Trip Report Myanmar 26 Oct-12 Nov
Nov 12th, 2004, 12:56 PM
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Trip Report Myanmar 26 Oct-12 Nov
General
Our visa was arranged from before by our travel agent. He sent us e-copies of the forms more than a month in advance, we sent them back filled out, and he later reverted to us with e-copies of the official visa authorisations. We took a hard copy of these along to Yangon, two hard copies of the filled out visa forms and two passport pictures. We presented everything to immigration upon arrival and received the visa stamps in our passports within 15 minutes after landing in Yangon. Done. Off to a good start indeed.
In Myanmar we have met nothing but friendly people. People are soft, smiling and very eager for contact, even when their English is often not much. Guides take you to handicraft workshops, but -for once- that's actually interesting, as you can witness very, very traditional manufacturing processes, and you feel hardly any buying pressure. We experienced no sales harassment from vendors, who smile and wave to you, regardless whether you buy or not. Genuine kindness.
Yangon Airways uses propellor planes (I saw 2 of them), the ATR-72 type. The network is exactly what you need in order to be taken to places of interest, and it is very efficient; flights are well on time. Delays when you need a connecting flight are no problem, at least if you take the same airline. This was at least our experience.
Hotels are remarkably good for a secluded country like this. The best were the ones in Ngapali (Thandwe), which is actually perfect for a honeymoon, and Bagan. Also the hotel in Yangon was stylish and nice. Sittwe, to the general image of the place, was rather shabby, for the 35 USD they charged. Glad it was only for one night. The Mrauk U hotel was fairly basic, but sparkling clean and had, somehow surprisingly, an excellent kitchen.
Myanmar gives you a unique opportunity to forget how the ring tone of your mobile telephone is like, as there's no network. I made one international phone call from a hotel, and it cost me 70 USD. Conclusion: tell your life story as much as possible to all those who are not so fortunate to accompany you to Myanmar, before or after, but definitely not during the trip !
Money is better changed in Yangon than elsewhere, as the rates differ somehow. In hotel restaurants you have on occasion an interest to pay your bill in USD, though, as they sometimes convert their listed USD menu prices at crazy rates into Kyat.
If you want a sense of what the thinking of authorities is like, browse through any copy of the 'New Light of Myanmar' daily. It takes you only 5 minutes and you'll be very enlightened, for your own great betterment, about the vices of foreign values and the importance of protecting national purity from the terrible inventions of IT, satellites and internet. Save your soul and throw your PC away, ... after reading this report, of course! Oh, and along with your PC, dump the sugar pot as well. Why? Well, on the boat ride to Mrauk U, we saw a wooden cargo ship being towed off at gunpoint by a navy vessel: contraband of condensed milk and sugar, someone explained to us later, both considered by authorities to be very bad for people's health. And, here, authorities allegedly know what's best for your health and, by extension, for your everything.
What I know, is that the best lacquerware is to be bought in Bagan. And I also know that in Mandalay I fell in love with one of those blinding white little budha statues which they're carving along the street; unfortunately I couldn't buy it because of the weight and transport complications, so I settled for a nice wooden image. Too bad really, although the wooden one is very nice too. In Inle my wife bought some beautiful silk. And rubies, well, I'd rather not spoil the fun of this write-up, thinking about my wallet, even if those stones are relatively inexpensive compared to back home.
Rubies or no rubies, we wish you good travels to Myanmar, a country and a people of which we keep a very fond memory. Hopefully one day we'll come back to Myanmar, get my marble budha, and eat loads of unhealthy sugar in Yangon, while gaining enlightenment from reading the 'Real Light of Myanmar' or for that matter any other of the choice of papers that will have emerged by then.
Oh, and one more thing. It took my wife and me 26 years of marriage plus a trip to Myanmar to discover the in-depth forces of synergy in our household. I was born on a Thursday, which makes me, so they tell me, ... a mouse; my wife, born on a Wednesday, is apparently ... an elephant. So, as I put things together, when we run side by side, we leave a lot of dust in our trail. Thank you, Myanmar, for a wonderful trip and - as a fringe benefit - for a very new and original perspective on our married life.
Transit in Bangkok
Ratt was a very good choice as a guide, and as we're glad we followed advice from the Fodorites. Ratt collected us from the airport, took us around to downtown Bangkok very efficiently for a visit to the Grand Palace area and the Jim Thompson House. She got us back to the airport for our flight to Yangon, perfectly timed. Thanks, Fodorites, for guiding us through this transit in this way.
We arrive in Yangon and get swiftly beyond expectation to our hotel, dead tired though. No wonder: we've been on the road a full 23 hours since we turned the key at home.
Bago return by car from Yangon (Kandawgyi Hotel)
Not a very early start, today. Bago is only80 km away from Yangon, and the distance is covered in two hours. Probably not something you want to visit after Bagan, but the reclining Budha is certainly the best in the country and definitely more impressing and grander than the one we saw in Bangkok yesterday, with all due respect.
Bagan (Bagan Hotel)
Our first experience with Yangon Airways: a good flight, perfectly on time and courteous service.
