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EXPLORE BURMASelect Travel Holidays Guide To Burma By River Cruise.

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1 Explore Burma By River - 2015

Select Travel Group’s owner

Rachel, is a keen travel

enthusiast, with a particular

love for travelling to Asia. She

has been to Burma twice, most

recently in April/May 2015, five

years after her first visit. Using

the pearls of wisdom that she

has gleaned from her most

recent trip to Burma, cruising

along the Irrawaddy, we have

prepared this guide to Burma

by river, from Yangon to

Mandalay.

The north-western-most country on mainland southeast Asia, Burma is strategically located near major Indian Ocean shipping lanes, and bordered by Bangladesh, India, China, Laos and Thailand. Rich in jade, gems, oil, natural gas and other mineral resources, and characterised by central lowlands with the Sittaung Valley and Chindwin Val-ley, Burma is also home to small moun-tain ranges, which divide Burma’s three river systems: the Irrawaddy, Salween

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INTRODUCING BURMA

BURMA BYRIVER

(Thanlwin) and Sittaung. The magnifi-cent Irrawaddy is Burma’s longest river at nearly 1,348miles long, and the Ir-rawaddy valley is home to the majority of Burma’s population.

Today Burma is comprised of about 51million people, and 14 states and re-gions, but early Burmese civilisations included the Tibeto-Burman-speaking Pyu in Upper Burma and the Mon in Lower Burma. The Burmans of the King-

photography by Staffen Schers

Explore Burma By River - 2015 2

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Officially the ‘Republic of the Union of My-anmar’ since 1989, or simply Myanmar, the country is still referred by many by its for-mer colonial name of Burma. It’s still debated heavily, with many political and ethnic opposi-tion groups continuing to use ‘Burma’ as they refuse to recognise the legitimacy of the ruling military government. For some, it’s simply a case of old habits dying hard. Almost all of the towns and cities have two names, which can be a little confusing! For example, Yangon was formerly Rangoon.

Rachel’s top tip: GO, before it’s too late!

dom of Nanzhao entered the upper Irrawaddy valley in the 9th century, and by the 1050s the Pagan Empire established itself, with it came the gradual dominance of the Burmese language and culture, and Theravada Buddhism. However the once-great Pagan Empire fell to Mongol invasions, and in its place several warring states emerged, until the Taungoo Dynasty reunified the country in the 16th century, and for a brief period the country was the largest empire in the history of Southeast Asia.

Burma was conquered by British colonial forces and became part of the British Empire in the 19th centu-ry, following three Anglo-Burmese Wars. All of Burma was officially annexed on 1 January 1886 after the fall of Burma, and it remained a British colony until inde-pendence in 1948. Sadly one of the chief architects of Burmese independence, the political leader Aung San, never saw the independence he had worked so hard for, as he was assassinated in July 1947 by polit-ical rivals.

For a short period, independent Burma was a dem-ocratic nation until a coup in 1962 established a mil-itary dictatorship. For most of the period since inde-pendence, Burma has seen rampant ethnic strife, and the United Nations and several other organisations have reported consistent and systematic violations to human rights. However in 2011, following an his-toric election in 2010, the military junta was officially dissolved, and the Burmese Military have taken steps towards relinquishing control of the government; although former military leaders continue to wield enormous power in the country. That being said, Bur-ma’s human rights record and foreign relations have improved, leading to the easing of trade and other economic sanctions. Burma is now a rising star in tourism.

BURMAOR MYANMAR?

photography by Guillén Pérez

Although Burma is a melting pot of different ethnicities, with over 100 ethnic groups, the Burmese represent 68% of the population, hence why many people still say the ‘Burmese’ – but, in fact, they could be Burmese, Kachin, Kayin, Chin, or Mon to name just a few!

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Rachel Wright’s first visit to Burma was back in March 2010, when Burma was a pariah state and just before their 2010 elections. Prior to going, she researched thoroughly and read many books about the lives of the Burmese and the various tribes. Rachel ensured to find out, as much as possible, how and where to spend money that would not end up in the Junta’s coffers. Her visit to Burma with her husband Bill was very interesting and they promised themselves they would return one day. Celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary this year, Rachel and Bill talked about where they should go to mark the occasion: they con-sidered various countries on their ever growing list, before ultimately both deciding they wanted to head back to Burma. Rachel and Bill had two main reasons: the first reason was the people, as nowhere else in the world had they visited a country where the people were so lovely and genuine. Secondly, they wanted to see what changes had been made, especially af-ter the 2010 election and the sanctions being lifted back in 2012. After some research, they settled upon a 17-night itinerary on Cruiseco Explorer sailing on the Irrawaddy from Prome in the south to the Second

Defile, which is just 65 nautical miles from the Chinese border. This itinerary also covered more of the river than their previous visit on the Road to Mandalay, as well as re-treading their footsteps in some cities.

Arriving into Yangon airport, air side was pretty much the same as in 2010. However, Rachel and Bill were immediately struck by how very different Burma was land side! Smart taxis have replaced the old, battered taxis, and nearly everyone had a mobile phone! Back in 2010, a SIM card would cost $2,500 – in other words, no one could afford to own one. Whilst Rachel had read that the Burmese now talk openly about their country and politics, they didn’t believe this until they heard their guide! This is perhaps one of the biggest changes. Nowadays, the guides welcome any ques-tions, including political ones; back in 2010, it was only possible to speak openly in the car with a private guide and driver – never in the streets!

One thing that certainly hasn’t changed is the charm-ing people and their beautiful smiles.

RETURNING TOBURMA

Shwedagon Pagoda


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WHY BURMA BY RIVER?For those who really want to explore and get im-mersed in Burma, travelling by river is best suited, as opposed to travelling via ferry boat, local buses and planes, which can be quite testing and certainly not re-liable. The convenience of only unpacking once, good quality accommodation and, of course, a high stand-ard of food and service will enhance your experience. Cruising along the Irrawaddy allows you to experience ‘untouched’ village and small town life, some of which can only be accessed by river. Having a good knowl-edgeable guide will enhance your experience and is the best way to learn about the Burmese way of life. Burma is steeped in history and their untouched cul-ture is truly fascinating. All the villages visited by river cruise are like being transported back in time: you will not be bombarded by souvenir sellers, and you will always be greeted with a smile and ‘mingalar-bar’ (hel-lo). The Burmese are caring, gentle and kind people, their way of life has always been to work, survive and help one another, no matter what the cost. Although Rachel and Bill noticed many changes in Yangon and Mandalay the river villages have remain unchanged… So far.

