If there is only one place, you can visit in Myanmar this is it. Inle Lake is one of the most magical places in the world and a must-see site. The magical scenery, magical light, fascinating inhabitants, mesmerising sunsets, delightful freedom of cruising enjoyed from an exotic boat ‘sailing’ on full power into the wind on a sunny (or not) day are only few ingredients that contribute to the magic and create special and unforgettable memory of this special and unforgettable place. Out of 50+ places I visited during my SEA journey, there is only one I’d like to revisit and this is Inle Lake.

My pink suitcase gets loaded on JJ Express

You can get there by train, bus or even plane (Heho Airport). I took JJ Express from Bagan to Nyaungshwe. Perfect service, perfect drivers, perfect bus. And the perfect price, some 7 USD. But above all perfect destination for both mind and soul. If you’d like the whole package and also treat your body with exercise prior to medicating your soul and mind stop at hot and popular Kalaw first (70 km from the lake) and do some trekking.

As in Mandalay, all tourists need to pay tourist tax upon arrival. Tax in Inle is, however, lower – 10 USD as opposed to 25 USD in Mandalay. 

Inle Lake is a highland lake, 900 meters above sea level some 22 km long and 10 km wide, surrounded by two mountain ranges. Its inhabitants are various ethnic tribes, such as ‘long-necked’ women from Padaung tribe or fishermen from the Intha tribe known for their unique fishing technique. 

Life on and around the lake is both fascinating and captivating. People live in houses on stilts on numbered ‘streets’ in named water villages that also house temples, schools, shops, and restaurants. 

With no roads to speak of, locals and visitors alike get around in narrow wooden boats. Boats transporting locals and visitors are identical, the latter ones, however, are equipped with chairs, umbrellas, life vests and take only 5 passengers while the former ones lack that comfort and take as many people as they can fit. You can, if you like, take one of those boats but they only go from point A to B – like buses. If you like to do the whole lake, you need to hire a boat.

“Boat terminal” under the bridge

All boats leave from feeder channel located right in the town center. The channel is few kilometers long and connects the town with the lake. It takes about 20 minutes to get to the lake. You can let travel agent or hotel organize the trip for you and fall into a tourist trap or just walk to the bridge and “do the lake” your way to your convenience and leisure. The town is tiny, so no matter where you are at it shouldn’t take more than a short stroll to get to the bridge.

Sadly, Inle Lake is becoming a tourist trap of Vietnamese Al Ain’s proportion. Trips organized by hotels/agents are half day or whole day tours departing at 8 a.m. ‘This is when all boats leave‘, they’ll tell you – which is not true. Then they’ll take you to some 6 workshops (read shops) on a half-day tour and still more on whole-day tour. Most of the workshops are specifically set up for tourists and their only purpose is to help visitors part with their money. After the shopping spree, you will lunch in a restaurant commissioned by hotel or agent. You can tell your boatman to skip this or that ‘attraction’ but most tourists are unaware of that possibility. 

Boatmen passing time while waiting for return of tourists

If you like to be in total control of what you visit where you eat and when you do it go down to the bridge and hire a boat by yourself. You can hire a boat on the spot or book for later, for as long as you like and visit only places you like to visit. Boat operators have a map of the lake with all attractions detailed. You pick only the ones you like to see. You can see them all or none and just cruise the lake. Up to you.  Some workshops can be interesting.  I found a workshop where women make silk out of lotus flowers fascinating but the major attraction were long-necked women and fishermen.

Most tours circle around the Northern part of the lake but if you have time do the whole lake, not in one day, 3 or 4 days would be ideal.

Felix, my partner in crime that I met on the bridge

The standard rate for a whole day trip is 15 USD per boat but you can try to haggle. Boats take 5 people. So gather a few co-travelers and share the cost. If you travel solo, come to the bridge and look for other solo travelers to share a boat with. Trips organized by agents/hotels have the same or higher price tag and are not negotiable.

I only dealt with boat operators themselves. An ideal time to start a whole day trip was (for me) just after the noon: that way I could avoid the morning mist and poor visibility as well as time the return during sunset.

