Travel is slow and exhausting unless you fly. However if you fly you miss out the main point of Myanmar, which is the people and landscapes rather than specific attractions. Frankly after 2 weeks I never wanted to see another Pagoda or Buddha(reclined, seated or otherwise). Unless you have a very specific interest in the country’s spirituality or history don’t get too hung up on the “big 4” (Yangon, Mandalay, Bagan, Inle). Instead slow down and check out the smaller towns – and the local transport. Most tourists don’t take the train in Myanmar: the rich, or rushed ones fly, [...] Read more »

I’d been warned for months to book Myanmar, the tourist “surge” was in full swing and the country was “full”. No room. Indeed I was even told I was irresponsible not to book in advance! Myanmar is in an unusual situation: tourists are arriving in numbers unseen for years, yet the government still requires that tourists stay in “licensed” hotels – you can’t stay in homestays, or with a friend, or indeed, in some actual hotels. In the end we had serious issues exactly twice: Hpa-An and Nyaungshwe (Inle Lake) Frankly I’m not organized to book a 28 day trip [...] Read more »