However it is important to note that cruising along the Irrawaddy is not year round due to water levels and the monsoon season; most operators do not op-erate June to August. In the dry season (November to March), the water level will be quite low in places and will have dropped by around 50 feet from its monsoon level (June to September). No matter which river oper-ator you choose to sail with, none of them can control the river water levels, so therefore be prepared for a slight change in itinerary. The cooler months to travel are from November to February, although still hot by UK standards. March onwards gets very hot – whilst Rachel and Bill were there at the end of April, the tem-perature reached 42 degrees!image

Bagan

Sun setting in Bagan

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TOP 5REASONS TO VISIT BURMA BY RIVER:

Visiting Burma via ferry boat, local buses and planes can be quite testing and less reliable01River cruise offers the convenience of only un-packing once, as well as good quality accommo-dation, and a high standard of food and service02Some villages and towns are only accessible by river03The knowledgeable guides are the best way to learn about the Burmese way of life, and river cruise operators are able to offer unparalleled and exclusive tours and experiences

04The views from the river are amazing – from watching the local people going about their daily lives, to the many, many pagodas dotted around on the hills!

05


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BEFORE YOU GO...

Visas:Visas are required to enter Burma, although they are fortunately a lot easier now. All you have to do is visit www.evisa.moip.gov.mm and complete an easy form, upload your photo, and pay the visa cost of $50. With-in 24 hours, you will usually receive your ‘Letter of Approval’, which must be presented with your pass-port upon arrival. It is also important to note that your passport must have sufficient validity of more than six months from the date you leave Burma.

Health:It is advisable to always check with your GP and, al-though there are not any mandatory health require-ments, it is best to play it safe, and have all the rec-ommended inoculations. Malaria is certainly highly recommended, and it is better to be safe than sorry! Rachel and Bill, for example, prefer to take Malarone, which may be a little more expensive than other an-ti-malarial drugs, but they have never experienced any side effects, and only have to remember to take one tablet a day!

Currency:The currency, kyats (pronounced ‘chats’), cannot be purchased prior to entering Burma, therefore dollars are recommended. Another advantage of taking a river cruise is that pretty much everything is usually included onboard, so you usually only need money if you wish to buy souvenirs, or if you are enjoying a pre- or post-cruise stay for a couple of nights. It is recommended to only change 20 to 30 dollars, for use in the villages. Changing up $30 will give you around 31,000 khat, and it is advisable to have this in amount as 1,000 khat notes. Big cities such as Yangon and Mandalay will accept dollars, but the villages are only able to accept kyats. If you are staying at a hotel for a pre- or post-cruise stay, it’s worth checking whether the hotel is licensed for foreign exchange; Rachel’s ho-tel in Yangon (the Chatrium Hotel) was not, although its gift shop was(!). There is a small bank within the hotel, but it is only manned for a few hours during daytime. However it is possible to stop at a bank dur-ing a city tour of Yangon. The Burmese banks are an experience in themselves! Note that you will need a passport although they may also allow an UK driving license as acceptable ID. There is otherwise no secu-rity in the banks – they carry ‘rice sacks’ full of money around as though they contained rice, not curren-cy. The money counting area, which are just simple desks, don’t have any screens; where else in the world would this happen?

It is also important to note that currently Travellers’ Cheques are not accepted.

Handy phrases: Use these phrases, and you will be sure to see the locals smile and giggle!

Nay Kaung Lar = how are you?

Che Su Bel = thank you!

Tah tah = good bye!

photography by Guillén Pérez


This guide is based upon experiencing Burma by river cruise along the Irrawaddy. There are various differ-ent river cruises operating, and – as mentioned above – itineraries can be subject to change due to the riv-er water levels. In order to be as useful as possible, this guide will focus on the main experiences and key sites, rather than following the specific itinerary which Rachel went along. Many of the most famous sites may well be visited by the vast major of river cruise operators, but some of the smaller villages which Ra-

HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE.

chel visited may not, although other river cruises will visit other, similar villages instead. For that reason, this will not quite be a day-by-day account following the itinerary, but will focus on areas such as: Experiencing Religious Burma, Experiencing Bur-mese Lifestyle, Experiencing Unique Burma, and Experiencing Life on the Irrawaddy.

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Sambuddhai Kat Kyaw Temple (home to over 530,000 Buddha images)


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Burma has many stunning pagodas and Buddhist monasteries and temples, with religion playing a vital and important part in Burmese life. There are some very iconic temples and pagodas which are must-see sites which practically every river cruise will see, as well as some less well-known and off-the-beaten track temples or pagodas to visit.

The Burmese are very tolerant and easy going. Unlike many other faiths, Buddhists allow visitors into their temples and monasteries, and mostly allow photos to be taken of their sacred space. Just one rule applies: you have to take your shoes off and go bare-footed. On Rachel’s trip, she called it a ‘shoe off day’ – there-fore it is sensible to have shoes you can easily slip on and off.

It is considered offensive to point with your feet or touch people on the head or upper body. Also re-member – don’t cross your legs in the presence of monks or elders, and ladies must not sit down next to a monk. Whilst in Britain (and other Western coun-tries) we shake hands when we meet someone, shak-

ing hands is not appropriate in Burma when greeting monks, nuns or people in general – just a smile and a nod is a perfect greeting.

Ladies, remember no short skirts or shorts please – keep knees covered, although it is generally fine to ex-pose arms. However there were a couple of places we visited which did not allow ‘string/strappy tops’, so it is handy to carry a wrap of some sort with you to cover your shoulders, when necessary. It isn’t just the wom-en that have to cover their knees: men are required to as well in many places, so they should either wear long shorts, or be authentic and wear a longhi!