As for the town itself? Nyaungshwe is tiny. But cute. Nothing much there, one street leading to the bridge and boats along which there are few bars offering happy hour drinks, restaurants and shops selling only junk food (chips and sodas). 

My wheels in Inle Lake

During my stay I experienced quite a few power cuts but as most hotels have own generators that wasn’t much of a problem.

Most hotels have also free bike rentals. Get on a bike and do sightseeing. Unfortunately, you cannot round the lake as there are no roads but you can bike into the countryside and discover other attractions and fantastic scenery. 

Inle Lake

People of Inle Lake

Fishermen of Inle Lake

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Note people sitting in the middle. Locals were picked up along the road and offered a seat on a small plastic stool.

Getting a ticket on the first bus out of Mandalay proved to be much easier than getting the last ticket out of Naypyidaw. The first bus to leave was destined for Bagan so this is where I went.  

To enter the town all foreign tourists need to pay 25 USD entrance fee/tourist tax which allows a 5 day stay. After 5 days a new permit is required. The permit must be carried at all times as the tourist police may request to check it… which they occasionally do … strategically placed by entrances to popular sites.

Temple undergoing restoration

Most visitors to Myanmar also visit Bagan, an ancient city, former capital founded in the second century AD known today for its temples, pagodas, monasteries, stupas, palaces and more temples, pagodas… you name them. Bagan has them all … in abundance. 2229 to be exact. The impressive figure in its own right yet it is only less than 1/3 of what it used to be. There were over 10.000 of them but due to earthquake activities in the area many got damaged or destroyed altogether. Some are being restored today with the money brought in by tourists. 

My home away from home, Arthawka Hotel in New Bagan

Bagan, once sleepy, half-deserted village, is today a major attraction not only for foreign tourists but also for locals.  Following the ‘money trail,’ many locals moved into town hoping to find jobs in the newly established tourist industry. They came in such numbers that a new town had to be built to house them all. To differentiate the two the original Bagan is called today Old Bagan while the new one is called New Bagan.  

Bagan is not walkable (I tried) hence the best way, and btw the only way, to explore the town is by e-bike or bicycle. Tourists may not rent anything else. All hotels rent e-bikes for approx 5 USD a day. 

Shwesandaw Pagoda. Perfect spot to shoot balloons from. NOTE: you need to climb all those stairs barefoot.

The best way, however, to understand and appreciate the magnitude of Bagan is by getting an aerial view of the site from a hot air balloon. There are hundreds upon hundreds of them lifting early morning during sunrise and late afternoon during sunset. This unforgettable memory comes with a price tag of 400+ USD for a 45-minute ride. (Many compare Bagan to Angkor Wat in Cambodia. Having been to both places I cannot say I agree with this statement unless we are talking about the magnitude of both sites.)

To tell the truth, I did not come to Bagan to shoot temples from a hot air balloon but to shoot balloons from the top of the temples. Unfortunately, I missed this photo opportunity, by the smallest possible margin. I arrived in mid-April just when the low season had begun. All balloon operators shut down for the season couple of days earlier and won’t open until mid-October. What a bummer. Had I only known I would have arrived earlier. Didn’t do my homework. (Note to myself: RTFM nest time)

My paradise in Bagan

Irrawaddy river, the same river that runs through Mandalay, runs also through Bagan. Same river two different worlds. Irrawaddy’s banks in Bagan, or rather lack of man-made banks, create tranquil, serene environment with lovely sandy beaches… and amazing sunsets. The whole scenery resembles seashore landscape. Pure magic.

Getting off the beaten path which I always do, brought me to the most amazing tiny port and coffee shop in the old town of Old Bagan where people still live as they always lived. In the evening the villagers come down to the river to do their laundry, wash or just hang out. I could sit there forever and just watch, contemplate, reflect, cleanse and recharge.

There is something special about Bagan itself, and the temples play only a lesser part in the big picture. The feel and geography of the place together with desert-like look, heat, sand, and wind not only add to the mystery but (on a more personal note) also kept bringing back memories from my childhood summer vacations. Not sure what exactly those memories were but they were comforting and felt good. The clock turned back and stopped. 

