Myanmar

Myanmar is a pariah state because of the atrocities against the Rohingya. Many tourists have boycotted travel there. We considered doing the same, but are glad we didn’t. We saw for ourselves that those who suffer most from tourism boycotts are the most vulnerable and innocent; it is not the generals and their wealthy cronies.

Like most first-time visitors, we stuck to the popular destinations – Yangon, Bagan, Inle Lake and Mandalay. The relatively few tourists we saw were mostly on tour packages. That provides few benefits to the small local businesspeople who desperately need tourist support to keep their families fed. We mostly traveled independently. It had some challenges but nothing that could not be overcome with a bit of patience and a smile.

Yangon

Our first stop was Yangon, the former capital and most populous city in Myanmar. It also boasts of having the most colonial era buildings. Though most have suffered neglect from years of inept, autocratic rule, they still have a charm about them.

The city is dominated by the spectacular Shwedagon Pagoda. It is the iconic pagoda most often seen in tourism brochures. It can be seen from all over the city and really is breathtaking.

Our first morning we took a random local train (it was only random because we got on the wrong train) an hour into the countryside. It’s fair to say the village the train dead-ended at had not seen foreigners in a long time.

Another day we took the ferry across to Dala for a cycling tour with Bamboo Bicycle Tours. Yes, the bikes are really made of bamboo. Though only a few minutes from downtown Yangon by ferry (the only access), Dala is a different world. The ferry jetty is like a manic bazaar. A hundred metres later we were into simple villages from another era. We cycled around some of the villages and out into the countryside to see the simple way of life away from the city.

Inle Lake

Inle Lake is one of the most popular destinations in Myanmar. Despite the tourists, the local people have (largely) retained their traditional way of life. The lake defines people’s lives. They live in stilt houses over the lake, their produce comes from floating gardens, their livelihood is from fishing. The best way to explore the lake is by hiring a boat for a day to visit the floating villages, gardens, markets and shrines and of course see the fishermen, famed for paddling their boats with one leg.

Bagan

Bagan was the capital of the Pagan Kingdom from the 9th to 13th centuries. Over the centuries the rulers built extraordinary pagodas and temples – extraordinary in their scale, splendour and sheer number. Over 2,000 structures of the original 10,000 remain, scattered over the 26 square mile plain. Dozens of them are impressive enough to warrant a visit. With 32 C heat we opted to rent a scooter to travel around the vast site. Even then we could only visit a portion of the site.

We indulged ourselves with a sunrise balloon ride, the perfect way to gain perspective of how many temples there are.

Mandalay

Finally, we took a riverboat up the Irrawaddy River from Bagan to Mandalay. The boat’s capacity was 60 passengers. There were only seven of us so it was like a private yacht. The trip took a leisurely 12 hours. We had plenty of time to to see life along the Irrawaddy river.

Mandalay is scattered across both sides of the Irrawaddy river. Besides the pagodas, stupas and temples it has some beautiful ornately carved teak monasteries. The Mandalay Palace takes up a large area. It was destroyed in World War II. A pale imitation was only rebuilt in the 90’s.

Mandalay Hill, Sagaing, Inwa and Mingun are all ancient royal cities, each with their own renowned sights. Mandalay is a bustling commercial city, yet retains many traditional features, including hectic farmers’ markets and the wholesale jade market. A ten minute cycle ride from the city centre took us into the countryside where farmers still live as they have for centuries, relying on oxen and water buffalo, and harvesting their rice with scythes.

A trip to Amarapura to see the sunrise or sunset over the iconic U Bein bridge is something no tourist misses. The bridge is built of teak and spans 1.1 km over Lake Taungmyo. It is a spectacular sight, but the experience of tourists jostling for the perfect angle for selfies while locals, mostly poor and unsophisticated, try to go about their day arouses mixed feelings.

Next: Isaan and southern Laos

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