Although Yangon (formerly Rangoon) is no longer the capital, it is still the largest and most commercial city. It is a popular city to be visited by river cruises, perhaps as an embarkation or disembarkation port, or for a pre- or post-cruise stay. Prome is another popular embarkation/disembarkation port for river cruises, although it is just over 6 hours’ from Yangon by road (plus stops). Rachel’s river cruise included a pre-cruise stay in Yangon before transferring to

EXPERIENCINGRELIGIOUSBURMA

photography by Staffen Schers

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Prome to embark on the river cruise. Many colonial buildings still line the streets of Yangon, such as the High Court, Central Telegraph Office, and The Rand-er House – originally commissioned by Surti Indian Traders – although the higher floors have now been converted into flats, whilst the lower floors are used by the Internal Revenue department. The former Cur-rency department is now Yangon’s Division Court. Heading towards the port stands the Famous Strand Hotel. Street vendors selling second hand books, flip-flops, and street food – you name it, they sell it! Home to two especially fabulous pagodas, Yangon is a must-see for those interested in Burmese religious life. The jewel in Yangon’s crown is undoubtedly the fa-mous Shwedagon Pagoda, a truly amazing site not to be missed, and a photographer’s paradise. Rachel had a reasonably early start at 8am in order to visit the Shwedagon Pagoda before the heat intensifies. Dress code is shoulders and knees covered, and shoes have to be removed. The tiles are made of marble so whilst it isn’t hot under foot, your feet will get dirty! It is a vast site with so much to take in and admire. It wasn’t crowded and, apart from Rachel’s group of 14, all the other visitors were local. On Rachel’s previous visit to Burma, she visited the Shwedagon Pagoda as the sun was setting. If time allows, this is an absolute must: it really is spectacular watching the sun slowly set ovthis magnificent site.

A lesser-known religious site in Yangon is the home to the 70m reclining Buddha. Oddly enough, this site isn’t that well known apart from the locals that come to worship here, making it quite a treasure.Another site which is home to some stunning temple

and pagoda complexes is Thayekhittaya, also known as Sri Ksetra, an ancient Pyu city. The Tibeto-Bur-man-speaking Pyu people were the earliest inhabit-ants of Burma, and ruled this area between the 4th and 8th century A.D. They founded a number of city-states as they migrated southwards during a thou-sand-year period commonly called the Pyu millenni-um, from the Bronze Age to the classical states period during the emergence of the Pagan Kingdom in the late 9th century. At Sri Ksetra, you can visit the ancient Shwesandaw Pagoda complex and museum. Excava-tion took place here between 2009 and 2010, and this area is now an UNESCO world heritage site.Around 85% of Burma’s 50 million people are Bud-

dhist; they practice Theravada Buddhism, which is more austere and ascetic. It is customary for a male to enter a monastery twice in his life, once as a nov-ice monk usually between the age of 10 and 20, and again as a fully ordained monk, around the age of 20. Some may only remain a monk for a few days, whilst others stay for life. Their daily routine starts at 5am and the novice monks will make breakfast for the sen-ior monks, followed by morning lessons and cleaning up. By 9am, they go out on their daily alms walk. Many younger novices will visit their family home to collect their alms. Monks do not eat after midday and the afternoons are spent learning. Many of the young-er monks nowadays have mobile phones and can be seen taking photos of visitors, just like tourists were doing to them!

If you get the chance, be sure to visit a monastery. In Salay, Rachel visited an Old Wooden Monastery, home to just 10 monks. Salay is 22 miles south of Ba-gan (a popular destination for river cruises), and dates

Yangon - Reclining Buddha

Shwedagon Pagoda Yangon


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There will, of course, be so many other monasteries to visit, such as Bagaya Monastery near Amarapura. The Bagaya Monastery was built in 1934, and is made entirely of teak wood, with 267 gigantic teak wood posts, measuring 60ft in height and 9ft in circumfer-ence. Steps to the entrance were very hot under foot, once inside it was lovely and cool. The walls inside had been intricately carved. Also near Amarapura is the Mahar Aung Mye Bon San Monastery, which is made of bricks and dates back to 1822. This monastery was damaged in the 1838 earthquake and repaired in 1873. Its architecture simulates that of a wooden monastery with multiple roofs and a seven tiered-prayer hall.

Some of the most famous and striking temple com-plexes can be found in Bagan, formerly known as Pa-gan, the capital city of the ancient Kingdom of Pagan. Bagan as a city has already changed a lot since 2010: when Rachel first visited 5 years ago, her group were the only visitors at this site, but now there are quite a few Asian tourist buses, although to be fair it wasn’t crowded by any means. The locals have now caught on to tourism and they now follow tourists from one stop to another on foot and by bike selling postcards, t-shirts and sarongs. However they do not pester, and they were all very sweet. There are even a handful of restaurants there now! Bagan has over 2,237 Pagodas scattered in an area of 42 square miles. Every direc-tion you look you will see a Stupa! One of the ‘must see’ temples is Ananda, which is just one of four sur-viving Buddhist temples left in Bagan. It was built in 1105 AD and is known as the finest, largest, well-pre-served and most revered of the Bagan temples. It’s no surprise that it is sometimes called the ‘Westminster Abbey of Burma’, as it is very impressive, fusing Mon and adoptive Indian styles of architecture. There are four stunning 9.5metre standing Buddha images in each corner: North, South, East and West. Although the temple was damaged in the 1975 earthquake, it has since been lovingly restored. Another popular temple to visit in Bagan is Htilominlo Temple, built by King Nantaungmya in 1218, and known to be the last Myanmar-style temple to be built in Bagan. Traces of old murals have faded but still visible, there are also

back to 12th and 13th centuries, with a population of just 10,000. This area is still an active religious centre and home to around fifty monasteries. Many of the buildings are from the colonial era and some still fea-ture the Royal Crown on their facades. The complex of the Old Wooden Monastery which Rachel visited also houses a meditation building, where monks come from afar to meditate. The monastery had many de-tailed wooden carvings, which were very intricate in places. Visitors were allowed to go upstairs into the monks’ living areas, which gave an unique insight into their basic way of life.

Salay is also home to the Mann Pagoda complex, which houses the largest straw lacquered Buddha im-age. It is said that this Buddha image was originally in Monywa and was washed downstream in the 1888 monsoon. The second largest Buddha in the world, second to China, can also be found in Burma, stand-ing at 425ft tall. At the same location, you will also find the longest reclining Buddha, at 333feet in length! These landmarks can be found en route from Sam-buddhai Kat Kyaw to Sagaing. Sambuddhai Kat Kyaw itself is a fabulous and iconic temple in its own right with over 530,000 Buddha images built between 1939 and 1951, financed purely by donations.

Mahar Aung Mye Bon San Monastery (Brick Monestery)

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a

Rachel recommends: Bagan is really the only place to buy Sand paintings. They transport well as they can be rolled up and brought home to frame. They look wonderful, particularly if placed in a delicate bamboo style frame, and are a great memory of mystical Bagan.

four Buddhas in this temple. These are both stun-ning temples, and utterly different from each other in style, so Bagan is ideal for seeing such different styles. Around the outside of Htilominlo temple are some market stalls selling what Bagan is also famous for: sand paintings. Here you can see how they are made, which is fascinating, and priced from $10 dollars up-wards, depending on size.