I wouldn’t have minded staying longer in Bagan but my visa was expiring in a few days and there was still one place I wanted to visit in Myanmar  – Inle Lake. The best for last, although I didn’t know it then. 

The river

Bagan Life

Temples, pagodas, monasteries, stupas, palaces of Bagan

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Thingyan is the biggest holiday of the year in Myanmar – the Burmese New Year combined with water festival. This was my fourth new year celebration this year and, if the truth is to be told, I do hope it’d be the last one. Enough for one year.

My Mandalay wheels

During the period of 10 days, the whole country shuts down. All state and most private companies, including bus companies, close down to let employees return home to their families and celebrate. Wherever you are, the chances are good you may be stuck there for 10 days if you don’t leave in time or buy a bus/plane ticket long time in advance. Well, this is not entirely true – the trains and taxis run as usual. At a price. During holidays prices skyrocket in Asian countries (at the same time quality diminishes) as most of the ‘regular’ vendors and hawkers go home and the more ‘shady ones‘ see the opportunity to make money and take over the commerce. You get less but pay more. 

With a maximum speed of 30 kilometers, the train takes some 20-30 hours and requires a lot of patience, a strong stomach, and very healthy kidneys. The trip is noisy and bumpy. Burmese railway, as pretty and colonial as it is, hasn’t been upgraded for at least 100 years, iow never. So if you’re not up to for an adventure you better look for other options, e.g. taxi.

I am not a beer drinker but this Myanmar beer is supposed to be one of the finest

Taxi prices vary depending on how far you’re going but the average is approx 100 USD (April 2016). The good news is you’ll be most probably sharing the taxi and even sharing the cost with other travelers that are stuck at your location just as you are. Ask hotel manager if there received any taxi (or other transportation) inquiries. 

The best part of being traveler, as opposed to being a tourist, is meeting other travelers and exchanging information with them. We all sit in the same boat and we all follow the same routes (though we may go in other direction). You can be certain of meeting someone just returning from the destination you are heading for. In no time you’ll not only get all the info you need but also find someone going your way – someone or someones you can share a taxi with. Then 100 USD isn’t all that much if you divide it by 4 or 5.

My travel options were to get stuck in Naypyidaw or get stuck somewhere else. I chose the latter. The front desk girls succeeded to get me the last bus ticket out of Naypyidaw. They had free hands as to my destination – it turned out to be Mandalay. It wasn’t JJ Express (fully booked) but it didn’t matter. The bus was just as good even though the decor was unfamiliar. And the price? 6.20 USD.

Mandalay

Mandalay is not a pretty town. It looks and feels like a small village or rather overgrown small village. All streets look exactly the same. If they weren’t numbered you couldn’t tell one from another. Orientation, on the other hand, is super easy as almost all streets run either horizontally or vertically making almost perfect rectangles. They are very logically numbered and easy to find/follow.

Zegyo Market

Other than the royal palace and Mandalay hill housing few pagodas and monasteries and maybe a market that looks just like any other Asian market there isn’t all that much to see or do in Mandalay. Nightlife is pretty much non-existent and the city, like the rest of Myanmar, goes to sleep at 8 p.m. Your only company after sunset is stray dogs walking the poorly lit streets. A rather spooky environment for a solo female traveler – not that I ever felt threatened, but it was rather uncomfortable. 

Myanmar’s largest river, Ayeyarwady, runs through Mandalay. Its bank, however, is a far cry from any riverbank I have seen so far as it is a home to homeless people and squatters.

Attractions of Mandalay

The attractions of Mandalay that bring so many tourists into town are not in Mandalay at all but out in villages around, some 10-20 kilometers away. The best way to get there is by taxi. You can hire a taxi for a day (approx 30-40 USD for 8-10 hours) and share it with other travelers staying at your hotel. I shared a taxi with two 18-year-old German guys and we had a blast.

Royal Palace and Mandalay Hill

The ancient cities such as In-wa (Ava), Mingun, Sagaing, and Amarapura are all worth visiting. Keep in mind though that most of them are religious sites and you need to walk barefoot not only at the indoor sites but also at the outdoor ones.  Climbing barefoot hundreds of razor sharp and boiling hot uneven and high steps in 40C heat is a torture. You may like to use branches to walk on – as the locals used to do. 

