#  >  > Travellers Tales in Thailand and Asia >  >  > Vietnam, Nepal and Burma  Travel Forum >  >  Yangon to Mawlamyine to Mae Sot: Questions

## katie23

Hi all! I'm in the midst of planning a trip and presently looking at Google maps. 

1. Is it possible to travel by land from Yangon to Mawlamyine (1 day?), pit stop in Mawlamyine (maybe 1-2 days?), then travel by land again from Mawlamyine to Mae Sot (1 day?).  Or does it take longer than 1 day to travel Y->M or M->MS? What is the mode of transport? Train, bus, minivan, etc?

2. I plan to enter Thailand through Mae Sot, then take the night bus from MS to BKK.  Are the night buses safe or is it better to take a day bus? I figure that if I take a night bus, it will save me a day of travel (I'll just sleep on the night bus). I may be meeting a friend(s) in BKK and we'll travel onwards together. 

3. Re: safety - is it safe to travel by land alone in Myanmar (Yangon to Mae Sot)? I might be traveling alone in that leg of my journey.  I look like a local in any SEA country, so thankfully, I haven't been harassed or stuff like that.  When I travel alone, I don't get drunk or stay out late and generally don't do stupid things.  

Re: visas, I don't need a visa for Myanmar, Thailand or other SEA countries. 

phuketrichard, if you're here & reading this thread, your input would be highly appreciated as you've been there recently.  

Thanks in advance!  :Smile:

----------


## beerlaodrinker

Haven't seen phuket  Richard posting here for a while Katie, but seem to recall him doing a thread on mawlamyine? That might of been of been on a forum called Khmer 440 ? Not sure, I only lurk on there sometimes, have a look?

----------


## katie23

^Thanks for the info, BLD. I might include Vientiane in this trip. Schedule & itinerary is not yet final, but if VTE is included, I'll inform you.  :Smile:

----------


## Phuketrichard

just back ( yesterday) from this trip 

https://teakdoor.com/vietnam-nepal-an...r-myanmar.html


This is the trip i did in Dec;  Cambodia Forums ? View topic - Photo essay; Yangon to Kwathoung Myanmar

OK:
Get ur visa online or at the embassy
Yangon to Golden rock , 3 hours bu bus,spent the night,well worth seeing
Than down to Hpa-An by Bus .....a fantastic place

Down to Mawlamyine by boat ( 2 hours)
than there are shared taxi or bus's to the border at Mae sot no problem for single lady in Myanmar 
Why do u say u dont need a visa?  are you Thai??

----------


## beerlaodrinker

Katie is Filipino Richard, I'm sure she will love the info, thought you might of been the guy who would know the current info

----------


## beerlaodrinker

By the way the Thais DO need a visa for Myanmar , Lao citizens do not, my last trip to Yangon via Bangkok don muang airport nearly turned ugly when the Shirtlifter at check in refused to let my Lao wife board claiming that she didn't have a visa, I nearly went ballistic but kept my cool and suggested a quick Google search would quickly give him the answer. The Myanmar embassy in Vientiane is a stones throw from my house in Lao and the wife was with me when I got my visa, of course we checked if she needed a visa. Anyway the fool refused to accept he was wrong and I refused to budge from the long line of punters waiting to check in until his supervisor was summoned. Silly fucker lost a bit of face when his supervisor ripped that gender confused fooker a new one. Getting to damn old to take shit from self important dipshits these days.

Quite enjoyed Yangon to.

BLD

----------


## Phuketrichard

thais get 15 days visa exempt now  :-)

Visa exempt
 Brunei[2] Cambodia[3] Indonesia[4] Laos[5] Philippines[6] Thailand (by air only)[7] Vietnam[8]

----------


## aging one

Looking at the Burmese Immigration website it seems there is an E visa on arrival available. I think that must be what she is looking at.

----------


## Phuketrichard

there is NO EVISA available on arrival
it is a pre-approved visa which u MUST apply for online and ONLY valid for flying in

----------


## aging one

So could it be she plans to apply for it and fly into Yangon? But she does have to get that EVisa that is for sure.

----------


## Phuketrichard

> So could it be she plans to apply for it and fly into Yangon? But she does have to get that EVisa that is for sure.


not if she is for one of the 7 countries i listed that get 15 days visa exempt.  :-)

----------


## Phuketrichard

i see she mentioned she was planning on taking a night bus   WHYYYY:  sure u save a hotel but u miss the views, not worth it in my book, i have only once traveled by night in Myanmar an that was the overnight (22 hour) train Mandalay to Myyitkyina

----------


## katie23

Thnx 4 d replies, richard et al.  I don't need a visa to Myanmar as I'm a Filipina.  I think the visa restrictions were lifted in '13 or '14 due to Myanmar encouraging tourism & the ASEAN integration thing. A colleague travelled to MM last year & she didn't encounter problems - she was just stamped in. Will ask her how many days she got.

@richard: I won't be taking the night bus but will take the night train at one point (mawlamyine to yangon).  It's not just to save on hotels but also on time. I only have a few days leave & I have to get back to work after my trip. 

Sory 4 txt talk - frm fone.

----------


## barrylad66

> there is NO EVISA available on arrival
> it is a pre-approved visa which u MUST apply for online and ONLY valid for flying in


Richard, 
I was planning a trip to Myanmar in June, and my plan was to cycle tour around, but my wife had different ideas! I did suggest she rode on the buses etc and we could meet at arranged destinations but she was having none of it. :rofl: ..anyway, my plan was to cross at techallik and travel from there, but i'm not really sure about the visa situation. Can I do a border crossing or do i have to fly in.?  :Confused:

----------


## Phuketrichard

u can cross the land border IF u have a a visa in advance from the Embassy (not the one online) 

from techallik u need fly onwards, overland travel  not permitted passed Kentung ( yet :-) )
Better/cheaper fly to Mandalay and start ur trip there, unless ur living up north.= and get ur visa in CM
some internal flights are expensive ( my last one  this month; Mandalay-  Khamti) was more than my flight phuket-Bangkok- Mandalay)

----------


## katie23

Hi all, update to this thread. Am now in Vientiane, having brekky. Met the handsome BLD & his lovely family yday. They showed me around a.bit & gave a good intro to Vte. Maraming salamat, Bld!  :Smile:  Am staying at a guesthouse, lots of Frenchies here. Will slowly make my way to burma. Will be at Udon Thani tom. If any1 wants to meet, PM me. -frm fone

----------


## palexxxx

Are you coming to Chiang Mai Katie?