Mandalay is another city which most river cruises will most likely visit, if not to actually embark or disem-bark. It is well worth having a good exploration of this city, particularly paying a visit to the Mahamuni Pago-da, also known as ‘Rakhine’. The Pagoda is reached by walking through a very colourful and interesting local market, adorned with thousands of glittering Buddha images in all shapes and sizes, some with neon lights. The smell of the incense and flower stalls make the walk very pleasant too. This Pagoda is an absolute must-see as it houses the most venerated Buddha image in Burma, standing at just under four meters in height and weighs a massive 6.5 tons. Al-though originally cast of metal it is now completely coated in a thick layer of gold leaf, around two inch-es! Each and every day hundreds of pilgrims visit the

shrine and lay gold leaf on the Buddha, which over time has distorted the image’s outline. Every morning at 4am, monks come to wash the face and brush the teeth of the Buddha, a daily ritual carried out by a sen-ior monk. However, please note that only males are allowed in the actual chamber area (but they are able to take photos inside).

The Unfinished Pagoda in Mingun

Mahumuni Pagoda

If your river cruises includes Mingun, be sure to vis-it the Pahtodawhyi, better known as the ‘unfinished Pagoda’. Built in 1791, it was intentionally left un-finished. In front of the Pagoda are the remains of two giant Chinthe Lions standing at 29 meters. This spectacular site is highly visible from the river and is just a few minutes’ walk from the riverbank. From all angles, you can see the huge cracks caused by earth-quakes over the years. Not far from here, you can also visit the famous Mingun Bell, the largest working bell in the world, which was supposed to have been installed on the top of the stupa, but never made it. 55555 is inscribed in Burmese script on the outside of the bell: this is the weight in ‘viss’, a Burmese unit of weight, which translates to a whopping 90 tons! Over the road was The Mingun Home for the Aged, which some visitors may be invited to take a look around. The men and women have separate quarters, with the men’s area a lot more basic than the women’s.


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1. Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon – a famous pagoda which dominates the Yangon skyline, and a must-see at sunset for stunning views; 2. Kyauktatgyi Pagoda in Yangon – home of the iconic 70m reclining Buddha;

3. Mann Pagoda in Salay - home of the larg-est straw lacquered Buddha;

4. Pahtodawhyi Pagoda in Mingun – the late 18th century Pagoda which was purposely left unfinished;

5. Mahamuni Pagoda (The Rakhine) in Man-dalay - home to the most venerated image of Buddha;

6. Old Wooden Monastery in Salay – houses 10 resident monks, but receives many monks visiting from afar for its meditation room;

7. Ananda Temple in Bagan – commonly referred to as the ‘Westminster Abbey of Burma’;

8. Htilominlo Temple in Bagan – renowned as the last Myanmar-style temple;

9. Sambuddhai Kat Kyaw in Monywa – home of 530,000 Buddha images, and near the second largest Buddha in the world;

10. Mahar Aung Mye Bun San Monastery in Amarapura – an early 19th century monas-tery made from bricks, which was damaged by the 1838 earthquake

RACHEL’S TOP 10 RELIGIOUS SITES IN BURMA

Myat Than Lun Pagoda (made of solid gold)

Another impressive example of pagoda to visit, if you get the chance, is the Myat Than Lun Pagoda, the larg-est shrine in Magwe. Built in 1927, the Myat Than Lun Pagoda is notably made of solid gold bricks. Like most of the other sites visited during a river cruise, it is peaceful and not crowded: that’s the beauty of being ‘off the beaten track!’

Of course, religion is so interwoven into Burmese daily life, it’s not just iconic temples and pagodas, but small village shrines, too. One notable example is the Bo Bo Gyi shrine, a famous nat – meaning ‘great grandfather’ and refers to the name of a guardian spirit – in the village of Tagaung, a former ancient city. You may even witness a Buddhist parade – whilst in Bagan, Rachel saw a parade heading up the road, led by a couple of ladies followed by around 50+ children, and men bringing up the rear, all made up and danc-ing, with a small band and a generator on wheels! This was just before sunset, and was a celebration of the full moon, and Buddha’s birthday – and a wonderful thing to behold.

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Lacquer ware is commonplace all over south east Asia, and Burma is no different. Bagan is the place to purchase Burmese lacquerware, but it is also well worth a visit to a lacquer ware workshop. In 1990, the government relocated a whole village within Bagan. Many of the villagers had lived in the village since the 1970s, and the new village (now known as ‘New Bagan’) had previously been a peanut field. It is said that some villagers were only given a week’s notice! There is a lacquer college here, providing lacquer ware courses which take one year to complete. One of the lacquer ware workshops you can visit is U Ba Nyein workshop, a family business since 1930. Lac-quer ware goes through many processes, all by hand, and even the smaller pieces can take months to com-plete. First, thin strands of bamboo are weaved, usu-

There is much to be learnt about the Burmese lifestyle onboard a river cruise – from witnessing their tradi-tional skills in lacquer ware, pottery, making gold leaf or silk ware, to learning about the make-up they use and clothes they wear – even to the use of Toddy Palm! By visiting off-the-beaten track villages which are otherwise inaccessible apart from by river, not only will you have a fantastic opportunity to watch the Burmese deploy traditional skills which have remained the same over centuries, but will have an unique opportunity to learn about an entirely different culture up-close and first hand.

ally with horse hair, followed by using ‘Thayo’, a thick mix of Thitsee resin and ash or sawdust. Many layers are applied; good lacquerware has sixteen layers. Af-ter layering and drying, the pieces are then engraved by hand. A steady hand, patience and concentration are essential requirements for this painstaking work. Visitors will have a chance to look around their shop, which was adjacent to the workshop, which had hun-dreds of pieces on display. If you wander into the back room there are huge pieces are lacquer ware, which must have taken months to complete. It is, of course, possible to purchase some pieces. However, please note, if you try to pay by credit card, it is com-mon for the electricity to cut out during the transac-tion, but don’t worry – the owner will have to rush out to start their generator!