Our guide, U Aung Gwe, awaits us in Bagan airport. He proves to be a young knowledgeable and enthusiastic person, who is really to be recommended. It is a brilliant experience to wander among the temples and pagodas. You should also walk among the monuments on foot, and not only explore by car or horse pulled cart.
We really enjoyed a lunch break at a lovely lakeside restaurant in New Bagan,' Shwe Nandawun'. Good food and an exotic, relaxed setting.
Sunset from a little pagoda, Myanabontha or something, is less crowded and equally beautiful as the one most tours seem to do.
Mt Popa and to Mandalay (Mandalay Hill Resort)
On the road to Mt Popa, we see the manufacturing of palm sugar, 'brown sugar' as they call it locally.
Mt Popa, a magic place, but with 598 steps I counted, it takes some effort. The views are magnificent, though, once you get on top there, and when you return to the street level, the noodles in the simple little restaurants make an excellent lunch. From here it's another 5 bumpy hours to Mandalay.
A visit by car to Amarapura, Ava and Sagaing.
In Amarapura, the U Bein Bridge is really a sight, but the most impressing of all, close by, is the monastery, where 1200 monks come every day at 10:15 to collect their lunch ration of steamed rice and relish from donors. A crowd of people, and yet serenity and silence reign, as the monks in their red robes patiently line up, their eyes turned down in humility, just looking up for a short moment, as a way of saying thanks while their donor fills their bowls with steaming rice. Then the monks move into large covered halls, kneel at low tables, and eat their last meal for the day in silence. It's 11:15, a.m. to be sure!
We'll remember Ava above all for the wooden monastery, reached after 20 minutes of a bumpy horse cart ride.
The line-up of 45 Budhas in the Uminthonze's artificial cave is our highlight in Sagaing.
To finish, the beef in black soy paste at The Green Elephant in Mandalay was fabulous. I tried it at several other places later on the trip, but I never found it so absolutely delicious again.
Mingun and Mandalay
The boat ride to Mingun is half the fun: fishermen in little boats, stilt villages on sand banks,... In Mingun itself, the sight over the plains and the river is awesome from the top of the unfinished, totally earthquake ridden giant pagoda.
Back in Mandalay, the city walls and the Royal Palace impress us most. We're lucky enough to witness a pagoda festival, with food stalls and a colourfull, fascinating atmosphere.
Pindaya and to Lake Inle (Hupin)
Two full hours you need to cover the 50 km from Heho to Pindaya, but it's worth it. A narrow road with trucks overly full of Bao pilgrims, and a scenery of impressing sacred Banyan trees dotting hilly country make sure the ride isn't monotonous.
More than 6000 budha statues stand together in the Pindaya cave. In the village there's an umbrella factory which is of interest.
From Pindaya we need three hours to Lake Inle by car, plus 30 min by longtail boat. Our first glimpse of the lake wets our appetite for tomorrow's boat excursion.
Lake Inle
A full day on the lake with a longtail boat gives us a good impression of daily life. Unfortunately the floating market in Ywama, one day out of five, is not on today. But there's so much else to see and observe. It's all about watching people in their daily life in the villages, on their boats, in their market areas, tending their floating gardens. The wooden monastery with the jumping cats is remarkable too, not so much for the cats, but for the wooden structure.
Back in the hotel, we find out that Bush will not need any movers shortly. For us it's a bit of a side show. But of course, that is because we're not Americans and we don't live in the States (anymore; we were Washingtonians from 87 to 90, and since then full of very fond memories). We also just find out that Sheikh Zayed, about 94 years old, has passed away last night. For us this is not a side show, because Zayed happens to be the genuinely beloved president of the UAE, the country where we live nowadays. Living in the Middle East, maybe the re-election in the US isn't a side show for us either, after all.
To Sittwe (Noble Hotel)
Quite a transfer today, a plane from Heho to Yangon and on to Sittwe. Had 10 minutes to change planes in Yangon, but it did work out! Just as well that Yangon airport isn't bursting of activity. In fact we boarded the same plane again with which we had flown in from Heho; so even as the first flight was delayed, the connecting one hád to wait. Yangon Airways, small but quite efficient.
We came to Sittwe merely on our way to Mrauk U. Anything to see in Sittwe? Actually, no, so skip it, if you can. There's only the budhist museum, but it's been half dismantled and turned into ... an army dormitory; the other half is in principle not open to visitors either, but our guide got us in. We ate quite well at the River Valley Restaurant, but don't come and look for it, because .... the military is taking over the place next month.
The car that picked us up from the Sittwe airport looked like 200 years old and run down even more than Sîttwe itself. Our guide later admitted that he had thought we were from... Laos. 'Why?', we asked. Well, he had deducted that from our passport numbers, which started with 'LA 0 ... ' . Good thinking. But, why would Laotians have to settle for a car like that?
My advice is crystal clear and remorseless: skip Sittwe and arrange to travel on to Mrauk U straight away after your flight from Yangon; it's perfectly possible.
