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Lake Inle |
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Lake Inle |
I was incredibly
excited to get there and experience everything I had heard from my trusted peer
travelers, and before delving into details, I will attest to everything I’d
heard being 100% true. it's a wonderful country, and with only 300,000 visitors
a year (as opposed to the 14 million Thailand sees) is still relatively
unspoiled by the perils of being a tourist trap. Walking around it's almost a
rarity to see another white face, unless it was a famous landmark or a guest
house, in which case we’d see one or two other tourists. I liked that feeling.
I am always a bit disappointed when I travel somewhere and it is so overrun
with tourists that I don’t see any local people aside from those who are
working. (As much as I adore Hoi An, the downtown area is like that now)
I also fell in love with the people, which
everyone says but I concur completely. I never quite understood what people
could mean when they came back and said, “The people are just…phenomenal.” I
find people incredible everywhere so was curious who this could be different,
yet somehow it was. The people are, in my opinion, what make the country. They
enchant. They are the epitome of warmth and graciousness and have a genuine
desire to engage with foreigners, not seeing us as walking ATMS, but as a gem,
a piece of the outside world that they are so shut away from. There are, of
course, people who try and sell things, or vendors that overcharge, but this is
few and far between, and the sellers are often very respectful when you say no.
The people are (seemingly) positive and happy despite being under such an allegedly
oppressive regime. My favorite moments in the country were not when I
was scaling a magnificent temple in Bagan, or drinking in the sights of Inle,
but were the times with the people, sitting with them, interacting with them,
having them ask for me to take their picture just so they could see what it
looks like, sharing meals and cultural tidbits, their intrigue and curiosity
radiating from them, It’s impossible to not feel a connection, for their joy
and delight to not spill over into our demeanor. They are a testament to
strength, to faith and to what is good about the human race.
My Itinerary:
May 5-6: Yangon
Customs/passport
control relatively easy. There is one bureau de change place in the
airport so it's super crowded, don't go there, as it also has poor exchange
rates. You can take a taxi to the city and pay USD. Should be about $10. We
stayed a hostel (Golden Smiles Inn) we heard about from Lonely Planet. It was
cheap, safe, ok. Nothing special. Only accepted dollars. had street food for
dinner (Indian) and went to Chinatown for drinks. The next day, we got our
palms read which was interesting and enlightening, we went to Sule Paya and got
overnight bus tickets for Bagan, which is a 10 hour bus ride. Yangon doesn’t
have motorbikes.
May 7-9: Bagan
Bagan |
We arrived in Bagan
around 4am, exhausted from the frigid, music pumping bus journey we’d been on.
We found a horse cart driver who took us to a guest house and on the way there
I was struck by us driving down a deserted road, lit only by the full moon and
stars, and no sounds other than the clip clop of the horse against the road.
The romantic in me imagined myself in Victorian England, relishing in the
moment. We got to our hotel and crashed immediately, to get a few hours before
exploring temples. The temples were great, and we had a nice driver. We watched
the sunset and I bought artwork. That night we went to a small café which
resulted in my getting terrible food poisoning, leaving me completely
incapacitated the next day and a few days after. Some people rode bikes,
frankly I think it’s too hot and I like the horse cart approach, it’s
traditional and also bolstering their economy. We left first thing on the 9th
taking a local bus to Mandalay (8 hours)
May 9-11:
Mandalay.
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Kalaw |
Mandalay is not the
highlight of Burma and the city itself is definitely not a "must see"
by any means. Though if you go, which you probably will if you are doing the
usual circuit, get out of the city and
go to Anamapura (You can make this a half day excursion, it's only like a 25min
drive) and walk across the bridge and just wander around the river bank and
meet all the people. They're lovely and it was one of my favorite days there.
