A Glimpse of Mandalay
A Glimpse of Mandalay is a wonderful full-day tour in Mandalay, Myanmar. It starts with a trip to Zey Cho market to buy fruit and vegetables for a cooking class and includes morning tea at a Burmese tea shop, a cycle ride to see everyday life in a typical village and a visit to Yankin Hill, a lesser known hilltop monastery with far fewer tourists than Mandalay Hill.
Myanmar Monkey Moments
Pho Win Taung (Pho Win Hill) is a Buddhist shrine on the Chindwin River, famous for its man-made caves and the large number of monkeys that live there.
Andaman Adventure
On a dark and stormy night two Zodiac inflatable boats try to make it back to their mother ship in the Mergui Archipelago on the Andaman Sea.
The Chindwin River
The Chindwin River is a tributary of the Irrawaddy and flows in the northern part of Myanmar, in places near the Indian border. The villages and towns along the river can mostly be reached only by boat and there are very few western tourists to be seen there as we found out on our journey in October 2018.
The Mergui Archipelago
The Mergui Archipelago in the far south of Myanmar has about 800 islands, mostly uninhabited. The bulk of the archipelago has remained unvisited since colonial times. During that period when the archipelago was first charted most of the islands were named after colonial civil servants, a number retain these quaint names to this day. The islands are rugged and forested with isolated sandy beaches and rocky coves.
We sailed on the MY Andaman Explorer, a 1960s-style luxury motor yacht, in October 2018 and visited beaches, mangrove swamps and villages using Zodiaks to get from ship to shore.
Andaman Adventure
On a dark and stormy night two Zodiac inflatable boats try to make it back to their mother ship in the Mergui Archipelago on the Andaman Sea.
The Golden Land
We visited Myanmar, or Burma if you prefer, for the first time in 2012 for a cruise along the Irrawaddy River.
The river serves as the highway for the many villages that lie along it and its banks are fertile fields when the water level falls in the dry season. Cruising slowly along is the ideal way to see the country and its people.
We saw temples, monasteries, monuments, schools, workshops, markets and even a wedding!
As well as the boat, we travelled in some unusual (and sometimes uncomfortable) vehicles and our wonderful guide, Daniel, kept us informed and amused the whole time.
Mandalay
Mandalay is the second largest city in Myanmar (the capital Yangon is the largest).
It is a former royal capital. Mandalay Palace, surrounded by a moat is a popular tourist attraction as are Shwe Nandaw Monastery, Mahumuni Pagoda and Kuthodaw Paya – the world’s largest book.
Local crafts include gold workshops, silk weaving, embroidery and alabaster carving.
Around Mandalay
The area around Mandalay is full of history and therefore a major tourist magnet.
Awa (Innwa) is a former imperial capital; Sagaing, with numerous Buddhist monasteries is an important religious and monastic centre.; Mhagandayon Monastery is Myanmar’s most importantmonastic college; U Bein’s Bridge is the longest (and probably most photographed) teak footbridge in the world.
Yandabo Pottery Village
This short video is from the riverside village of Yandabo, along the Irrawaddy.
Yandabo is famous for its pottery and we saw the process from preparing the clay – using foot-power – to firing the finished pots.
Su Paung Kyun Village
Su Paung Kyun is a typical riverside village along the Irrawaddy. When we visited it the river was low and the banks were planted with crops, probably pigeon peas or lablab beans.
All the buildings are on stilts, necessary when the river is high.
Train ride over the Gokteik viaduct
The Gokteik viaduct is one of the most famous sections of railway in South East Asia. It’s up there with the bridge on the River Kwai, but Gokteik is much more spectacular as there are no guard rails, just a very long drop into the gorge below.
The train travels very slowly!
Shwebo Earthquake
While we cruised the Irrawaddy River an earthquake struck central Myanmar and a bridge under construction about half a kilometre away from the boat collapsed.
This short video shows the aftermath.
Lashio
Lashio is the largest town in northern Shan state and the closest to the Chinese border.
The Burma Road began here and ended in Kunming in China. It was an important supply route in the second world war.