To Mrauk U (Nawarat Hotel)
After a short visit to the Sittwe fish market, probably the most interesting thing in town, we embark at the jetty for a 6 hours boat ride to Mrauk U. River life, fishermen , cargo ships rowed all the way upstream, buffalo grazing along the banks, etc. The trip is maybe a bit long, but not really boring, and it offers some relaxation after a series of tiring visiting days. Why not?
In the late afternoon, after arrival and lunch, we top off with a visit to the Sittaung and some other nearby pagodas. In a few words: magic, reminescent of Borobodur on the outside and of Hindu temple decoration on the inside. Mrauk U is definitely more than a mini Bagan, because it's very different. Looking forward to more of it tomorrow.
Mrauk U
Yes, Mrauk U is indeed a wonderful place to visit. Even as it is obviously neglected big time by development authorities, like the entire Northern Rakhine area. Roads and bridges are in worse condition than what we've seen so far, there isn't much activity around. But Mrauk U has serenity and charm, and the magic of its visible history. The early morning view from the Sittaung pagoda's platform is great. We visit several more temples and monasteries. One of these is the Letkauk Ze monastery, where the head monk shows us some 10 centuries old bronze budha statues of 20-40 cm height, all covered by dust, but simply extraordinary in beauty. We also go by jeep to Wethali, the first capital in the region, 10 km away, but that isn't really worth the effort Overall, we have certainly enjoyed Mrauk U beyond expectation.
In the evening, excellent river prawns in the hotel's restaurant. Then, early bed time, as tomorrow we leave at 5 a.m.
To Thandwe/Sandoway (Sandoway Resort)
It's still a pitch dark and starry sky when we set out from Mrauk U for our 6 hour boat ride back to Sittwe. This time purely transit in that place, except for a noodle soup in our Riverside Restaurant of last time: a candle light lunch! Obviously, the waiter has been trained to light the table candles, and we happen to be there for lunch, as the only clients...
From Sittwe we head for Thandwe, by plane. First, in Sittwe airport, five consecutive identity checks at various counters, each one about three meters away from the other. Just as well that all officials agree: we are indeed on the passengers list. So, we can board. Yangon Airways is punctual, as it usually is, and soon we are airborne, happily off for a couple of days of relaxation in Ngapali.
Ngapali is near Thandwe or Sandoway. Here we'll wind down from a busy and intense trip through Myanmar. We plan not to get tired the coming two days.
Sandoway Resort
The beach at Ngapali is simply idyllic. A crystal clear sea, soft waves breaking onto a golden sand beach, which is neatly lined by tall, waving palm trees. What a place!
Our biggest effort is a 20 minutes walk on the beach to a fishermen village. Early morning the little wooden boats come in, the men clean and fold the fishing nets, women lay large bamboo mats on the beach, haul the catch in baskets from the boats and spread the fish on the mats to dry. They hardly speak, all work like clockwork. They've obviously done it before, but for us it's all new and fascinating; the scene is impressing and colourfull.
In the evening another walk to the village. Now, the women are diligently collecting the dried fish, next the mats are brushed clean, and put away in rolls. In the meantime the men prepare to embark as the sun sets over a reddish horizon. Noisily they jump on board. Soon the boats become distant little lights against the blackness of the night. The cycle can start all over. See you tomorrow when the sun rises over the beach.
Yangon (Kandawgyi Hotel)
Three days of winding down at Sandoway, and the batteries are full again for the last bits of exploration, in Yangon. Usually, Yangon is considered to be the place to start the trip, we finish here, and that's not a bad formula either. After flying in from Thandwe, we spend the afternoon and the next day in the capital.
After a stroll through the colonial city centre, we spend time on the Shwedagon pagoda. Probably one of the most impressing sights in town and in the whole country. It's particularly worthwhile to visit in the late afternoon and then wait for the sun to set: first, the golden top starts glowing, and then gradually the huge bell shaped dome fades out into the evening darkness, until the whole place is suddenly lighted up again artificially, adding a new magic to the site.
A last day in Myanmar, with some visits and shopping at the Bogyoke market. Off to the airport, and airborne to Bangkok. Ratt is waiting for us again upon arrival.
Bangkok, our last day before heading home (Riverfront Residences)
After a good night's sleep Ratt picks us up for some sightseeing in downtown Bangkok. Efficient as ever, she perfectly senses what our expectation is: a bit of canal and river life, Wat Arun and the Royal Barges, and a stroll in Chinatown.
Wat Arun is my absolute favorite, alongside the river, original with the porcelain decoration. It is so surprisingly different from all those innumerable pagodas we've seen the last weeks. In Wat Arun I also saw monks with mobile telephone and wire-connected microphone; not seen too many of those in Myanmar!
And then, of course the general atmosphere of Bangkok, crowded, a bit chaotic, slightly cooled down by the river flowing through it with waves as on high sea.
From Bangkok it's a six hours flight back to Dubai and reality. The trip is over and it's time now to sort out my approximately 2500 digital pictures, plus another 800 of my wife. That will keep us quiet for a while .... until our microbe starts biting again. Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam?
That?s it.
