Like in a Misty Dream on Inle Lake
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From my hotel, I made my way by foot to the main hub where all the boats were docked. The daunting task of negotiating began. It was the Thingyan Festival so I already knew prices would be double – at … Read More

The Cost of Achieving Gilded Perfection in Mandalay
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What stands out while traveling in Myanmar is how many sacred Buddha images and pagodas are gilded in shiny gold leaves  Yes, it’s real gold! The most prominent of these shimmering relics is Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon cloaked in an … Read More

A Close Encounter With Yangon’s Most Dangerous Street Gang
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After visiting the Sacred Golden Rock, we hopped on the last bus to Yangon. As expected in a country where infrastructure is subpar, the bus ride was longer than expected. The bus was what I had grown accustomed to during … Read More

A Brief Guide to the Most Compelling Temples of Ancient Bagan
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The ancient city of Bagan dating back to the 9th century is the most coveted site in Myanmar attracting not only foreigners but also thousands of Burmese pilgrims every year. Originally, nearly 10,000 monuments were erected between the 9th and … Read More

Olfactory Memories of Myeik
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Although I usually try to find something good about every place I visit keeping in mind that simply being there is a privilege in itself, there’s the odd time when I’m more likely looking forward to leaving than to exploring. … Read More

Stepping Inside the Biggest Reclining Buddha Image in the World
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The biggest reclining Buddha in the world is a pretty ambitious claim. Measuring nearly 600 feet / 180 meters, this reclining Buddha is truly deserving of its unofficial world-record holding title!   Win Sein Taw Ya is the proper name … Read More

Visiting Mount Kyaikhtiyo and the Sacred Golden Rock
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Squeezed in like tiny sardines in a tin can, knees tightly pressed against the bench in front of us, I braced myself for the ride up to Mount Kyaikhtiyo. The driver started the roaring motor and the open-air truck jutted … Read More

With Thousands of Buddha Eyes Watching Over Hpa-An
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With the Thanlwin River flowing like a ribbon through the lush land and towering karst mountains outlining the landscape all around, Hpa-An was like no other place in Myanmar. The only thing I knew about this laidback town was the presence … Read More

How to Make the Most of Your Time In Yangon
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I arrived in Yangon with high hopes and a ponytail but the stifling heat, rising to temperatures in the mid-40’s Celsius, made it difficult to enjoy. I was there in April, just before monsoon season. A swell of heat had … Read More

Creative Recycling Ideas Spotted in South East Asia
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Anyone who’s been to any ‘developing’ country in Southeast Asia will agree that recycling of any kind isn’t widely, if at all, practiced. The extent of recycling in this part of the world might consist of someone painstakingly carrying bundles … Read More

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