----------


## katie23

^nope, CM not in my itinerary. Would have loved to go there as.I havent been, but lack time! Only a few days leave & shld be back at work on Mon (18th).  I know there are lots of members here frm CM. Maybe nxt holiday. Have to earn again. Lol

Edit: have taken lots of photos, including pervy ones. For all types, even those for Withnall. Lol. If i have free time when I get home, will make a thread.

----------


## Gazza

> 2. I plan to enter Thailand through Mae Sot, then take the night bus from MS to BKK. Are the night buses safe or is it better to take a day bus? I figure that if I take a night bus, it will save me a day of travel (I'll just sleep on the night bus).


Katie, night buses from Mae Sot to BKK are ok but wait until you reach the town of Tak before trying to sleep. The road from MS to Tak has stretches presently undergoing reconstruction and is slow and bumpy and the bus might get stopped as many as 3 times for passport/ID checks.

Bear in mind that overnight buses might still be fully booked up with people returning from the Songkran hols. I did BKK-MS-BKK on March 30-31 and my buses were full.
If so, and regardless of what time you arrive at Mae Sot, you'll always have the option of taking a mini bus (80 bt)to the town of Tak from where you can catch the next available daytime or overnight bus to BKK from destinations further north.

So if you arrive in MS too early and don't want to hang for several hours, go to Tak. Not much to see in MS.

If you should have a choice of seating, get seat A5 if possible which has plenty of leg room and allows you to even place your luggage on the floor in front of you. Seat A5 has the stairs in front of you so you have an unobstructed view of the tv and nobody in front of you reclining their seats taking up your leg room.

----------


## katie23

^thnx for the info. I won't be taking the night bus to Bkk anymore, as I've changed my route. I am now in Udon Thani. Lots of ppl at the Thai-Lao border due to Songkran. Thnx for the info, maybe I'll use it in future travels.  :Smile:

----------


## baldrick

> even those for Withnall


withnall is a mere amateur when compared to my good self

----------


## katie23

^lol on that.  I took a walk around UT, saw the Central Plaza mall, UD town mall & other places in between. Batt on camera went dead, but I was able to snap some pics for Withnall AND baldrick. 

Impressions of UT: it's a small provincial city. Reminds me of other provincial cities back home. Same same but diff. Along the way (even in Laos), I saw spirit houses in the front yard. In PI, it's not spirit houses but a grotto w/ the Virgin Mary. Same same but diff. 

Saw many farang in my walk around UT. Most are "silver foxes", but saw 1 or 2 younguns too. Maybe Teflers(?).  Most of the silver foxes were, ahem, overweight, but some were fit.  Saw many of them w/ GFs. I think 1 had a ladyboy Gf. If it makes them happy then why not? It's my first time in UT, but not in Th. I've been to Ayutthaya & Aranyaprathet, so I saw some of the countryside & not just Bkk.

----------


## Dapper

The road from Mae Sot to Mae Sariang is superb.

The next journey from Mae Sariang to Pai is outstanding.

Stop at Pang Mapha and take a trip into million year old caves.

Myanmar? - no idea - never been there  :Smile:

----------


## Dillinger

> Saw many farang in my walk around UT. Most are "silver foxes",


Did one walk with a limp? Could well be Withnall up there :Smile:

----------


## katie23

Mae sariang not on the list, maybe nxt time (hopefully).

Didn't notice if anyone limped. Lol 

Am staying at a hotel now, w/ my own bathroom, yay! The previous places I've stayed (KL & Vte) had shared bathrooms. I chose to splurge a bit in UT & have my own b/r, so that I can wash clothes! They're now drying there as I type. Shld be dry tom morn.  :Wink:  At least I wont be classed w/ the great unwashed of Kao San Rd. Lol

But hey, most of the backpackers I've met DO wash. But then, they're not soap dodgers. Lol. Lots of Frenchies & Germans in the hostel in Vte, but a few silver foxes too. 

Met some Pinoys on the bus frm Vte to UT. They're teachers in Laos & escaping the madness of Pi Mai (sp?). Some went frm UT to Phuket for a beach holiday.

----------


## baldrick

> Did one walk with a limp? Could well be Withnall up there


 :Smile: 




> the obese fellow who checked in with a much younger man and then dressed  him up in a furry costume with horns, saying, “You are heavenly; I have  never seen a more beautiful sheep-boy.


The Voyeur?s Motel - The New Yorker

----------


## stroller

> Met some Pinoys on the bus frm Vte to UT. They're teachers in Laos & escaping the madness of Pi Mai (sp?).


To Thailand???
Surprise, surprise!

----------


## aging one

> To Thailand??? Surprise, surprise!


Get the fuck off a good thread you troll Stroller. You have morphed into pond scum. Seriously. This is a travel thread that is well appreciated.

----------


## beerlaodrinker

Keep us posted Katie, and yes I'm pretty sure one of them silver foxes  you saw was withnall.

----------


## beerlaodrinker

Yep what he said, Fock of stroller, ya daft coont

----------


## katie23

Thanks to all those who are interested (or bored) enough to read the Adventures of Katie 2016. Lol

Is withnall American, Aussie or British? I saw 2 silver foxes & asked them for directions back to Central Plaza in UT. I got a little lost since I just walked around, took pics, saw the night market, looked at some clothes & shoes (hey, I'm a girl), but I didn't buy anything. For one, I don't have much space in my backpack. If I suddenly became an "Imelda" (marcos), then it would be tough to bring those shoes in public transport while backpacking! 