Thanks for having gone through this write-up, much longer than what I had first planned. I had no time to make it shorter! Maybe it brought back to you a memory here or there, maybe it added to your awakening eagerness to visit Myanmar; hopefully this report didn't put you off from going there. If it did, it was unintentional, so, blame it solely on me and my writings, and do not deprive yourself of this wonderful experience and revelation.
Our visa was arranged from before by our travel agent. He sent us e-copies of the forms more than a month in advance, we sent them back filled out, and he later reverted to us with e-copies of the official visa authorisations. We took a hard copy of these along to Yangon, two hard copies of the filled out visa forms and two passport pictures. We presented everything to immigration upon arrival and received the visa stamps in our passports within 15 minutes after landing in Yangon. Done. Off to a good start indeed.
In Myanmar we have met nothing but friendly people. People are soft, smiling and very eager for contact, even when their English is often not much. Guides take you to handicraft workshops, but -for once- that's actually interesting, as you can witness very, very traditional manufacturing processes, and you feel hardly any buying pressure. We experienced no sales harassment from vendors, who smile and wave to you, regardless whether you buy or not. Genuine kindness.
Yangon Airways uses propellor planes (I saw 2 of them), the ATR-72 type. The network is exactly what you need in order to be taken to places of interest, and it is very efficient; flights are well on time. Delays when you need a connecting flight are no problem, at least if you take the same airline. This was at least our experience.
Hotels are remarkably good for a secluded country like this. The best were the ones in Ngapali (Thandwe), which is actually perfect for a honeymoon, and Bagan. Also the hotel in Yangon was stylish and nice. Sittwe, to the general image of the place, was rather shabby, for the 35 USD they charged. Glad it was only for one night. The Mrauk U hotel was fairly basic, but sparkling clean and had, somehow surprisingly, an excellent kitchen.
Myanmar gives you a unique opportunity to forget how the ring tone of your mobile telephone is like, as there's no network. I made one international phone call from a hotel, and it cost me 70 USD. Conclusion: tell your life story as much as possible to all those who are not so fortunate to accompany you to Myanmar, before or after, but definitely not during the trip !
Money is better changed in Yangon than elsewhere, as the rates differ somehow. In hotel restaurants you have on occasion an interest to pay your bill in USD, though, as they sometimes convert their listed USD menu prices at crazy rates into Kyat.
If you want a sense of what the thinking of authorities is like, browse through any copy of the 'New Light of Myanmar' daily. It takes you only 5 minutes and you'll be very enlightened, for your own great betterment, about the vices of foreign values and the importance of protecting national purity from the terrible inventions of IT, satellites and internet. Save your soul and throw your PC away, ... after reading this report, of course! Oh, and along with your PC, dump the sugar pot as well. Why? Well, on the boat ride to Mrauk U, we saw a wooden cargo ship being towed off at gunpoint by a navy vessel: contraband of condensed milk and sugar, someone explained to us later, both considered by authorities to be very bad for people's health. And, here, authorities allegedly know what's best for your health and, by extension, for your everything.
What I know, is that the best lacquerware is to be bought in Bagan. And I also know that in Mandalay I fell in love with one of those blinding white little budha statues which they're carving along the street; unfortunately I couldn't buy it because of the weight and transport complications, so I settled for a nice wooden image. Too bad really, although the wooden one is very nice too. In Inle my wife bought some beautiful silk. And rubies, well, I'd rather not spoil the fun of this write-up, thinking about my wallet, even if those stones are relatively inexpensive compared to back home.
Rubies or no rubies, we wish you good travels to Myanmar, a country and a people of which we keep a very fond memory. Hopefully one day we'll come back to Myanmar, get my marble budha, and eat loads of unhealthy sugar in Yangon, while gaining enlightenment from reading the 'Real Light of Myanmar' or for that matter any other of the choice of papers that will have emerged by then.
Oh, and one more thing. It took my wife and me 26 years of marriage plus a trip to Myanmar to discover the in-depth forces of synergy in our household. I was born on a Thursday, which makes me, so they tell me, ... a mouse; my wife, born on a Wednesday, is apparently ... an elephant. So, as I put things together, when we run side by side, we leave a lot of dust in our trail. Thank you, Myanmar, for a wonderful trip and - as a fringe benefit - for a very new and original perspective on our married life.
Transit in Bangkok
Ratt was a very good choice as a guide, and as we're glad we followed advice from the Fodorites. Ratt collected us from the airport, took us around to downtown Bangkok very efficiently for a visit to the Grand Palace area and the Jim Thompson House. She got us back to the airport for our flight to Yangon, perfectly timed. Thanks, Fodorites, for guiding us through this transit in this way.
We arrive in Yangon and get swiftly beyond expectation to our hotel, dead tired though. No wonder: we've been on the road a full 23 hours since we turned the key at home.
Bago return by car from Yangon (Kandawgyi Hotel)
Not a very early start, today. Bago is only80 km away from Yangon, and the distance is covered in two hours. Probably not something you want to visit after Bagan, but the reclining Budha is certainly the best in the country and definitely more impressing and grander than the one we saw in Bangkok yesterday, with all due respect.
