time they will book, $60, and then there is an additional charge for each hour past the four-hour minimum. At first we thought of just sitting in the Thai Air lounge for the night but they close at 1:00 a.m. and don't reopen until 5:00 a.m. That's why we caved and booked a room.
Continue reading "Arriving in Yangon, Myanmar - A Warm Welcome" »
Tour Operators? We used Diethelm Travel once more. Diethelm has a huge presence in Southeast Asia, is extremely reliable, and has an excellent reputation - so important in this part of the world. There are many other Myanmar tour operators but we stick with Diethelm. We E-mail back and forth to make plans (leisure@diethlem.com.mm) and use wire-transfers for payment (extremely simple to wire-transfer) - credit cards aren't accepted. Diethlem usually requires a minimal deposit and they are very responsive to your needs. As a reminder - I never recommend anyone that we haven't used, receive no discounts and pay our own way.
Visas? Yes, you must have one. Diethelm obtained our Visa-upon-arrival for a small surcharge, but you can also go on-line to Embassy of Myanmar, download forms, fill out, and mail off application and passport to get a Visa. The Embassy had on-line applications for Visas in 2004, but it was discontinued. Who knows, perhaps they will reinstate it because it was so easy to do.
Continue reading "Revisiting Myanmar, New Trip Plans" »
It was time to contact Diethelm Travel for one more trip to Myanmar (formerly Burma), rescheduling the entire Sittwe/Mrauk U portion rained out on our last visit, and inquiring..."where else is unique and unspoiled that we could visit at the same time?"
It took many E-mails back and forth until Diethelm suggested --- flying up to the quiet, provincial town of Myitkyina in northern Myanmar, sightsee around there and drive to Indawgyi Lake. Then visit Pindaya Caves, Kalaw and return to Inle Lake for a little day hiking and visiting different tribes and markets. Ending with the entire Sittwe, Mrauk U itinerary that was literally "washed out" a year ago (read 1/06/07). This 21-day trip would be considered an "adventure tour" (with the exception of Inle Lake) due to bad roads, basic accommodations, iffy food and a lack of electricity.
Myanmar Map
Continue reading "Unspoiled Destinations in Myanmar (Burma)" »
At the Mandalay Airport waiting to fly from Mandalay-Yangon-Sittwe, the problems began. There was a low pressure system over the Bay of Bengal causing unseasonably, heavy rains. This created a major snafu in all Myanmar airports. The first rule of flying in Myanmar is: there are extremely few non-stop flights. Most planes make at least two stops on every route. If your flight is a rare non-stop it is only because the plane has already made several stops and is on its way back to Yangon. Our plane was coming from Yangon, stopping at Pagan, picking us up in Mandalay, going on to Kentung, returning to Yangon, where our connecting flight was flying to Sittwe.
The waiting room was packed with people going to Pagan, Yangon and Kentung because it was too cloudy and rainy for the planes to land in Pagan. Everyone visits Mandalay and Pagan on their first trip to Myanmar...we did. Thank heavens for Toe otherwise we wouldn't have had a clue as to what was going on. Occasionally, a static filled announcement was made that no one could understand. Toe went back and forth to the personnel trying to get the latest news while tourists traveling without guides would come up to us and ask, "do you know what's happening?"
Continue reading "And Then The Problems Began....in Myanmnar (Burma)" »
Mingun is located about 6 miles up the Ayeyarwady River from Mandalay. The main attraction is the ruined Mingun Paya, a Buddhist temple with the remains of a massive stupa begun by King Bodawpaya in 1790. The temple was not completed, because an astronomer claimed that the King would die when the temple was finished.
A gigantic bell was cast to go with this huge stupa. The Mingun Bell weighs 90 tons, and is today the largest uncracked bell in the world.