The problem with toilets in the provinces is that, more often than not, it's a squat toilet.  In PI, most public toilets are of the western kind. Some w/ flusher, some need a bucket for flushing. I don't like squat toilets, as they take more maneuvering.  But one must answer the call of nature, whether it's in rural Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam or Thailand!

Am now in Mae Sot, in a nice, homey guesthouse.  I have my own b/r too!  I think it's a family-owned GH.  I traveled for 12 hrs today, 1 big bus & 2 minibuses.  Left my hotel at 6:30 am to catch the 7:30 bus at the other, far bus station.  I thought I would be at Mae Sot by 2pm, but at that time, I had just reached Phitsanulok! In P, the big bus was already full, so I was advised to take the minibus to Tak, then take another minibus at Tak to Mae Sot.  I don't like minibuses or minivans (based on the horror stories here), but i wanted to be in MS before nightfall as I had a reservation there (and my schedule might be delayed as I made a packed itinerary). All my lodgings were pre-booked bcos I know that it's Songkran & places might be full. 

I passed through countless ricefields, little sleepy towns (nakhon nowhere) while riding a very hot big bus. The a/c didn't work well.  I passed by some mountainous roads too.  On the way from Tak to MS (in the minibus), I was seated in front, beside the driver.  Thus I got good views. Winding roads on mountainous area.  The ride reminded me of my trip to the US, while in a friend's car in Maryland. Far stretches of road, with mountains in the distance. The trees & signages are diff, but the feeling was the same.  Same-same but diff. I also remembered the song, Take Me Home, Country Road. Was it by John Denver? Can someone put a utube link to that song on this thread? I'm on phone & don't know how to post links frm here. 

Btw, is it gazza(?) said something abt checkpoints from MS to Tak.  Yes, there were chkpts, but only cursory glances for our minibus. No ID checks. I think it was bcos all passengers were Thai, except for me.  But then, I look Thai. I always get the question: where you from? After answering, I get: Ah, Thai, Philippine, same same.  :Smile: 

Tomorrow, I'll cross the border to Myanmar.

----------


## danno5

not sure if that works or not...look forward to some photos! :-)

----------


## Phuketrichard

the road from Mae Sot to Mae Sariang is sheer HELL< avoid it if u can.

From Mae Sariang north is good, Tran Lod Caves are cool and outside Soppong

Myanmar is wonderfulllllllllllllllllll

Good luck travel in the next few days in Myanmar,  many bus's and taxis dont run during Songkran

IF it was me ( and i have been to both) i would skip Mawlamyine and just go straight to Hpa-An  rent a motorcycle for the day and explore the caves,  there fantastic. Stay at the Galaxy motel (18,000 kyat for an air con room with ur own toilet)   There's some good Chinese restaurants in town and one very good Burmese one
From there easy trip to Yangon

----------


## katie23

I'm now in Mawlamyine.  Border crossing was ok, but a bit different frm others.  Bcos of Thingyan/ Songkran, many Burmese are crossing the border to go home. I think this morning, I was the first non-Burmese, non-white foreigner who crossed to Myawaddy. The immi officer asked me to go inside the ofc asked some questions. A tout, who was there to "help", asked me abt my visa. I said I didn't need a visa bcos of ASEAN. The officer agreed. He asked questions (how long I will stay, purpose of visit, etc). I was ready for the questions & had the print-outs of my flight out & hotel reservation. The immi officer tried to hit on me, saying I was very beautiful, and said that the other immi officer (the one who stamps) was still single. Lol. He said that I shld visit again bcos I'm very bootiful. (Is one connected to the other? Lol!) Anyway, passport got stamped for 14 days.

----------


## Dapper

> the road from Mae Sot to Mae Sariang is sheer HELL< avoid it if u can.


Bollocks, there are a few tricky bits but the rest is well worth it.

----------


## katie23

Richard, I won't go to Hpa-an anymore. I've seen the town center bcos the driver of.my shared taxi dropped off a.passenger there.  If i was traveling w/ friends, I would be.more adventurous & explore caves or the countryside.  However, I'm traveling alone.& I'm a girl, so when alone, I tend to stick to the city center for safety. I don't want to be a Hannah W. (Frm the Koh Tao murders). I've also heard.of a horror story frm a female Canadian nurse
She was my bus seatmate in Cambodia & she was harassed by a tuktuk driver in the middle of nowhere. Fortunately, she was able to get out of that sticky situation safely. That's one of the dangers that female travelers face, whether she's "bootiful" or not. 

More updates nxt time. Btw, I update here.&.my family as well, just so they won't worry.  - katie frm fone, pardon the typos

----------


## Dapper

> I'm very bootiful


Thought that might be the case  :Smile:

----------


## katie23

A mag 6.9 earthquake struck Myanmar last night. It was in the north & I didnt feel it. Or maybe i felt it, but didnt know that it was an eq

I dont know what time.it happened, as.Bbc & other news outlets that I've seen didnt put the time of the eq. I dont.know if it was the slight dizziness that i felt last night. I was brishing my teeth & preparing for bed, when i felt a bit dizzy
 But then i thought maybe its vertigo or  just the effect of the long drive. I arrived at my hotel at 6:30 pm & got back frm dinner past 9. So I'm not sure. A friend sent a msg on Skype  asking if I was ok bcos she read abt the eq &.knows that I'm traveling here. 

Can someone pls put a link of the Eq? The one w/ lots of details? The bbc article was incomplete of details

Duke & Duchess of Cambridge are traveling in India, in the part near the Eq,.i think. Bbc said their party is safe.  It said that the quake was felt in Yangon.

