End of an Era: Top 6 Experiences in Southeast Asia

The Grand Finalé: Koh Samui, Thailand

The Water Festival: Splish, splash in Yangon and Bangkok

The day after the acclaimed ‘tsunami’, Nico and I were fortunate to make an escape out of Chuang Tha to return to the smog and fog of Myanmar’s former capital, Yangon. Our return to Yangon coincided with the first day of the Buddhist New Year’s Celebration, known in the West as the ‘Water Festival’. From … Continue reading →

Myanmar: The Elections 2012

We were most excited by the timing of our trip to Myanmar: we would be there during the historic ‘democratic’ elections whereby Aung San Suu Kyi – an international symbol of peace – was openly running for her first parliamentary seat within a country that endured isolationist military dictatorship for over a generation. I didn’t … Continue reading →

Chuang Tha, Myanmar: Tsunami on the Bay of Bengal

A huge earthquake struck Aceh in Indonesia as I recovered from the heat in bed after a long fishing and snorkelling trip in Chuang Tha’s Bay of Bengal in the south west of Myanmar. The bed moved for a good 15 seconds. It was a familiar feeling, though less turbulent than the quake I experienced … Continue reading →

27 on the floor of a bamboo hut: Inle Lake, Myanmar

I can’t think of a better, more random way to have celebrated my 27th birthday: We woke up on the floor of a Burmese bamboo hut somewhere between Kalaw and Inle Lake. A ‘happy birthday’ tune was whispered into my ear, and a colourful bamboo box with a Burmese pair of jade earrings were presented … Continue reading →

Kalaw to Inle Lake: A walk to remember

Our two day nature trek from Kalaw to Inle lake in Myanmar’s Shan State in early April was nothing short of fabulous. Physical, scenic, cultural and informative with genuine exchanges with local people in a non-touristy, non-commercial context. Our time spent here exceeded our wildest dreams and expectations. When we paid what felt like pennies … Continue reading →

Bagan to Kalaw: A worthwhile sacrifice

We left the archaeological splendour of Bagan to a small town called Kalaw after a great four days of cycling in and around temples, losing ourselves in our respective books and drinking Burmese beer. We were thrilled to hear that pick-up time for our bus journey to Kalaw was 04:45 am. We were even more … Continue reading →

Bagan: An ancient city of ten thousand temples

Bagan – with its’ 10,000 ancient Buddhist temples – is the heart and soul of Myanmar’s tourist industry…but don’t get me wrong, it’s wondrously quiet for a tourist draw. Bagan was the first kingdom to unify the lands into what currently constitutes modern-day Myanmar. With thousands of relics from religious monuments dispersed across 104 square … Continue reading →

Pyin U Lwin: An escape to a former British colonial hillstation

If travelling in suffocating heat, barren and dusty roads, dried shrubs and no rain appeals to you, make sure you visit Burma in March or April. If you’re a real masochist, spend as much time as possible in Yangon or Mandalay, where you’ll really struggle to find natural waters nearby to cool you down. Once … Continue reading →