MYANMAR....  FINAL THOUGHTS

So I will offer up my final thoughts on Myanmar, it was a great trip and I loved the things we did, but there just didn’t seem to be enough attractions and things to do around the country.  Possibly due to the limited information, the foreigner restrictions or the lack of freedom to be able to simply explore anywhere we wanted, but it felt this way.

As I said - I loved our time here, it was definitely different to other travels I have done but I only possibly see myself back there, which is a unusual for me, every other place I have been it is a DEFINITE that I will go back.  The things we did were great, amazing at times, though as an overall travel experience/destination there are plenty of other options I see as being better.

The food was incredible, the locals friendly and everything aside from the accommodation and some of the bus trips was extremely cheap.  Though, unlike everywhere else I have travelled, Myanmar just isn’t screaming ‘come back’ to me, but it was a great experience that we certainly don’t regret.

This is not me saying 'don't go', not in the slightest, just my reflections on our time there coupled with comparisons to other SE Asian options.  

Perhaps Myanmar is better to just do a ‘highlights’ tour as opposed to trying to go almost everywhere, though there are most certainly still a few places and things that I would have liked to have seen - maybe I will go back!! 

 A few final pics of Hpa An

YANGON,  MAWLAMYINE,  BILU ISLAND,  HPA  AN  &  BACK TO  MAE  SOT,  THAILAND

Back in Yangon we are staying at The Royal Star Guesthouse, fairly nice at $30, but with shared bathroom and unreliable wifi.  It was a cool 2 level room with the whole downstairs set out like a lounge room with sofa and large tv, then an upstairs area for sleeping, essentially giving you twice the space you would normally get.

Early the next morning we were back at the Thai Embassy to do my next visa, I was trying for a double entry tourist visa, but as we were crossing into Thailand by land and not flying, they would only issue me a single entry visa.  

This will give me 2 months to stay, plus I can extend it by another month for around $65 au, the double entry lets you visit for 6 months, though you do have to exit the country after your first 3 month stint and activate your ‘second entry’, but this can be done overland.

The cost of visa was $40 US and after maybe only an hour in total, I was told to return the next afternoon to collect my passport and visa, hence forcing us to stay 3 nights in Yangon with very little to do. 

We did find a couple of new favourite places to eat though, 1 of them being directly across the road from the Royal Star. Cheap delicious food, cheap beer and at night they would set up tables right in the very busy small street, a great spot to watch all the hustle and bustle of Myanmar life.

After our unwanted, but very necessary, stay in Yangon, it was another bus trip that took us closer to home and to the town of Mawlamyine, a lively little spot on the banks of the Salween River.  Bus fare was $10.50 and took around 6 hours. 

They were showing Avatar on the little tv in the seats which I still have never seen, so I watched about the first 3 quarters before we stopped for lunch, where we also ran into our boat trip buddies from Bagan.  Once on the bus again I was ready to resume the movie and see the end – BUT NO….  the movie started again! 

 So I read a book on the Ipad and sort of watched it again,  this time around we got fairly close to the end before the bus pulled into Mawlamyine and cut me off from seeing the end of this movie!!  F*** I hate that!

After cruising every single accommodation option in town and finding them ridiculously overpriced, full or both, we ended up at Breeze Guesthouse down by the river.  $20 gets you a shared bathroom with cold water, slow wifi in reception only and was overall fairly average, but the owners are friendly and helpful, can organize most things, plus they have scooters for rent.

We organized one for the following day to take a trip out to Bilu Island, before heading back to the waterfront for a cold beer in readiness for sunset.  They also have a great little night market bbq scene there with a huge selection of food all ready to be cooked, you just pile up your plate and they’ll bbq it and bring it over to your table as you relax with a drink and watch a great sunset.

This turned out to be some more of the best eating we had done and given the chance, I’d probably eat it every day.  There was corn on the cob, marinated chicken, curried potatoes, quail eggs, vegetables, seafood, plus a huge array of different meat skewers – it was so good we went back the next night.  For some reason we didn’t get a photo of any of it…

The next day we took a ride around town, before only just making it to the right ferry in time to head over to Bilu Island, just across the muddy river, but the landing point is about an hour away by boat.  

Boat tickets are $2 each and we somehow got the bike on for free!  When I say ferry, it really was just a large floating platform used to transport all the villager’s and their huge amounts of stock over the river after they had come shopping in ‘town’. 

