On the 7th November 2016, myself and three other members of the Wendy Wu Tours and Asia Inspirations teams headed to Heathrow Airport and hopped on an Emirates flight to Yangon, Burma flying via Dubai. The flight was perfectly uneventful, all on time with a 3-hour stopover in Dubai which passed in no time. We landed in Yangon on a cloudy but warm morning, a little bit sleepy but raring to go, and headed to our hotel, the four-star Inya Lake (one of the hotels used by our group) for a bit of time to relax and refresh…
Yangon
My highlight in Yangon had to be Shwedagon Pagoda. We took off our shoes, took a little lift ride up to the complex and wandered along a long corridor, emerging in a forest of pagodas and stupas that sits on a low hill overlooking the city. Buzzing with locals and tourists alike, we walked clockwise around the great golden stupa watching people worshipping at various shrines and generally admiring the views. I couldn’t even tell you the number of Buddhas there were here, or what they represented but the effect was magical. Our guide, Mu, found us a quiet corner to sit and admire the scene in the fading light, the golden stupa reflecting the colours of the sunset. It was one of those ‘woah, am I really here?’ moments. The rest of the city passed in a bit of a blur – we visited the huge Chaukhtatgyi Reclining Buddha, where we learned about the 8 day Burmese week, each day represented by an animal, we walked through the old part of the city amongst the decaying grandeur of the colonial buildings. Oh and don’t miss Bogyoke Market (our guide called in Scott Market, the British name), a labyrinth of souvenirs, textiles and jewellery, perfect for a spot of shopping.
An early morning flight took us north to Bagan, home of incredible temple-strewn planes. The plane was a little propeller plane, brand new and very comfortable, complete with snack and drink.
Bagan
Whilst in Bagan we stayed at the Amazing Resort, another of our groups hotels, which was pretty lovely, complete with swimming pool. It was located in a quiet spot inbetween New Bagan and Nyaung-U, but perfectly set to explore the temples. Bagan has about 2,000 temples and pagodas spread across 67 square kilometres, and we had just a day to explore (I would strongly, strongly recommend longer), so we only managed about 4 or 5 in the end (we were very tired from our early get up), but we saw many Buddhas, original murals and intricate details. Our new local guide Willy even took us to a not-exactly-secret-but-not-really-known temple where we were able to go on the roof and look out over the lush fields and temples. My highlight of this Bagan day was sunset – we hoisted ourselves up the steps of Shwesandaw Pagoda as the sun dipped behind the hills, flooding the surrounding plains and multitude of temples in beautiful light. Our second day in Bagan was dedicated to the unique and fascinating Mount Popa. The road along which we travelled to reach this temple-topped volcanic ‘plug’ is a pilgrimage route, and it is traditional for pilgrims to give money to those waiting en route, so the way was lined with people waiting for these monetary offerings. It was busy at Mount Popa due to the upcoming full moon festival, but it was a pleasure to mix with the local people – not so much the monkeys who while away their days waiting for treats from unsuspecting visitors. It is 777 steps to the top, and taken slowly it is reasonably easy and worth it. The views are wonderful and the atmosphere relaxed. We were then treated to lunch at the Mount Popa Resort on a hillside opposite Mt Popa, and with breathtaking views back over the shrine. We all agreed a night or two here would be pretty special!
From Bagan we took a flight and then the road to Mandalay, considered Burma’s cultural capital.
Mandalay
There is a lot going on in Mandalay – a lot to see, a lot to do and a lot to experience. As with much of Burma it is temples galore, and we started with a visit to Mandalay’s most hallowed Mahamuni Buddha Temple, where we saw the practice of sticking gold leaf onto a sacred Buddha image, before visiting a teak palace, the world’s largest book and heading up to the top of Mandalay Hill. As in Mount Popa, a lot of local people had come from the surrounding countryside to visit the temple, so we were the source of much attention and were ‘papped’ constantly. The following day we headed down to the banks of the Irrawaddy and took a boat an hour upstream to the colossal edifice that is Mingun Pagoda. It was so lovely flat out on deck chairs in the sun on the roof of the boat that a couple of us, including Mu (another one!) our guide nodded off! Mingun was magnificent, the huge crack down it left from a number of earthquakes making it all the more impressive. We spent some time on this side of the river, visiting the Mingun Bell and a couple of other temples, before returning on the river to enjoy a beautiful sunset with a Myanmar beer. There was an interesting contrast of river front stilt house backed by modern high rises, perhaps the perfect depiction of Burma’s current situation.
From Mandalay we hopped back on a place to fly to Heho, the gateway to Inle Lake.
Inle Lake
The first thing we noticed was that it was still hot, but not as hot – Inle Lake is set in the cool Shan Hills. The drive from the airport to Nyaungshwe was full of lovely scenery. We then changed to a little 5-person boat and buzzed along a canal and into the lake proper. Surrounded by green hills and swarming with crafts, and dotted with fisherman and floating villages, Inle is quite an experience. Our hotel, the Golden Island Cottages, was surrounded by water and full of lush tropical plants. Whilst the rooms were quite simple, their balconies had magical views. This, again, is a hotel used on the Wendy Wu group tours, and it’s a pretty special one! One of the highlights of the whole trip for us all was our visit to Indein. Reached along a quiet, scenic stretch of river, shaded by trees, this site is a mixture of old and new. We started amongst the old, overgrown pagodas and stupas, complete with headless statues and roots breaking down masonry, working our way up through a pagoda forest to the temple at the top, where we were distracted by several puppies lounging in the shade. It was a lovely afternoon of exploration. We were also able to catch a glimpse of life on the lake, floating gently past the amazing floating tomato crops, perusing a local market and visiting a range of local industries such as boat making and silk workshops. Whilst Inle Lake is very much on the tourist trail, I felt that it offered one of the most authentic experiences on the trip.
From Inle Lake we flew back to Yangon and reluctantly boarded our Emirates flight back to London (Gatwick this time), with a short stopover in Dubai. Again all was smooth, the film selection extensive and food tasty. Returning to the cold of the UK after the heat of Burma however, was not an easy transition.
I find it hard to put my finger on what and where Burma is right now, other than being a magical place. We saw a number of remarkable sights but it is obviously a country in transition, moving towards a bright future. What this bright future will bring is unclear, but if you want to see a country that is relatively unspoiled by the values of the west, where old traditions are the norm and life is all about the simple things, head to Burma as soon as you can and make the most of this beautiful country.
If you fancy following in our footsteps and exploring the wonders of Burma, give a member of Asia Inspirations team a call (you can even ask for Katherine, she was on the trip!) and get to creating your perfect itinerary.