Myanmar
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- Moni & Alex
Some tipps and recommendations for Myanmar... -
- Moni & Alex
Nameless teashop in Hsipaw
One of the best places where we have eaten in Myanmar was in a tiny teashop on the street without any obvious (English) name in Hsipaw. It should, however, not be too difficult to find. If you walk from Charles' guesthouse to the main street and then turn left, about 50m down the road, in the corner of the street opposite the Red Dragon hotel is a restaurant with small green wooden tables and iron chairs. This is it! Great tealeaf salad and Shan noodle variations, good sweet and savoury dumplings (best in the morning as they are very popular) and the most amazing sweet and salty roti we have eaten so far. Tea is free of charge on the table and don't worry if you do not find prices on the menu. For 1 tealaf salad, 1 Shan noodle bowl, 1 savoury roti and 1 sweet roti we paid 2600 Kyat (=2€). -
- Moni & Alex
Golden Lily Guesthouse Kalaw
For sure not the top shot in Kalaw, this nice family run hostel is a good option for the following reasons: it was the cheapest place we found all over Myanmar and we were allowed to check in when our bus arrived at 4am in the morning without surcharge. Even though the shared facilities have seen better days, the reason to go there is the trekking option to Inle Lake. Many people recommended it to us and we were not disappointed. Though slightly more expensive than other agencies in town (and hey we payed 45€ p.p for 2 nights, 3 days including food accomodation, guide and transport...), the usually have smaller groups (max 6 people though we ended up in a group of 8) and they choose some paths off the beaten track. And it was true, the first two days we did not meet any other tourist groups, on day three there was only one way to access Inle Lake so there we met all the other tourist crowds :).
If you have the chance, ask for Robin, an Indian guy in his mid 50ies, a very nice and intelligent man who knows pretty much every plant in the vast forrest and has tons of other information about the region and Myanmar in general. And don't underestimate him because of his age - the old man set quite a pace for all of us ;). -
- Moni & Alex
Train ride on the Mandalay - Lashio line
If you have lots of time, go on an adventurous and super slow train ride in between Mandalay and Lashio. We chose the 7h journey between Hsipaw and Pyin Oo Lwin which allows you to cross the famous Goteik Viaduct, a very scenic ride and a good experience. -
- Alex & Moni
Red Mountain Estate Winery Inle Lake
Yep, you read correctly, there is a winery in Myanmar that produces their own wine. It is within reasonable cycling distance from Nyaung Shwe (20min) and offers beautiful views over the lake.
Honestly, you do not go there for the quality of the wine, but if you go to watch the sunset and share a bottle of wine with some of your fellow travellers, it is going to be a really funny evening. -
- Moni & Alex
Mount Zwegabin Hpa-an
A not too high, but very steep mountain in the plains of Hpa-an is worth being climbed: Mount Zwegabin (700m). Even though Moni is not a big climber/hiker, we managed to ascend the mountain in 1:45h via the eastern path. Another path is winding up from the south which apparently takes 2:30h, so make your own choice :).
On top of the mountain you have a monastry overlooking the beautiful area! Enjoy the views, it is worth it. In case you want to do the sunrise and sunset up there, you can also overnight in very basic conditions at the monastery. If you want to do the sunset only, you can do it on a day trip as the path down the mountain is lit by night. -
- Moni & Alex
Money
If you go to Myanmar, it might be a wise decision to bring USD with you. All hotels, the upmarket restaurants and some travel agencies advertise their prices in USD and convert with a very generous exchange rate (of course in their favour) to Kyat if you want to pay in local currency. As the ATMs only distribute kyats, we often found ourselves paying an even higher price in Euro than the advertised USD price. Small restaurants, local busses, trains and supermarkets all publish their prices in Kyat. -
- Moni & Alex
The Classics
Even though not specifically mentionned, of course there is no way around the classic sites in Myanmar: sunrise and sunset in Bagan is simply magic and a boat ride over the calm waters and floating gardens of Inle Lake a great experience. -
- Moni & Alex
Bamboo Hut Inle Lake
Hiw could we forget this tiny little restaurant in the middle of a cactus/banana tree plantation about 30min by bike south of Nyaung Shwe (Inle Lake). It is probably one of the "more expensive" options, but the view is amazing and the food is so fresh and good. Go and try all of their salads (tealeaf, ginger!, avocado, etc.). Enjoy!
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