Myanmar

Myanmar – Part 8 – Bagan

Bagan is an incredible archaeological site, in the class of the Giza Pyramids, Angkor Wat and Machu Picchu, but is not nearly as well known. In a flat plain of approximately 30 square miles (78 square kilometers) on the banks of the Ayeyarwady (Irrawaddy) River, there are over 2,000 Buddhist

Myanmar – Part 7 – Mandalay

Overview Since I was child, I thought of Mandalay as an exotic city, even though I did not know anything about it. Before I finally visited it, I expected it had centuries-old-housing stock and ancient ruins, similar to Kathmandu. When I finally arrived on this journey, I had the same

Myanmar – Part 6 – Train & Road to Mandalay Through Pyin Oo Lwin

Overview In our collective consciousness, there is an awareness of the “road to Mandalay”. Those who kept awake during the poetry section of English literature, know it’s a repeating line of “Mandalay”, a poem by Rudyard Kipling. Published in 1892, the poem expresses the longing of a Cockney working-class soldier,

Myanmar – Part 5 – Trekking By Hsipaw

Overview During a day of walking around Hispaw (pronounced See-Paw), we stopped to take a quick video where I speculated what our trek in the nearby mountains would be like. It turned out my prediction was accurate but didn’t do justice to the richness of the people and the landscape

Myanmar – Part 4 – Hsipaw

Overview Our next stop was Hsipaw (the pronunciation we used was See-Paw), a charming and laid-back town in the hills of the Shan State. Except for trekkers, Hsipaw is not on most tourist routes. We also came to trek, but I really liked this place because of its authentic feel.

Myanmar – Part 3 – Inle Lake

Overview Inle Lake is one of the two major tourist attractions in Myanmar (the other is Bagan) and it’s the second largest lake in Myanmar as well as one of the highest. On its southern end, the freshwater lake drains through the Nam Pilu or Balu Chaung rivers while to