You reach Mingun by ferryboats across the river. It takes an hour upriver and 40 minutes for the return. A little private boat was arranged for our transport and we walked across the larger tourist boats until we reached our canopy-covered boat. There were several lawn chairs to sit on, freshly made tea and cookies waiting for us. Unfortunately, the hot, sunny weather was changing to cool with possible rain and I just about froze to death. The lady boat-owner kept bringing bath towels and life vests to keep me warm.
crossing to our boat transport
Continue reading "Mingun, Myanmar (Burma)" »
Headed back down Golden Rock on the trucks and drove back to Yangon for the evening. ...View image... Flew Air Mandalay early the next morning from Yangon and started our sightseeing with a visit to Sagaing Hill which is perhaps the living center of Buddhist faith in Burma today. The hillsides are dotted with numerous pagodas and monasteries. Arriving at the top, I suddenly remembered that we had visited Sagaing in 1988. Not much has changed over the years but my mind!
Lunch at the Silver Sky Restaurant, on to the local ferry to visit Innwa (Ava) located on an island between the Ayeyarwady (the famous "road to Mandalay...") and Myitnge Rivers. We visited Ava by horse cart (you could also walk although the distances were great or even take a bullock cart). ... View image...The ruins of a brick and stucco monastery called Maha Aungmye Bonzan (also known as Ok Kyaung) is the main site.
along the Ayeyarwady River
Continue reading "Mandalay, Sagaing, and Innwa (Ava) - Myanmar (Burma)" »
Kyaiktiyo is "Golden Rock," a huge boulder completely covered with gold leaf. The gilded boulder is delicately balanced on the edge of the sloping surface of a separate rock table. The boulder and rock barely touch each other. The legend is that the position of the boulder is held by virtue of the power of a Hair relic of Gautama Buddha, enshrined in the pagoda. Built in 574 BC (more than 2500 years ago) and recognized as one of the wonders of Southeast Asia, Golden Rock is an important pilgrimage site. The Kyaiktiyo Pagoda (Pagoda and/or Stupa are interchangeable words) is located on top of Mt. Kyaiktiyo at about 3,600 feet above sea level.
You get to the top by taking an open truck (very crowded) up the 6-mile dirt road to a mid-staging point. ...View image... The lower area is surrounded by food stalls and lots of hustle and bustle. The truck operators have their routine down to a science...wait until each truck is completely loaded, jowl-to-jowl,...cheek-to-cheek... and head on up with everyone hanging on for dear life. We smooshed ourselves in towards the backside of the truck to hold on because it resembles a bumpy, roller coaster ride. At the half-way mark, all foreigners get off with the aid of a little ladder and start walking to the final stage (another three miles), up steep paths. Foreigners are not allowed to travel any higher by vehicle because the road is steep and dangerous. ...View image...
truck up to Golden Rock
Continue reading "Kyaiktiyo (Golden Rock) and Mandalay, Myanmar (Burma)" »
Toe, our guide, was standing in the airport inside customs waiting for us with all our Visa-on-arrival forms filled out. He rushed us into a small room where the Customs Official took our $$, stamped our passports, and we left the airport, past all the lines of tourists waiting to enter Burma! This was a very unexpected and impressive "rich and famous" moment.
To Trader's Hotel (part of the Shangri-La Hotel chain) in downtown Yangon and a fast visit to the market to exchange money. Toe couldn't accompany us into the market because he said there were many police standing around, but he told us what to do. Go up to one of the many jewelers inside, ask if they are exchanging dollars. If not, go to the next one until you find the proper person. Mission accomplished, we walked out with 1,000,000 Kyats barely stuffed in our fanny packs, looking like two pregnant whales. There are also people standing around on the street asking if you want to change money and Toe said they would have taken you into the market, directly to their favorite money-changer. We were just too chicken to try that.
Continue reading "Yangon, Bago and Kyaiktiyo, Myanmar (Burma)" »
Tour Operators? We have always used Diethelm Travel. Diethelm has a huge presence in Southeast Asia, is extremely reliable, and has an excellent reputatiion - so important in this part of the world. There are many other Myanmar tour operators but we stick with Diethelm. E-mailing back and forth to make plans (leisure@diethlem.com.mm) and use wire-transfers for payment - no credit cards. It's very easy to wire-transfer. Diethlem usually requires a minimal deposit and they are very responsive to your needs. As a reminder - I never recommend anyone that we haven't used, receive no discounts and pay our own way.
