Well, it finally happened – we got sick. It was inevitable that it would happen at some point along the trip, but that provided little comfort to us as we were holed up in our hotel room, unable to move, get out of bed, or eat anything. We had maybe gotten a little overconfident with our eating and had not been as careful as we should’ve been, but whatever it was that we ate, it rendered us completely useless for a few days. The timing was less than ideal as we were scheduled to take an 8-hour bus ride across the country the morning we woke up sick. With 0% chance of that happening, we were luckily able to adjust our travel plans and stay put for a few extra days until we felt well enough to continue.
Delicious BBQ in Yangon (Note: This meal was not the culprit)
Where did this all take place? At our first destination in Southeast Asia – Myanmar (Burma). Besides getting sick for a few days, we ended up enjoying most of our time there. This country was added to our itinerary after one of Chris’s friends had gone there in 2014 and came back raving about the place. We spent almost two weeks there and managed to hit what seemed to be the three main hot spots: Yangon, Bagan and Inle Lake. It felt like we were visiting at a good time. Over the past few years, the country has undergone a series of political and economic reforms. The strict government of the past seemed to keep tourists away, but now it is opening up and there has come a boom of tourists which is expected to continue in the future.
Yangon is the capital city and where we flew in and out of the country. We stayed in the Chinatown section of the city which had some fantastic street food. We sampled some of the street eats our first few nights, tasting the local barbecue and enjoying absolutely the BEST pineapple in the world. The main attraction in Yangon is the Shwedagon Pagoda in the middle of the city. It is pretty stunning and impressive to see in person with many smaller pagodas and shrines surrounding the main temple.
Shwedagon Pagoda
Some of the delicious fruit (Hint: Add a squeeze of lime and some salt to the pineapple to blow your mind)
Inle Lake is a beautiful lake in the central part of the country. The main attractions here are the floating market, floating gardens, and villages around the lake. It also has a pretty built up backpacking scene with plenty of restaurants and hotels in the nearby village of Nyuangshwe. We decided to take an all-day boat tour (the “thing” to do) around the lake which unfortunately felt extremely touristy and very inauthentic. The tour consisted of several stops at “local craft” shops such as a silversmith, a blacksmith, and a boat maker. We got the sense, though, that these in fact were not genuine and were just there strictly for tourists. It seemed like the workers would only begin their work when we entered the room for the tour, and stopped as quickly as we left. This was very disappointing to say the least, but we managed to still enjoy the beauty of the actual lake and the surrounding landscapes, especially at sunset.
One of the houses on the lake
Our boat for the day
Sunset over Inle
For us, the highlight of the trip was no doubt Bagan. This is a roughly 100 km2 area where a thousand years ago, over 10,000 Buddhist temples and stupas were built. Today, only 2,000 remain but it is still incredibly impressive and unlike any place we’ve seen before. We rented an E-bike and spent our days just riding on dirt paths, wandering the area, and discovering temples on our own often without another tourist in sight.
Just a handful of the hundreds of temples in Bagan
One of the larger pagodas in Bagan
In terms of budget travel, it’s a fantastic place to visit. Here’s just a small sample of prices for things:
• 1 liter bottle of water: 20 cents
• 1 massive local beer: $1
• Large meal for 2 w/ drinks in a restaurant: Less than $10 (Much cheaper w/ street food)
• Half of the most fantastically delicious pineapple on this planet: 40 cents
• Hour Long Taxi Ride: $6
• Decent cappuccino: ~$1
• Pack of cigarettes: 30 cents (as told to us by a couple of Aussies who could proclaimed these Red Ruby cigarettes to be the cheapest in the world)
The accommodations were pricier than some other places (~$50/night), but all of them included bottled water and breakfast. As for getting around the country, there are many small airlines that offer flights to the main destinations. We opted for the much cheaper option of some long-distance overnight buses. We were pleasantly surprised with the nicest buses we’ve taken so far on the trip. They had large business-class-like seats, included snacks and drinks, and great service.
Our mobile hotel (overnight bus ride)
For the time being, Myanmar definitely does not have the feel of a typical travel destination. We didn’t spot a single chain restaurant, hotel or store during our travels. But it seems as if it’s only a matter of time before that happens. The recent elections have brought much hope to the people of the country. The man who rented us our E-bike told us that the people have been very patient and now are excited for the change in leadership. Let’s hope that the end result is positive for residents and tourists alike.
Sunrise over Bagan
-The Morts