Travel: Bagan, Burma

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Of all the places we were able to visit while travelling through Burma (Myanmar), Bagan has to be the most majestic. That's right, majestic - like a unicorn. This patch of land is nothing short of serene, dotted with golden stupas as far as the eye can see. Small and calm, the only hustle and bustle you'll see here is tourists (local and foreign) temple hopping, and even that is done in a leisurely way often accompanied by a bicycle through the relatively flat area.

The downside to this leg of the trip was that it was cut much too short by a bout of stomach flu that kept a few locked up in the hotel unable to enjoy our unique surroundings, or even the great riverside view.  On that note, it should be made clear that "travellers stomach" is a very common occurrence when travelling through Burma and it can hit people in different ways.  Some will get fully knocked out by it for a day or so and then be fine, others will have low level symptoms the entire trip, and others still may not be affected at all.  If you're travelling through this area (and I highly recommend it!) please do your research and take the appropriate medications so that you can fully enjoy your time away.

Now… back to Bagan! Divided into three main sections; Old Bagan, New Bagan, and Nyaung U, with the North and South Plains spread around them, there is easily enough to see and do fill at least three days. That is, of course, assuming you like to explore a land so filled with temples and stupas that feels almost impossible for your eyes to never be resting on at least one, if not many simultaneously.

During our time here we stayed within the "new" and "old" Bagan areas, and due to funny stomachs, we never made it over to Nyaung U (which just means I have a great reason to return!) We travelled easily around the area on rented bicycles (motor bikes and horse carts are also available) and had the leisure of seeing what we wanted to see when we wanted to see it.

Like all tourist destinations in all corners of the world, Bagan has some "must-see"locations, and while it's easy to see why they are so highly recommended, some of my favourite sites were the smaller venues that we stopped at in passing. We also managed to find a tasty little cafe in the shade that offered us more than one recoup session over the course of a couple days.

To help you with your planning, here are some recommend DO, EAT, and SHOP destinations. I wish I could offer you more, because I really left feeling as though there was just so much more to see and do, but I'll just have to return for myself to fill in the rest. 

DO

• Catch the sunset from the top of a temple! The golden hour in this part of the world provides spectacular views across the temple dotted plain of Bagan. There are options that are close and crowded, or further a field and…. still quite crowded. It's true, for the best views you won't have the place to yourself, but arrive early and you'll be able to snag a good seat. And despite the crowds, the process is quite tranquil. A little further out, but a little less trafficked the Pyathada Paya has an excellent viewing spot with a large flat terrace and plenty of spots to rest your feet. 
• Rent a bike! There are small side of the road rental stands all over the place that offer decent day rates. If you're going around Old Bagan, the plains or even into New Bagan, travelling by bike was a great, scenic way to get it done. 

EAT

• Be Kind to Animals the Moon - despite it's funny name, this charming garden cafe and restaurant is an absolute must! We went three times because the food was good, the drinks were cold, and the atmosphere was relaxed. Their tea leaf salad and ginger lime tea (iced was my favourite) stand out in my memory, but I don't remember getting anything we didn't love, and we got a lot!

SHOP

• Shwe War Thein Handicrafts was one of our only stops on the shopping trail while in Bagan but was a treasure trove of well priced lacquerware and antiques (official papers provided so you don't run into trouble at the airport). It's well off the main road that leads into Old Bagan, but is easily found by well placed signage. If the connection's good, you can even pay with credit card (very rare). 

Have you been to Bagan? Or even Burma? What was your favourite part? I'd love to know!

Until next time, you can catch up on Part 1 of our trip through Burma here.

Travel: Mandalay, Burma

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Before leaving for Burma (way back in January!) a friend of mine wished me a good trip and said she was looking forward to the accompanying blog post.  She also mentioned there was no rush as she knew I probably wouldn't be able to get to it until April. I felt incredulous at the time - April was so far away! - but looks like she was right, heck it's practically the end of May and I'm just getting to it now. I need to get better at this.

And so, here we are with the first of 4 instalments of our time in Burma over the Chinese New Year holiday.

Mandalay is a big city with a small town feel. Known as the key city to "Upper Burma" Mandalay is a well laid out grid of streets situated at the base of Mandalay Hill along the banks of the Irrawaddy River. Considering the true size of Mandalay (approximately 1.5 million) I was surprised by how sleepy the city felt.  This is a place that knows what a siesta is and takes full advantage of it.

Overall Mandalay wasn't my favourite stop on our little trip, and though there are some good choices in terms of food, touristing and entertainment, if you're tight on time more than 2 days would feel like a waste.

Eat:
The Green Elephant - This is one of those charming garden restaurants that always seems to have a clinking of glasses, tinkling of laughter, and an aroma that draws you in. The Green Elephant serves traditional Burmese food to those looking for a taste of local flavours in a setting that is relaxed and elegant, and it does it well.  I particularly recommend the coconut rice and coupling dinner with one of the  puppet or dance shows, both of which are near by.

Too Too Restaurant - To say this little restaurant is bare bones is a bit of an understatement. Hole in the wall is the term usually given to places like this, but that's usually where some of the best food is to be found and this place certainly didn't disappoint.  Offering local Burmese food, this little place is a great little rest stop on a busy day of touring.  Simply walk in, order from the display of dishes behind the glass, and enjoy. Set prices will include a main, rice, and side dish - extras cost extra (go figure!)

Marie-Min - This cozy little cafe and restaurant sits on the second floor with an open air balcony that looks into a popular thai restaurant across a tight alley, it also happens to be entirely vegetarian (score!). With a fairly extensive menu that will serve anything from tea leaf salad to avocado and coffee milk shakes (all three of which are recommended) we happily passed a couple hours resting our feet and escaping the scorching heat after several hours of touristing.

Visit:
Mandalay Hill - While the barefoot climb to the summit of the 240 meter hill on a series of covered stairways (with plenty of stops and viewpoints on the way) is worth it, you can also travel up by a combination of car and elevator. I personally recommend the walk, but if you're not able the latter option will also reward you with a striking panoroma of the city and access to Sutaungpyei Pagoda. The combination of the view, and the old and new world charms that were visible in the refurbished pagoda are well worth the trip and was a personal highlight for me.

Shwenandaw Kyaung - I could have spend hours looking at this intricately carved teak monastary. Each panel had something to admire and the blend of it all together was nothing short of striking.  Originally built as the royal apartment of King Mindon, it was once taken apart and put back together again just outside the palace walls and converted to a monastary after King Thibaw declared he could no longer stand the ghost of Mindon, who had died inside the apartment in 1878. Though not huge there is plenty to look at, and once inside men are allowed to explore the space that was once used as a bedroom where King Mindon passed.

Mahamuni Paya - One of the neatest, and most jarring, realities of the temples in Burma is that they are still widely used by local people today, which means the  aesthetic has changed over the years to include neon lights and a whole lot of glitz. This is perhaps most evident in Mahamuni Paya where throngs of people still go to visit the 13ft seated Buddha. Again, only men are allowed into the main room that houses buddha, but open air windows allow for view from the outside of the golden statue.  The courtyard and surrounding buildings of this Paya also hold many interesting artifacts to make note of and also offer some solice from the inevitable crowds.

Take a stroll - As I mentioned, Mandalay is a big city with a small town feel and it's worth just taking a walk along the unpaved roads to take in the sights and sounds that greet you. There's plenty to see, but watch out, traffic can get hectic and I only noticed a handful of traffic lights on my journey.

Until next time!