Myanmar (Burma)
21–29 January 2019
I was surprised that there were so few tourists in Myanmar. I visited Mandalay (a name that conjures up “mysteries of old”, and Nay Phi Taw (a city that not many have heard of). It is, in fact, the new Capital of Myanmar built over the last 10 years, replacing the old capital, Yangon (Rangoon).
Flew into MANDALAY on Bangkok Airways. An airline I love, especially the ATR’s which are small propjets with overwings. Makes for great viewing. It was a city I had heard of since I was very young. The history and mystery of this ancient city. The Glass Palace was the home of Burmese Kings until the late 1800’s when the British kidnapped him and put him in hiding in India (1895). There is a stunning book called “The Glass Palace” that traces the history of that period. The British had been harvesting Burmese teak for many years and not paying for it. Around 1895, the King realized that they were, in fact, stealing the wood so, he asked them to pay for future teak. Shortly after the request, he was kidnapped and vanished from public sight. He was placed under house arrest in a small village in India where, he eventually died. That was the end of the monarchy in Burma. It then became a fort for the British.
The palace takes up a huge part of the city and is very impressive. A mile long on each side plus a huge moat around it. Just 4 bridges, one on each side, allow entry, Each entry had a purpose. The Royal gate, servants gate, one for deliveries and the one you did not want to pass through. The gate the deceased were taken out through. Albeit, it is now mostly for tourists, the security is very high. Just walking around the outside walls, inside the moat (8 kilometres), you have to pass a lot of armed military. Just ask permission to continue walking and you are fine. To be so close to history is quite an experience.
Walking around Mandalay you realise there are very few tourists. As a result, it does not have great tourism infrastructure. Footpaths are in poor condition. The rainy season is so bad that repairing the footpaths would be impractical. You would have to redo it every year. Make sure you visit in the dry season albeit it will be really hot. A dry heat though.
There is accommodation to suit every taste, and, at good rates. I stayed at the Mandalay Hilton for less than A$100 a night including most meals.
Because it is non touristy, everything is quite cheap. A large bottle of beer is about A$1. Sitting in one bar, the waiter told me to rub out the inside of the bottle top. I did and it said, your next beer is free. So. I got 2 for A$1. How many bars would be honest enough to tell you about that? Many I know would keep the caps themselves and check them later. Most bars would not give you the top.
I also found a coffee shop/bar called Kipling’s after the famous writer. The names Mandalay and Kipling seem to ring true until you check history. Kipling spent most of his time in India. The only time he visited Burma (as it was then) was on a ship bound for America. The ship stopped in Rangoon (Now Yangon) for one day. Many, many miles from Mandalay.
Myanmar is famous for its marionettes so I wanted to see a show. I found a new place called the Myan Theatre. For A$20, I got limousine transfers, light dinner, refreshments and a one hour show with, maybe, 20 artists. Everything from traditional dance to the marionettes. Sad to say, there were only 3 of us there. A fabulous show and a special memory especially as I was invited up on stage with them at the end. Unfortunately, because of lack of tourists, the show has now closed. Very, very sad indeed. It was one of many highlights of my trip to Myanmar. The Burmese are lovely people. Did not find one that was not friendly.
From here, I was driven several hours south to NAY PHI TAW.
This is a new city, still under construction and is the new capital of the country. A bit like Canberra. It is there purely to be the centre of Government. Many advantages. It’s in the middle of the country so, in case of attack, the only way in is my air. Yangon (the old capital) is a port so accessible from all sides. It is one of the most fascinating places I have been. The scale is huge. It is very spread out. There do not seem to be many people around. Not locals and certainly very few tourists.
It has everything that a tourist could want so, I hope, it is successful in the future. All the hotels are either Hilton, Radisson branded, etc., but are only managed by them. All appear to be owned by the military, as does most of the city.
Again, I stayed at the Hilton for a very good price. Absolute luxury. But, a 500 room hotel with only 20 rooms occupied meant I had the place to myself.
Nay Phi Taw is so vast that the only way to tour the city is by limousine but, value for money. A$100 gave me the car all day with driver and tour guide and entry to all the attractions (and there are many highlights).
First stop was at a Temple where I had to wear traditional dress and learnt the correct way to hold the club to hit the giant bell.
There was also an enclosure where they have white elephants. Very rare indeed.
We travelled on a 10 lane highway with zero traffic (most vehicles are banned from using it) that goes past Parliament House and other Government offices. You are not allowed to stop and not allowed to photograph the buildings. We did stop along the way for a quick photo standing in the middle of the highway. It seems to me that it could quickly be converted to an airport runway, albeit they have a huge, brand new, airport.
Our next stop was the aircraft museum. The best collection of aircraft I have seen anywhere in the world and a highlight of the trip. Everything from a Spitfire, to a US helicopter used in the Vietnam war, a DC3, Russian and many other aircraft. You could climb into a lot of them. Most of it is outside. In a huge hanger there are more locally used military aircraft including part of a heavily damaged wing (bullet holes) from their most recent border battle which amazingly was only back in 2016. Things we do not hear about. Here are a lot of photos. It was amazing.
After visiting a local market, we went to their history museum.
Again — nothing like it I have ever seen. Just incredible displays. Large models of ancient palaces, human remains, and (of course) marionettes. It is a shame that more people do not get to see it. Only pictures can tell the awesome story of my visit there.
Then. Time to head home to Thailand. The Nay Phi Taw airport is massive. 30 aerobridges. At this stage, however, there are only 4 flights a week using the airport. Bangkok Airways who use an ATR which is too small to use the aerobridges. You have to bus out to the aircraft. As you arrive there are rows and rows of military, all with machine guns. This massive airport had just 20 passengers departing, on my flight. Immigration officers all waving for me to go to them. Very unlike Bangkok Airport. The scale intrigues me. Then. I found a plaque that said that the airport had been built and donated by CHINA. Enough said. It is not just Australia they are buying.
OVERVIEW
I can understand why tourism is not a huge industry in Myanmar, but, that is a shame. It is an absolutely fabulous place to visit. The history, the infrastructure, the sightseeing especially in Nay Phi Taw. I am so thrilled that I have been there and learnt so much about the country. Feeling lucky that I took the opportunity to go. Yes, there is a lot of military around but, behave. No problem. I felt very safe. I would love to get back to see Yangon and Bagan. Hopefully, the day will come. Such a rich history. I am very lucky.