Bagan (Bagan Hotel)
Our first experience with Yangon Airways: a good flight, perfectly on time and courteous service.
Our guide, U Aung Gwe, awaits us in Bagan airport. He proves to be a young knowledgeable and enthusiastic person, who is really to be recommended. It is a brilliant experience to wander among the temples and pagodas. You should also walk among the monuments on foot, and not only explore by car or horse pulled cart.
We really enjoyed a lunch break at a lovely lakeside restaurant in New Bagan,' Shwe Nandawun'. Good food and an exotic, relaxed setting.
Sunset from a little pagoda, Myanabontha or something, is less crowded and equally beautiful as the one most tours seem to do.
Mt Popa and to Mandalay (Mandalay Hill Resort)
On the road to Mt Popa, we see the manufacturing of palm sugar, 'brown sugar' as they call it locally.
Mt Popa, a magic place, but with 598 steps I counted, it takes some effort. The views are magnificent, though, once you get on top there, and when you return to the street level, the noodles in the simple little restaurants make an excellent lunch. From here it's another 5 bumpy hours to Mandalay.
A visit by car to Amarapura, Ava and Sagaing.
In Amarapura, the U Bein Bridge is really a sight, but the most impressing of all, close by, is the monastery, where 1200 monks come every day at 10:15 to collect their lunch ration of steamed rice and relish from donors. A crowd of people, and yet serenity and silence reign, as the monks in their red robes patiently line up, their eyes turned down in humility, just looking up for a short moment, as a way of saying thanks while their donor fills their bowls with steaming rice. Then the monks move into large covered halls, kneel at low tables, and eat their last meal for the day in silence. It's 11:15, a.m. to be sure!
We'll remember Ava above all for the wooden monastery, reached after 20 minutes of a bumpy horse cart ride.
The line-up of 45 Budhas in the Uminthonze's artificial cave is our highlight in Sagaing.
To finish, the beef in black soy paste at The Green Elephant in Mandalay was fabulous. I tried it at several other places later on the trip, but I never found it so absolutely delicious again.
Mingun and Mandalay
The boat ride to Mingun is half the fun: fishermen in little boats, stilt villages on sand banks,... In Mingun itself, the sight over the plains and the river is awesome from the top of the unfinished, totally earthquake ridden giant pagoda.
Back in Mandalay, the city walls and the Royal Palace impress us most. We're lucky enough to witness a pagoda festival, with food stalls and a colourfull, fascinating atmosphere.
Pindaya and to Lake Inle (Hupin)
Two full hours you need to cover the 50 km from Heho to Pindaya, but it's worth it. A narrow road with trucks overly full of Bao pilgrims, and a scenery of impressing sacred Banyan trees dotting hilly country make sure the ride isn't monotonous.
More than 6000 budha statues stand together in the Pindaya cave. In the village there's an umbrella factory which is of interest.
From Pindaya we need three hours to Lake Inle by car, plus 30 min by longtail boat. Our first glimpse of the lake wets our appetite for tomorrow's boat excursion.
Lake Inle
A full day on the lake with a longtail boat gives us a good impression of daily life. Unfortunately the floating market in Ywama, one day out of five, is not on today. But there's so much else to see and observe. It's all about watching people in their daily life in the villages, on their boats, in their market areas, tending their floating gardens. The wooden monastery with the jumping cats is remarkable too, not so much for the cats, but for the wooden structure.
Back in the hotel, we find out that Bush will not need any movers shortly. For us it's a bit of a side show. But of course, that is because we're not Americans and we don't live in the States (anymore; we were Washingtonians from 87 to 90, and since then full of very fond memories). We also just find out that Sheikh Zayed, about 94 years old, has passed away last night. For us this is not a side show, because Zayed happens to be the genuinely beloved president of the UAE, the country where we live nowadays. Living in the Middle East, maybe the re-election in the US isn't a side show for us either, after all.
To Sittwe (Noble Hotel)
Quite a transfer today, a plane from Heho to Yangon and on to Sittwe. Had 10 minutes to change planes in Yangon, but it did work out! Just as well that Yangon airport isn't bursting of activity. In fact we boarded the same plane again with which we had flown in from Heho; so even as the first flight was delayed, the connecting one hád to wait. Yangon Airways, small but quite efficient.
We came to Sittwe merely on our way to Mrauk U. Anything to see in Sittwe? Actually, no, so skip it, if you can. There's only the budhist museum, but it's been half dismantled and turned into ... an army dormitory; the other half is in principle not open to visitors either, but our guide got us in. We ate quite well at the River Valley Restaurant, but don't come and look for it, because .... the military is taking over the place next month.
The car that picked us up from the Sittwe airport looked like 200 years old and run down even more than Sîttwe itself. Our guide later admitted that he had thought we were from... Laos. 'Why?', we asked. Well, he had deducted that from our passport numbers, which started with 'LA 0 ... ' . Good thinking. But, why would Laotians have to settle for a car like that?
My advice is crystal clear and remorseless: skip Sittwe and arrange to travel on to Mrauk U straight away after your flight from Yangon; it's perfectly possible.