Once on the other side we were quickly off on the bike, leaving the other tourists (all 3 of them) in our dust as they scratched their head and pondered what to do now?  It was a nice enough ride around the rather plain island, through some villages and at one point past some sort of celebratory procession of bikes and trucks involving at least 200 locals all donned in matching outfits.

Other than that, I would have to say the whole trip did very little for us really, sure it killed a day, but in hindsight I could very easily have skipped the whole thing - Bilu Island did not fare well on my travel highlights scale I’m afraid!  You never know if you never go, but I don’t rate it very highly.

Another $2 each for the fare home, this time in a smaller boat, plus another $1 for the bike and 90 cents at each end for some locals to lift it on and off the roof for me – money well spent!  As I said, bbq dinner again by the water with some other new friends, tonight even better as there was also a lunar eclipse to dazzle us after the great sunset. 

I looked online but can’t seem to find information anywhere regarding this, but it definitely happened!

The whole point of coming to Mawlamyine was to then take the boat trip up river back to Hpa An, but after seeing a lot of the scenery (plus the boat they would take us on!) we decided against it and just took the bus.  The boat takes 5 hours and costs $10, the bus takes under 2 hours and costs $1!  

Though if we felt the scenery might be worth the journey we would have gone for it, but the area between the 2 towns is fairly flat until you get closer to Hpa An.  Once again - you never know if you never go, but we saved $18!!

Back to the Golden Sky Hotel where the whole adventure began and after 27 days in the country I would have to say that this was the best value room we had stayed in during our whole trip, if only they had of all been like that!  

I have seen some reviews stating that the owners or staff were not friendly, that was definitely not the case when we stayed and they were very helpful, plus huge smiles as they recognized us from 4 weeks earlier.

A bike was soon commandeered and we cruised around the very scenic area again and headed back to the bat cave for another sunset on the cliff top.  Hpa An really was a highlight and a place I can see going back to, plus I'd love to explore more of the area south by bike.

Golden Sky organized our taxi back to the border, once again $10 each and this time there were only 4 of us in the car, from memory there were about 8 all squeezed in the first time we did it.  We had hoped for 2 nights in Hpa An, but January 24^th was the day the traffic goes east through the rugged mountain road. 

Our driver was once again a fucken lunatic and seemed intent on being the fastest man to ever to do the mountain pass.  One of the backpacker girls in the back seat was getting quite agitated and worried about it all, though by now I must have acclimatised and was just thankful he was making good time.  4 hours and 13 minutes to be exact, possibly some kind of new record, I believe our original journey took at least 6!

A relatively painless immigration check and we were soon back in Thailand and to our previous hotel, the Pongpicha Boutique House, that has been looking after my bike, there were about 40 extra km on the clock, but I can’t really hold that against them!

So tomorrow the bike trip begins again and we head south along the remote border to Umphang, home of Thailand’s ‘largest/tallest.. something or other’ waterfall – Tee Lor Su!  Who knows where the next month or so will lead us, but I’m sure it’ll be great, stay tuned and thanks for reading

Sunset by the water

The ferry

Bilu Island

NYAUNG SHWE, INLE LAKE & IN DEIN

It was time to check out Inle Lake though, the main reason for stopping here in Nyaung Shwe, and what draws so many tourists to the area.  We opted for only a half day tour as we have obviously both seen enough markets and handicraft workshops, which are usually little more than a hard sell to buy some trinkets.

We also took the longer voyage which takes you out to In Dein, a small village made slightly famous for it’s ruined pagodas and stupas, located at the end of a small, winding, extremely picturesque creek.  The boat ride being more of a highlight than the actual temples or massive line of markets trying to sell you all manner of art, craft and jewellery in the entranceway.

The entire lake area was beautiful - a vast wetland interspersed with little islands, crops, stilt house villages with canal streets, floating gardens, local fishermen, more than a few market and handicraft shops, all surrounded by misty mountains. The whole trip was a definite highlight and should be on any travellers list, I’m only regretting we didn’t do the full day trip.

Our half day trip was $16, but that is the cost of the whole boat which can take around 5-6 people, though we went just the 2 of us.

Standout restaurants around Nyaung Shwe were the Sunflower (try the pork and pumpkin curry) and Beyond Taste, though the latter is much more upmarket and meals there were rather expensive at $4-$5 each!  We tried quite a few restaurants during our stay, but there were no others I feel worth recommending.