Make U Bein Bridge your last stop. Partly because it is closest to town and partly because it is a sunset spot. The bridge used to be one of top 10 best photo op places in the world. Unfortunately, it is not so today. (Don’t let my pictures below fool you) Today the place is overcrowded, over-exploited and filthy. What a pity. Capturing the silhouette of lonely monks crossing the bridge in the sunset belongs to the past. I came to Mandalay just for the bridge. As far as I am concerned – there is no bridge. Oh well.

Vendors and hawkers “lead the way” to every attraction. Tourists are still fairly new in Myanmar hence the hawkers are still pretty polite – but they are learning. Already now horse/carriage operator in Ava could give any hawker from Hue run for their money.

During my stay, we had a 6.9 magnitude earthquake on April 13 which I could clearly feel from the 5th floor of my hotel room.

Water festival

Even though I understand the religious aspect of Thingyan water festival, I have still to understand the fun of it. The general idea is to dance, sing and drench each other in water – cleansing of a sort. The city was full of makeshift stages on which people could sing and dance. Hundreds of pickup trucks, packed with young locals, were either parked by the stages and used as dancing floor or just cruising the streets. Music, mind you Western music, was streaming out from huge speakers and played on the highest volume possible. In addition, there were countless of private ‘water stations’ on every single corner and along the streets also playing Western music as loud as they only could.

And then there was water. Gallons of water, in tanks, barrels, buckets, hoses. One thing is sure – there is no shortage of water in Mandalay. Any passerby, on foot or wheels, was either hosed down or got a bucket of water splashed on his/her face. It didn’t take many seconds to get soaking wet once you entered the streets.  There was nowhere to hide. Tourists weren’t targeted as much as locals but even they got their share of cleansing.

If you can’t beat them join them. Right? After three days locked up in my hotel room, I decided to join. There was a huge water tank in front of my hotel and some of the hotel guests got right into the cleansing business. 190 cm tall, well trained German guys were having real fun cleansing 155 cm tall, fragile looking locals. Their water throw precision was right on target and their force was the one of a bull. The locals were in total shock.

Thingyan cleansing

I quite enjoyed watching ‘the fun’ from the comfort of my rooftop bar. Just as I was about to go down to join I noticed enormous ice blocks in the tank. The water was freezing cold. Oh no, not my cup of tea. Then another thought struck me – imagine what can happen if you get a piece of ice thrown at your head. A rather scary prospect. I stayed in.

Apparently, 22 people died during the festivities. In Mandalay alone.

At 8 p.m. everything stopped. Just like that. In a matter of few seconds, the whole town went from 1000 decibel to zero. From million people to none. Total silence and desertion. Spooky. Until the next morning when the cleansing began again.

The city

The People of Mandalay

Some of the Attractions

Water festival

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To make the long story short, let me summarize it all right from the start. Naypyitaw is one of the coolest places in the world I have ever visited. Done. 

Until only a few days ago I didn’t even know about its existence. The name just popped up by pure chance. Naypyidaw a.k.a. Nay Pyi Taw (this is not a typo – T is official spelling) or NPT for short is Burma’s new capital town. Who knew? What a shocker. It was constructed in secret by the Myanmar junta in the early 2000s and officially announced as the country’s new capital in November 2005. Out of blue all government offices and ministries were relocated and the government workers were given two months to do the same. Embassies were to follow. 10 years on – all embassies are still in Rangoon except for one. The Bangladeshi.

Officially there are almost 1 million people living in the city. But your guess is as good as mine to their whereabouts for they are invisible. The town appears to be empty. Empty of people and empty of cars. Thus it got its nickname ‘The ghost city of Myanmar“. As soon as I heard the Naypyidaw story, I was on my way. Bagan and Inle that were next in line on my itinerary will have to wait.

JJ Express office and waiting room

Leaving Rangoon turned out to be quite a task. Bus station with JJ Express VIP service  (highly recommended) was all the way by the airport so it took me almost two hours to get there and cost me more than the bus ticket itself. 10 USD for a taxi to bus station and 7 USD from Rangoon to Naypyidaw. Go figure. 

