Showing posts with label Landscapes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Landscapes. Show all posts

Thursday 19 September 2019

Micro-adventures in #Myanmar (Burma)


The wish to travel seems to me characteristically human: the desire to move, to satisfy your curiosity or ease your fears, to change the circumstances of your life, to be a stranger, to make a friend, to experience an exotic landscape, to risk the unknown.’ 

This country is broad and the whisper of adventure smiles coyly around most corners. Weather and politics gets in the way of travelling to many parts of the country but much of it, with a little pluck and planning, remains ripe for exploration …

 Nagaland

Even in the times of British-rule it was difficult to secure a travel permit into Nagaland, so it was naturally greeted with excitement by travelers in Myanmar when the need for such permits disappeared altogether. 

Caught between advancing British imperialism and ambitious Burmese kings, the Naga fostered a ferocious reputation as they fought to keep their autonomy. By brute force they were eventually subsumed into the British Empire. Years later, to great effect they acted as guides and scouts to the Allied Forces during the Second World War, coming to be seen by some as not savage headhunters but “extremely lovable.”

Today’s Naga Self-Administered Zone in Myanmar is a strip of land along the Indian border, with the administrative capital in Lahe, with some adventurous tourists in Myanmar making it to Lay Shi. The bold may wish to rent motorbikes; all should travel with a guide. 
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Mawlaik

Recently Sampan Travel journeyed down the Chindwin River to Mawlaik. Today, it is not a town that crops up much in the newspapers nor holiday brochures however in times past it was an administrative centre of great import.

The town is peppered with colonial-era mansions, standing vacant and empty. It was also once the point at which many refugees from Yangon fled towards the Indian border as the Japanese Imperial Army invaded Burma.

British teacher U Thant Zin, a local celebrity, can still remember – and is keen to recount to those interested – of the Japanese soldiers who later committed suicide in the town as the British were returning, and the local boys who played football with their heads in the street.

A good spot for mindless wandering and settling down into tea shops. We don’t recommend the golf course. 
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On the Chindwin.
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 The Eng

Kyaing Tong sits in the midst of the Golden Triangle - where Myanmar meets the borders of Laos, Thailand, and China. Here it is possible to hike through fields that were not so long ago growing poppies, meeting some of the most diverse array of Myanmar ethnicities.

One of the most interesting is the Eng.

In the Eng village you will encounter errant children with pierced ears, a trusty slingshot in one hand, and wearing – if anything at all – the traditional black costume of their tribe. Their parents will likely be off working in the fields, but you can sit a while with the grandparents, many of whom will have painted their teeth black.

For a while after you leave the village the crackle and snap of twigs in the underbrush either side of the trekking track behind you will signal that you are being granted a clandestine escort out of Eng territory.


Mawlu & Henu

History wonks may travel up to Kachin State and across to Indawgyi where ‘Red Shan’ villagers on the banks of Myanmar’s largest lake may point to the place where fighter planes crashed during the Second World War.

On the way to or from Indawgyi it is worth visiting the nearby villages of Mawlu and Henu where during the Second World War, “Mad Mike” Calvert, after being parachuted in behind enemy lines, set up the Chindits base “White City.” 

Near Mawlu you can also see the field used as a landing strip and a commemorative plaque on “Pagoda Hill”. There is also here a small Chindits museum. It was here that the Calvert’s Chindits made a surprise attack on a troop of Imperial Japanese soldiers and, in Mad Mike’s own words:

 “…at the top of the hill, about fifty yards square, an extraordinary melee took place, everyone shooting, bayoneting, kicking at everyone else, rather like an officer’s guest night.”
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Ye

A few hours drive south of Mawlamyine is the little town of Ye, which is as delectable and charming as its name suggests. Here is an adventure for the faint-hearted.

At Ye there is a lake which can take be circumnavigated at a meandering pace in about an hour, stopping to sit at one of the wonky “lovers’ benches” or take a cup of sweet Myanmar tea under the willows.