So you walk through the 'town" and you can either turn left onto the
bridge or right down what seems to be an empty road. the right will lead you to
all the villages, and it's really something. Children and people
everywhere, it’s a true peek into authentic village life, and those who you
come across will welcome your presence with open arms. There is real joy and
love and contentment in this place. One striking moment was when we stopped to
watch a game the local children were playing: the children stood in a big
circle, one in the middle, and each had placed a shoe in the middle. The child
in the middle served as a “guard” to protect the shoes, while the children in
the circle had to try and get their shoe back. This game was reminiscent of
childhood when we’d play outside, creating our own forms of entertainment. Not
relying on video games or tablets or computers, but good old fashioned fun and
imagination. We claim to be so advanced and innovative in our thinking, yet our
children rarely leave the house and when faced with making their own fun, are
at a loss. When did that happen? We can learn something from these children on
the side of the river. That we don’t need an ipad to have fun with our friends,
just a pair of shoes. We left on the
evening of the 11th via nightbus bus to Kalaw (10 hours)
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Kalaw |
May 12-13: Kalaw
About an hour or so
away from Lake Inle is the mountainous town of Kalaw which is pretty
much the trekking capital of Myanmar.
We went to a guesthouse and got the trek from there (listed in LP). You can
either do 3 days 2 nights to Inle or 2 days 1 just around Kalaw. we did the
latter. We had a wonderful guide who was very nice and helpful though irritated
me because he kept asking if I was alright, and when I told him I was he’d say,
“REALLY?” incredulously. The truth was, that I was fine, however, genius that I
was, I didn’t pack sneakers, only flip flops and ballet flats so had to hike in
my flip flops…. Not impossible but it took me a little bit longer than everyone
else. By the end, my feet were raw and blistery but I was NOT going to stop or
complain, didn’t want to prove the man right. The trek itself was, for the most
part, manageable, but had a few heavy breathing moments but many breathtaking
views. Our overnight part consisted of sleeping in a homestay…three of us to a
small room. No electricity so we read by candlelight. The toilet was in an
outhouse next to the pigs and the shower was a bucket next to the barn (we had
an audience when we bathed, so had to keep our clothes on) but it was
incredible. The food was out of this world, the best we’d had so far and the
experience was fantastic. Highly
recommended.
May 13-15: Lake Inle
(most touristy part but beautiful)
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Lake Inle |
After our trek, we,
still smelly and dirty, hitched a ride on the back of a pick up and went to
Inle. We stayed in the town, which was quite bustling but you can stay in
hotels on the Lake Inle, which are nicer but more expensive but can make you
feel a bit isolated. Still worth looking into. Did the day boat tour, which is nice and stunning but
each "village" is a tourist trap, though still recommend you doing
it. Our second day we rode bicycles and made our way to natural hot springs
that were turned into a spa type thing. For $6 we were in an essentially private
pool area complete with lounge chairs and stunning scenery. It was beautiful and
relaxing. Lake Inle is by far the most touristy part of Burma that we
experienced. It is where we saw the most
other foreigners and also dealt the most with people trying to hustle us. It
also failed to have a sugarcane juice stand anywhere. Took the night bus back
to Yangon on the 15th (14 hours)
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Lake Inle |
May 16: Yangon
Arrived first thing in
the morning and went straight to our guesthouse to sleep for a few hours. Spent
some of the morning in a wifi cafeCame back for one last night. Did some
shopping and saw the most Shwedagon Pagoda..
May 17-flew back first
thing in the morning. Had a lunch and tea in Bangkok, was in Hanoi for dinner.
I wish I had more time
there, I would’ve gone to the Bay of Bengal. Maybe next time. If you are
interested in visiting this precious country with beautiful people, I say go.
Go now. Go while it’s still relatively untouched. Go before tourism destroys
it. Experience it for everything it has to offer. Meet the people. Let it
change you.
Tips/takeaways:
1.
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Kalaw |
1. VISA: If you’re coming
from Vietnam or any country that makes it remotely difficult for you to obtain
a visa, save yourself the trouble and get it in Bangkok. Not only are AirAsia
flights from Bangkok to Yangon very reasonable ($70 each way) but the Myanmar
Embassy in Bangkok has it down to a science (you can even get same day for an
additional fee!) You should arrive at the Embassy (an easy BTS ride) a good
hour before it opens. You should see, about 50 m away, a sign for a photocopy
shop,(you have to make a right down a small street)…go there and they will sort
you out with everything you need: passport photocopies, application form, and
everything organized properly. It’s ridiculously inexpensive and hassle free.