The bus station wasn’t anything like I have ever seen before. It reminded more of a full of activity village or even small town. JJ Express was not the only operator. There were dozens upon dozens other bus companies, all of which had a small office and waiting area. Hundreds of buses (many manufactured by Scandia), mini buses, vans, and taxis bringing people to the station.  There was hardly any room to move let alone maneuver. A full-size couch required the help of 3 people on foot guiding it out of the station. Then there were vendors, both stalls and mobile selling food, drinks, and souvenirs. Visiting the bus station was quite an experience in itself. 

My bus leaving after dropping me off

We took good 50 minutes to leave the station and Rangoon. But once we were out a four-lane highway, entirely empty, appeared from nowhere. The rest of the journey was a piece of cake.  Once in Naypyidaw, I was conveniently let off the bus right on the doorsteps of my hotel (not that I could see one)

Letting off people at their destination is otherwise a common practice in Burma providing your destination is on the bus’s route (this is not a taxi service). If you are a visitor to Naypyidaw your destination is definitely on the route as all the hotels are nicely lined up on hotel street, which is en route to the bus station. 

Entrance to my hotel

Hotel Street? Yes, Naypyidaw is a very organized and orderly town. There is a place (literally) for everything but distances between the places are huge. Hotel Street is at least 10 kilometers long. All hotels are spread out along that street so if you’re planning to have a drink with your next door neighbor you’d need to take a taxi.

My hotel was not visible from the road (few are) and I got bit worried ‘What is this, did the bus just leave me in the middle of the road?” but a second later security came (they must have seen the bus stop) and led me to a small road where the entrance to the property was. From there the buggy picked me up and drove me to the reception. 

Hotel, only villas, and bungalows

Most hotels occupy huge areas and offer bungalow/villa type of accommodation. They remind more of beautifully manicured residential areas in upscale small towns than hotels. They are not easily walkable. Not in the heat. It can take 15 minutes or more to walk to the restaurant for breakfast. Here come the buggies to the rescue. I was in fact offered a place on the outskirts of my resort but refused to accept it. Not only would I be always depended on buggies but I would also be there all by myself. Alone. There were no other guests in that part of the resort.

All those lovely hotels on the hotel street, so meticulously taken care of, are practically empty. The few visitors that come to town are business people from Rangoon.  Once you check in you’re entirely depended on whatever hotel has to offer. Your only other option is the taxi to … yes, to where? Maybe a mall. There are two malls on the hotel street – hmm,  next to each other.  One of them was just opposite my hotel. But I knew beforehand which hotel to book even though I didn’t know at the time how important it was to have a mall just across the road :).  

I was the only Westerner in the hotel and as a matter of fact in the whole town – and while we are on the subject, even on the bus, and on the bus station, and the lunch stop where some 500 travelers were lunching.

Flowers, flowers, flowers

Naypyidaw is a ghost city. But it is not a buu buu ghost. Whatever ghost it is I kind of like him (or is it her?). Empty. No people. No traffic. On the other hand, the streets are wide, well lit, clean, paved, decorated with lovely plants and trees on either side – just made for an evening stroll. There is a minor problem though … there is nowhere to go. Every destination is too distant and there is nothing to see on the way. Nothing, no houses, no shops, no restaurants, no other pedestrians, not even stray dogs (that I could see)  – just a road and sidewalk.

My wheels in NPT came with a driver and a helmet

Wheels of some sort, preferably motorized, are essential. Biking is possible but it can take two hours or more,  depending on where you are on the hotel street, to bike to (e.g.) the Uppatasanti Pagoda and then 2 hours back. Add to the equation temperature of 45 C. No coffee shops or water pumps on the way. Do you really like to do that?

Otherwise riding the streets of Naypyidaw is absolutely magical. No words can describe it, just imagine 11 or 14 lane street and not a single car. I just loved it and could do it (and did) for hours. A taste of Freedom. 