To Mrauk U (Nawarat Hotel)
After a short visit to the Sittwe fish market, probably the most interesting thing in town, we embark at the jetty for a 6 hours boat ride to Mrauk U. River life, fishermen , cargo ships rowed all the way upstream, buffalo grazing along the banks, etc. The trip is maybe a bit long, but not really boring, and it offers some relaxation after a series of tiring visiting days. Why not?
In the late afternoon, after arrival and lunch, we top off with a visit to the Sittaung and some other nearby pagodas. In a few words: magic, reminescent of Borobodur on the outside and of Hindu temple decoration on the inside. Mrauk U is definitely more than a mini Bagan, because it's very different. Looking forward to more of it tomorrow.
Mrauk U
Yes, Mrauk U is indeed a wonderful place to visit. Even as it is obviously neglected big time by development authorities, like the entire Northern Rakhine area. Roads and bridges are in worse condition than what we've seen so far, there isn't much activity around. But Mrauk U has serenity and charm, and the magic of its visible history. The early morning view from the Sittaung pagoda's platform is great. We visit several more temples and monasteries. One of these is the Letkauk Ze monastery, where the head monk shows us some 10 centuries old bronze budha statues of 20-40 cm height, all covered by dust, but simply extraordinary in beauty. We also go by jeep to Wethali, the first capital in the region, 10 km away, but that isn't really worth the effort Overall, we have certainly enjoyed Mrauk U beyond expectation.
In the evening, excellent river prawns in the hotel's restaurant. Then, early bed time, as tomorrow we leave at 5 a.m.
To Thandwe/Sandoway (Sandoway Resort)
It's still a pitch dark and starry sky when we set out from Mrauk U for our 6 hour boat ride back to Sittwe. This time purely transit in that place, except for a noodle soup in our Riverside Restaurant of last time: a candle light lunch! Obviously, the waiter has been trained to light the table candles, and we happen to be there for lunch, as the only clients...
From Sittwe we head for Thandwe, by plane. First, in Sittwe airport, five consecutive identity checks at various counters, each one about three meters away from the other. Just as well that all officials agree: we are indeed on the passengers list. So, we can board. Yangon Airways is punctual, as it usually is, and soon we are airborne, happily off for a couple of days of relaxation in Ngapali.
Ngapali is near Thandwe or Sandoway. Here we'll wind down from a busy and intense trip through Myanmar. We plan not to get tired the coming two days.
Sandoway Resort
The beach at Ngapali is simply idyllic. A crystal clear sea, soft waves breaking onto a golden sand beach, which is neatly lined by tall, waving palm trees. What a place!
Our biggest effort is a 20 minutes walk on the beach to a fishermen village. Early morning the little wooden boats come in, the men clean and fold the fishing nets, women lay large bamboo mats on the beach, haul the catch in baskets from the boats and spread the fish on the mats to dry. They hardly speak, all work like clockwork. They've obviously done it before, but for us it's all new and fascinating; the scene is impressing and colourfull.
In the evening another walk to the village. Now, the women are diligently collecting the dried fish, next the mats are brushed clean, and put away in rolls. In the meantime the men prepare to embark as the sun sets over a reddish horizon. Noisily they jump on board. Soon the boats become distant little lights against the blackness of the night. The cycle can start all over. See you tomorrow when the sun rises over the beach.
Yangon (Kandawgyi Hotel)
Three days of winding down at Sandoway, and the batteries are full again for the last bits of exploration, in Yangon. Usually, Yangon is considered to be the place to start the trip, we finish here, and that's not a bad formula either. After flying in from Thandwe, we spend the afternoon and the next day in the capital.
After a stroll through the colonial city centre, we spend time on the Shwedagon pagoda. Probably one of the most impressing sights in town and in the whole country. It's particularly worthwhile to visit in the late afternoon and then wait for the sun to set: first, the golden top starts glowing, and then gradually the huge bell shaped dome fades out into the evening darkness, until the whole place is suddenly lighted up again artificially, adding a new magic to the site.
A last day in Myanmar, with some visits and shopping at the Bogyoke market. Off to the airport, and airborne to Bangkok. Ratt is waiting for us again upon arrival.
Bangkok, our last day before heading home (Riverfront Residences)
After a good night's sleep Ratt picks us up for some sightseeing in downtown Bangkok. Efficient as ever, she perfectly senses what our expectation is: a bit of canal and river life, Wat Arun and the Royal Barges, and a stroll in Chinatown.
Wat Arun is my absolute favorite, alongside the river, original with the porcelain decoration. It is so surprisingly different from all those innumerable pagodas we've seen the last weeks. In Wat Arun I also saw monks with mobile telephone and wire-connected microphone; not seen too many of those in Myanmar!
And then, of course the general atmosphere of Bangkok, crowded, a bit chaotic, slightly cooled down by the river flowing through it with waves as on high sea.
From Bangkok it's a six hours flight back to Dubai and reality. The trip is over and it's time now to sort out my approximately 2500 digital pictures, plus another 800 of my wife. That will keep us quiet for a while .... until our microbe starts biting again. Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam?
That?s it.