Visas? Yes, you must have one. Diethelm obtained our Visa-upon-arrival for a small surcharge, but you can also go on-line to Embassy of Myanmar, download forms, fill out, and mail off application and passport to get a Visa. The Embassy had on-line applications for Visas in 2004, but it was discontinued. Who knows, perhaps they will reinstate it because it was so easy to do.
Continue reading "Planning A New Trip To Myanmar (Burma)" »
This was our third trip to Myanmar (Burma) using the same tour operator, Diethelm Travel, and same guide, Than Toe Win. Why do we keep returning?
- This small country has a lot to see with the Myanmar Government constantly opening new areas to tourism . There aren't many countries where you are probably the first Westerner the locals have ever seen and one of the first Westerners who have ever visited that area. With tourism growing, get there now!
- Because tourism is still relatively undeveloped, you have a chance to experience South Asia the way it once was. Albeit, without many frills.
- The hotels and food situation has improved dramatically since our first trip in 1988 when the food was inedible, and is extremely delicious.
- The people are thrilled to welcome us to their country, and intereact. Gracious, sweet people who need tourism badly, starved for outside contact, and we have a chance to make a positive impact on their lives.
With Diethlem's input and many e-mails, we planned a trip to Kyaiktiyo, Mandalay, into the Rakhine State, ending in Ngapali (pronounced Napoli) for a little R&R, an up-and-coming beach resort area. Rakhine State is a very remote area in the west of Myanmar with simple accommodations, bad roads, erratic supply of electricity but few tourists. That is a big selling point to us.
Myanmar/Burma Map
Continue reading "Returning to Myanmar/Burma" »
Inle Lake was the last part of our Myanmar (Burma) trip.
We flew to Heho, drove to Nyaungshewe on the edge of Inle Lake (a very hilly Meclizine car-sick med) ride - and boarded a private boat to our hotel. The lake is over 3,000 feet above sea level and 22 km long, encircled by wooded hills. We were staying at Golden Island Cottages a beautiful resort
Inle Lake is known for its natural beauty: floating gardens (built up from strips of water hyacinth and mud and anchored to the bottom with bamboo poles; local handicraft workshops; and famous "leg-rowers." The "leg rower" fishermen stand at the stern of the boat on one leg and wrap the other around the oar to propel the boat - this gives a better view to spot obstacles and fish! (However, we never saw one.) There is also the teakwood Ng Phe Kyaung Monastery (named "Jumping Cat" monastery because its monks have trained a few cats to jump through small hoops) built on stilts on the lake.
My focus? Visiting one of the 5-day rotating markets. All kinds of hill-tribes in traditional clothes come to the market from the surrounding mountains. Remember, I told you, I LOVE to shop.
It was pouring "jumping cats" and buckets...but we rolled up our pants, put on Tevas, took umbrellas, got into our boat and putted down the lake.
Continue reading "Inle Lake and Markets in Myanmar (Burma)" »
We had a very active day, driving towards Tachilek. Many men ( in Kengtung) cross the border at Tachilek to work in Thailand, and commute back and forth. It is easier for them to find work in Thailand than Myanmar.
The road to the top of Hokyin Mountain is very narrow and steep and can only be driven if road conditions are good. At the top are four different Akha villages. Sometimes, three different religions co-exist in one village - again, Buddhists, Catholicism and Animists. The villages are separated by valleys and paths. View image
We toured from village-to-village, visiting the people, still with rice cakes in hand.
Continue reading "More Villages Around Kengtung, Myanmar (Burma)" »
We were in Kyaing Tong (or Kengtung), Myanmar's gateway to the Golden Triangle.
It's a great area to visit the different ethnic minority communities of the Golden Triangle. This was Trip #2 (we've since done Trip #3 and are planning Trip #4) using Diethelm Travel for all of them. They have group tours but we have always arranged private tours through them. ( I'll be doing more in-depth articles on Myanmar later on.)
Kengtung is a small town and we had gone to several ethnic villages that day.
We casually mentioned to "Toe", our guide, "is there any place to get a Burmese massage" never dreaming that he would answer, "yes, I can arrange that." And off we went....