Other than riding empty streets there isn’t so very much to do or see in Naypyidaw except for their two (in)famous landmarks. The two must-sees are Myanmar’s parliament building and Uppatasanti Pagoda which is a replica of Rangoon’s Shwedagon Pagoda. As everything else in town also these two monumental structures are built on never-ending, super (over)sized land lots. It wouldn’t surprise me if it took an hour or more to just drive around the parliament building.

Traditional market in NPT

There is also a more traditional market right next to the bus station. But even the market that is supposed to be the most authentic thing in Naypyidaw was (not that I minded) too clean for Asian standards and too orderly to be authentically authentic – and so were the stalls at the Pagoda.

There may be a fourth thing worth visiting, which I unfortunately missed (next time?) but from the outside looked promising and that is a fountain park. This is pretty much it.

There were people on the market – nowhere near the numbers in other towns, and there were also people in Junction Mall. There were few people in the Pagoda.  But those were the only people I encountered in NPT.

Empty floors of Uppatasanti Pagoda

I still remember the crowds in Shwedagon Pagoda and how difficult it was to shoot it. People everywhere. Empty, never-ending floors of Uppatasanti Pagoda felt like ‘gift from heaven’ at first … until I realized how nice it could be to have someone there … for reference.

It is customary to dress moderately when visiting pagodas or other places of worship. Knee-long skirt, covered shoulders, and bare feet is the common practice. So, I put on my Pagoda best when visiting Uppatasanti Pagoda (even though it is only a copy) but my attire was not good enough for NPT fashion police who made me wear longyi (traditional long skirt worn by men and women). When asked why they replied, “This is Naypyidaw”. That sorts things out, doesn’t it? NPT is a town above other towns. (I used to get the same reply when I lived in Cannes. Each time I questioned something the reply always was the same – C’est Cannes – silly me for asking) 

No matter how freeing and exciting the ride on an empty multiple lane road is, no matter how unusual seeing the horizon in the middle of town is, no matter how fascinating a 360-degree view is,  the general feeling is that perhaps N.P.T. is not the paradise it meant to be.  Perhaps there is a ghost in the closet somewhere – after all.  

I was in town “just to have fun”, yet I could sense the stricter rules and regulations that applied here. It felt as the town was more controlled. Security? police? blue booths were on almost every corner.  The people were more polite, less confident and more reserved.  Myanmar’s way to democracy began only a few days ago. Before, the gathering of over five people was banned by junta due to fears of an uprising.  Perhaps the idea behind building this town the way it is build was to keep people apart.  Perhaps 360-degree views were needed to make people watch easier to assure security for military and government officials.  Today N.P.T. is not only a ghost town, but it is the most secure and safe capital town in the world that appears to have everything but smiling faces. But for me, distant, ignorant tourist not involved in the country’s present history, NPT is a marvel of the world. 

Streets of Naypyidaw

Note: all these shots were taken from a moving motorbike. Hence the quality is as it is.  

Uppatasanti Pagoda

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Almost 35 years ago I visited Koh Samui, a small island in the South Chinese Sea no one had ever heard of. Not many people heard of South Chinese Sea either. The island, former military zone, just opened to tourism and I (along with my kids) had the privilege of being one of the first civilians to visit the island. Our resort was just built, and we were its first guests, first ones to move into brand new bungalows and first ones to sleep in newly carpentered beds, first breakfast guests and so on and on. One could say – we inaugurated the resort. We were the only guests during the first 8 days of our 10-day stay and except for few odd Australian backpackers living in the shacks on the beach also the only visitors to the island.

Many trips followed, and I would most probably forget Koh Samui if not for its growing popularity. I was hearing its name repeatedly as more and more people were visiting the island but didn’t think much of it until a friend of mine bought a property there.  It all came rushing back at me then – hey, wait a minute,  did you know …  I was the first one, long before the property boom, tourist boom and all other booms .. and even long, long before the airport. The airport?  There was none. I know it is shocking to all people visiting Koh Samui today but there was no airport then and it took us some 20 hours to get there from Bangkok, first by train and then boat.