A walkway leads out into the centre of the lake. From here you can drop titbits into the water and watch as a writhing mass of pake fish emerge, their mouths moronic and gaping and cavernous.

For others, it may be adventure enough to slip into one of the off-piste beer stations, or sit and watch the world go by under the chinthe that guard the entrance to the central pagoda, painted in a rich scarlet. 
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Source - MM Times

Monday 12 August 2019

#Cambodia - Beating the heat at mango plantation waterfall in Battambang


The relaxation begins as soon as you see the blossoming yellow flowers lining the road leading up to the mango plantation.

Passing through a large entrance with a sign saying “Welcome to Mango Plantation Waterfall Resort”, visitors drive down a wide road that dissects rows of thousands of mango trees dominating the landscape of Battambang province’s Samlot district.

The main attraction at Chamkar Svay Waterfall Resort, as it is known in Khmer, is the river running through it, where visitors sit in gazebos eating and relaxing along its banks.

“This resort attracts people since it is not developed. They love swimming and eating on mats, as well as relaxing until dusk before they go home,” Monn Mika, 52, the resort’s owner, told The Post.

“I initially began planting mango trees without thinking about creating a resort. But with the mountainous water flow I thought it could be a tourism attraction. So I began developing it step-by-step until it started attracting many people.

Situated next to 87ha of land that after two years is entirely cultivated with mango trees, Chamkar Svay Waterfall Resort now welcomes hundreds of visitors daily who bathe in the river that flows from Chambang Mountain.

Sok Theary, a visitor with two friends from Samlot town on a recent Sunday, praised the resorts “beautiful and cold water”. 
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Visitors can also order fresh food at the riverside, including roast chicken, roast fish, stir-fry or soup, as well as many appetisers and snacks, with prices ranging from 10,000 riel to 50,000 riel ($2.50 to $12.50).

Visitors are also welcome to camp in the mango plantation.

“Guests who come here do not only just swim in the natural river and explore the mango plantation, they can also go camping. We serve food and there is a cleanliness charge of $1.00 or $2.00 per person,” said Mika.

Mika said that in the dry season, the stream’s flow is lower and exposes many of the rocks on the riverbed for people to sit on. But in the rainy season, the river’s flow increases and people can enjoy bathing. 

“I pay much attention to cleanliness. I tell all staff to clean the rubbish daily so it doesn’t impact visitors and keeps the environment clean.

“My current main job is to take care of the plantation and resort, so I keep making the place more attractive, and me and my wife plan to buy boats for visitors,” he said.

Chamkar Svay Waterfall Resort is located in Sambout district’s Prey Sdao village, some 80km from Battambang town or 7km from Sek Sak Tourism Resort. Visitors pay 10,000 riel to bring their car into the resort.

Source - PhnomPhenPost
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Monday 19 October 2015

Popular Top 10 Pinterest Destinations

Pinterest often offers us a wonderful perspective on travel destinations. To do some of this magic places to dream, the site gives a top 10 of the most inspiring locations in the world. 

Positano, Italy 

 Musha Cay, Bahamas

Hanoi, Vietnam

Havasu Falls, USA

Petrohue Falls, Chile

  Jarlshof, Scotland

 Kyoto, Japan

 Port Fairy, Australia

 Glacier National Park, USA

 Tulum, Mexico

*****

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Friday 2 October 2015

Pai, #Thailand


Nestled up in a valley in Northern Thailand, close to the Burmese border, is the town of Pai. Historically, due to the town’s secludedness, Shan people occupied the area for much of its history until they were eventually overtaken by the Lan Na Kingdom. The Japanese had an interim appearance in Pai, as they tried to utilize it as a connecting point for the transport of soldiers and goods to the Burmese front in World War II. I developed a love/hate relationship when I visited Pai -the touristic town located in a gorgeous valley.