Thanks for having gone through this write-up, much longer than what I had first planned. I had no time to make it shorter! Maybe it brought back to you a memory here or there, maybe it added to your awakening eagerness to visit Myanmar; hopefully this report didn't put you off from going there. If it did, it was unintentional, so, blame it solely on me and my writings, and do not deprive yourself of this wonderful experience and revelation.
Nov 12th, 2004, 01:41 PM
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Thank you for sharing your trip experiences with us. It made me want to move Myanmar up on my must-see list. How did you find the pace of your trip? Too fast? Too slow? It seems as if all your arrangements were made in advance. Did you find this satisfactory or did you find it frustrating?
Thanks.
Thanks.
Nov 12th, 2004, 06:06 PM
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I'm so excited to read your report. Thank you! We will be in BK from Nov 25 to Dec 15. Planning to go to Yangon & Nagapli. Please tell me more about the Sandoway resort. How would you rate the resort & the facility? Is the beach water clean to walk on? ( no rocks on anything like that in the water.) What kind of food do they serve at the Sandoway restaurant/resort? We are looking for a peaceful place that has good food, nice room and beautiful beach with clean/clear water. If you have been to Phuket or Samui how would you rate Ngaplai bach with Puket and or Samui. How many nights do you think we should stay at Sandoway? Thank you for your time.
Nov 12th, 2004, 07:02 PM
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Sandoway is a resort as good as they come. The beach is straighforward fantastic and clean, the water is great and clean, the setting of the resort itself. All is a 10/10.
The hotel comes and picks you up from the airport with a 1936 restored bus.
They have an Italian manager and an Italian cook. The menu is vary large, basically using Italian flavours with the local ingredients. Fish and seafood are great. I realize the word 'great' is being used a lot here.
If possible take a chalet giving straight onto the beach, the view is fantastic, whereas in the second row of chalets, you just have a wide opening view on the sea, in between the chalets of the first row.
Enjoy. You certainly will.
Yes, our trip was organised from before. The pace was OK, although rather intense, but it all worked out quite feasible. If you need the name of the travel agency, as I do not want to make publicity here for them unasked. Over the internet I discussed the programme with them, so it was tailor made to our wishes, in a real dialogue. They provided us guides on each location, apart from Sandoway, where the only guide you need is the lady showing you to your terrace dining table.
On Dubai. Yes it is certainly a place where you can spend a couple of days, but make sure you have an advance hotel booking, because the place is regularly very very fully booked up. There are some very nice and brand new hotels around. Make sure you do not end up in a business hotel, unless you come to Dubai for business. If it is to enjoy the sea etc, you'd rather take a hotel in Jumeirah, on the outskirts of Dubai. From there a taxi can take you very easily to the places to see, of which there aren't that many anyway. A side trip into the desert, and if you have a couple of spare days into Musandam (which is actually an Omani enclave at the very top of the Straits of Hormuz, is something you may want to consider.
The hotel comes and picks you up from the airport with a 1936 restored bus.
They have an Italian manager and an Italian cook. The menu is vary large, basically using Italian flavours with the local ingredients. Fish and seafood are great. I realize the word 'great' is being used a lot here.
If possible take a chalet giving straight onto the beach, the view is fantastic, whereas in the second row of chalets, you just have a wide opening view on the sea, in between the chalets of the first row.
Enjoy. You certainly will.
Yes, our trip was organised from before. The pace was OK, although rather intense, but it all worked out quite feasible. If you need the name of the travel agency, as I do not want to make publicity here for them unasked. Over the internet I discussed the programme with them, so it was tailor made to our wishes, in a real dialogue. They provided us guides on each location, apart from Sandoway, where the only guide you need is the lady showing you to your terrace dining table.
On Dubai. Yes it is certainly a place where you can spend a couple of days, but make sure you have an advance hotel booking, because the place is regularly very very fully booked up. There are some very nice and brand new hotels around. Make sure you do not end up in a business hotel, unless you come to Dubai for business. If it is to enjoy the sea etc, you'd rather take a hotel in Jumeirah, on the outskirts of Dubai. From there a taxi can take you very easily to the places to see, of which there aren't that many anyway. A side trip into the desert, and if you have a couple of spare days into Musandam (which is actually an Omani enclave at the very top of the Straits of Hormuz, is something you may want to consider.
Nov 13th, 2004, 08:41 AM
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To Clear,
I forgot to answer to one part of your question about Sandoway. How long to stay? Well, that depends on how much time you have available. But, if I were you, I would stay three nights. Gives you the time to relax and enjoy the place. You do not want to rush through it, as you will quite certainly regret to have to leave already after two nights there. If you are touring the country or Thailand and think you may be tired of the visiting programme, Sandoway is an excellent place to chill out, to let all the experiences gathered settle down into your mind, and to make sure you do not need to take a few days off duty when you get back home, in order to rest from your vacation....
I forgot to answer to one part of your question about Sandoway. How long to stay? Well, that depends on how much time you have available. But, if I were you, I would stay three nights. Gives you the time to relax and enjoy the place. You do not want to rush through it, as you will quite certainly regret to have to leave already after two nights there. If you are touring the country or Thailand and think you may be tired of the visiting programme, Sandoway is an excellent place to chill out, to let all the experiences gathered settle down into your mind, and to make sure you do not need to take a few days off duty when you get back home, in order to rest from your vacation....