----------


## biff

Myanmar shaken by 6.9 magnitude earthquake - BBC News

Burma earthquake: Tremors felt in India after 6.9 magnitude earthquake strikes near Mawlaik | Asia | News | The Independent
M6.9 - 74km SE of Mawlaik, Burma
Myanmar struck by 6.9 magnitude earthquake: USGS, SE Asia News & Top Stories - The Straits Times
Magnitude-6.9 earthquake strikes Myanmar - CBS News

----------


## biff

A 6.9 magnitude earthquake has struck Burma, with tremors being felt as far away as India.
  The US Geological Survey recorded the epicentre 46 miles south-east of Mawlaik, at a depth of around 80 miles.
  Phil Hughes, who works in the country's second-largest city of Mandalay, told _The Independent_ that he felt shaking for around a minute but was unhurt.
  "Everything seems normal where I am," he adding, saying he had seen no damage.


There were scenes of panic in Yangon after the quake struck, according to witnesses, but authorities there said there were no immediate reports of injuries. 
  An _Associated Press_ journalist who was in one of the  city's hospitals at the time said the seven-story building shook  strongly twice, for at least a minute.
  Many people in the hospital, including patients, staff and visitors,  ran out of the building and began calling their loved ones. 
  Aung Thu, who was taking care of his elder brother, said: “I  was sleeping on my bed when suddenly I felt the ground shaking. The  first time it was intense, but the second time it was lighter."
  He said he was on the third floor of the Shwegonedine Specialist  Center hospital, and as soon as he felt the quake he called his wife and  son to tell them to be “prepared for the worst.” 
  The quake, centered in the jungle and hills northwest of Mandalay, hit at 2.55pm BST - 8.25pm local time.
  Strong tremors were felt in India's eastern city of Guwahati and other areas of Assam near where the Duke and the Duchess of Cambridge are visiting during their royal tour. 



“We felt the tremor very strongly, but all is fine,” said British  Deputy High Commissioner Scott Furssedonn-Wood, who was staying in the  same jungle resort as the royal couple.  
  In Assam's capital, Gauhati, people rushed outdoors as they felt  strong tremors and buildings swaying, while a failure at a power station  caused outages in several parts of the state. 
  People also reported feeling shaking West Bengal, Tripura and in Bangladesh's capital, Dhaka, 300 miles from the epicentre. 
  Burma is affected by seismic activity in the Himalayas caused by the  continuing collision between the Indian and Eurasian continental plates.
  The USGS calls the area “one of the most seismically hazardous regions on earth” because of the numerous earthquakes generated.
  Several fault-lines run through Burma, which has seen several major earthquakes and deadly landslides in recent decade

----------


## biff

A strong earthquake has struck Myanmar, the US Geological Survey reports, with shaking felt across the region.
The  6.9 magnitude quake took place at a depth of around 140km (87 miles),  north-west of Mandalay. There were no initial reports of any fatalities.
The tremor could be felt in the north-east Indian state of Assam, where the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are staying.
The royal couple, who are staying in a national park, were unharmed.
People  in Myanmar's main city, Yangon, in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka, and  in Kolkata in India fled buildings in panic when the tremor struck.
Tremors are relatively common in Myanmar (formerly known as Burma). This earthquake occurred at intermediate depth, according to the USGS, which means it took place within the Indian tectonic plate as it subducts beneath Eurasia.
While such earthquakes may be felt at the Earth's surface, they are less likely to cause severe damage.
An  Associated Press news agency reporter in Yangon reported seeing a  seven-storey hospital shake during Wednesday's two-minute quake, causing  staff and patients to flee the building.
Many of Myanmar's outlying areas have inadequate communications and infrastructure, including the area where the earthquake hit.
The  Chinese official Xinhua news agency said strong tremors were also felt  in Tibet, with many residents of Lhasa drawn out on the streets. 
Shaking  was experienced in the Assam capital Guwahati, where wall-mounted  television sets at a local TV station were reported to have been sent  crashing to the ground. 



The British royal party have been visiting Assam's Kaziranga National Park.  
"We  felt the tremor very strongly, but all is fine,'' British Deputy High  Commissioner Scott Furssedonn-Wood, who is staying in the same jungle  resort as the royal couple, was quoted by AP as saying.
The royal couple are spending Wednesday night in the park and will travel to neighbouring Bhutan on Thursday.
An earthquake measuring 6.7 magnitude hit north-east India in January, near its borders with Myanmar and Bangladesh, killing at least nine people.
In March 2011, at least 75 people died when a powerful earthquake hit Myanmar near the borders with Laos and Thailand.

