Today I am going to write about my second trip outside Sri Lanka & this is first blog post for year 2014. This time I went to Myanmar & Thailand
with my mother & four other ladies as a pilgrimage. In this blog post I thought
to write about Myanmar tour in briefly & share more photos. We have spent
six nights and seven days in Myanmar.
Dates: 29 Apr to 06 th of May
Hotels: Several Hotels
Travel Agent: Shan Yoma Travel & Tours Co.,Ltd Yangon,Myanmar. We book
7 seated Hiace van to travel during the stay at Myanmar. Pleasant experience
and reasonably easy doing business with them. Our driver Mr Tin Kuku is very
kind & pleasant person.
Money
Exchange:
Most hotels, restaurants & entrance tickets take USD, so
small notes will be useful. If you travel to Myanmar, make sure your dollars
are in new, pristine condition. The money exchange people like only bills in
very good condition (like a new print) they reject the old, new with spots,
folded & teared money. They give a low rate on small notes.
Myanmar
& People:
Myanmar is a cultural gold mine. Many of ethnic groups are
largely untouched by western cultures. Buddhism is the main guiding force in
the lives of the Myanmar people. Myanmar people are very kind and helpful.
Weather :
38 C
Day 01 – 29th of April
· Travel
to Bangkok International Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) from Bandaranayke International Airport
Colombo at 1.30 am
· On the
Same day travel to Yangon International Airport from Suvarnabhumi Airport –
Bangkok. Check
in to Eastern Hotel in Yangon at around 10 am.
Sightseen
1. The Botataung Pagoda
2. The Sule Pagoda
3. Reclining Buddha statue at Chauk Htat Gyi
pagoda (http://myanmartravel.org/yangon/chaukhtatgyi.html)
4. Shwedagon Pagoda
Day 02 – 30th of April
After having our breakfast we checked out from the
hotel and travel to Kyaiktyo. On the way we were able to see few more pagodas.
After seen all the sites for the day in the evening we checked in to Sea Sar
Guesthouse in Kinpun. The receptionist girl in this hotel is very nice to me.
She even applied Thanaka in my face
too.
Thanaka
Thanaka also spelt thanakha is a yellowish-white
cosmetic paste made from ground bark. It is a distinctive feature of Myanmar
seen commonly applied to the face and sometimes the arms of women and girls and
to a lesser extent men and boys.
Destination:
301 Km - Distance from Yangon to Kinpun via Bago (approximately 4 hours drive)
Sightseen
5. The Mya Tha Lyaung - Reclining Buddha
Statue — in Bago
6. The Kyaikpun Pagoda - The four Buddha Statues — in Bago
7. The Kyaiktiyo Pagoda - The Golden Rock (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyaiktiyo_Pagoda)
Travel from Kinpun to Kyaiktiyo was different kind of experience. From Kinpun we took a truck up to the last terminal of kyaiktiyo for about 5000 kyat. The trucks have benches & I really enjoyed ride by sitting with Burmese people and I feel the Burmese wind flaws for my face.
At Kyaiktiyo we met few Sri Lankans who are managing the Mountain Top Hotel. They have beautiful mountain scenery in their restaurant.
Day 03 – 1st of June
After having our breakfast we checked out from the hotel and travel to Bagan. We did not visit any places. We checked in to Yar Kinn Tha Hotel in Bagan. There are lot of nice Burmese girls work in this hotel.
Destination: 600 Km - Distance from Kinpun to Bagan via Highway (approximately 8 hours drive)
Day 04 – 2nd of June
After having our breakfast we checked out from the
hotel & went to see pagodas in Bagan.
Sightseen
For more information: http://www.baganmyanmar.com/bagan-pagodas-temples/bagan-pagodas.html
For more information: http://www.baganmyanmar.com/bagan-pagodas-temples/bagan-pagodas.html
8.
The
Shwezigon Pagoda
9.
The Htilominlo
Temple
10.
The
Ananda Temple
11.
The Bupaya
Pagoda
12. The Alo-daw Pyi Pagoda
13.
The Lawka
Nanda Pagoda
14.
The Manuha
Temple
After
seen above pagodas we traveled to Mandalay from Bagan around 11 am.
Destination:
180 Km - Distance from Bagan to Mandalay via Highway (approximately 3 hours
drive)
We checked in to the Yadanar Theingi Hotel in
Mandalay. This hotel is very good budget hotel. Clean & tidy than other
hotels. I liked everything in this hotel. In the evening we went to see the Mahamuni
Buddha Temple.
15. The Mahamuni
Buddha Temple
16. The U
Bein Bridge
Day 05
– 3rd of June
After having breakfast we went to Mingun Town. Mingun
is a located 11 km up the Ayeyarwaddy River from Mandalay. A 45-minute boat
trip to Mingun is very pleasant trip.
Sightseen
17.
The Mingun Pahtodawgyi
After seen all sights we came via boat to Mandalay around
12.30 PM. After that we went to Mandalay
Hill.
20.
The Su Taung Pyi Pagoda
Then we visited few Pagodas in Mandalay city.
21.
The Amarapuraya
22.
The Kuthodaw Pagoda
Day 06 – 4th
of June
After having our breakfast we checked out from the
hotel and travel to Pyin Oo Lwin.
Destination:
70 Km - Distance from Mandalay to Pyin Oo Lwin via Highway (approximately 1.15
hours drive)
Sightseen
23.
The Peik
Chin Myaung Cave or Maha Nandamu Cave
24.
The Maha
Ant Htoo Kan Thar Pagoda
25. The National Kandawgyi Gardens
Then we returned to Yangon & checked into the Kaung
Lay Inn hotel in Yangon.
There are few people I wont forget in this journey.
Kind sister who applied thanaka on my face
Our driver , Mr Tin Kukuku
Kind room boy in Yadanar Thegi Hotel
Kind lady who have a beautiful smile.
There are few people I wont forget in this journey.
Ambitious
Ambitious little girl who is going to be lucky on tomorrow
Day 07 – 5th
of June
Travel to Bangkok International Suvarnabhumi
Airport (BKK) from Yangon International Airport at 9.30 am & checked in to Ten
Star Hotel in Bankok at around 1 pm.
.jpg)
.JPG)
Fortunately I was able to worship many temples. This is a successful pilgrimage which I will never forget.
Fortunately I was able to worship many temples. This is a successful pilgrimage which I will never forget.
