Myanmar - A Special Country

Hello from Indonesia.

After 3 amazing weeks in Myanmar, we have now arrived back in Indonesia and will be spending the next month here.
But now, let's talk about the past 3 weeks.
Our journey began in the former capital city of Yangon, which is often regarded as a hidden gem. The city is characterized by its countless temples and pagodas, each more magnificent than the next. The most famous pagoda is the Shwedagon Pagoda, a complex of gilded temples that offers a unique experience. We visited the site on the day of Chinese New Year, so the pagoda was quite crowded with people praying. However, we didn't mind as we enjoyed watching the other visitors and immersing ourselves in the atmosphere. In addition to the multitude of pagodas, Yangon is also known for its British colonial buildings. After three days here, we took an overnight bus to Bagan. Here, too, temple visits are a must for every visitor. We explored the impressive variety of nearly pristine temples on e-scooters. It is said that there are more than 2000 of these structures still to be found here. The highlight of our time in Bagan was definitely watching the first sunrise from a smaller and more secluded temple all to ourselves. This was quite special considering the crowds of tourists in Bagan. After a week filled with temple visits, we ventured off the beaten path to Yenangyaung. About 2 hours away from Bagan, we visited a guesthouse that was recommended to us by a friend of Merle's. What made this guesthouse special was that it is part of a project supporting orphaned children. The profit generated by the guesthouse is invested in a school that allows orphans to pursue their education. We visited the school multiple times, spoke with the teachers and students, and spent some time playing with the children after school. It was a beautiful experience, as tourists often only interact with locals during organized tours, which may not reflect their traditional way of life. In addition to the school, we took a day to walk around the nearby village. We visited a brick factory and observed the workers performing each step of the process by hand with only a few machines, yet they remained very happy and cheerful. On the way back, we watched a group of teenagers skillfully play a small ball over a volleyball net with impressive acrobatics. During the hot afternoons, we relaxed by the guesthouse pool. Our time in Yenangyaung flew by, and instead of the planned 2 days, we ended up staying here for 5 days. In retrospect, these days were definitely one of the highlights of our trip to Myanmar.
Our next stop was the city of Pyin Oo Lwin, a former colonial town located to the north. The British influence can still be felt everywhere, from grand colonial buildings to antiquated horse-drawn carriages. We spent 2 days here, visiting the botanical garden and a beautiful waterfall. It took us about 1 hour to reach the waterfall. To our surprise, we were the only visitors when we arrived at the bottom. We took the opportunity to cool off and took a swim in the admittedly icy pool formed at the base of the waterfall.
From Pyin Oo Lwin, we took a train ride along a famous railway to Lashio. This particular railway is popular among travelers because it crosses an old viaduct that snakes its way across a gorge at a dizzying height. The view was breathtaking, not only from the bridge but throughout the entire journey.
Once in Lashio, we embarked on a 2-day adventure trip organized by Myanmar Adventure Outfitters. The organization plans custom programs for each visitor who finds their way to Lashio. We decided to explore the surroundings partially by motorbike and partially by mountain bike. We rode along many small villages and gravel roads to reach spectacular waterfalls. The highlight was the visit to the Dark Horse Falls—a series of impressive waterfalls that we explored one by one. We swam, climbed, and jumped to make our way to the base of the falls.
After these two days, we were quite exhausted as the trip had taken a lot of energy and the novel modes of travel—motorbikes and mountain bikes—required more concentration than anticipated, especially on the bumpy roads. Therefore, we decided to take it easy for the remaining days. We headed to Mandalay, where we went on some shorter bike trips. From Mandalay, we flew to Indonesia via Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur.
We really enjoyed our time in Myanmar. The landscape is spectacular and still relatively untouched, especially when you venture off the typical tourist spots. This is mainly due to the lack of infrastructure, making it quite challenging to access these places. Myanmar has only been open to tourism since 2011, and you can still sense its authenticity away from the tourist route. The people are incredibly warm and welcoming. However, I wouldn't call Myanmar a hidden gem anymore, as it has attracted quite a number of tourists. Nevertheless, we managed to avoid the mass tourism, and Myanmar was definitely a special highlight of our trip!
Next time, I'll share our experiences in Java and Sumatra :)

Until then, I wish you good weather and warm regards.