It was also then, perhaps 8 years ago, that the pioneering aspect of that trip crossed my mind. How cool was that? Pretty cool, I was about to realize. I felt a sense of pride to have been a part of an experience that only a few people in the world have experienced. I have understood how special it was to have walked a path no one else had walked before or have slept in a bed no one else had slept. I cherished the exploration aspect of the trip and the memory of a place only I and few others knew.  I have also realized how much I would love to experience that once again.

Burma, or rather Myanmar, had been closed to the outside world for decades and only in 2012 opened its door for tourists. For this reason alone the country was on the top of my priority list of ‘must sees’ or rather ‘must experiences’. Even though I can no longer be ‘the first one’ there is still some pioneering feeling involved that I am only too happy to experience. Of all the countries on my Asian itinerary, Burma was the one I was most interested in and curious about, the country I was looking forward to visiting the most. And, I must admit, my expectations were high. For not only was I hoping for adventure but also for discovery and exploration of something new, unknown and unexpected. I wanted to be surprised and see/do something I have never seen or done before.

Myanmar is seldom mentioned in the news. But on the day of my arrival, Myanmar made the news. What are the odds of that? The world press reported the country has sworn in its first elected civilian president on that day – so there is an element of ‘the first’ after all. I was one of the first to arrive in a new country that on the day of my arrival began its journey towards democracy.

Luggage allowance for Nok Air passengers to Yangon is 30 kg.

Before I even landed in Yangon (formerly Rangoon), after a short flight from Bangkok, I sensed something very different – almost mystique. There were hardly any city lights. It was only 8 p.m. yet the entire city was.. perhaps not quite dark .. but dimmed. And so was the airport. Very dimmed. Too dimmed for my comfort. Almost spooky. I questioned nothing but quickly ordered the more expensive airport taxi as discussing price with taxi drivers in the dark in the city I’d never been to didn’t seem like a smart option. (I found out later Burma is the safest country in Asia)

Shwedagon pagoda as seen from my hotel window

The most amazing sunrise woke me up the next morning. What a surprise. And then another. I looked out the window… and there it was.. in all its morning glory … the pride of Myanmar — Shwedagon Pagoda a.k.a. the golden pagoda, the most sacred Buddhist pagoda in the country.

Yangon (Rangoon) with its 5 million inhabitants is the largest city in Burma. It used to be Burma’s capital, but that changed some 10 years ago when the military regime, for no apparent reason, moved it to Naypyidaw – a secretly build place no one had ever heard of before.

The first thing visitors to Yangon notice is the lack of scooters that are so popular everywhere else in Asia. The military didn’t like noisy honking scooters and forbade them. They were not posh enough. Instead, Yangon is jammed with more posh cars. Traffic in the city is killing due to the lack of roads that can accommodate all those cars. It can take up to 2.5 hours to get to the airport which is only 10-15 kilometers away depending on where your hotel is.

One of Rangoon’s avid readers

It isn’t only the lack of scooters that differ Myanmar from other Asian nations but also its people. There is something very different about ethnic Burmese and that ‘something’ one senses right away. Softly spoken, polite and kind almost to an extreme. They give an impression of being well educated and education is something everyone seems to urge for. I have never seen so many people … reading. There are people engaged in reading everywhere, from a market vendor to a scholar. It is visible how much they seem to appreciate the written word. They seem to be hungry for knowledge and education at large. Very intriguing, it feels like they had something to say and I … for a change … would like to listen.

People love napping and take every opportunity they have to do just that. Everyone appreciates a little siesta in the middle of a hot day. Nothing wrong with that. Ask Spanish. What I find different and even strange though is that they ‘make their bed’ just about everywhere, e.g. on bare pavement. Many people take a couple of hours off, pack a picnic and go to pagodas where they lunch and nap lying on the floor or wooden benches. Not sure how to tackle nappers lying all over the place I felt uncomfortable visiting pagodas, during the napping time.

Yet another phenomenon that differs Burma not only from other Asian countries but also entire world is a number of people in love. Royal Park is a magnet for lovers.

