myanmar

Eleven Places to See in Southeast Asia

May 22, 2012 by Bino 15 Comments

It took me over a year to post Part 2 of my Southeast Asian roundup, my little ode to this dynamic and diverse region which I call home. One year on and I still find myself traveling around Southeast Asia though now it’s mostly for work, transit or for back and forth trips between Manila and Singapore. More trips are certainly warranted in the future.

As my “tribute” to this region, I am choosing my top 11 sights from the 11 countries that make up Southeast Asia. To avoid being concentrated over a particular nation, I am picking one sight out of each of the 11 countries – my personal favorite from each.

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Burmese Days Pt 3 – From Scenic Pindaya to Placid Inle Lake

January 26, 2010 by Bino 4 Comments

The third and final leg of our trip took us to the highlands of Shan State, which is not very far from China, Laos and Thailand. Again, we boarded a short morning flight – this time to Heho. By this time, the faces we saw inside the airport were beginning to look very familiar. Many others were taking the same route that we did. The authorities seemed to be stricter this time around – and we were asked for our passports despite it being a domestic flight.

not the typical southeast asian landscape

Heho, and the surrounding areas, seemed like a different region altogether. The landscape, consisting of fields sunkissed in yellow, brown and red, seemed inconsistent with what I would typically associate with Southeast Asia. This, along with numbingly cold temperatures, made it hard for me to imagine that I was only a few dozen miles away from the punishing tropical jungles of Burma and Thailand.

inside pindaya cave

The main highlight for this third leg was Inle Lake, but we made a detour and went the other way to see Pindaya Cave. West of Heho, the cave was a labyrinth filled with thousands of Buddha images. Some parts were pitch black, and I wouldn’t be surprised if some paths actually led to a secret passageway.

From Pindaya there was also a great view of the lake and surrounding plains below. As I said earlier, it really was not the typical Southeast Asian landscape.

almost perfect reflection

inle lake

From Pindaya, it was another 2 hours drive to Inle Lake. We passed by several oxcarts and trucks cramped with people hanging onto the handles. It reminded me a bit of East Timor although the weather this time was certainly much more pleasant. We arrived in Nyaungshwe, the traditional departure point to reach the lake, in late afternoon. A $3 zone fee was collected from each of us upon entry. Our boatman was already there waiting for us at the dock- our “programme” was certainly well-arranged. Our driver left us there, promising to show up two days later to take us back to the airport.

temples on the lake

Having seen similar places before, I wasn’t all too impressed by the lake per se. The formation was a bit similar to some of the lakes in the Philippines, and many other places in Southeast Asia could offer similar views. What was more interesting about those 2 days in the lake however, was our ability to observe how the locals manage to preserve their traditional way of life. Though a lot of them have managed to find a living around the tourism industry, most of the people still work in the agricultural sector.

looking out for the morning catch

We stayed at the Myanmar Treasure Resort, one of the newer accommodation options in the Inle Lake area. Like all other “resorts” in the lake, our room consisted of a cabin on stilts – well, sort of. For about US$80 a night, we got a very spacious room that included a living area which could very well sleep up to 5.

monks

There are several interesting villages surrounding the lake, with each famous for a certain thing such as silverware, weaving, soy-based products, etc. The highlights are Indein, and Ywama. Most boatmen will take tourists to see some of these shops, where the quality is commendable. The good thing is that there is absolutely no pressure to buy – even when there’s no option for the customer to just walk out (because it’s on a lake).

village women

thaung tho kyaung stupas

Those who happen to be there during the weekend can actually catch the market gathering activities which the tribes people do during Saturdays and Sundays. On display are arrays of jewelry, knick-knacks, vegetables, spices and whatnot. It’s a good place to take interesting photos of locals who wear curiously draped headgears.

Tip: It can get extremely cold in the mornings. During the two days that we were there, temperatures reached near freezing (4 degrees celsius) in the morning. Accommodations there don’t have any heaters so warm clothing is essential!

Burmese Days Pt. 2 – We’ve Only Just Bagan!

