Yangon, our last stop in Myanmar

Yangon felt very different from Mandalay and Bagan. It is the biggest city in Myanmar and, apparently, also the busiest. The urban landscape is dominated by tall concrete structures, a few large pagodas and colonial buildings that clearly don’t receive much attention.

YANGON MYANMAR

 

Street food vendors populate almost every street corner and local markets spread along many roads, selling everything, from culinary products to electronics and antiquities.

YANGON MYANMAR

 

Religion here seems to be as important as in other parts of the country, but the atmosphere feels less religious due to the busy lifestyle of the citizens and the less obvious spiritual sights. The city felt like an infusion of international elements. Western brands are easily discoverable, but Chinese and Japanese products clearly dominate the local market, which was a perfect opportunity for us to try again some of the Japanese food that we always miss.

 

What to see in Yangon

Yangon might seem a more interesting destination for those arriving for the first time in the country, while for us it felt like being in another crowded city. The heat didn’t seem to add to the pleasure of discovering the city, so we kept our wish list for visiting touristic spots short. Pagodas we’ve seen too many already till that point of our journey in Myanmar, but we still wanted to find out if the experience feels different in Yangon, compared to the rest of the country. So we decided to visit the Botahtaung Pagoda, a religious complex where we could admire large walls covered in gold and a big Buddha statue.

YANGON MYANMAR

 

There are several large pagodas in the city, some of the most important being the Sule Pagoda, the Chauk Htet Gyi Pagoda, the Kaba Aye Pagoda and the most famous of all, the Shwedagon Pagoda, which we visited in our last day. The Shwedagon Pagoda is considered to be the oldest pagoda in Myanmar, legends saying that it is more than 2500 years old.

But what we appreciated most about the city was meeting friends, work colleagues from the past and new friends that we got to know at the beginning of our trip into Myanmar.

On the last day, we treated ourselves with a few hours at the rooftop pool of a hotel from where we got also a beautiful panoramic view of the city.

YANGON MYANMAR

 

The two weeks that we spent in Myanmar ended at the airport in Yangon, from where we took the flight back to Thailand, where locals were getting ready to celebrate the upcoming Buddhist festival of light. Read more about it here.

For more photos from Yangon follow this link.

/by

Bagan, the city of thousand temples

While having to choose few travel destinations from the generous number of beautiful places that a traveler could add to his bucket list, I knew since the beginning of our big adventure that Bagan will be one of our stops. I knew it because of a picture that caught my attention, showing the sun rising over a valley filled with old temples, surrounded by perfect morning light. It looked beautiful and it felt mysterious and welcoming.

BAGAN MYANMAR

 

Bagan, the Burmese archeological treasure

Bagan is one of the most notorious archaeological sites in Asia and a symbol of a country whose earlier history was shaped by the permanently increasing interest for the Buddhist religion. Modern times instead are described by sad events: civil war, an aggressive military regime and poverty. But despite these facts, we found many kind people in Myanmar and in Bagan probably the kindest of all the ones we met throughout the country.

Bagan used to be the center of Buddhism culture in Southeast Asia, which led to the construction of over 4000 (10000 according to other sources) temples that populated a large area along the Irrawaddy River, out of which more than 2000 survived till today. It is most probably a stop on every traveler’s route in Myanmar.

BAGAN MYANMAR

 

We kept our itinerary in Myanmar short, but planned here a longer stop, in order to have the necessary time to enjoy Bagan to the fullest. While there are different options to travel to the ancient city, we chose to take a bus from Mandalay that brought us to our destination in less than six hours. All buses, as train and airplanes arrive in Nyaung-U, in the northern part of the archaeological area, from where access is only granted upon paying the entrance fee of 25 000 Kyats for a three days ticket.

 

Where to stay in Bagan?

While many people prefer to stay in Nyaung-U, we decided to go to New Bagan, a small village where we hoped to find less noise and we happily did. When traveling from Nyaung-U to New Bagan, be aware of taxi drivers that will try to rip you off and note that prices are indicated on a board at the office entrance of the bus station.

We found New Bagan to be more quiet and pleasant. While it is not very close to the more interesting part of the archaeological area, the prices for the accommodation are definitely a convincing argument for travelers on a budget. Most parts of the village were constructed between small temples, making it feel nice to wake up in the morning and already be surrounded by so much spiritual history.

