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30+ photos from five days in Upper Myanmar: Bicycle tour in Mandalay, scenic train to Hsipaw, and adventures at the ancient cities of Mingun, Amarapura, Innwa, and Sagaing.
Yet another long night bus brought me to Mandalay, 3rd stop on my 14 day backpacking trip around Myanmar (Burma). P, a Thai traveler I met in Bagan was also headed the same way, perfect!
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I traveled to Laos with a mission to surround myself in the beauty and serenity of the Laos countryside.
I was totally looking forward to wander around remote villages, hiking past blooming rice paddies bordered by towering limestone cliffs.
I ended up traveling from the northeastern Thai-Laos border to its southernmost Laos-Cambodia land crossing .
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Day 1
Arrival in Bagan, Myanmar
The sky was shrouded by pitch black darkness when our night bus arrived in Bagan (from Yangon) around 3am. I didn’t bother book a hostel room beforehand. After arrival, my “game plan” was basically to get on a pick-up truck to New Bagan, supposedly the go-to place for cheap hostels, and wanderaimlessly around town to check for cheap rooms.
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I couldn’t have thought of a better destination to kick-start my trip around mainland South East Asian than in, drum roll please …. Thailand! So cliché, I know, but this country took up the lion’s share of the “banana pancake trail” for a reason: It had something to offer for every traveler.
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I was at the end of my backpacking journey around mainland South East Asia, with one more country left on my itinerary: Myanmar.
Myanmar, also known as “Burma,” had only recently become a popular destination in the South East Asian backpacking trail. Blame it on decades of military government control for isolating the country from the rest of the world.
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Awesome view overlooking limestone karst jungles surrounding the hidden lagoons of Sohoton in Bucas Grande Island, Surigao del Norte, Philippines.
I found out about the “jungle trail” to Sohoton Caves and Lagoons on my fourth day in Bucas Grande Island. I’ve always wondered if it was possible and wanted to try it since it was the cheapest way to the lagoons.
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What brought me back to Siargao and Bucas Grande Island? That’s easy! These islands were among my favorites in the entire Philippines.
For years since my first visit to Surigao provinces, I craved intensely to go back and swim in the crystal-clear emerald waters of Sohoton lagoons with hundreds of non-sting jellyfish and finally ride the famous surf in Cloud9.
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The golden spires of the Shwedagon Pagoda reached out into the heavenly twilight. I was caught dazed and breathless by the surreal golden sunset at Yangon’s most popular landmark.
For two months that I was traveling around South East Asia (Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam), I hardly witnessed awesome sunsets because of my ill-timed visit during the rainy season.
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Sleep evaded me the night before my flight to Myanmar (Burma). I’m always victimized by insomnia attacks whenever I get too excited, or anxious, before going on a trip.
In case you didn’t know, Myanmar is not the easiest country to travel in South East Asia.
Nevertheless, I was still more excited than anxious.
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An enchanting sunrise mist trailed over the chocolate hills of Bohol. I was awestruck at the surreal scenery. A sight constantly shown on tourism ads yet rarely seen in person by most tourists.
The first time I visited Bohol’s chocolate hills, I was happy even just for the experience of finally feasting my eyes on this famous geologic wonder.
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In the Philippine Ilonggo dialect, ambot ah literally means "I don't know." After graduating in college, I decided to hold off pursuing my profession and embarked on a free spirited journey of adventure and self-discovery. My travels have led me to many places across the Philippine Islands and South East Asia. I don't know where this path will take me but I'm certain I'll get a lifetime of stories out of it.