EXPERIENCINGTHE BURMESELIFESTYLE

Typical Village Life

BURMESE SKILLS


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one has their own role. The clay is delivered, mixed up and put in bamboo baskets; the women carry these on their heads ready to start the pot-making process, all by hand of course. They are paid one dollar a pot and produce eight a day, which are then sold on for $20. Majority of the pots are now exported all over the world. Each community has between two and five kilns that reach a staggering 1500 degrees. Once fired, they are engraved by hand. If you get the chance, this very interesting tour lasts about an hour.

If you get the chance to visit Ava, take the opportunity to watch the weavers in action at the Shwe Sin Tai Silk ware factory and shop. This is fascinating: watching how they weave the silk by hand and foot on ancient wooden looms and spinning wheels. It’s also lovely listening to the girls singing and chatting away, with the clickedly-clack noise in the background. Over the road is the shop where you can buy scarves, hats and clothes – all made of silk. Proudly displayed on a pan-el on the wall are old black and white photographs and newspaper cuttings of Aung San Suu Kyi, Princes Charles and Camilla and David Cameron. Aung San Suu Kyi is believed to purchase her silk ware from this factory.

The small village of Yandabo is notable for two things: the site where the peace treaty of the first Anglo Bur-mese War was signed in 1826, and it’s also famous for its pottery. A visit to this village will provide you with a fascinating insight into the ancient traditional Burmese methods of making pottery. Everyone in the village plays their part; the men bring the mud, sand and water from the riverbank to the village and mix together with their feet by continually trampling in it ensuring it is mixed thoroughly. Women also play their part: two women, one a potter while the other uses her legs to keep moving the wood and string to keep the potter’s wheel turning – team work! The pots are dried and engraved by hand. Pots were everywhere even piled on the upper floors of their homes.

They don’t use a kiln to fire the pots: they put a layer of leaves and wood clippings and then layer the pots, seven pots high. In the evening the fire is lit. They have to produce 50 pots a day and they hire the pot-ter’s wheel.

Kyauk Myaung is also famous for its pots; but these aren’t ordinary pots, they’re 50 gallon pots! From the riverbank, you will be able to witness a hive of activity, as the bank is lined with both big and small pots. Men roll the larger pots on the plank to waiting ships whilst the women carry one smaller pot on their heads and one under arm; the women are tiny but very strong. Ox and carts and old trucks deliver pots to the bank ready for loading up. Once ashore, it’s only 20 easy steps directly to Kyauk Myaung, where the famous 50-gallon pots are made. This area includes four large pottery villages that employ about 52% of the area’s population. Again it’s all about teamwork, and every-

hand made pots

Yandabo Pottery Village

Shwe Sin Tai Silk Factory

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astounding to see how many processes go into mak-ing gold leaf. Making a gold ribbon from a solid piece of gold takes a long time. Beating gold can, in total, take between 5 or 7 hours! The first beating is to in-crease the size, taking 30 minutes. It is then meticu-lously cut into square inch pieces, and beaten again for another 30 minutes, and then a third beating for five hours. The small pieces, which will eventually be-come only 0.000005 thin, are then carefully packed on straw paper and bagged up. The women take care of cutting and packing the gold leaf in a separate room. The thudding noise of the heavy sledge hammers is constant and done by just two men.

BURMESE VILLAGE LIFEOne of the highlights of a river cruise in Burma is vis-iting the small villages and just getting immersed in village life. There will of course be pagodas, shrines, monasteries, and workshops to visit, but the Burmese people are arguably the real treasures of Burma. Dif-ferent river cruise operators will visit different villag-es, but the charm and nature of the people will be much the same.

A typical village such as Shwe Pyi Thar Village will have a mix of housing including bamboo, weaved bamboo and a couple made with bricks. The children greet travellers with smiles and inquisitive eyes. There are chickens, pigs, dogs and cows, women cooking, dry-ing out beans and chillies. Times have changed very little in these types of villages, although you may spot a small solar panel charging a battery of some sort. Shwe Pyi Thar Village has a junior school in the vil-lage which has 48 pupils, who gather together to sing some songs and practice their English when travellers

As most river cruises will likely include a visit to Man-dalay, it is worthwhile visiting Aung Nan, a well-known, woodcarving workshop. This workshop is filled from top to bottom with intricately carved masterpieces ranging from enormous puppets and Buddha images, not to mention the array of tapestries hanging from the ceiling. As you would expect, everything is made by hand and it’s a great experience to see the artisans at work, in particular the young ladies working at var-ious stages of the tapestries. Such a lot of work goes into creating these beautiful handicrafts. Whilst a common ‘pet peeve’ for many travellers is being pes-tered or made to feel you have to buy souvenirs, this, fortunately, is not the case in Burma!

Gold plays a very important part in Burmese life, it is constantly being applied to their favourite Buddha images as offerings, some Burmese also eat a leaf on a daily basis; they believe it is good for one’s health! Another fabulous insight into Burmese lifestyle in Mandalay is a visit to ‘King Galon’ a famous gold-leaf workshop. This is a popular site for visitors, as Rachel first visited in 2010, and noted that it hasn’t changed at all, apart from some of the workers now owning mobiles. It is

Aung Nan in Mandalay - Hand made puppets

Intricate finishing touches to hand made tapestries

Shwe Pyi Thar Village


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arrive. It is common for river cruise groups to club together to give some money to the local guide to purchase school bags and pencils to give out. A visit to Tagaung – once an ancient city, but today a small village – is similarly charming. Passing the village clin-ic and the home of the community midwife, there is an assortment of so-called shops selling everything from flip-flops, motorbike helmets, second-hand books, fruit, vegetables, seeds and an array of nuts. There are a varie-ty of food stalls selling both hot and cold snacks to passers-by. Tagaung even has a shop selling bikes and electric fans. It’s not just shops to be seen – during Rachel’s visit, she saw a studious little boy doing extra studies on a make shift desk on the roadside, whilst further along a group of boys playing ‘Ladaku’, a Burmese shuf-fle board game.

Shwe Pyi Thar is in an area with lots of Toddy Palm trees, which have various uses: providing shade, drink, food, medi-cine and even furniture – absolutely nothing goes to waste. The toddy juice is collected each dawn by climbing up a rick-ety bamboo ladder, and then by an even smaller ladder towards the top of the palm. The toddy-filled pots are removed and re-placed with empty ones. The pots have to be secured with string and placed underneath what they call the ‘toddy udders’ which are the juice producing shoots. The shoots have to be sliced with a sharp knife in or-der for the toddy juice to start dripping into the pot.