BAGAN MYANMAR
BAGAN MYANMAR
BAGAN MYANMAR
BAGAN MYANMAR
BAGAN MYANMAR
BAGAN MYANMAR

 

Moving around in Bagan

Due to conservation efforts, traffic is limited to the use of electric vehicles that are largely available for rent. For the same purpose, also access to most temples is prohibited due to the damage done by mass tourism in the previous years.

BAGAN MYANMAR

 

But there are a few locations that are well marked on mobile apps, from where travelers can admire the valley. These are small hills that attract fewer crowds. We tried to go to all of them in one single morning and met with less than 10 people at all the viewpoints together. Where do the crowds go than? you might ask. Apparently, the highest interest is still for climbing temples and, if you don’t mind the crowds, you can join them at a few specific locations.

BAGAN MYANMAR

 

We recommend using the app Maps.Me where they are better marked, including updates on which ones are still open to tourists. There are also a few small pagodas that you can climb and finding them is not hard. The valley fills with locals in the morning that would happily show you the “secret” spots in return for a small tip.

While some people book private tours to go to the attraction points, most visitors rent electric scooters. It is definitely the fastest way to move around, leaving you the freedom to discover the surroundings without a time limit. We tried to see the area by scooter but also by bike and we can say that taking the bikes felt like the best option. Some parts are very quiet and can be explored in peace.

BAGAN MYANMAR

 

But if you still don’t feel like organizing the tour by yourself, note that you can negotiate a cheap private tour with local tuk tuk drivers that will bring you to the right spots.

We went three times to the main part of the archaeological area, the Old Bagan, which is hosting the biggest and most impressive temples. We went there on our first day to admire the sunset and three times in a row for the sunrise. The sunrise is obviously a better time to go, because of the cool air in the morning but also because only in the morning visitors can see the sky filling up with hot air balloons, which add to the magic of the moment.

BAGAN MYANMAR

 

Daytrip to Mount Popa

Travelers who have a bit of extra time in Bagan can book a half-day tour to Mount Popa. The mountain hosts a large pagoda that looks beautiful from far, but while climbing the stairs of the temple to the top we found it less attractive. It felt like a very dirty place, populated by a large community of monkeys that manifest aggressive behaviors. Although some of them look cute, visitors are advised not to approach them.

 

Where to eat in Bagan

One of the things that you don’t need to worry about in Myanmar is finding food. And because Bagan is such a touristic destination, you will easily find many restaurants and bars everywhere. Burmese food was one of our best culinary experiences in Asia. It was cheap, the portions were always big and it tasted great. One thing to be aware of is that they like garlic, lots of it, so you might need to mention if you prefer less or none in your food. The same goes for coriander, which I unhappily discovered in my food many times, despite the efforts to avoid it.

BURMESE SEAWEED SALAD

One of our favorite dishes – seaweed salad

 

Bagan was on top of our wishlist before we traveled to Asia and it remained one of our most pleasant memories when we left the ancient city behind us and traveled to our last destination in the country, the city of Yangon.

See more photos from Bagan here.

/by

Mandalay, the religious and cultural center of Myanmar

We left Thailand and we started a new adventure in the old royal capital of formerly Burma (today Myanmar), Mandalay. Myanmar was for a long time on our list, but as our time in Asia was coming slowly to an end we only reserved two weeks for this country.

Arriving in Mandalay

We arrived in Mandalay on a small airport and went fast through the immigration control as we already applied online for the visa before our arrival. We took a bus towards the city center for 4000 MMK ( around 2€ per person) that dropped us directly at our accommodation, close to the Grand Palace.

We spent our first afternoon together with a lovely Dutch couple who stayed at the same hotel as us and with whom we would meet more often during our trip. We had lunch in a local restaurant and got a first taste of Myanmar cuisine, which we found very similar to other Asian countries, but offered new flavors that made it one of our favorites.

The approaching darkness at the end of the day forced us to rush up the stairs of the amazing temple on Mandalay Hill as we wanted to reach the top for the sunset. We found a beautiful vibe up there and the last traces of daylight covered the valley in a mystic atmosphere.

 

As we were climbing down the hill we took more time to admire the big Buddha statues. Some of them were standing which we found different from others that we’ve seen before, after visiting many temples where Buddha was represented lying down or in the lotus position.

The town of Mingun and its ancient treasures

The following day we planned to do a lot of sightseeing. We left towards Mingun Jetty, where we boarded a boat that brought us to the other side of the river, in Min Kun, northwest from Mandalay. The boat ride took around 1 hour and cost 5000 MMK for a return ticket. The ticket can be purchased directly in the port. The entrance ticket of Mingun costs the same price and is valid for the whole day and can be used in Mingun and Sagain Hill where visitors can see a lot of other pagodas.