January 13, 2010 by Bino 13 Comments

We left Rangoon for an early morning flight to Nyaung-U, the gateway to the ancient city of Bagan. Having been to both Angkor in Cambodia and Borobudur in Indonesia, I wanted to see with my own eyes how this much-raved about archeological zone compared with the other two.

ladies catching up on the morning gossip

Our flight from Rangoon departed very early in the morning. For the journey, we were brought to the domestic airport which in all honesty, looked like a dilapidating monstrosity. As I had requested to avoid government-run joints, the travel agency arranged for me to take Yangon Airways, a small outfit consisting of just 2 planes. Conditions were better than I expected, and we were actually served snacks during the flight. I was fortunate enough to get a window seat. As we were landing in Nyaung-U, the pilot was quick enough to point out the swathes of temples scattered beneath us. We were finally in Bagan!

bagan!

I had arranged for a car to take us around the different temples in the huge archeological zone. Many of these were haphazardly restored by local authorities without supervision from UNESCO so it was left out from the World Heritage List. Otherwise, I believe Bagan rightfully deserves the title.

one can find buddhist frescoes inside some of the old stupas

postcard sellers in bagan

We spent two days exploring many of the main temples as well some of the minor ones in Bagan, as recommended by my trusty guidebook. Midway in the journey, I realized that it would be unfair to compare Bagan with Angkor or Borobudur as they are all different from each other. For Bagan, the highlight would definitely be the scenery. Many of the large temples are open for climbing, and the view from the top is definitely breathtaking especially during sunrise and sunset. The silhouette of the pagodas in the distance contrasted against the yellow sun is definitely a highlight of any trip to Burma.

this ain’t no painting

shwesandaw paya – offers a good sunset view so come here before the crowds do!

Like Angkor and Borobudur, souvenir vendors were standing by at every major temple. Although not as pushy as their Cambodian or Indonesian counterparts, the vendors in Burma would actually strike conversations with tourists (with the intention of making a sale of course) and follow them inside. This proved to be an annoyance, although the locals just take it all in good humor.

shwezigon paya

The next day, we ventured into Mt. Popa – an extinct volcanic crater with a temple at the peak. Considered to be the center for the 37 nats (spirits), the climb to the top consisted of 700+ steps amid Macaque monkeys competing for space with humans. The 25 minute climb was by no means easy but the view from the top was certainly spectacular. In the afternoon, we went back to Bagan and I rented a bike for an hour just to try it out. For the rest of the afternoon, we visited more temples. My personal favorite’s Sulamani Pahto, with its impressive frescoes inside depicting the Buddha.

mount popa — the “extinct” crater

the actual mount popa

in sulamani pahto

a good view

We ended our second day in Bagan watching the sunset again, this time from a different viewpoint. The colors were again magnificent, and the crowd of photographers seemed even bigger this time. I came to realize that spending my Christmas holiday here was a very good decision after all.

what can i say? the sunsets here are really something else!

Recommended Top 5 temples in Bagan:

Sulamani Pahto
Ananda Pahto
Upali Thein
Manuha Paya
Dhammayangyi Pahto

Burmese Days Pt. 1 – Introduction to Yangon

January 11, 2010 by Bino 2 Comments

“This is Burma, and it will be quite unlike any land you know about…”

-Rudyard Kipling

The second largest country in Southeast Asia, Burma (Myanmar) is not a place where people normally spend their Christmas and New Year holidays (that is, unless you’re Burmese). Many people have no idea about the majestic sights found in this isolated country, despite its proximity to Singapore or to my home country. Because of Burma’s relative isolation and calls for tourism boycotts, the country only gets about 500,000 tourists a year – a trickle compared to neighboring Thailand. This time, I was again bombarded with questions by friends on why I was going and whether there was “anything noteworthy to see there.”

mother and child – on the streets of rangoon

As Burma was in my Top 3 countries to visit, I decided to finally push through with this trip last month. I had arranged with a travel agency based in Burma for domestic plane tickets and accommodations as it was cheaper that way. After months of going back and forth on plane schedules and suitable places to stay, we finally landed in Rangoon (Yangon) on a misty morning during Christmas Day. The first thing I noticed as we exited the airport was how most men wore skirts. Burma has been relatively isolated since it gained independence from Britain in 1948 so the people still maintain their traditions. The skirt is called longyi and it’s actually a versatile form of dress worn by both men and women. The second thing I noticed was how green Rangoon was compared to many other Southeast Asian cities. The roads are tree-lined, and there are many parks dotted around the city. In Downtown Rangoon, the streets are also laid out on a grid so it’s easier to find your way around.

