Myanmar’s Mon and Kayin States
Myanmar, formerly Burma, is a country in transition.
The Mon and Kayin States in southeastern Myanmar (Burma) offers great off-the-beaten-track adventures. Head down to Mawlamyine, Set Se Beach, Kyaikhto, as well as Hpa-An (in neighbouring Kayin State) and Bago (in neighbouring Bago State), and return to Myanmar’s largest city, Yangon. This region is off the “standard tourist trail” so in some areas you may travel for many days without seeing another foreign traveller. The tourist infrastructure is rather insignificant, but there are hotels and guesthouses mainly focused on local tourists and business people. Public transportation is an experience in itself! Take the train only if you have a strong stomach as even some locals puke when the train shakes out of control at just 20 km per hour.
The first time I visited Myanmar (Burma) was in July 2006 and at that time I promised myself that I will be back very soon. Well, it took me almost seven years to return. This time I promised that I will be back in less than a year! Myanmar has grabbed the title of “Land of Smiles (LOS)” from Thailand as this must be the friendliest country I have ever visited.
While I found during my 2013 trip more tourists than back in 2006, tourists are still quite scarce, in particular around the off-the-beaten places I visited in Mon State.
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GlobeRovers Magazine July 2013
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Residential area in downtown Yangon
Photo was taken from the train travelling from Yangon to Mawlamyine
At Pa-Auk-Taw-Ya Monastery south of Mawlamyine
Seafood snacks on Set Se Beach, south of Mawlamyine
Sunrise around Lat-ka-Na village, outside Hpa-An
Sunrise at Kan-Thar-Yar Lake, Hpa-An
At the Kyaiktiyo Pagoda (Golden Rock)
View of Bago from near the Snake Monastery
Monks at Kha Khat Wain Kyaung, Bago
ShweGule Maha Paduma Teaching Monastery, Bago.
Oxcart above the hills outside Mawlamyine
Boat trip from Mawlamyine to Hpa-An
Sunrise around Lat-ka-Na village with views of Mount Zwegabin, outside Hpa-An
Early morning in the streets of Bago
A tree outside Yangon
Food stand on the streets of Yangon
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This is a journey through Burma, the “Land of Tambadipa”. The journey starts in Rangoon and then goes north along the shores of Inle Lake. From here we head further north through Mandalay and up to the small village of Katha. A 24-hour boat trip on the mighty Ayerawaddy River goes through the Land of Copper (Tambadipa) and then back to Yangon.
Burma – Land of Tambadipa
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