This continues all morning until the quota for the day is reached, which can be up to fifty palms a day! This procedure not only takes a lot of skill, but also is also very high risk.

Once the sap is collected it can be boiled over an open fire; once thickened and cooled down, it becomes more solid and can be rolled by hand into edible

pieces, similar to candy. It can also be fermented in the sun to make toddy beer. When the trees are nearing the end of their life span the trunks are used for making cooking utensils and pieces of furniture.

One of the other benefits of river cruising on the Ir-rawaddy is that most riv-er vessels are designed with low passenger ca-pacity, giving a sense of intimacy and camarade-rie between the passen-gers. It may be possible, on some river cruises, to enjoy an impromptu stop, and moor along-side small villages not on the itinerary. Rachel had an impromptu stop in a small village called Than-bayer, about 127miles north of Mandalay. On such a visit, the group were accompanied by

their guide and a couple crew members. This was a fantastic opportunity to spot water buffalo enjoying a good soak in the river (from a safe distance!), children doing acrobats in a big straw mound in a field, teen-agers playing football, and ox and carts making their way back home for the night!

Finger licking Toddy Sap

Bath time - village style

Tossing and drying chillies

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BURMESE TRANSPORTWhilst river cruise is the best way to see Burma, from time to time there will be transfers (whether by road or even local ferry) to see particular sites, or there may be excursions available which offer different ways to tour cities, for example a horse and cart around Am-arapura. Horse and carts are usually actually quite comfortable, and covered for shade. The track is a little dusty, but preferable to walking in the heat.

If travelling via road to visit a site, you will find various places where they are digging up the road - not sure the reason why, but it happens all the time. Clearly, this is something the Burmese are used to, because they carry planks of wood to cover the holes to enable them to drive over.

There may be times where your bus may reach an area where a large section of the road has been dug out! When this happened on one of Rachel’s bus jour-neys, the driver and crew moved boulders of rock into the hole and brought out the planks of wood again. The driver drove the bus carefully, inch by inch, over the manmade crossing. When the crossing gave way, the driver and crew started digging the bus out with one shovel. Fortunately for Rachel’s group, there were plenty of trees for shade and the crew always carry water for passengers to keep them hydrated on ex-cursions. As the Burmese are such a friendly people, it wasn’t long before locals on bikes stopped to help dig the group out by hand; even a monk came along to supervise the operation. It took less than an hour before they were on their way again. Burmese people have always had to fend for themselves as the mili-tary did very little to help communities in need, even

Thayet Village Horse & Carts

when cyclone Nargis hit the Irrawaddy Delta, it took the military days to help. In fact, the military resisted help from the outside world. Therefore, the Burmese have always had to help themselves, and do so will-ingly; it is their way.

BURMESE FOODBurmese cuisine is incredibly varied, due to its myr-iad of local ethnic minorities, diverse religious back-grounds, and the influence of its geographic neigh-bours such as China, India and Thailand.

Characterized by extensive use of fish products, like fish sauce and ngapi (fermented seafood), Burmese cuisine also includes a variety of salads (a thoke), cen-tred on one major ingredient ranging from starches such as rice, wheat and rice noodles, glass noodles and vermicelli, to potato, ginger, tomato, kaffir lime, long bean, lahpet (pickled tea leaves) and ngapi. Tra-ditional Burmese favourites may be summarised by the popular rhyme: ‘A thee ma, thayet; a thar ma, wet, a ywet ma, lahpet’ or ‘Of all the fruit, the mango’s the best; of all the meat, the pork’s the best; and of all the leaves, lahpet’s the best’. Particularly in landlocked cities such as Mandalay, meat and poultry are com-

Typical market stall

Fish Paste


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monly used, although coastal cities such as Sittwe, Kyaukpyu, Mawlamyaing (formerly Moulmein) and more commonly use more seafood.

The traditional way to eat meals in Burma is from dish-es on a low table, while sitting on a bamboo mat. Dish-es are served simultaneously, typically with steamed rice as the main dish and accompanying dishes (hin) ranging from a curried freshwater or dried/salted fish dish or a curried meat or poultry dish, a light soup (hin gyo or, if sour, chinyay hin), and fresh/boiled vegeta-bles to accompany a salty dish – in Lower Burma this would almost invariably be a curried sauce of pick-led fish. Etiquette and tradition demand that elders are always served first, as a mark of respect, before the others join in; even where the elders are absent, the first morsel of rice from the pot is scooped and set aside as an act of respect to one’s parents. This custom is known as u cha, which literally translate to ‘first serve’. When eating, the Burmese use their right hand, forming small balls of rice with their fingertips,

and mixing this with various morsels before popping it into their mouths. For noodle dishes, chopsticks and Chinese-style spoons are adopted, although a spoon is usually sufficient for noodle salads. Cutlery such as knives and forks are rarely used in homes, but will al-ways be available for guests, and in restaurants and hotels. The Burmese don’t usually serve drinks with meals; instead, a light broth or consommé is served from a communal bowl. Outside of meals, the bever-age of choice if light green tea. Chin cuisine is focused around rice, millet, and maize. Chin dishes tend to be boiled, as opposed to fried in

oil. The Chins are a Christian ethnic group from the hills of western Burma, and experienced a great deal of governmental oppression in the 1960s, including a rice blockade; many fled the country.

The diverse religious makeup of Burma is appar-ent in its cuisine, with Buddhists avoiding beef, and Muslims not eating pork. For devout Buddhists, beef is taboo as the cow is highly regarded as a beast of burden. However, vegetarian dishes are usually only commonly eaten during the Buddhist Lent (Wa-dwin),

a three-month Rains Retreat, as well as on Uposatha Sabbath days. During this time, the fasting rules dic-tate that only two meals are consumed before mid-day (i.e. breakfast and lunch) and devout Buddhists are to abstain completely from meat (this practice is referred to as thek that lut, or to put it literally, ‘free of killing’). However throughout the rest of the year, the bulk of Burmese food is in fact prepared with fish or meat broth bases, although many foods can be pre-pared vegetarians upon request. Indeed, many of the ethnic groups prepare at least one inherently vegetar-ian dish; most notably cuisine from the Shan people. Geographic influences from India can be found in

photography by CC travelfood.com photography by CC travelfood.com

photography by Jennifer Mwong

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LEARNING ABOUT BURMESE LIFESTYLE ONBOARDMost river cruise operators will endeavour to show you not only as many of the sites and villages as pos-sible, but provide further glimpses into daily lives of the Burmese, sometimes with presentations or talks, usually whilst sailing between villages.