MANDALAY MYANMAR

 

There are many ancient pagodas and temples that can be admired in Mandalay, but Mingun hides some of the most spectacular ones. Mingun Pagoda was our first stop, a structure that was planned to become the biggest Pagoda in the world, but after the initiator of the project, King Bodawpaya died, the construction stopped. A few decades later, a heavy earthquake affected the area and also damaged the Pagoda, causing huge cracks to appear on the face of the huge stupa.

MANDALAY MYANMAR

 

Another ambitious project of the same king was the Mingun Bell, a 90 tons heavy bell that was supposed to be used for the big stupa, being considered nowadays to be the biggest functional one in the world. There is one in Moscow that is bigger but it is damaged.

The beautiful Hsinbyume Pagoda

Another ancient treasure of Mingun is the Hsinbyume Pagoda, a place of worship painted in white that was designed after the physical description of the Buddhist mythological mountain. Visitors are free to roam on the circular terraces of the temple and admire the landscapes from the top, including a view of the Mingun Pagoda.

MANDALAY MYANMAR

 

Like many other constructions around the area, the pagoda was affected by the same earthquake that damaged the Mingun Pagoda but was restored later by one of the country’s kings.

Sunset at the Ubein Bridge

After our launch in Mingun, we decided spontaneously not to take the boat back to Mandalay but arranged a transfer with a local driver to take us along the Irrawaddy River, where we visited the Umin Thonze Pagoda.

MANDALAY MYANMAR

 

Later we drove till Amarapura, from where we walked on the Ubein Bridge. The bridge is one of the top highlights around Mandalay, a long structure of wood and concrete that allows locals to easily cross over the Taung Tha Man Lake, although it seemed to us that there more tourists crossing the bridge than locals.

MANDALAY MYANMAR

 

Visitors can opt for a ride on the lake on colorful small boats or to just chill on a terrace with a fresh coconut while admiring the sunset.

MANDALAY MYANMAR

 

It was already dark when we reached our hotel in Mandalay. We went for a portion of noodles at a nearby family restaurant and ended the day with a beer later on the hotel’s terrace and later fighting the mosquitoes that invaded the room during the day.

The last day we spent exploring the streets of the city and getting ready for our most awaited destination in Myanmar, Bagan. Read more about it here.

/by

Chiang Mai – the Festival of Lanterns

Read more
/by

Phuket – Our beach escape in Thailand

It was late in the afternoon when we left Bangkok and arrived at Phuket Airport. From the window of the aircraft, we could already admire the beaches and got excited, while wondering what the following days would bring. It is always a strange feeling when we leave a place. We get used to an area but shortly after we need to start again orientating ourselves in a new place. Still, we found it easier this time.

The friendly receptionist at our hostel already informed us in advance about the different ways to reach the little city from the airport. We decided to take the airport bus that cost us 100 Bath for a distance of around 30 km, which was the cheapest way to get to the city.

Phuket

Ko Phuket (Ko means island) is located in the south of Thailand and spreads over 543 km², which makes it the biggest island of the country.

Phuket is a touristic hot spot for all kinds of travelers. You will find here families, backpackers, luxury travelers, foreigners living on the Island and people looking for beach escapes or enjoying the colonial city life in Phuket town. Therefore Phuket offers all kinds of attractions and generally at higher prices than in other parts of the country.

Patong Beach

After the warm welcome at the hostel and good sleep at night, the following day we enjoyed a big cup of coffee at the coffee shop next door where we planned our first day on the island.

We decided to use the local bus to discover the nearest beach that was Patong Beach. When we arrived we understood instantly what the place was about. Honestly, I was a bit shocked seeing the crowds of people lying next to each other like sardines in a can. As we traveled to most of the destinations in the past nine months during low season, I felt a bit naive visiting the most touristic beach on the island and wondering why it was more crowded than I imagined it.

PHUKET THAILAND

 

However, we walked around and enjoyed the sun, when we found a great beach club that offered for 200 Bath per person access to their pool and private beach, to free internet and cool music. The holiday mode switched on instantly and we enjoyed the place without hardly any other visitor.

PHUKET THAILAND

 

In the afternoon we took the bus back to Phuket Town for 30 Bath, which seemed fair for the distance that we traveled and later we enjoyed the evening on the colorful streets where a night market happened to take place the same day.

