Lured by images of mystical dawn views across the ancient temples of Bagan, to palm lined beaches, I spontaneously made travel plans to experience Myanmar, which is neighboured by Thailand, Laos and China in the east, also India in the west. I always enjoy escaping the grey gloom and rain of mid-Winter in England, so every February I head to warmer climes to nurture my soul. Returning home to early Spring, feeling invigorated and inspired is such a tonic.
My great Uncle Ted had served in Burma as it was then called, during the Second World War and regaled us with lengthy stories of his experiences there. Thankfully my journey was far quicker, although there are no direct flights from the UK. I flew from London to Yangon via Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and was delighted to check in to the luxuriously comfortable Strand Hotel in Yangon. Established by the Sarkies brothers who also opened Raffles Hotel in Singapore, along with the E&O Hotel in Penang, the Strand was originally described as the finest hotel east of the Suez and in its colonial heyday was frequented by the likes of Somerset Maugham and Rudyard Kipling. Totally refurbished and re-opened just a few months ago, the Strand is now clearly back at the top of its league.
The main sightseeing highlight in Yangon is the impressive Shwedagon Pagoda, Myanmar's most sacred Buddhist shrine. Dating back many centuries the current stupa was built in 1769 and is covered in real gold leaf. The glinting structure dominates the Yangon skyline and attracts pilgrims and tourists in large numbers.
Having set the scene in Yangon, I then flew to Mandalay to pick up The Strand cruise on the Ayeyarwady River. Before boarding there was time to visit U Bein's Bridge, another Myanmar highlight. This new sister ship to the Strand hotel totally exceeded expectations
and was the highlight of my whole trip. I'm now a convert to the delights of river cruising. Having previously thought such a trip was not ideal when travelling solo and even though the other passengers were all couples, there was a lovely house party atmosphere on board, the crew were truly fabulous and the cruise was very sociable with everyone joining together for pre-dinner drinks, shore excursions and on one particular evening a memorable barbecue set up on a sand bank alongside the anchored ship.
At the colourful market in Bagan, displays of so many things I'd never seen before caught my eye, such as these betel leaves.
With many fascinating temples, monasteries, stupas and shrines covering a 26 mile archeological site, it is easy to have temple fatigue. There are over 3,000 structures from the mid-1100's to mid-1300's when Bagan was the imperial capital. Even Marco Polo visited the area. At the end of the river cruise I had two additional nights in Bagan, although most of the main sights had all been incorporated during the cruise excursions. Having some much needed relaxation time back at my hotel to balance all the sightseeing was very welcome and my favourite pool-side lunch was this traditional tea leaf salad, along with fresh avocado juice. In Myanmar avocados are used as fruit.
From Bagan I then flew to visit Inle Lake, populated by the Intha people who live in stilt villages, growing crops on floating gardens and fishing using a unique leg-rowing technique. Travelling around the lake was by motorised long boat, which was a speedy way to cover the distances involved and depended on the knowledge of an experienced boat man. I had a private guide in each location throughout my trip, which was essential to me being able to go to so many incredible places and have peace of mind about travelling by myself. A major benefit was also being able to tailor-make the itinerary to my own interests, rather than be caught up in a large group with a set timetable.
Around the lake are many craft workshops including weaving, silver smiths, and a cheroot making factory.
From Inle Lake I flew to Thwande on the west coast and the resort of Ngapali situated on the Bay of Bengal, to enjoy a few days independently at the beach to finish my holiday. Beautiful weather and no agenda apart from spa treatments, were the perfect combination. Fresh coconut juice from one of the ever smiling fruit vendors was a daily pleasure.
Soft sand and body temperature sea with gentle waves were a delight. Even though building work is taking place to establish new hotels, thankfully development is low level and in keeping with the surroundings. Ngapali is a gem and was the perfect end to my Myanmar adventure.