Another 11 hour bus journey took us south to Yangon again to organize my Thai visa, though this bus ride was easily the best we had endured on our Myanmar travels.  With small personal tv’s in the seats allowing us to simply kick back in rather spacious seating and watch movies the whole way, plus fairly smooth roads, the 11 hours went by quickly.

The canals in town are that dirty brown but the lake is nice

  

Great spot for lunch and a beer

The village houses right on the lake

Cruising the 'streets'

NYAUNG SHWE 

We are now in Nyaung Shwe for a few days, as I don’t need to be in Yangon until Sunday, for a Monday morning visit to the Thai Embassy, I did have some side trips planned out of Mandalay but they didn’t pan out. 

 We were keen on taking a boat trip up to Bhamo, near the Chinese border, but due to scheduling and possibility of not being able to bus it back (more foreigner restrictions), we had to skip it. In hindsight, we really could have had an extra day each at Bagan and Mandalay. (Mandalay for the food!)

Another possible trip was taking a train trip to Hsipaw and over the Gokteik Viaduct, but I do like to leave some things out to ensure I ‘have to’ return! It looks to be a great couple of day’s journey. 

So we spent today on bicycles, about 12 km in total that included a stop at Red Mountain Winery for lunch and a few samplers! It would be so good to have a scooter here, the lake and whole surrounding area looks to be a fantastic ride. It is also bloody cold and late today it started raining which although light now, still hasn’t stopped.

Oh, and we are staying at The Green Valley Hotel, just across the road from the Golden Empress which was full, but here is fine. $20 room, no tv or fridge, but we rarely use a tv anyway and it is cold enough to keep coke for the rum simply sitting on the tiles! 

 Wifi is possibly the best we have had in Myanmar, and the breakfast I would go as far to say, is the best free breakfast I have had on my travels. I will try to get a picture tomorrow.



Red Mountain Winery, where the wine was - as one traveler put it - 'supremely mediocre'!

  

Much prefer my bikes with an engine....

SUNSET AT U BEIN BRIDGE, MANDALAY - THEN ON TO NYAUNG SHWE

The next afternoon was spent at U Bein Bridge, the world’s longest teak bridge at 1.2km and host to one of the best sunsets you will see anywhere, and we get some pretty amazing ones back in Western Australia. 

 Taxi fare was $15 for a round trip, couldn't get anybody to budge lower than that, but after doing the trip I would say that's a fair price. Our driver simply waited for us there for 3 hours as we strolled over the bridge and back, then found a great perch on the, now dry in places, river bed, to watch the spectacular sunset. With a fresh coconut for Noi and a cold beer for me!

A definite highlight of Mandalay and Myanmar - The U Bein Bridge for sunset.

That night it was some more amazing food from an Indian place that simply sets up on a street corner just up the road from Garden Hotel, serving delicious curries out of massive pots just cooking on the footpath.  

All the food we had in Mandalay was exceptional, easily the best so far in Myanmar. Lashio Lay should be easy enough to find, but the Indian place I think is on the corner of 25th and 81st. Golden Shan has also been recommended and have a buffet style spread at $4 a person.

It was time to keep moving though and at around 8.30am the next morning we were on our way south, through the middle of Myanmar, heading to Nyaung Shwe, gateway to Inle Lake. It was another grueling 8 hour slog on the bus, the time once again not the issue, just the bone jarring roads and driving of the locals that really make for a shitty trip, I’m going to need so many massages when I get back to Thailand to put all my joints back together.

Once again they sting you for an entrance fee - $10 for foreigners just to enter the town, and since everybody seems to think Noi is from Myanmar, we tested the theory and nobody blinked an eyelid when I got off the bus to pay only my foreigner fee!! Haha! Considering i can buy a small bottle of rum or a pack of cigarettes for 80 cents, $10 is a huge savings here!

 If they were providing some sort of service/restoration/upkeep like in Bagan I could understand and wouldn’t really mind, but this was outright tourist extortion. Plus I can be a tight bastard when I want to be!

That reminds of a story that Danca had told me last trip. He was getting his taxi ride from the airport in Thailand from his usual driver and she was telling him about this stingy Australian that she had picked up a few weeks ago. 

 He had booked her taxi in advance and then found 2 other foreigners at the airport to split the cost with him.  Then once they had arrived in Pattaya he actually gave her a tip for the first time, because the 2 other guy’s had given him 1000 baht out of the 1500 baht total! Guess who that stingy Australian turned out to be??!! Haha, small world! Never realized we had the same driver!



U Bein Bridge