Myanmar,Vietnam,Cambodia and Laos trip report
 

Just returning from 1 month in SEAsia. Here are my thoughts:
Myanmar: arrived in Yangon stayed 1 night at Savoy hotel. Good choice and close to Pagoda. Yangon traffic can be a mess. Spent 1/2 day touring city and left next morning for Baggen
Baggen. 3 days. Stayed at Aureum palace hotel. A beautiful property. Best tea leaf salad we had in Myanmar. We loved Bagan. Take flip flops because you have to take your shoes off when visiting pagodas. Also I would recommend take medication in case of food poisoning or amoeboisis. We got sick even when being very careful. Hand gel and antiseptic wipes. Took day trip to my Popa which was interesting to see country side. We had planned to do balloons over Baggen but the tour company we used in Vietnam didn't book it 10 months before when I requested. Note to self. I should have booked it myself.
Inle lake: spent 3 nights at Inle lake at the Inle lake view resort. Nice but not exceptional property. The food needs some help. 1st day went to Kakku , long but interesting drive through country side. We had a guide that explained a lot about the culture and different minorities along the way. Visited a village on way back and we were invited into a wedding celebration. Great experience.
Next 2 days spent on lake. We really enjoyed Inle
We headed back to overnight in Yangon before our flight to Hanoi. We did this because we had read that many flights are cancelled or delayed in Myanmar but this was not our experience. We should have just got a connecting flight
The traffic to and from the airport can take up to 3 hours in rush hour
We did 45 minutes on part of the circular train. Gave a good look at the poverty in Yangon and the terrible living conditions. 2 men deficating beside the tracks next to a canal that people are washing the street restaurant dishes in.
Went to wholesale food market. Very interesting but the smell of dried fish and fermenting fish was over powering at times. Still interesting though

Next stop Hanoi Vietnam

Your thoughts are very useful.
I was in Myanmar in June 2015 for travelling from Yangon, Bagan, Mandalay and Inle Lake. Myanmar still is authentic in term of landscapes and sightseeing. We pray for them to preserve their beautiful and old pagodas, temples whilst developing the economy in the near future.

Hi Tony, I agree. After seeing the 4 countries Myanmar and Laos were my favorites. The people were so nice. We had great experiences in all of them but the natural beauty and the peaceful demeanor of the people made these 2 countries stand out

Hi Tony, I agree. After seeing the 4 countries Myanmar and Laos were my favorites. The people were so nice. We had great experiences in all of them but the natural beauty and the peaceful demeanor of the people made these 2 countries stand out

Hi Tony, I agree. After seeing the 4 countries Myanmar and Laos were my favorites. The people were so nice. We had great experiences in all of them but the natural beauty and the peaceful demeanor of the people made these 2 countries stand out