The subject of my previous post, Inle Lake, is one of the biggest tourist draws for Myanmar. The other is the city of Bagan. Bagan is famous for one thing. The arid plains are dotted with an absolutely mind-boggling number of temples and pagodas. Over 2200 remain from the 11th-13th century. If you like temples …
myanmar
A Day on Inle Lake
Inle Lake is one of the biggest draws for tourists in Myanmar. It’s a massive freshwater lake set in the hills of Shan State in Eastern Myanmar. Shallow (no more than 12 feet deep in the dry season) and with refreshingly clear water, it was a welcome change from the filthy rivers and irrigation ditches …
Mountain Climbing and Spelunking in Hpa An
A few days back, I spent some time in the lovely riverside town of Hpa An. Just up the Thanlwin River from the city of Mawlamyine, Hpa An seemed to be a pretty relaxed city that I thoroughly enjoyed my time in. On a few of the days, I made it outside the city to …
Things That Skitter in the Night
Throughout my travels, I’ve run into many varieties of creepy crawlies that make their way into my chamber of rest. Geckos, rats, mice, ants, spiders, cockroaches and – of course – mosquitoes. Usually it’s no big deal or is merely an annoyance. A few nights ago, my first night in Hpa An, I had some …
Moseying Through Mawlamyine
The past few days of mine have been spent in the sleepy city of Mawlamyine; southeast of the capital Yangon where I started my trip. While technically one of the largest cities in Myanmar, Mawlamyine still feels like a small town; known for the many gold-plated pagodas that crown the surrounding jungle-cloaked hills and the …
Solo Trip to Bilu Kyun (Ogre Island)
Today I made it out to an island to the west of Mawlamyine (the town I’ve been in for the past few days) called Bilu Kyun. In English, it’s known as Ogre Island. The main draw here is the 70+ traditional Mon villages that dot the expanse of the island. While there, you can see …