After landing at the modern airport in Yangon we quickly purchased a sim card with a local phone number. We were told that in the last few years the price of Internet and cell phones have dropped dramatically. One tour guide told us that in the last 10 years mobile phones have gone from costing more then $1000 to now being relatively affordable. Our taxi driver informed us that traffic in Yangon can be intense - horrific at times - traffic … [Read more...]
Wine Tasting in Myanmar
When traveling abroad, I always seek out wineries whenever possible. To some, going wine tasting in Myanmar might be somewhat of a surprise - an anomaly and to an extent it is. However, there are two wineries in the country, (Aythaya Vineyard and Red Mountain Estate) both in the vicinity of Inle Lake. Red Mountain Estate Winery is located on the outskirts of the small town of Nyaungshe. As one arrives, one quickly sees vineyards lining the … [Read more...]
Visiting North Korea (not really)
During a recent visit to Yangon, Myanmar a friend of a friend working in the city informed us about a North Korean restaurant within a 10 minute drive of where we were staying (the Merchant Art Boutique Hotel). My only other experience with North Korea was in Dandong, China. An old military bridge (today called the Friendship Bridge) extends half way across the Yalu River. I was there in the middle of winter and I remember it was extremely … [Read more...]
Shwedagon Pagoda, Yangon – March 2018
Shwedagon Pagoda, Yangon in Myanmar is located at the top of Singuttara Hill and can be seen for miles around the city. From afar, the tallest golden stupa is the visual highlight of this temple. From close, Shwedagon is a gathering place for Burmese and foreigners - an impressive monument to spirituality and human creativity. The temple was built between the 6th and 10th centuries - over time the height of the main pagoda was increased to … [Read more...]
Discover the Mekong – a different way to travel Thailand
Exploring a country by river offers an entirely new perspective to traveling. When the country in question is Thailand, and the river the Mekong, it makes for an unrivalled way to discover one of southeast Asia's prize gems. Grab your paddle, and lets river cruise. Southeast Asia is far more than the beaches and lagoons you see in holiday brochures. Head inland, and you'll see a network of waterways linking communities, and making for some … [Read more...]
Yunnan Province China – An Astounding Culturally Diverse Experience
The Yunnan Province of China has become one of the most sought after travel destinations for those seeking to witness a truly unique cultural experience. Being engulfed by a breathtaking countryside is nothing to sneer at either. This blossoming tourist destination has remained largely obscured and tucked away from outsiders for hundreds of years until modern infrastructure and transportation has allowed access. Located in the southwestern … [Read more...]
6 Best Travel Blogs for 2018
Getting the jump on another year and perhaps seo considering its only 2017 here in Thailand, the last time I checked - here are a few of our favorite travel blogs for 2017 and 2018. Refreshingly, this list does not incorporate the same travel blogs you seen on many of the top 10 travel blog lists. We pulled them out of our 8,000+ and always growing travel blog directory that we have maintained for many years. Bohemian … [Read more...]
Danger Zones & Pleasure Zones by Adrienne Brady
Author Adrienne Brady was born in Burma but grew up in the UK. She has lived a life of travel, among her travels she has enjoyed various 'home' bases around the world including Brunei, Dubai, Libya and Singapore. Her travels for the core of this book - detail her various trips throughout Sri Lanka, northern Thailand, Brunei, Libya, the Emirates through to the west coast of Ireland. Her time in Sri Lanka is during a particularly violent time … [Read more...]
Five Ways Travel Helps Your Writing
Shwedagon Pagoda, Myanmar There’s a plummy quote from Thoreau’s Walden that must open this discussion: “Not till we are lost ... not till we have lost the world, do we begin to find ourselves … Henry David was centering on getting lost in nature there, and thus freed of some of the day-to-day material constraints and pressures, but the message applies well to writers, and to the value of getting “lost” in travel. Value sometimes in getting … [Read more...]
A Grape Grows in Myanmar
The vines of Burgundy, Tuscany and Napa Valley produce some of the world’s most polished pours. While you can use many superlatives to describe these oenophile’s Disneyland, it’s a stretch of the imagination to describe any of these famed wine-producing regions as undiscovered. While Myanmar is no threat to Bordeaux as the next global grape deity, I was surprised that any wine at all is being produced here. The pagoda-laden landscape may not … [Read more...]