Continue reading "A Kengtung Massage in Myanmar (Burma)" »
We wore hiking boots or Tevas each day, depending on whether our guide, Toe, thought it was too steep for Tevas. Toe always wore his velvet flip-flops, muddy or not, steep or level, but I'm always sliding into the mud. It is inappropriate for men or women to wear shorts and sleeveless tops...we made do with T-shirts and lightweight pants (capris for me).
The villagers also hunt birds, and in one village, a stuffed wild cat hanging over their entrances were the epitome of decorating chic.
A steep path led us to the first Ann village, Nat Min Khaung. The people here are still Animists, dress in traditional black costumes and paint their teeth black. (That sure cuts down buying or using whitening toothpastes!) They believe it is better to be black on the outside and have a pure heart inside. The Government donated a Buddhist shrine (with statue) to convince the villagers to convert to Buddhism, but no luck so far. They are still Animists.
black teeth
There are pigs, chickens running all over the village, and if a pig manages to escape, everyone races to recapture it because of their value. One pig headed for the hills while we were there, and they can really move! These pigs weren't going anywhere.
time for a snooze
Continue reading "Kengtung Native Villages, Myanmar (Burma)" »
Diethelm was right there at the airport to shepherd us though immigration. The Yangon airport is only about 15 km from the center of Yangon, and serves International and Domestic flights.
Yangon has an impressive colonial heritage, but the highlight is Shwedagon Pagoda. It was originally built about 2,500 years ago to house eight sacred hairs of the Buddha, and added onto until it's now about 300 feet tall. The dome is covered with tons of gold leaf, and the top of the stupa is encrusted with 1,000's of diamonds, rubies and sapphires. Buddhists from all around the country come pay respect to the pagoda. View image
It is beyond description...just wandering around, looking at the different stupas and people watching, is an experience right out of Disney World.
Shwedagon Pagoda
The Burmese people wear the "longgyis" everyday which is their national dress. A longgyi is sort of a wrap-around sarong that both men and women wear. Sorry, but the Westerners trying to go native with a longgyi just look ridiculous.
A fun place to shop is the Bogyoke Market, established by the British in the 1920's (formerly called Scott's Market). Good place to souvenir shop - woodcarving, lacquerware, basketware, textiles, monk's umbrellas, "older" items and some antiques. The market is under roof and surrounded by lots of other small shops. I bought velvet flip-flops for $1 a pair along with LOTS of other items. Their souvenirs, antiques, and such are still very reasonable compared to other countries. China and Thailand are triple the price for the same items.
Go to Myanmar (Burma) before it loses all it's charm and becomes just another Westernized, Asian country. The people are sweet, kind, and hospitable to their visitors.
Continue reading "Yangon (Formerly, Rangoon) and Kengtung, Myanmar (Burma)" »
My specs to our Travel Agent or Tour Operator usually go something like this:
- Is there someplace safe to travel that isn't completely Westernized?
- Do we have to stay in tents or are there reasonable facilities available?
- Is there any shopping? (I do love to shop.)
After those questions are answered, we're easy. Food isn't an issue. If it's awful, there is plenty of reserve fat on our bodies to sustain us...I don't think famine will set in...and if we're really concerned, we can always bring 20 lbs. of candy, toss in a few cans of tuna and survive easily.
Thoughts of Myanmar (Burma) came up. We had visited "Burma" , as it was known then, in 1988. That trip involved over a week's worth of discomfort, terrible food, a repressive government - but a wonderful group of people to travel with. (I'll write about that trip in the future...funny, funny, funny.)
Things have changed since then and, once again, we decided to use Diethelm Travel . Diethelm has a huge presence in South East Asia. They are extremely reliable, honest, and have an excellent reputatiion - so important in that part of the world. There are lots of other Myanmar tour operators but we like Diethelm.
Ex-Marine decided revisiting Myanmar would be a good place to celebrate his 65th birthday. This kicked-off months of e-mailing back and forth to Diethelm, putting an itinerary together.
Continue reading "Myanmar's (Burma) Golden Triangle Hill Tribes" »
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