Burmese men and their longyis

Almost everyone, both men, and women wear so-called longyi. Men’s longyi is a cylindrically sewn cloth folded in some mysterious way around the waist to hold it in place. The fabric is wide and requires double folding which must be rather warm in 45 C heat. It doesn’t look like men were comfortable wearing it for they are constantly fiddling with the fabric folding, unfolding, and folding up to miniskirt length to cool off. Women’s longyi is a wrap-up skirt which is cooler and more comfortable. Western clothes are only worn by the younger generation – mostly guys, many of which have also dyed hair – yellow.

Not only young men dye their hair

But the thing that baffles me most and even makes me laugh is the local’s obsession with American dollars. They want them in mint condition, right from the printers, so visitors keep their money not in wallets but in cardboard folders. As soon as you hand a dollar bill in the shop it is being inspected by at least 5 people looking for creases and imperfections. If they find something they think may not be perfect enough, they will not accept the bill. It happened to me twice. So I showed them their own bills and complained how filthy and imperfect they are. Each time they seemed to understand my point, scratched their heads for a while and then accepted my dollar bill. (Note: the government is trying to discourage the usage of US dollars and some stores no longer accept them)

Burmese delicatessies in a fancy supermarket. Sport the difference.

So far Burmese food didn’t make much impression on me. Yangon is a filthy town so street food, not that it was any more impressive, was out of the question for me, therefore, I explored deli counters in supermarkets. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find anything there either. No stimulation at all whether it is my palate or visual curiosity. Not only everything looked ‘leave me alone’ but also it looked very much the same. Small pieces of something dark brown. I couldn’t tell one thing from another.

Most of the tropical towns wake up at night. Not Yangon though. The town shuts down already at sunset. By 8 all food stalls and markets are almost deserted except for Chinatown that stays ‘open’ about an hour longer.

No nightlife? Well, there is – some.  I’ve been to two rooftop bars in the city. The upscale Bistro Bar on the 20th floor in Sakura Tower and more ‘traditional one’ – Vista bar. The latter is popular with expats and has amazing views over the pagoda. I can recommend both of them.

Taking a stroll after dark is not advisable. No, no – you won’t get robbed. The place is safe, the safest in Asia due to very harsh punishment for committing a crime. The problem is the lack of pedestrian-friendly sidewalks. Even during the day, you need to watch every single step you take so you won’t fall into a hole or a drain. At night, in the dark, things get seriously dangerous so even locals avoid sidewalks and walk in the street. There are lamp posts but they are few and, like everything else, very dim. Not much help at all.

Then there is also a question of stray and semi-stray dogs. They sleep during the day, which is also hazardous as they melt into surroundings and can be trampled on, and active at night. They appear to be friendly or rather uninterested and I never heard them bark, still, I always felt very uneasy running into them, especially the scruffy ones, as they are rather big and look pretty intimidating.

If you need to move from A to B after dark – take a taxi and a flashlight so you can follow payment transaction, otherwise, the only light source that can help you count your money is taxi’s head light.

Abandoned former beauty is today a sanctuary for doves

Yangon isn’t a pretty town. Five million people, traffic that stands still, unwalkable streets, filth, poverty, heat. There are still few most beautiful and unique colonial buildings in the center but they are all run down beyond recognition or abandoned. There are plans. I hear, to bring back some of those fantastic buildings to its former glory.

Pagoda, center of Rangoon

Yangon is also a town of most remarkable landmarks. The jewel of the city center, right in the middle of a roundabout (coolest roundabout in the world?), you’ll find Sule Pagoda. A couple of kilometers North there is an amazing royal palace build in a shape of a ship and one of the most beautiful parks in the world. You can walk around the park on a wooden bridge. Quite an experience as the bridge is shaky and not all the boards are safe to walk on. And then there is the one and only Shwedagon Pagoda. All of those landmarks are ‘must sees’.

Everything, and I mean, absolutely everything can be mended and repaired in Yangon whether it is a thorn into bits backpack or a transistor radio from the fifties. Not only can they repair it for you but they also have spare parts for it.  (I must admit I feel bad tossing away things I tossed away – they would have made best spare parts in Rangoon, especially the ones from this century, not to mention the ones from this year.)

So should you ever need a spare part you know now where to find it. 

The People of Yangon

The City

The Royal Palace and Park

The Shwedagon Pagoda

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