‘Thanakha’ is a natural make up which is made from an Asian tree called Limoniaacidissima. These trees can only found in Burma, India, Sri Lanka, Java and Pakistan. The Thanakha cream is made by grounding the bark, wood and roots, mixed with water on a spe-cial stone slab called a ‘Kyaukpyin’ to make a paste. It has many uses including proteins that are anti-age-

ing, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal, it shields the skin from UVB rays too. Most women and children use this and a few younger men. The trees must be at least 35 years old to be mature enough to crop good quality cuttings. Thanakha logs are sold on all the markets, as well as the grounded powder. During the presenta-tion of Rachel’s river cruise, the guests all put some on their faces, and found that the make-up was remark-ably cold and kept the face cool for a long time – a distinct benefit in such a hot climate!

Burmese-style samosas, biryanis, curries, and Bur-mese versions of typically Indian breads such as naan and paratha. Cities in particular enjoy Chitti kala or Chettiar (Southern Indian) cuisine. The use of ingredi-ents like bean curd, soya sauce and various noodles, as well as stir-frying techniques, highlights the influ-ence of Burma’s Chinese neighbours. Similar to the neighbouring countries of Thailand and Laos, fried insects are a popular Burmese snack.

Some river cruises may offer cooking demonstrations at some point during your cruise. The head chef on Rachel’s river cruise demonstrated a tea leaf and gin-ger salad – certainly an acquired taste!

Whilst exploring Burma, you may also notice that nothing gets wasted: if an animal, for example a pig, is killed for food, then every part of it will be cooked and put on a skewer for eating!

All parts ‘Pig’ freshly cooked

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Rachel recommends: For excellent food, fantastic service, and a beautiful setting, why not try Le Planteur res-taurant in Yangon? Set in beautiful gardens, Le Planteur is close by Aung San Suu Kyi’s home, where she previously spent many years under house arrest, although you can only see the huge iron gates with ‘NLD’ banners on either side.memory of mystical Bagan.

Thanakha log market stall

Thanakha - Sun screen


Burmese men wear longyis in different styles: such as ankle length, whilst country folk wear them shorter, above the knee. Longyis can also be transformed into shorts and a jacket for the cooler areas. Burmese men always have two longyis with them: one they wear, and the other has many other uses ranging from a sling bag, back pack; it can also be curled up and placed on your head as a cushion when carrying items on your head. A longyi is two meters in length and width, and sewn up, effectively making a tube.

Many river cruises will also feature local entertainment onboard at least once dur-ing a cruise. This could be differ depending on the river cruise, but Burmese pup-pet shows are popular. The puppeteers are extremely talented, coping with up to 90 strings! It’s worthwhile watching the local entertainment, as it gives a different flavour and insight, and is all part of the immersive experience.

On deck evening entertainment - Local village dancers

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Cruise Select 2015


Whilst there are so many beautiful and ancient sites to visit, and the Burmese people are charming and so friendly, there are also other uniquely Burmese ex-periences to savour. From breathtaking views on the Tan Kyi Mountain, to the fascinating carvings in the Hpowindaung Caves, to the adorable elephants in the Nat Pauk Elephant Camp, these are all must-see expe-riences in their own right.

EXPERIENCINGUNIQUEBURMA

Hpowindaung Caves

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Rachel recommends: Visit the beautiful Kandawagyi Park, one of Yangon’s greenest parks. Although you will have to be careful when strolling along the teak broadwalk – it’s not the easiest of walks, and is a little tricky for anyone with walking difficulties, as it is very uneven in places.

HPOWINDAUNG CAVESArriving at Hpowindaung Caves, near Monwya, you will likely find that the heat is intense – it was at 40 degrees at the time of Rachel’s visit – and there will likely be no breeze and very little shade. There is a covered walkway, with steps that take you part way to the caves –however, beware there are ‘monkeys on your route’ – and the rest of the walk is on une-ven gravel and rocks. These caves are an extraordi-nary complex containing 947 small and large caves that have been created by carving into the sandstone. Many of the caves have Buddha statues and mural paintings dating back to between the 14th and 18th

century. Archaeologists say these caves contain the richest collection of murals and Buddha statues in Southeast Asia, making it well worth the trip!

BREATH-TAKING VIEWS Between Salay and Bagan along the river lies Tan Kyi. If your river cruise docks there, it is well worth a trip to Tan Kyi Mountain. From where a river vessel will dock, it will be a minibus journey via a single-track road, of sorts, taking about thirty minutes. It’s a bumpy ride to reach the top of Tan Kyi Hill, and from there it’s across a dilapidated wooden bridge – some people have to

Buddha Statue with mural painted interior

Famous teak U Bein Bridge


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close their eyes and hold their breath! However the spectacular view of the area and river from the moun-tain peak is well worth the journey. On the hill lies the gold Tantkyi Taung Pagoda that was built during 1059 AD by King Anawrahta, and is visible from much of Bagan.

If you visit Ava, the U Bein Bridge, dating back to 1850, is a popular attraction. 1.2km in length and spanning the stunning Taungthamen Lake, it is believed to be the oldest and longest teak bridge in the world. One of the best ways to admire this bridge and lake is by sampan (a small local boat), and the return cost of the sampan, which holds up to 4 people, is just 8,000 kyats.

ELEPHANT LOGGING CAMPFrom Katha, you can visit the Nat Pauk Elephant Camp; the coach journey is just 30 minutes and it’s interesting to see the surrounding area of Katha, the setting of George Orwell’s ‘Burmese Days’. Once you arrive at the entrance to the camp even if it is very hot, the Eucalyptus trees provide much-needed shade along the 10 minutes’ walk through the jungle on a dried up mud pathway. This camp has about twelve elephants, including (at the time of Rachel’s visit in May 2015) a 3-month-old baby, which was so cute. A guide translates for the head of the camp whilst he explained about their work and how the elephants were trained. In short, the elephants have to learn twenty words (commands). The mahout controls the elephant by sitting on its neck and taps his foot be-hind the elephant’s ear. It takes about twenty years for the elephants to be trained and ready to work. They have the same mahout throughout their life and form a close bond. It is common that upon the death or

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Must See: If you visit Bagan, and are lucky enough to be there to enjoy the sun setting over the ancient city, this is another wonderful photo opportu-nity and an absolute must!

either the mahout or elephant, the other dies shortly afterwards.