Then cue up at the Embassy and go on in. You have to wait in line with your
application form, turn it in, and then sit down. Then you wait about 15-45
minutes, and they call you back and you give them your passport and payment
(must be in Thai Baht) and they give you a receipt. You return in the afternoon.
Pick up begins at 4pm (I think, maybe it’s 3), but there is a LONG line. Huge.
Get there an hour early. Trust me on this. I am not a punctual person. I show
up at the airport 45 minutes before my international flight. This isn’t a joke.
Also, these rumors that you need a full itinerary, not true. We needed our
flight itinerary but only because we wanted same day service.
2. MONEY: If you’re traveling to Burma you’ve heard that you have to carry flat and perfect USD in 100s. What I didn’t know was: a) They also prefer the money to be made after 2006, which is surprisingly not easy to find on a whim. And B) certain serial numbers (AB being one of them) are deemed unlucky, so they will reject your notes with those serial numbers. Just carry an extra $200 just in case.
2. MONEY: If you’re traveling to Burma you’ve heard that you have to carry flat and perfect USD in 100s. What I didn’t know was: a) They also prefer the money to be made after 2006, which is surprisingly not easy to find on a whim. And B) certain serial numbers (AB being one of them) are deemed unlucky, so they will reject your notes with those serial numbers. Just carry an extra $200 just in case.
What I didn't know is that you need to pay $10 USD to leave, so make sure to have that. Also, some hotels only accept dollars, and places like Inle it's cheaper to pay by USD than khet. So i'd bring about $50-60 in smaller bills.
Change money at the bank. The rate is better. Don’t change on the street. You can also change dollars back at the bank. Bring your passport.
3. GUIDANCE. I don't normally like Lonely Planet but it's actually pretty useful in Burma, in regards to finding hostels and hotels and stuff. The prices will probably be off and some places may not exist but it's a good source of where to stay. Though beware that it’s very backpackery and you’ll see the same people over and over again. Book is not good for finding shops. I drove around for almost two hours looking for a specific shop.
4.BUDGET: Like a lot of
places, there is a range of what you can spend on a holiday in Burma, it is
entirely possible to survive on a shoestring budget of $35 per day. However, to
have a better time, I'd budget $50-70 a day, unless you want luxury, which you
can also do in some places.
5.
TRANSPORT. Getting
from city to city is done either by bus, plane, or private car. We took buses
everywhere, which was ok but they take a long time. They're either really local
or very modern. The latter requires a sweater and socks for the freezing air
con. None of the buses have reading lights.
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6. FOOD: Burma is not known for its cuisine and there is a reason for that. The Indian food is decent but everything else failed to impress. Stick to the basics. Avoid smoothies and fruit juices. One thing to definitely try: the hot milky tea: it’s deliciously addictive.
7. ATTIRE: This is a conservative country, so be mindful and respectful of that. Women should keep their shoulders covered, and showing too much leg is probably not wise. It’s not illegal, but just frowned upon. You will attract more attention than you should if you’re scantily clad.
8. COMMUNICATION: Getting a SIM card is expensive (like $70 when we went) and internet cafes are available but the connection is spotty at best and can get expensive. Your best bet is the five star hotels or wifi cafes in Yangon. Also we found a place in Lake Inle (Inle Pancake Kingdom) that had wifi. It’s probably best that you tell your friends and family that you’ll be off the grid for a while…and relish in the feeling of truly being on vacation!
9. DISCRETION: It’s better to not discuss hot button topics openly, and especially not with locals. Also, if traveling as a couple, keep your PDA action to a minimum. That kind of thing just isn’t done in Myanmar. Be discreet in your behavior and conversations. My advice to those who have an issue with political situations: if it bothers you that much, don’t go to the country. By visiting Myanmar, you’re supporting the regime and the people, so don’t waste your time trying to make a statement once you’re there.
10. ECONOMY: be mindful of the fact that you’re in a third world country with a shaky economy. A lot of the people you come across live hand to mouth, and are truly decent people not trying to rip you off, but merely trying to make a living and provide for their family. Unless something is outrageously high, it is better to graciously accept the price. Believe me, I’ve lived in Asia for almost three years and I am all about bargaining, but in Myanmar to do so in an intense degree is missing the point of the country and depriving yourself and the people. What is a dollar to you is a meal for their whole family.
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Kalaw |