----------


## biff

*YANGON, Myanmar* - A strong earthquake struck Myanmar  on Wednesday night and was felt in parts of eastern India and  Bangladesh, causing residents to rush out of their homes in panic. There  were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.The  magnitude-6.9 quake struck at a depth of 135 kilometers (84 miles), 396  kilometers (246 miles) north of Myanmar's capital, Naypyidaw, according  to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Residents in Myanmar's main city of  Yangon panicked after the quake struck, but authorities there said  there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.
An  Associated Press journalist who was in a hospital in Yangon at the time  of the quake said the six-story building shook strongly twice, for at  least a minute. Many people in the hospital, including patients, staff  and visitors, ran out of the building and began calling their loved  ones.
"I was sleeping on my bed when suddenly I felt the ground  shaking. The first time it was intense, but the second time it was  lighter," said Aung Thu, 25, who has been spending nights at the  hospital to take care of his elder brother. "I had experienced this kind  of earthquakes before, so I was not that scared. But I was concerned  because my brother is ill, and I need to take care of him."
He  said he was on the third floor of the Shwegonedine Specialist Center  hospital, and as soon as he felt the quake he called his wife and son to  tell them to be "prepared for the worst."
The quake was centered  in the jungle and hills around 220 kilometers (137 miles) northwest of  Mandalay, Myanmar's second-biggest city. While the area is prone to  earthquakes, it is generally sparsely populated, and most houses are  low-rise structures.
The tremors were felt in the eastern Indian  states of Assam and West Bengal, including in the area of Assam's  Kaziranga National Park, where the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are  visiting during their royal tour of India.
"We felt the tremor  very strongly, but all is fine," said British Deputy High Commissioner  Scott Furssedonn-Wood, who was staying in the same 12-cottage jungle  resort as the royal couple.
The royal couple are spending the night in the park area, and are scheduled to leave for neighboring Bhutan on Thursday.
A failure at a power station in eastern Assam caused outages in several parts of the state.
In  Assam's capital, Gauhati, people rushed outdoors as they felt strong  tremors and buildings swaying. Cellphone services were disrupted, and  wall-mounted television sets crashed to the ground at a local TV  station. Police said they were still assessing the situation.
Residents  in Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal state, ran out of their homes in  panic as the earthquake hit the region, but there were no immediate  reports of injuries or damage.
Villagers in Tusom, near the Indian  state of Manipur's border with Myanmar, said the earthquake felt weaker  than the magnitude-6.7 quake that rattled the region on Jan 4, killing  eight people and damaging about 2,000 homes. Wednesday's quake was also  felt in Manipur's capital of Imphal.
People also reported feeling the quake in Bangladesh's capital, Dhaka, 484 kilometers (300 miles) from the epicenter.

----------


## katie23

^ thnx for that. I just got back to hotel frm brkfast outside. Was invited to brkfast by the taxi driver & his wife. The wife works in Bkk & he went yday to pick up his wife & get other passengers, me included.  The driver speaks English well & was a good guide too, as he pointed out impt sites along the way. I think I paid the foreigner price (30 usd), which ia 3x what the locals paid. But it was ok, since i had the prime seat.in front & not cramped in the back. I also got good views & many pics.  He also answered.many of my questions & asked some questions of me too, abt culture, work, food etc

He said I'm lucky bcos i was able to see many townships (he brought ppl to their homes & i was able to see some villages). I also said that he's lucky bcos I'm his first Filipino & Asean passenger. His previous foreign passengers were all westerners. I said Myanmar is not really toured by Pinoys yet, bcos of visa restrictions before. And if ever they come, they fly in to Yangon & not by land thru Myawaddy. I gave them some Phil currency & they were very glad. They are good ppl & honest workers. He is an electrical engineer bytraininf but now drives a taxi

They have 3 kids: 1 is studying in Japan, 1 is in uni, the last is 10 y.o. I met the 2 last children. The uni student speaks good English too. The mom cant speak English but is veey kind hearted & motherly. I was very thankful after the brkfast &.mini tour. I said that if ever I visit Myanmar again, I will try to visit.or contact them again. They're good ppl.& I think they were also happy to have a Filipino guest, as I was the first. I said that both of us were lucky.  :Smile: 

In my travels, i have been fortunate to always meet good ppl, like the French girl in Cambodia who helped me out. So I try to give back to other travelers too.  :Smile: 

.

----------


## reddog

British Deputy High Commissioner Scott Furssedonn-Wood, who is staying in the same jungle resort as the royal couple, 


You  just could not make that name up,what a cracker.

----------


## katie23

I am now in Yangon, took the.night bus to get here. Am now staying at a very.nice guesthouse. I have good vibes here. I didn't like the hotel in Mawlamyine (overpriced & low quality). Here in Yangon, i initially booked a bed.in a female dorm. However, they told me that they gave my bed to a large grp. The other available room was a standard room. So i got a free upgrade! I have a double bed, a/c & my own b/r for ~15.usd! And the best thing abt it: western toilet! Super yay! The past days in Myanmar, it's been squat toilet, whether in hotels, restos.or.temples.

They allowed me to check in.early too (6:30 am) and have breakfast. Great!. :Smile:

----------


## katie23

Yday in Mawlamyine, I met a nice backpacker couple. And no, they're not soap dodgers.  Lol Am typing this while having brekky. 

I went to the reclining buddha temple w/ them; we shared.the ride. The temple is a few km away frm the city ctr. We were all going on the night bus to Yangon later, and we.had time to spare. 

At the temple, the locals wanted to have their pic taken w/ the guy or.girl
 The guy is Swedish, the girl is from Brazil. She's half white/black, and has afro hair. Mawlamyine is a small provincial city & the locals prolly see very few foreigners. It prolly was their first time to see afro hair. So the locals, mostly young ppl.w/ smartphones, all wanted pics w/ the foringgas (or it sounded like that). I told the couple that they were like moviestars!  And lamented, how come I don't get the moviestar treatment? (Bcos i look local) Lol! I also told them the story of the.immi officer & his compliments. I said that I felt weird abt it, and didnt know if I should feel flattered or harassed. 

So, if you want to get the moviestar treatment,.go to Myanmar, esp to the small cities! As a foringga, you'll be mobbed!  :Smile:

----------


## Phuketrichard

....So, if you want to get the moviestar treatment,.go to Myanmar, esp to the small cities! As a foringga, you'll be mobbed!...

Funny; i have been to many places that get less than 5 tourist a month in the past year and have never been mobbed.
last months trip down the chindwin saw ZERO tourists in 7 days

----------


## katie23

^maybe you're not moviestar material?!  Lol

Kidding aside, I saw very few foringgas in Mawlamyine. Two brit-sounding guys (in my hotel), another white backpacker couple, S&B, the swedish-brazilian couple, a solo guy on same bus, a solo blonde girl walking on the street. All of them, except the brits, were backpacker types. Maybe the young locals like to mob young foringgas only? The swedish guy, who's been in myanmar for more than a month (girl followed few weeks later), said that he's used to being mobbed.

----------


## stroller

> She's half white/black



.....