During a trip to the Nat Pauk Elephant Camp, visitors can follow the elephants for their morning bath. The area was very small at the time of Rachel’s visit in May as it is the dry season so they go in two or three at a time. When the monsoon arrives, their bathing area is much larger. Back on dry land, the mahouts and ele-phants demonstrate their techniques and skills, with the elephants being rewarded with bananas. During Rachel’s visit, she saw an older elephant, aged fifty, make an appearance; he had a healed broken an-kle. With a huge supply of bananas visitors can also feed the elephants; Rachel chose the baby elephant’s mother, and she was able to get right up close as the elephant was so gentle. A visit to the camp will usual-ly last about an hour; a very enjoyable and unforgetta-ble hour too. There may be opportunities on the way back from the Elephant camp for a photo stop and a visit to the Kat Thar Tennis Club and Club House in Ka-tha. The tennis court was in good condition, and the clubhouse is now used as an office-cum-shop. A fur-ther photo opportunity may also be taken at George Orwell’s house, although Rachel was only able to take photos of the outside. However if the doors are open, it is possible to get a photo of the entrance too.

Rachel’s new best friend

Morning bath time

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Cruising along the Irrawaddy provides a unique in-sight into Burma. Not only does it give you exclusive access to many untouched villages, you can truly ap-preciate the sights and sounds of Burma. River cruis-es along the Irrawaddy usually set sail at sunrise in order to reach the next destination between 8 and 9, and they never sail at night, so you are moored along the river by late afternoon and remain overnight. The great thing is you can watch all the locals doing their laundry, children playing in the river, splashing alongside oxen being bathed in the river, whilst the women have a good natter, cooking breakfast underneath their bam-boo huts.

Sailing on the river is fas-cinating with so much to see on both the land and river: pagodas dot-ted on the hillsides, floating bamboo houses on rafts, farmers ploughing their crops using wooden ploughs pulled by oxen, and boats laden with teak logs, sand, rice – you name it! Ox and carts come down to the river to fill up empty barrels with water to take back to the villages. River cruises are equipped to deal with the river, and so most of the sun deck onboard will be covered to give much needed share, and there are usually fans to keep you cool, so you can appreciate the spectacular and fascinating views in comfort.

When sailing down the Irrawaddy towards the Second Defile, it is worth noting that due to the water levels, it will not always be possible for the boat to go through the Second Defile. Instead, the tour will be done by speedboat or long tail boat, which is what happened on Rachel and Bill’s recent river cruise.

On Rachel’s river cruise, their ship set sail to Katha (pronounced Kata), a relatively built-up area com-pared to the rural villages, in order to meet the long

tail boat for the tour to the second defile. The journey time on the long tail boat to the second defile took around 3 to 3.5 hours, and the crew carried on supplies of water, food, wine and beer, as the tour lasts for the whole day. The long tail boat which Rachel

and Bill went on was very basic and tatty, but most likely one of the better ones! The crew had carried on cushions, life jackets and towels from the boat to make the trip as comfortable as possible. The boat had a roof and the gently river breeze made the jour-ney cool and pleasant. It is worth bearing in mind that the engine of the long tail boat was very noisy, making it hard to have a conversation without shouting. The long tail boat passes by tiny little islands, local boats and ferries, and the landscape is fairly flat. It took about 3.5 hours to get to start of the defile where the

EXPERIENCING LIFE ON THEIRRAWADDY

Taguang Village

Ox & cart wash all in one go!


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scenery changed dramatically, surrounded by lush jungle and high cliffs. There was an interesting land-mark, the head of a parrot which had been painted by seamen, acting as a warning to sailors to be care-ful when the water level rises to the beak. Pagodas and Shrines were perched on rocks, although it is al-most impossible to imagine how people access some of these! The 2nd defile is south of Bhamo, Burma’s most northern state, Kachin, and the most dramatic of the three gorges.

On Rachel and Bill’s tour to the 2nd Defile, the long tail boat turned around and headed to an island within the 2nd defile. When they got off, they had walk off the boat via a single plank! The sandbank was steep, it was bit of a climb and it is important to take your time! There were a few little bamboo houses, and what looked like a closed bar. There was a road with a bit of traffic, mainly motorbikes, many coming from China, as the border isn’t that far away. It was much easier coming down the bank onto the boat. The re-turn journey to the river cruise ship took just over two hours, going downstream.

When cruising along the Irrawaddy, you may also no-tice a lot of sandbanks, which are sometimes hit by river vessels! At places where the water level is very low, it will be continually monitored by a pilot with a long measuring stick. When Rachel and Bill were sail-ing to Mingun, the ship picked up fifteen pilots on the upstream journey, each pilot having an in-depth knowledge of their patch of the river.

Pilots are not the only guides for river vessels down the Irrawaddy; you may be lucky enough to spot Ir-rawaddy dolphins! These are an interesting type of dolphin and, unlike dolphins from other Southeast Asian countries, they are famous for helping the local fishermen. When fishermen trace the dolphins, they tap of the side of their small boats with a wooden stick as a signal, followed by softly rustling the water with an oar. The rustling of the water convinces the dol-phins that they are not their enemies, and they work to catch fish together. Sadly, there are only 72 dol-phins recorded in the Irrawaddy.

Go to Burma to admire stunning temples and pagodas, to meet some of the friendliest people in the world, to experience an entirely different culture, and even to get close to elephants.

Burma has and still is going through many changes since 2012, when sanctions were lift-ed. In the same year, tourist figures rose to over one million for the first time ever. Tourism is targeted to reach 7.5 million by 2020. Presently there are not enough hotels to meet demand and prices are rising rapidly; one reason to go before tourism explodes! It’s easy to lose count how many new river vessels are going to be launched in 2016 and 2017; another reason to go now before the river is swamped with lots of tourist boats. However, a good niche river oper-ator should always be able to take you to visit villages which are more off-the-beaten-track; certainly at the moment anyway. Some of the river operators which currently of-fer sailings on the Irrawaddy include:

Pandaw

Scenic

CruiseCo – on Rachel’s 2015 trip, she cruised

on Cruiseco Explorer

APT

AmaWaterways

Belmond – on Rachel’s 2010 trip, she cruised

on the Road to Mandalay

Avalon Waterways

Viking River Cruises

TauckTah tah!

EXPLORE BURMA NOW

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