Most Recent Posts

Myanmar’s Mon and Kayin States

Myanmar, formerly Burma, is a country in transition.

The Mon and Kayin States in southeastern Myanmar (Burma) offers great off-the-beaten-track adventures.  Head down to Mawlamyine, Set Se Beach, Kyaikhto, as well as Hpa-An (in neighbouring Kayin State) and Bago (in neighbouring Bago State), and return to Myanmar’s largest city, Yangon. This region is off the “standard tourist trail” so in some areas you may travel for many days without seeing another foreign traveller.  The tourist infrastructure is rather insignificant, but there are hotels and guesthouses mainly focused on local tourists and business people. Public transportation is an experience in itself! Take the train only if you have a strong stomach as even some locals puke when the train shakes out of control at just 20 km per hour.

The first time I visited Myanmar (Burma) was in July 2006 and at that time I promised myself that I will be back very soon. Well, it took me almost seven years to return. This time I promised that I will be back in less than a year!  Myanmar has grabbed the title of “Land of Smiles (LOS)” from Thailand as this must be the friendliest country I have ever visited.

While I found during my 2013 trip more tourists than back in 2006, tourists are still quite scarce, in particular around the off-the-beaten places I visited in Mon State.


READ THE FULL ARTICLE IN
GlobeRovers Magazine July 2013
or find the “globerovers” App in your App Store.

Residential area in downtown Yangon

Residential area in downtown Yangon

Photo taken from the train traveling from Yangon to Mawlamyaing, Myanmar

Photo was taken from the train travelling from Yangon to Mawlamyine

At Pa-Auk-Taw-Ya Monastery south of Mawlamyaing, Myanmar, monks

At Pa-Auk-Taw-Ya Monastery south of Mawlamyine

Setse Beach, south of Mawlamyaing, Myanmar

Seafood snacks on Set Se Beach, south of Mawlamyine

Sunrise around Lat-ka-Na village, outside Hpa-An, Myanmar

Sunrise around Lat-ka-Na village, outside Hpa-An

Sunrise at Kan-Thar-Yar Lake, Hpa-An, Myanmar

Sunrise at Kan-Thar-Yar Lake, Hpa-An

At and around the Kyaiktiyo Pagoda (Golden Rock), Myanmar

At the Kyaiktiyo Pagoda (Golden Rock)

Viewpoint near the Snake Monastery, Bago, MYANMAR

View of Bago from near the Snake Monastery

Monks at Kha Khat Wain Kyaung, Bago

Monks at Kha Khat Wain Kyaung, Bago

ShweGule Maha Paduma Teaching Monastery, Bago, Myanmar

ShweGule Maha Paduma Teaching Monastery, Bago.

Oxcart above the hills outside Mawlamyaing, Myanmar

Oxcart above the hills outside Mawlamyine

Boat trip from Mawlamyaing to Hpa-An, Myanmar

Boat trip from Mawlamyine to Hpa-An

BUR_9313-mw1

Sunrise around Lat-ka-Na village with views of Mount Zwegabin, outside Hpa-An

Monks of MYANMAR

Early morning in the streets of Bago

A tree outside Yangon, MYANMAR

A tree outside Yangon

Food stand on the streets of Yangon, MYANMAR

Food stand on the streets of Yangon


 

FROM THE GLOBEROVERS BOOKSTORE

This is a journey through Burma, the “Land of Tambadipa”. The journey starts in Rangoon and then goes north along the shores of Inle Lake. From here we head further north through Mandalay and up to the small village of Katha. A 24-hour boat trip on the mighty Ayerawaddy River goes through the Land of Copper (Tambadipa) and then back to Yangon.

This is a journey through Burma, the Land of Tambadipa. It starts in Rangoon and then goes north along the shores of Inle Lake. From here the journey heads further north through Mandalay and up to the small village of Katha. A 24-hour boat trip on the mighty Ayerawaddy River goes through the Land of Copper (Tambadipa) and then back to Rangoon.

Burma – Land of Tambadipa

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Synonyms for “Myanmar”burmaburmesemyanmar languagecroatiacountryUkraineGet more synonyms with Premium Subscribe