Nov 13th, 2004, 05:51 PM
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Cram,
Thank you so much. Why do you give Sandoway 10/10? I read that there is no air condition in the room. Would it be an issue at night to go to sleep (humid or do you get enough breeze from the ocean)? Is there any kind of sight seeing to do at Nagapali or not?
Nov 13th, 2004, 09:17 PM
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To Clear,
There IS airco in the chalets, and there is something to see. Ref my report on the fishermen village, quite a sight. Furthermore not much, because they told me that Thandwe itself, 15 km away, does not have anything special. Some recent pagodas etc, but after so many nice things throughout the country, we did not really bother to make the effort.
There IS airco in the chalets, and there is something to see. Ref my report on the fishermen village, quite a sight. Furthermore not much, because they told me that Thandwe itself, 15 km away, does not have anything special. Some recent pagodas etc, but after so many nice things throughout the country, we did not really bother to make the effort.
Dec 21st, 2004, 12:08 PM
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Cram,
Just wanted to thank you again. We just got back from BKK, Yangon, Bagan, Nagpali. I fell for Myanmar (Yangon, Bagan and Nagpali). Loved it. We would like to go to Inle lake next time. I have been all over the world and this is the most memorable trip my husband I have been to. We can't wait to return.
Just wanted to thank you again. We just got back from BKK, Yangon, Bagan, Nagpali. I fell for Myanmar (Yangon, Bagan and Nagpali). Loved it. We would like to go to Inle lake next time. I have been all over the world and this is the most memorable trip my husband I have been to. We can't wait to return.
Dec 23rd, 2004, 07:26 AM
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Clear,
If you go again to Myanmar and take in Inle, do not forget the caves of Pindaya. Any things in my report you actually disagree with. Would be very interested to know as perceptions can sometimes differ quite a bit.
If you go again to Myanmar and take in Inle, do not forget the caves of Pindaya. Any things in my report you actually disagree with. Would be very interested to know as perceptions can sometimes differ quite a bit.
Dec 23rd, 2004, 04:29 PM
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cram,
You are pretty much correct about everything. We stayed at Bay view resort in Ngapali/Thandwe. We saw Sandoway resort. It is nice however, I liked the Bay view resort bunglow which is right on the beach and we can hear the ocean. At Sandoway I don't think there is a bunglow close to the beach like Bay view has. Excellent restaurant is a good place to eat in Napali. If you make it back to Bagan, you must stay at the Thiripyitsaya Sakura hotel, absolutely stunning setting over looking the ayeyarwaddy River. Beautiful pool and lush grounds. We stayed at the suite (over looking the river) and it was so nice. Teak wood floor, separate living room, separate Four poster bed w/netting, separate sink area with bath tub, separate shower and sparate bathroom. I'm already thinking about Myanmar and my husband think I'm crazy. Next time we will go to Inle lake. FYI, there is a new resort called Terasure beach resort in Ngwe Saung Beach (Ngwe Saung Beach is a new developement area). You cannot fly. You will need to hire a car and a driver which can be done easily from Yangon. My friend was there and I saw pictures of the resort. Beautiful with first class setting, better setting then Sandoway (My opinion). Very secluded. The drive is about 4 to 5 hours each way. Next time, we will go to the Ngwe Saung beach, if we have the time. Thank you again.
You are pretty much correct about everything. We stayed at Bay view resort in Ngapali/Thandwe. We saw Sandoway resort. It is nice however, I liked the Bay view resort bunglow which is right on the beach and we can hear the ocean. At Sandoway I don't think there is a bunglow close to the beach like Bay view has. Excellent restaurant is a good place to eat in Napali. If you make it back to Bagan, you must stay at the Thiripyitsaya Sakura hotel, absolutely stunning setting over looking the ayeyarwaddy River. Beautiful pool and lush grounds. We stayed at the suite (over looking the river) and it was so nice. Teak wood floor, separate living room, separate Four poster bed w/netting, separate sink area with bath tub, separate shower and sparate bathroom. I'm already thinking about Myanmar and my husband think I'm crazy. Next time we will go to Inle lake. FYI, there is a new resort called Terasure beach resort in Ngwe Saung Beach (Ngwe Saung Beach is a new developement area). You cannot fly. You will need to hire a car and a driver which can be done easily from Yangon. My friend was there and I saw pictures of the resort. Beautiful with first class setting, better setting then Sandoway (My opinion). Very secluded. The drive is about 4 to 5 hours each way. Next time, we will go to the Ngwe Saung beach, if we have the time. Thank you again.
Aug 23rd, 2005, 12:15 PM
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This is a belated note to cram, to thank you for your report and let you know I enjoyed reading it.
Saw your comment on the other thread...so just wanted to let you know that more than 15 have enjoyed your Burma report
Saw your comment on the other thread...so just wanted to let you know that more than 15 have enjoyed your Burma report