----------


## katie23

^lol on that

Not quite. You have to look for a better pic, stroller. One w/ darker skin & afro hair.  :Smile:  

Got some pics of girls doing traditional dances on stage, but got totally drenched in the process. They built a stage near the Sule Pagoda & there were overhead water sprinklers. It was fun for a short while, but I was afraid for my camera, phone & other stuff in my handbag, so I left shortly afterwards & am now back in GH. Everywhere, there's loud.music & young ppl on trucks going around, wet & pouring water too.

----------


## katie23

It's the last day of my holiday & tomorrow I'll be flying out of Yangon. I got up bright & early as I wanted to take pics before the water craziness started. I'm an early bird anyway, do waking up early wasn't a problem. 
I went to the Sule Pagoda & surrounds.on foot, taking pics along the way. I saw ppl doing their early morning business, like food carts, a nearby small market selling fish, chicken, flowers, etc. Back home, we call it a "talipapa" or small market. 

Along the way, I saw some churches, a mosque and hindu & buddhist temples. I like how the diff religions coexist here in Myanmar. It was the same in.Mawlamyine, there were diff types of religious buildings.  The "look" of the ppl are varied.too. Some are of Indian origins, some look like typical SEA ppl, some of Chinese origins too. I think along the way, I passed by the Indian quarter as there were hindu.temples & Indian-looking ppl

----------


## katie23

The staff at this GH are very nice & accommodating. They're mostly young, prolly in their 20s. They're going tonight to an open air stage party near the lake, where there will be loud.music, dancing.& the ubiquitous water sprinklers & hoses. They invited.me & I might.go & be wet, what the heck! Lol 

Most of them speak English well. Yday, we were all in the taxi to go to the SulePagoda stage. When they learned that I'm Filipina,.they said: Oh, you got Manny Pacquiao, very good fighter. Better than.Mayweather. And I said, yeah! Lol

Thanks to the Pac-man; he.put the Phils on the modern world map. Even tuktuk drivers in Cambodia know Manny

  .

----------


## katie23

I think the ordinary ppl like Manny bcos he's Asian & he's a rags.to riches story. Everyone knows of his poor origins, that his father abandoned them & that he had to work to help out his mom. Now his.mom is a celebrity herself (with some advertisements like detergents, guestings on TV shows, etc). I'm sure. Mommy Dionisia is enjoying it, good for her! She's had a very hard life. Now she has lots of jewelry & has had plastic surgery! Manny's wife has also gone under the knife, I think to keep up w/ Manny's girlets. But now Manny is a 'born again Christian' and is running for senator  but thay:s another story

----------


## katie23

Back to the GH staff & the ride in the taxi. There was an Indian guy together w/ us, and they said, in India, you got Shah Ruk Khan & bollywood! And i said, yeah, Shah ruk khan!.lol. If you don't know SRK, google it up. He's famous & good looking. (Hey, I'm a girl).

Then they said, in Myanmar, we got.nothing! Then another said, no, we got The Mother! Then I said, yeah, Aung San Suu Kyi (sp?), she's famous. They said, yeah, famous for fighting the military govt. 

The impression that I got is that ppl are very optimistic.w/ the new govt, democracy & NLD, and The Mother. Good for them, as they have been repressed for so long. The youth atr extra happy & crazy bcos of this new freedom. Things seem to be looking up for the burmese ppl.

----------


## chassamui

Enjoying your travelogue Katie. Interesting perceptions in people and places. Thanks for sharing.

----------


## katie23

General impression of Yangon: it's still rough around the edges, still just opening up again to tourism. There are traces of its colonial past, with the colonial type buildings. However, most of the beautiful buildings are neglected and in need of paint & general overhaul. There's a lot of construction ongoing & it will be interesting to see.it again in 5-10 years. 

Now the festivities are starting again, with the loud techno music. 

I saw a lot.of cheap guesthouses & hotels along the way here in Yangon, but.i dont know the quality. If you have big bucks, then go to the Strand Hotel. I got lucky in this GH as it's not too far frm the center & facilities are ok. The staff are nice too. It doesn't have a pool, but I didnt come here for swimming anyway. A standard room.here costs ~25 usd on agoda. I got it cheaper since i was upgraded. 

There are a lot of taxis but they dont use the.meter. You have to negotiate the price prior to boarding. There are public buses & rickshaws too. I took a rickshaw back to the GH for the experience. I was also a bit worried abt the time & i didnt want to get wet too soon. I havent seen tuktuks & the mawlamyine driver said that tuktuks are not allowed in Crntral Yangon. 

As for comfort in terms.of travel, thete's still a lot.of room for improvement. I saw a big mall near the Sule Paya. I think the roughness would appeal to backpacker types & tourists who can rough it, esp in the countryside. 

Prices are a bit more exp than Th, for guesthouses & food. In Th, i can have a 1 or 1.5$ meal (w/o drinks). Here, im averaging at 2.5 $ a meal, since im eating at restos. Im afraid to eat at roadside small stalls since last yr, my friend got tummy trouble eating street food. I've read that.myanmar is more exp for the average backpacker & im finding it to be true. But then,.I think it wouldnt be :the case for.most ppl here since you guys have more $$  :Smile: .

----------


## katie23

@ chas: for.my next trip, i will start a Td crowdfunding site. I  am willing to get up extra early to take pics. Lol. Davis will be my manager & u can all send ur requests to him, he will screen them. Haha

Glad ur enjoying the stories. I also write something in my travel journal, more personal stuff, but sometimes its hard to write something deep & introspective

----------


## Davis Knowlton

Good stuff, Katie!

----------


## Norton

> Glad ur enjoying the stories


Very much so. You should look for a job as a travel writer. Lonely planet sort of thing.

----------


## chassamui

Katie, you are providing useful and interesting information about an up and coming country. The really good bit is sharing your thoughts and opinions, which I find fascinating.
The BBC travel journo can tell me all the facts about Myanmar, you can tell me how it feels. It really is appreciated.

