After some intense traveling in Myanmar, we were mostly in Ranong to relax and work. Our place at Savika’s Guesthouse was an excellent base to explore the region from. On the 3rd of February, 2020, we rented a scooter from our own guest house. Very convenient! Make sure to also check out the map of our route at the bottom of this article. Contents1 PornRang Hotsprings2 PornRang Resort + Restaurant3 Namtok Ngao National Park4 Mu Ko Ranong National Park5 Ranong Canyon6 Hat Som Paen Dam—the Reservoir7 Prices8 Route Map of Ranong Scooter Trip PornRang Hotsprings First, we drove out ofContinue reading
Author: Iris Veldwijk
Myanmar Itinerary: Maxing Out Our 28-Day e-Visa
This article sums up our four-week journey through Myanmar in Southeast Asia. As we’d bought a Myanma e-visa before we left, we maxed out our 28 days. We traveled in the month of January (dry season) from the 3rd till the 31st. Though we mostly traveled by hitchhiking, we also took one cruise and one train to spice things up. We always planned and booked one week in advance. You may steal this Myanmar itinerary! Contents1 Day 1: Arriving in Mandalay from Chiang Mai2 Day 2–4: Mandalay3 Day 5: Down the Irrawaddy River to Old Bagan4 Day 6+7: Old BaganContinue reading
Kawthaung to Ranong: Crossing from Myanmar to Thailand by Longtail Boat
The events in this story happened on Friday the 31st of January 2020. We reentered Thailand near Ranong after one month in Myanmar in the southernmost city of Kawthaung. There it’s possible to travel to Ranong across the Kraburi/Pak Chan/Kyan river mouth in the Andaman Sea. Mind you that these were the early days of the coronavirus outbreak and Thailand already had its first 14 confirmed cases. Click here to skip to the summary of tips for what to bring and what to expect. Preparations The Kawthaung-Ranong border is one of the few border crossings between Myanmar and Thailand thatContinue reading
Hitchhiking in Myanmar – Everything You Need to Know!
Jonas and I went hitchhiking in Myanmar between the 3rd and the 31st of January 2020. These tips are based on our experiences and the laws of Myanmar during that timeframe. Feel welcome to add your own hitchhiking in Myanmar experiences + adventures in the comments! Contents1 Basic Tips2 Is Hitchhiking in Myanmar Legal or Illegal?3 Do People in Myanmar Know What Hitchhiking Is?4 Where to Stand When Hitchhiking in Myanmar?5 Why Do They Drive on the Right?6 I Keep Hearing About This Yangon-Mandalay Expressway. Why?7 How to Make Hitchhiking Signs in Myanma Script?8 What to Wear When Hitchhiking inContinue reading
Myeik→ Bokpyin→ Kawthaung: Hitchhiking Two Consecutive Days in Myanmar
Events described in this post reflect those that happened on Tuesday the 28th and Wednesday the 29th of January, 2020. Jonas and I hitchhiked for two consecutive days from Myeik to Kawthaung with a one-night stopover in Bokpyin, Myanmar. This road is fairly new and quite adventurous. Before they built it, the only way to get from Myeik to Kawthaung was by ferry. Preparing to Hitchhike the Last Stretch of the AH-112 We had spent a lovely few days at the upscale Regent Hotel in Myanmar. One of the reasons to pick a fancier hotel was that we knew theContinue reading
Dawei to Myeik by Thumb – Hitchhiking Myanmar’s National Highway 8
Events narrated in this article happened on Friday the 24th of January, 2020. Jonas and I hitchhiked from Dawei to Myeik in the Thanintharyi Region of Myanmar. Finding a Tollgate During our three prior hitchhiking experiences in Myanmar, we figured that nothing beats a toll booth. Unfortunately, neither OSM nor Google Maps had a toll booth on the road south of Dawei in direction of Myeik (မြိတ်). I’d found a report online about Myanmar’s infrastructure which said there are nearly 400 tollgates in Myanmar. Surely, there must be a tollgate south of Dawei. So I used the good old techniqueContinue reading
The Way to Dawei: Hitchhiking from Mawlamyine
Events in this story happened on Tuesday the 21st of January, 2020. Jonas and I hitchhiked from Mawlamyine to Dawei in Myanmar. Arranging the Tuk-Tuk As we’re slowly running out of visa days in Myanmar, we only stayed two nights in Mawlamyine. The day before departure, we asked the staff at Thanlwin Seesar Hotel to arrange a tuk-tuk for us to the toll gate. As the previous hitchhiking days had taught us, toll gates are simply the best places to stand to hitchhike from in Myanmar. We showed them the location of the Phar Auk Toll Gate on the mapsContinue reading
Wandering around Shampoo Island (Gaung Say Kyun), Mawlamyine
Events described here happened on the 20th of January, 2020. We visited Gaung Say Kyun Island, also known as ‘Shampoo Island’ on our one full day in Mawlamyine. Getting to the Jetty Before traveling by train from Yangon to Mawlamyine, I’d already marked a few spots I wanted to visit in the city. The highlight of those was an island in the Thanlwin (Salween) river delta named Shampoo Island. Its actual name is Gaung Say Kyun Island (ခေါင်းဆေးကျွန်း). I’d already spotted the island and its tallest pagoda and its scaffolding when we crossed the river by train the previous day.Continue reading
The Train from Yangon to Mawlamyine
This train journey occurred on Sunday the 19th of January, 2020. Jonas and I took the train from Yangon to Mawlamyine in Myanmar. “Kyat” and “MMK” both stand for the currency used in Myanmar. Click here to see the map of the route plus some tips. Contents1 A Novel Experiences: Taking a Train2 Getting Tickets at Myanma Railways Booking Office3 Getting to the Train Station4 Getting Out of Yangon5 Level Crossings6 Making Slow Progress to Mawlamyine7 The World’s (Second) Largest Sitting Buddha8 The Most Beautiful Stretch and Candy Throwing9 Approaching Mottama10 11 Arriving in Mawlamyine12 Trains in Myanmar Tips +Continue reading