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Post by whothingie on Jul 15, 2017 20:59:42 GMT -5
The Stans can't be until next year - May probably - because of visa and other issues including the winter chill so am thinking seriously about Myanmar for a pre Christmas holiday. Time frame to fit work rosters would be 8th Dec and have to be back on the 22nd. (those with kids have school holidays priority which is fine by me)
Any one been and can give advice?
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Post by wombatrois on Jul 16, 2017 7:36:34 GMT -5
I went in 2015 for about 3.5 weeks. We were just reminiscing this afternoon with friends who lived there for a couple of years in the early 2000s! We decided to just go to a few places - we're not keen on travelling every other day - so we just went to Yangon, Mandalay, Pwin Oo Lwin, Bagan, Inle Lake (Nyaungshwe) and Kalaw. It was August / September. Mandalay was our least favourite place, but possibly because we were really sick and it absolutely bucketed down, so we couldn't really do anything anyway. The owner of the hotel was really helpful, though, and took us to a pharmacy and bank and didn't charge us anything. We did prefer the smaller places like Pwin Oo Lwin, Nyaungshwe and Kalaw, but Bagan is really unmissable - the over 2000 temples, monasteries and libraries are amazing. We hired bikes from our hotel and rode around the area every day - it's fairly flat and easy riding. As we were in off season, the balloons weren't flying, otherwise I would have definitely spent the $s to do that - it would have been truly amazing to see them all spread out below you. We had one of the best meals in Nyaungshwe - modern Shan cuisine - and the most gorgeous setting inleviewpoint.com/burma-restaurant/. We went twice and thought we really should try another place on the third night. We should have gone back! The lake itself is OK, but you will be taken to the boatman's friend's restaurant for lunch and there is nothing you can do about it! Yangon was also a highlight - we can highly recommend a walking tour we took - basically Bob (an Aussie ex-pat) just took us to some of the more interesting and run down places in town - places you would never be able to go inside yourself (e.g. an art deco cinema, including the projection room! and the most spectacular of old buildings, the Balthazar Building where people are living in essentially a ruin with no running water or electricity). www.tripadvisor.com.au/Attraction_Review-g294191-d4744105-Reviews-or10-Yangon_Walking_Tours-Yangon_Rangoon_Yangon_Region.htmlBob may not be doing these tours any more, although it seems he was up until January 2017. Some great restaurants and food in Yangon. We weren't that taken with the Burmese curries, but the Indian food is great and the pan-Asian in some of the mid-range restaurants is pretty good. Snacks and food on the streets are good too. I think the Burmese curries are just a bit too oily for me. We took a trip down the Irrawaddy from Mandalay to Bagan, which was a nice way to spend a day watching life go by as you sail down the river. There are some quite nice hikes in Kalaw and Pwin Oo Lwin is a lovely little hill station where the British used to get away from the heat in Mandalay (just don't order an iced coffee - I'm sure this is what made us sick). We are usually pretty resilient in Asia, but Burma is definitely 3rd world in some parts.
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Post by whothingie on Jul 16, 2017 13:41:54 GMT -5
Great. Thanks. I love the idea of a walking tour. I usually look for something like that. I'm sort of having second thoughts as I've dug a bit deeper into some of the individual temple info and concerned that the huge number of steps may be my undoing. I have artificial knees and while I manage steps I'm slower than the fit youngsters and like to have a rail handy or take a stick. Not sure if a stick would be acceptable in the temples - and haven't gone barefoot for years. India we were allowed socks to stop blisters.
I'm looking at a small group (12 or less) tour as I'm not as confident these days doing all of it on my own as I travel solo now. Often I do a bit of a mix. Arrive early and get myself sorted before the rest arrive.
Again Thanks.
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