----------


## beerlaodrinker

I'm lookin forward to when you get back to the Philippines and post up the pics of your adventure I know your a busy girl  but when you get the time I'm sure it will be much appreciated. We loves a travel thread.

----------


## biff

Thanks Katie for posting information about the various places you have been..
Good work..good information..

----------


## katie23

Hi all. Thanks for all the nice comments. It's good to know that some ppl are interested in my musings

Am now in KL, on a lay over. Will fly back to MNL soon. 

Some thoughts on Myanmar:

Things I didn't like:

1. SQUAT toilets (deliberate caps on that!) Almost every place uses a squat toilet. For someone who is used to Western toilets (even the non flushing kind), squat toilets are, literally, a pain in the a**. I know that squatties are supposedly better for the bowels, but try being a girl & you might find it a pain too. On a good note, the squatties in the Shwedagon pagoda were clean. 

2. Dirty streets & rubbish all around. PI is not too clean either, but some areas had a smell due to trash, urine or both. Even in the airport (which thankfully had a western toilet), the janitors werent too diligent at their jobs. In some airports, the janitors would clean or wipe immediately, in the Yangon airport, they were just chatting. 

3. Unsanitary prep of food - in street food stalls, the umbrella type ones. I didnt eat at umbrella type stalls bcos I was worried for my tummy. They prepared food using hands which were none too clean. A fellow Filipina (we were just 3 pinoys on the flight; a pinay mom, her son & me). V (the other pinay) & her son visited her husband who works in Yangon. As an expat, the hubby advised them not to eat street food either, as their tummies wouldnt be able to take it.

----------


## katie23

Things I liked abt Myanmar:

1. The people. Most of the ppl that I've come into contact with were good, hardworking ppl.  They were very kind & accommodating & went out of their way to help me or fellow travellers. You could say that it's part of their job, since they are in the hotel or tourism industry, but their customer service was great (in most, but not all).

2. The scenery. On the way from Myawaddy to Mawlamtine, I passed by winding mountainous roads. Great scenery. It was good to see some villages too (when the driver brought ppl to their homes in Hpa an & other townships. It was very similar to village life in PI. 

3. The temples - whether buddhist, muslim, hindu or christian. I liked how the religions coexisted in Myanmar. In Th, it's mostly buddhist temples  in PI, mostly churches, except in the south where there are mosques. I know abt the issue of the Rohingya in the north, but that's another story.

----------


## katie23

I'm back to work mode & I don't know when I'll be able to put up a pic thread, as I have a lot of work lined up in the next few wks. Pic threads take much work, since my net isn't good. So meanwhile, I'll write abt my impressions of Myanmar while they're still fresh in my mind. 

More things I liked abt Myanmar:

4. Diversity of ppl. (Related to diversity of religions) As I've said earlier, I saw different looks of the ppl: some are Indian or Chinese looking, others have typical SEA looks. I also noticed that there are many more ordinary ppl w/ "tall noses", than in other SEA countries. Maybe it's due to intermarriages w/ the Indians?

----------


## katie23

5. People still wore traditional clothes as everday wear. In most.SEA countries, traditional clothes are now only used during ceremonies & special occasions. In Myanmar, men still wore the Longyi & women wore blouses & long skirts. However, this may change soon as the young ppl I've seen (in Yangon) prefer Western clothing.

----------


## katie23

6. Lack of selfie stick-wielding tourists. I hate those selfie sticks. Sure, they serve a purpose, but when a place is overrun w/ selfie stickers, the experience becomes a bit... eww! (Like in the palaces in S. Korea - lots of selfie stickers). I only saw 1 selfie sticker at the Shwedagon Paya - a Korean girl. She was part of a large K grp. I think they were >10. I didn't see Chinese grps & their flags. 

I saw lots of smartphones among the locals, even among the monks! I think they are of the lower end, though. Saw lots of adverts for Oppo & Vivo phones, saw a Huawei too. Not too much of Samsung or Apple.

----------


## katie23

I also found it a bit quaint that the locals know how to use smartphones but not.digicams. I think the digicam revolution bypassed them & they immediately jumped on the smartphone wagon. I carried w/ me a small point & shoot digicam, and on rare occasions that I asked locals to take my pic, usually, they didn't know how to use it & had to be instructed.

----------


## katie23

Re: roads, the Mawlamyine driver said that I'm lucky bcos a stretch of road.(from.Myawaddy to Mawlamyine) was newly opened in time for Thingyan, making the journey faster. Btw, Mawlamyine is pronounced by the locals as Maw-lam-yan.

In Yangon, the flyovers also were newly opened to the.public, making travel in the city faster. V, the only other Filipina on the Yangon- KL flight, said that accdg to her husband who's an expat in Yangon, traffic was so bad prior to the opening of the flyovers.

----------


## katie23

On pronunciation: the kyat (local currency) is pronounced as cha. 1 usd is approx. 1,170 cha. However, when I was there, it was Thingyan, so the banks &.money changers were closed. In Mawlamyine, I exchanged money at my hotel & the exchange rate was 1usd =1000 kyat. It was a loss on my part, but the.money changers were closed & it was the only available option. 

Aung San Suu Kyi (The Mother). The Kyi is pronounced as Chee. I saw posters of The Mother & the new president. Accdg to the mawlamyine driver, the new gov't is better & they are very hopeful w/ their new leaders & democracy. It was the same w/ the young ppl that I've interacted with. Everyone is optimistic re: the new government.

----------


## katie23

At the Yangon airport, at the stamping counters, there's a separate counter for seamen. Seems like there are lots of ppl.who opt for the sea route to uplift themselves from poverty. There were several men who were stamped on that lane during the time that I was on queue as well. Sorry, no pics of that, since as y'all.know, cameras are.not allowed in the stamping area. 