Weekend Night Market

Thailand is famous for its many various markets. After visiting the Floating Market in Bangkok we were curious about the night market that took place during our weekend in Phuket, starting from 4 pm to 9 pm. It felt nice to walk on the busy but colorful streets, observing the vendors, locals and visitors strolling around and enjoying themselves. The streets were filled with delicious food smells and music form the little shows that were performed.

PHUKET THAILAND

 

This place offered really everything, all kinds of Thai and Chinese dishes, clothes, souvenirs, art, etc. We enjoyed various snacks and were positively surprised by the low prices.

 

The second day was dedicated to exploring a bit more of the old town of Phuket, which impressed us with its colonial buildings and street art. The charm of the many coffee shops, cute boutiques, art galleries and international restaurants reminded us a bit on George Town in Malaysia.

PHUKET THAILAND

The perfect beach escape in Phuket

The last day we decided to see a bit more of the island that was covered in rich green colors as the monsoon just came to an end. We took again the bus, this time more south towards Rawai Beach. The bus driver let us out close to the pier where the boats set off to the surrounded islands.

PHUKET THAILAND

 

The coastal area was busy with boats offering tours. The many restaurants and shops reminded us a bit of Patong Beach but we understood quickly that the place was different, as hardly any people were around, mainly locals but not so many tourists.

The App Maps.Me guided us towards another little beach that we wanted to visit, just one kilometer further from where the boat drivers were waiting for tourists to arrive. After a nice walk, we reached a beautiful little beach and wondered why there was nobody else apart of us and a few locals that seemed to live there. We enjoyed a few quiet moments and I instantly forgot about the shock I got at Patong Beach.

PHUKET THAILAND

 

Later that evening we spent some time around one of the local markets in the town, where you could find cheap and authentic local food.

PHUKET THAILAND

 

Overall, we can say that we had a great time in Phuket, but as budget travelers that also don’t feel like sharing places with the crowds, it didn’t fully feel like our type of place to be. Still, we will definitely return with more time to explore the north side of the island, as well as the Big Buddha Statue and some of the many small islands that surround Phuket.

Click here for more pictures from Phuket.

/by

Bangkok – the world tour continues

After returning home from Asia for a short break when we visited our families and friends, we traveled together for one week in Romania, where we had a few beautiful and warm late summer days that allowed us to enjoy our stay to its fullest and recharge our batteries. We explored the two beautiful Transylvanian cities Sibiu and Brasov and later traveled by train to the capital city from where we would take a night flight towards our following destination, Bangkok.

It was late in the evening when we left Bucharest. We packed our backpacks and took a taxi to the airport, after our last walk in the city when we admired the beautiful red and orange autumn colors.

Thailand, here we come

Our first flight brought us to Moscow, from where we flew after directly to Bangkok. It took us a bit of time at the immigration control upon arrival. Due to our different nationalities, we had to deal also with different visa requirements for Thailand, but all went fast and smooth. We were just in time to catch the Bangkok Airport Rail Link, a train line connecting Suvarnabhumi Airport with Phaya Thai. The journey took around 30 minutes and cost 45 Bath per person. As it was already late, we ordered a Grab car through our mobile app to bring us from the train station to our hostel.

The good location of the hostel allowed us to start directly with our sightseeing tour the following morning. We strolled around the streets of Bangkok, observing the many food stalls and hawkers selling their products. We immediately realized what a high amount and a big variety of street food are sold in Thailand.

BANGKOK THAILAND

 

The excitement of returning to Asia

It was that first day when we realized how necessary our 3 weeks break at home was because we were able to feel again the excitement of exploring this part of the world as much as at the beginning of our big journey. We were more aware of the things happening around us and the feeling of adventure growing inside. We were back and ready to explore much more!

Bangkok felt surprisingly quiet compared to our last travel destination New Delhi, in India. No unnecessary use of the horn, no constant noise coming from people or animals… it was pleasant to be there, despite the fact that it was such a massive city.

Sightseeing in Bangkok

The walk led us towards the Grand Palace and later to the Buddhist temple Wat Pho, where we could admire a gigantic reclining Buddha.

BANGKOK THAILAND

 

Wat Pho is one of the biggest temples in the city and besides the golden Buddha Statue, the complex offers much more to see. The Entrance fee was 100 Bath per person and it is highly recommended to wear appropriate clothing for the visit of the temple. Don’t forget to cover up your legs and shoulders.

The rest of the afternoon we walked around the central area and the nearby Saranrom Park, were we could hide from the heat and cool down in the presence of the irrigation system of the park, which felt necessary as the warm sun that welcomed us in Bangkok got quite strong in the afternoon.

