Myanmar

I was in Myanmar for 28 days in January 2020. Yes, right before covid became really trendy.

Myanmar is a country I really loved. I hitchhiked, ate a lot of food, wandered around temples barefoot, and took a big long boat trip. These are some things to do in Myanmar for my next visit:

Things to do in Myanmar (Next Time)

  • Hitchhike even more. It worked pretty well!
  • Cross a land border into/out of Myanmar from Bangladesh, India (Pangsu Pass or Tamu Moreh), China, and/or Laos (Kenglat/Xieng Kok). The only border crossing with Thailand that still interests me is the one at Htee Khee/Ban Phu Nam Ron.
  • Travel north of Mandalay, preferably on the Irrawaddy River by boat
  • Visit Sittwe and some islands in the Bay of Bengal, such as Munaung and its mud volcano. Also the famous Ngapali Beach is in that general area
  • Do also some standard tourist trail activities, such as the Kyaik Htee Yoe Pagoda, Inle Lake, and the Goteik Viaduct

If you know cool places and things to do in Myanmar, comment at the bottom of this page so I can always find your suggestions again once I start plotting my return! Tips are especially welcome if you are Myanma or lived there for a while

Are you a travel blogger and do you have good posts about Myanmar? Drop them in a comment below and I’ll read them!

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

Shwezigon Pagoda, Bagan (Myanmar)—Wonder of the Burmese

We visited the Shwezigon Pagoda on January 8th and 9th, 2020. This iconic stupa is located in Nyaung-U/Bagan, Myanmar, close to the banks of the Irrawaddy River. During my visit, the mandatory Bagan Archaeological Zone Pass, which cost 25 000 MMK (€16.25), included the Shwezigon Pagoda. The reason there’s a dedicated post to this pagoda is its inclusion in the videogame Age of Empires II. Contents1 First Visit to the Shwezigon Pagoda2 Vista from Bagan Viewing Tower3 Shwezigon Pagoda Night Visit4 History of the Shwezigon Pagoda5 Price to Enter Shwezigon6 Shwezigon Pagoda as a Wonder in Age of Empires II7Continue reading

How to Get a SIM Card in Myanmar

Telecom and internet are developing very rapidly in Myanmar. Everything we read before we visited the country in January 2020 was already outdated. By the time I hit publish on this article, some information might already be a little off. So here’s the most recent info we acquired. Please leave a comment at the bottom of this article if you have additional or new information about the SIM-card situation in Myanmar. The country code for Myanmar is +95 Contents1 A Brief History of Myanma Telecommunications2 Why Should I Get a SIM Card in Myanmar?3 Which Provider Should I Choose?3.1 ShouldContinue reading

Madagascar Tourist Visa Extension in Toliara: 30 Days Extra

We tried to extend our tourist visa in Madagascar in the coastal city of Toliara, aka Tuléar or Toliary. Our first visit attempt was on Friday the 23rd of December, and the next time Monday the 26th of December. Trying the Madagascar tourist visa extension around Christmas was obviously not ideal. Contents1 Why Extend the Madagascar Tourist Visa?2 Where to Extend Your Tourist Visa in Madagascar3 Researching the Malagasy Tourist Visa Extension4 Attempt 1: Friday before Christmas5 Attempt 2: Visa Extension Progress?5.1 Bitter boomers5.2 A useless sidequest5.3 Paying for the visa extension6 Attempt 3: We got it!7 Madagascar Tourist VisaContinue reading

Morondava: Avenue of the Baobabs + Baobab Fruit Experience

We visited the Alley of the Baobabs aka Avenue of the Baobabs on the 12th of December, 2022. Before that, we ate some baobab fruit we bought at the central market of Morondava, west Madagascar. Contents1 Our First Encounter with Baobab Fruit (Back in Mauritius)2 Buying + Eating Baobab Fruit in Morondava3 Visiting the Avenue of the Baobabs by Taxi3.1 Arranging a taxi to L’Allée des Baobabs3.2 Uh-oh3.3 Driving to L’Avenue des Baobabs to see the sunrise3.4 Driving north3.5 The Sacred Baobab (Baobab Sacré)3.6 To the Baobab’s in Love (Baobabs Amoureux)3.7 The long drive back to Morondava4 Good info? PonderContinue reading

How to Get a Turkish SIM Card (In the Small and Non-Touristic Towns of Turkey)

We bought our Turkish SIM cards on Monday the 25th of October, one day after arriving in Karasu. Karasu is a port town on the Black Sea coast and we’d arrived by ferry. It’s relatively small and getting a Turkish SIM card wasn’t straightforward. This post is supposed to help people who are also arriving in Turkey by land or sea and in a smaller town away from places geared toward foreigners. Contents1 Our Experience Buying a Turkish SIM Card in Karasu2 FAQ Turkish SIM Card + Internet Freedom in Turkey2.1 Which provider should I choose?2.2 Should I buy theContinue reading

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