I met a Burmese seaman at the Yangon bus station. He was en route to his family for the holidays. He said that he had a lot of Filipino seaman friends. He was quite good lookinf too. Lol

I met another seaman in Yangon. He has retired from the sea & now owns several businesses. His last position was 3rd officer in the ship. I met him when I went looking for a money changer in Yangon. I didn't exchange much.money in the Mawlamyine hotel, since I thought I could get a better rate in Yangon. However, banks & changers were closed & my GH didn't have enough.kyat. They suggested that I try near the Sule Paya, which is ~30 min away on foot. On the way to Sule, i saw a convenience store (grab & go) so I asked if they could exchange money. They didn't, but suggested the pharmacy beside it. Turned out that the pharmacy & convenience store are both owned bt the tetired seaman. He agreed to change.my $ at a rate of 1 = 1000 kyat. Again, loss for me, but banks were closed. I got talking w/ the owner & he disclosed that he was able to build a house, buy a car, put.up several businesses aside from the pharmacy & convenienxe store. He also has a fleet of taxis. He has retired from the sea & now manages his businesses. I said, it's good that he was able to save & invest his earnings as a seaman. I've heard of many seamen who spend their earnings on partying & end up w/ nothing. He also said that he has many Filipino seaman friends. It was a very interesting convo & he allowed me to take his.pic, as well as those of his businesses.

----------


## chassamui

Thanks again Katie for these fascinating insights into Myanmar.

----------


## katie23

You're welcome, chas. I'm glad that ppl find the info & insights useful.

Another thing that I liked abt Myanmar: 

7. Lack of petty crime. I didn't fear for my belongings being targeted by pickpockets or bag snatchers. I can't say the same for Manila, Phnom Penh, Saigon & Bkk. I found the ppl to be generally good, helpful & honest. Well, except for some taxi drivers who overcharge, but then it's the case too in other places. Maybe the ppl have been too afraid of the military govt to do crimes. The Swedish backpacker said that since tourism is still new, maybe they don't have the concept of rich tourists yet, so no petty crimes (yet). That may change if they get more tourists. 

Btw, the Swedes went to Dawei, a beach town in the south east. They said it's great. They stayed in a bungalow & were the only foreigners.

----------


## katie23

Btw, other questions for y'all. I haven't googled yet, since the ideas are just brewing. 

1. How long (approx travel time) does it take by bus or train to go from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai? 

2. How long from Chiang Rai city center to the White Temple? (Yeah, it may be overrated but if I'm in the area I'll want to see it anyway.)

3. How long from Chiang Rai to Tachilek border? Are there guesthouses available near the border? Also, how long to the Golden Triangle? Or is Tachilek the GT already? I'm not interested in drugs, but if I'm there, might as well see the GT. 

4. (For phuketrichard, I hope he's reading this) Why is overland travel not allowed after Kentung? Are the roads not passable? Or not safe due to armed.conflict or insurgency? Is it possible to cross to Myanmar via Tachilek, then travel by land to Mandalay? I or my friends don't need a visa for Myanmar, if you recall. 

5. How long (travel time, public transport) from Bkk to the Bridge over the River Kwai? I told of my recent travel to a colleague & he wants to go to that Bridge (bcos he studied it in Literature & movies).  Is the Three Pagodas Pass a legit border crossing & can we cross over to Myanmar from there? Get our passport stamped & such? I'm not really interested in this bridge so am.asking it for a friend. 

Thanks in advance for the answers, whether all or partial!  :Smile:

----------


## palexxxx

^  1.  By car it's about two and a half hours,  so a stopping all stations bus would be at least three hours.  There is no train line between Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai.

2.  White Temple is on the southern outskirts,  maybe ten minutes from the city.

5. About two hours by van.  If you're intending to go there then April 25 is the day you should go,  especially for the dawn service at Hellfire Pass.  There'll be plenty of Aussies,  Kiwis,  Brits and Dutchies there on that day.

----------


## Phuketrichard

4. NO>  unsafe for travelers because of sometimes fighting
You can enter at Mae Sai/Tachilek ; travel to Kentung but than u need fly onwards to Mandalay or Yangon. 

PS Dawei is NOT a beach town but is about 18 kms to the beach ( Maung Magan) small bungalows on the beach andone nice beach front aircon  bungalow operation. it is really really nice, Nabule ( about a hour from Dawei) is fantastic but for now nowhere to stay and only one place to eat fried rice

3 pagoda pass is outside Kanchanaburi and thats an entry point,  from there to Dawei is about 5 hours by shared taxi  ( or more in rainy season)




> The Swedish backpacker said that since tourism is still new, maybe they  don't have the concept of rich tourists yet, so no petty crimes (yet).  That may change if they get more tourists.


not true at all, there have been 3-5 star hotels in Yangon, Mandalay, Bagan for decades and in the past there were always more rich tourists than backpacker sorts.  I first went to Burma  in 1988.
Burmese are just more true Buddhist an stealing is not done, but has been increasing in the past few years cause of the drug problem.

----------


## katie23

Thnx for the replies, palexx & richard. 

@palexx - I did some googling & there's a Green Bus line which runs from CM to CR.& takes ~3h.  I won't be taking a trip anytime soon, certainly not April 25, but I'll keep the date in mind re: Hellfire Pass. Do they hold ceremonies & stuff during that day? 

@richard - thnx for the clarifications re: Dawei. As for the rich tourists, I didn't see much of them in the Shwedagon pagoda when I visited, saw mostly backpacker types. I did see 1 or 2 western couples who could be classified as rich tourists while walking in Yangon. Maybe during that time, the richer tourists weren't walking around bcos of the water craziness of Thingyan.  Re: drugs, yeah, I did feel that it was a growing problem. There were some street adverts re: the drug menace.  Generally, as a solo female traveller, I felt safe in Myanmar.  The fighting/insurgency in Kentung is noted.

----------

