Burma Stories


Only in Myanmar

Catching Flies (First impressions of Myanmar) The plane banked through dense clouds as we descended over brown, muddy paddies. Swollen by the seasonal monsoons over Yangon. the land stretched, criss-crossing into the never-ending distance, flat as a Star Cola shaken on a sweltering Myanmar afternoon. On my way into Yangon itself, the city resemble...


Heho - Shan State - Inle Lake

Inle Lake, Shan State: Upon arrival at the airport, I asked these two guys, Rudy from Austria and JP from Holland to share a taxi. I was told by my travel agent that the fare to Nyuangshwe is about $10. Hah! That was the taxi driver’s response. Five minutes of ride for $5 in Bagan, how can one hour drive be $10? We paid $8 each and another $3 entry f...


Mandalay

Mandalay is the second largest city next to Yangon with around three million people. The city played a major role and significance in Myanmar’s history including the fort occupation where fierce fighting during the World War II occurred as it was the side of the capitals of the Burmese kingdom. King Mindon Min founded the city in 1857 when he became the...


Bagan

Bagan in Burma and Angkor Wat in Siem Reap Cambodia are the two pre-eminent ancient religious sites in Southeast Asia. Both sites are notable for their expanse of sacred geography and the number and size of their individual temples. The difference is that Angkor’s temples are built alone and isolated in thick jungles. On the other hand, Bagan, when view...