strand hotel – the poshest in burma (myanmar)

a trip to rangoon is like a trip back in time – many colonial buildings remain intact such as this one

Although home to about 5 million people, Rangoon itself does not feel like a big city. The pace is quite relaxed and there’s not a lot of cars on the roads. Neon lights are a rarity here. The trade embargoes are very much evident with the lack of international brand names – for some reason though, Bossini is very popular in Rangoon. Most cars are disheveled and are literally falling apart. The taxis consist of outdated models such as Isuzu Gemini and Toyota Corolla from the late 70’s to the early 80’s. Needless to say, there’s no airconditioning. It’s practically a miracle how they manage to run these contraptions after several decades of use.

shwedagon paya is considered to be one of the most sacred sites in burma

That day happened to be Christmas Day so most shops were closed. We started the day by having a walking tour of downtown Rangoon, which still has a lot of buildings dating from British colonial rule. This include the Strand Hotel, which is Rangoon’s version of Singapore’s Raffles Hotel or Manila’s eponymous hotel. In the afternoon, we visited the Chaukhtatgyi Paya with its famous reclining buddha as well as the main attraction – the Shwedagon Paya. It was truly an amazing sight, and I was at awe with the gold-encrusted main pagoda that stood out even from a distance. The place was packed with tourists and locals alike, and it was a great way to just people-watch. It was a hodgepodge of human activity. In one corner there would be people praying and bowing their heads to the Buddha while in another, a group of German tourists would be taking snapshots of the fine architecture. Shwedagon was a relatively big complex so we spent some time circling it – there were several other altars and mini-temples with dozens of Buddhist images. There were a couple of notable banyan trees near the edges that were supposedly transplanted from the place in India where Buddha gained enlightenment. Gold was the prominent color and it was evident in almost every structure that made up the massive complex.

the majestic shwedagon paya

We had dinner at this Chinese restaurant owned by a Singaporean. The owner told us how he ended up starting a business in Burma – because it was extremely competitive in Singapore and it was difficult to make money there. What he said was true in a sense – this is why most Singaporeans end up in the corporate world rather than set up their own businesses. Those who do set up their own gig find themselves facing head-to-head competition, especially in the food and beverage industry. But I digress. Moving back to Rangoon.

rangoon city hall – with a fresh coat of paint!

The next day was spent walking around Downtown Yangon. We started at the Strand Hotel, a fine colonial building that’s reminiscent of Singapore’s Raffles Hotel. We walked towards Sule Paya, an attractive Buddhist pagoda right smack at a roundabout. This walking tour ended at Bogyoke Aung San Market, where all sorts of handicrafts and Burmese souvenirs were sold. There wasn’t anything we particularly liked, although shops selling rubies, diamonds and other precious and semi-precious stones were in abundance. We also found this market to be a good place to change Kyats (Burma’s local currency).

rangoon during rush hour

We had nothing to do that afternoon so we decided to visit the Gems Museum. Among the things they had for display was a sapphire measuring several hundred carats, rubies, emeralds, diamonds and all sorts of treasures that attested to Burma’s wealth in natural resources. Interestingly, the display was also a sad reminder of how a country can at once be rich and extremely poor.

Looking back, the 2 days we spent in Rangoon was excessive. One full day should have been enough, and the extra day could have been better spent elsewhere in the country. But it was a great introduction to Burma nonetheless.

How to get there: Most popular method is to go through Bangkok where Thai Airways and Air Asia have direct flights to Yangon. An alternative is to go through Singapore where Jetstar Asia and Silkair fly to Yangon.

Best time to visit: December and January are supposed to be the most pleasant months to visit Burma. In Yangon however, we found the heat to be unbearable from noon up until 4pm. Temperatures vary considerably within the day. Normal morning temperatures in December average at a cool 16 to 18 degrees celsius, while afternoon temperatures reach 32 to 35 degrees celsius.