BANGKOK THAILAND

 

The following day we started again early, as our plan was to discover the west promenade of the Chao Phraya River, where another impressing building was waiting for us.

We crossed the river with the ferryboat at a cost of only 3.5 Bath per person, allowing us also to admire the city from another perspective.

 

On the other side, we walked along the river towards the Wat Arun Temple.

BANGKOK THAILAND

 

Wat Arun Temple

What makes Wat Arun so special is its Prang that contains 4 levels and is connected with stairs that offer a nice view over the city. The whole temple is covered by beautiful mosaic made out of little flowers of colorful Chinese porcelain.

BANGKOK THAILAND

 

The entrance fee was only 50 Bath and I believe it is an absolute must-see when in Bangkok. By the way, the word „Wat“ stands for monastery or temple in Thailand, Laos and Cambodia.

BANGKOK THAILAND

 

Our second day in this impulsive city passed very fast and the location of the nice hostel which we stayed in gave us lots of possibilities to try different dishes in the various restaurants around it. That evening we went early to bed as we had plans for our last morning in Bangkok, before our flight that was departing in the following evening.

Taling Chan Floating Market in Bangkok

It was 07.00am when we left the hostel and went towards Khosan Road, famous for its nightlife, from where we would catch the bus to the Taling Chan Floating Market. Bangkok can be easily discovered by using local buses. With the help of Google Maps, we could find out which bus to take and where to get off.

BANGKOK THAILAND

 

It was just 08.00 when we arrived at the Floating Market and we could observe the hawkers and sellers preparing their boats near the floating pier. The market was traditionally used in the past as the canals and rivers offered easy access to the farmers to sell their goods. Nowadays it is mainly a famous tourist attraction. There are many floating markets around Bangkok, but what we liked at Taling Chan is that the meals served were sold for a fair price and because in the morning it was not crowded at all. This place only opens during the weekend.

BANGKOK THAILAND

 

Later in the evening, it was time again to say goodbye and we made our way towards the airport to catch the flight to our next destination, Phuket.

See more pictures from Bangkok here.

/by

Incredible India?

We’ve heard all kinds of things about India long before deciding to explore it by ourselves. We listened to the stories of our Indian friends during the time that we spent on cruise ships and we spoke to travelers who visited India and who felt in love with it after traveling in the country long enough to understand it well. But we met also people that left India with negative impressions, people that could not adapt to the local habits and who described their visit as a “cultural shock”.

India is obviously not just another country in Asia, it has so many particularities that clearly separate it from any other country on the continent.

We can say now that India felt different while walking on its crowded streets than what we imagined before we arrived in Bangalore. And, with every new place that we traveled to, it seemed like there were more traffic, more garbage and more people trying to scam tourists. The picture that a traveler leaves with after a journey through India is definitely different than the one described by any travel agent or shown in any travel magazine.

NEW DELHI INDIA

 

But perhaps “different” is not the right word to be used and “incomplete” is the one describing better the expectations of a first-time traveler in the country. People might tell you about the garbage and the smell, about the heavy traffic and the usually dirty surroundings. India is far from being a perfect country but it is for sure a beautiful destination. The diversity of landscapes that change dramatically while traveling from one side of the country to another, the mixed and strong traditions that survived for millenniums, the fascinating history and its rich culture make India a unique place to be.

JAISALMER INDIA

 

Unfortunately, beauty comes many times together with ugliness. We felt in love with India at the beginning but happily planned our escape at the end of our stay. When traveling in such a big country, one’s perception can vary very much from another’s, depending on where and how someone wants to experience India. We slept in luxurious rooms but we had also very simple accommodations… even spent a night out in the desert, with no roof above our heads, just the stars.

JAISALMER INDIA

 

We ate in top-rated restaurants but always happily tried the street food whenever we got the chance to taste something new. We met amazing people that made our trip unforgettable but got in contact with many more that wanted to scam us.

We left India with a confusing mix of emotions, with the need to disconnect from it but also with regrets and the promise to return in the future.

We enjoyed some of its traditions that we took part in, the natural beauty, the energy of its people, the diversity of experiences, the amazing food and we’ve been surprised by the apparently chaotic but still functional social system.

India will probably break your heart if you have eyes to see the poverty around you, might disgust you and, eventually, convince you to leave with the wish to never return. But it might also steal your heart and make you fall in love with the things that define it as a truly incredible place.

More incredible pictures of India you will find in our Gallery.

/by