My trip to Burma.

[billyboy]

It was a very pleasent journey into Inle, the traffic was virtualy non existant and the roads in some places where barely roads at all, more like just a track.The vehicles i saw seemed like they had all been made up from bits and pieces, nevertheless they worked! Also many horse and carts where on the roads, sometimes carrying people othertimes goods. My driver on route told me that this particular road we where on was built by the British many years ago, as was the railway line. In the photograph you can see the railway line cutting through into the Burmese jungle, it must have taken some building to do this all those years ago. The air was good, the skys where blue and it was extremely hot this day.

Billy.

[billyboy]

The accomodation i had originaly planned to try to stay in when i got to Inle was fully booked but i found a realy nice place mostly built of teakwood with very nice rooms and the owners where very helpfull. It was close to the river which suited me fine and was roughly $15 per night including breakfast. This was one of the more expensive places here, down on the riverside you could get basic rooms for $6 or $7 dollars. Bycycle hire was about 2,500 kyet a day, based on the rates of exchange i was getting there that would be under $3 dollars for the day.It was very nice and quiet here, there where not to many tourists and the few bars come small restaurants had little or no custom at all.A torch was absolutely essential here in Inle as the electric at night seemed to be of more than it was on and the holes in the roads and pavements where treacherous, night times where pitch black.Arriving in the evening i had a little walk about and had a meal of Shan noodle soup with some bbq chicken and vegetables. Things are so very basic here, but the food was good and so was the company of the Inle people. I was travelling alone and always some one would come and want to chat or ask me what i think so far of Burma and will i return, this was always the same question in all the places i visited.I managed to get a boat booked on my first night ready to go and see the fishermen of inle the following morning.I was looking forward to that.

Billy.

[yy]

Billy, it seems like a traveller can well get by quite comfortably on US$40 to $50 per day in Myanmar? I assume you mean US dollars?

Your meal looks quite a spread. How much did you spend on that?

[billyboy]

Hi peiyan,

Yes you would certainly be able to budget on $40 to $50 US dollars per day in Burma. I think the meal i had above was under $1 dollar. Later when i get to Bagan i will show a meal i had there which was about 12 courses for $3 dollars!

Billy.

[Jasonkoh82]

Huh so cheap? Singapore food here at least cost around S$3 plus and above...

[billyboy]

Having hired the boat for the day (and it was a full day). I paid $18. It would have been $15 but i wanted to also visit one of the markets which was a good long distance away. You can share a boat with others quite easily with up to 6 in a boat and make a good saving, but being on my own i did not have to ahere to any time scales when visiting places which suited me, like the market i mentioned above which was where i spent a very long time because there was so much to see plus a beautifull Temple.But it was to be Inle lake where i ventured out into for my first ever time and it was a dawn start.The air was as clean and fresh as ever but it was so cold, you will need a warm coat for sure if you go this early.It is not to long though before the sun rises and it gets very hot. But as we left, the mist all over the lake and the buzz off the longtailed boat engines echoed all around. It was a beautifull morning with views of the Burmese mountains on one side and sillhouettes of fishermen on the other. It was a wonderfull sight.

Billy.

[billyboy]

The rudders from the longtail boats stir up the mud from the lake bottom and the seagulls always ready for a free meal swoop down hungrily sometimes nearly attacking the people in the boat!

Billy.

[Khun Don]

I also recommend hiring on ones own, whether it be boats or taxis-like Bill says-your time is your own. OK, it costs-but it is excellent value for the money, particularly if the driver - speaks English.

PS-great early morning shots of the fishermen

[UPUPANDAWAY]

Hi,

My first ever trip to Burma was last year in december 2010. It all came about after reading in the forums about Bettis holiday there. It inspired me to make the long journey to the country of Myanmar. My trip was for 14 days and it took me to Rangoon, Nyaungshwe to visit Inle Lake, Mandalay because i wanted to see the magnificent teak bridge that is on the front cover on the Lonely Planet guide and Bagan the land of thousands of Temples. It is here that i booked a hot air balloon trip to see as much as i could on my visit..( it was only after making the flight booking i remembered my fear of heights ). I will come back later to this one! To finaly get to the airport and departure from the UK to Burma via a stay in Bangkok for Loy Krathong it took an extremely lot of e-mails and correspondance to sort internal flights in Burma out and countless hours probably running into days researching and trying to sort my visa and getting to grips with the currency and where,how and what you can and cannot exchange was a bit of a concern. I will explain in more detail in later posts, but now i have done it and been there i now know it will not be half as much work next time and will share any information with anyone who might be thinking of making a trip to Burma. All in all it was a dream holiday, and please will you join me on my trip.

I arrived a little late in the evening into Rangoon from Bangkok and had pre- booked a place to stay there.No problems on arrival,passport control was very fast and as soon as i got through i was met by a taxi driver from the hotel to take me there. I was very excited on the journey, a new country, new sights, and before i new it i saw the huge magnificent Shwedegon Pagoda in all it's glory towering in blazing gold all lit up, it was stunning. In no time i was at my hotel and unpacked and headed for Kandawagi Lake which was a short taxi drive away.I will try to keep my postings and pictures in some order, but here are some to start with and i will post more later.
Not sure if i have done this correct but the first photograph is a family enjoying an evening in the park. The second shows Shwedegon Pagoda at sunset and the third one is just after sunset. I have many pictures to post, please bear with me.

Thank you,

Billy.

Beautiful

[billyboy]

Inle was i thought mysterious, it was such an unusual way of fishing and i suppose living. Everything and everyone had to move or be moved about by boat. When the boats went up the narrow waterways which where like a maze, i could never work out how the boatmen found there way. Either side of the channels there where huge plantations of various crops being grown in this rich fertile conditions tomatoes being a major one and corn.Children went to and from school in the boats and at every point along the way there was always the fishermen,I never once saw a fisherman lose his ballance or fall in at any time. i think eels where sought after for catching as well as fish.

Billy.