 It was originally going to ride a motorcycle around the famed Mae Hong Song loop to visit Pai, but poor weather conditions and a soon-to-be expired visa forced me to take a minibus into the town from Chiang Mai. I was disappointed, but the drive to Pai proved to be a beautiful one, as we slowly climbed our way up the mountains. The views were well worth the drive, even though several other passengers were vomiting profusely on the last half of the way up.


 Upon arriving in Pai I made my way across the Pai River to my hostel. I could tell that Pai was packed with tourists, as most people had the same idea as I did -leave Chiang Mai after Loi Krathong/Yi Peng and head to Pai. Most hostels were completely booked and I considered myself lucky to nab a spot in one. The other problem was that most places had already rented out all of their motorcycles. I was struck by luck once again, however, as I was inquiring for a motorcycle at the ‘famous’ Pai Circus School/Hostel at the same moment someone was returning theirs (yes it sounds like what it is, you can rent a room here, smoke a joint in the pool, and then learn how to juggle). Of course it was a bright pink scooter with stickers all over it -I took it regardless.


Let’s start with my least favorite part of Pai -the town of Pai itself. Yes it is small, quaint, and only has four 7-11’s and three traffic lights, but I found the town to be completely and utterly catered to tourists. I ventured into the residential areas surrounding the center and these did prove to be the quaint part of Pai, but I had nothing to do there unless I wanted to barge in on someone’s house -I couldn’t even find local eateries. The center of Pai was just so obnoxiously touristic with it’s night markets that sold the same crap that I saw in Chiang Mai and Sukhothai and it’s streets lined with Western style restaurants. Two stalls did give me a chuckle, however, as I saw a street food lasagna stall and a Mexican street food stall. I considered this an opportunity to have some Western food on my long Southeast Asian journey, but the Western food was junky -I was a fool to think otherwise. This is a lesson I’ve learned many times over, never choose Western food over local food while abroad. Never. I did partake in a bit of the Pai nightlife though, primarily bar-hopping with huge crowds and constantly playing pool with a Singha beer (my Thai beer of choice) always in hand. The one positive of the town of Pai is that it’s where I picked up any sort of billiards skill that I have today.
I’m not trying to bash things that are touristy, I do plenty of touristy things when I travel. But my problem with Pai is that I don’t think it would really exist without tourism -a town truly with more tourists than citizens.


 The positive of Pai was getting out of town and exploring the nature throughout the valley. Equipped with my bike, I spent most of my time getting lost in the countryside surrounding Pai. I was initially recommended to check out the World War II bridge, so I drove out to it on the southern side of the valley. It turns out that it is a memorial bridge built after World War II, but the Japanese original does still (partially) stand next to it. But as far as memorial World War II bridges go, it was damn cool, I guess. It was okay because I’ll take any excuse to go zooming through beautiful countryside on a bike.



I also made my way to Pam Bok waterfall. It was another great, scenic bike ride to get there, and a nice place to take a quick dip after a hot day. I had to traverse up some rocks and a shady looking wooden plank bridge to get to the falls and the pool but it was a great little adventure.
On the way back from the falls I encountered a place that many tourists mentioned back in town, the land split. The land split was literally just a big crack in the ground. However, next to it looked to be an old house/small farm where a friendly Thai woman welcomed me in for some snacks and a juice. The first thing that came to my mind was that the land split was just a ridiculous tourist trap to get you to come buy some things from this woman. I was correct, but it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. She literally gave me an entire platter full of local fruits and fruit drinks. It was my meal for the day, and she said the price was up to me. I came back here every day while in Pai -it was well worth it.



Aside from aimlessly driving around the countryside, I also visited Pai Canyon. I came here for sunset and was granted some great views. The canyon itself wasn’t too big, but it was a good few hours to hike around and explore. There were some narrow paths with sheer drops into the canyon on both sides, which made the adventure ever the more thrilling. Most others that were there were complaining about the canyon’s lack of grandiose, but I thought of it as a nice place to walk around and enjoy the beauty of the valley.
Most of my time in Pai was spent cruising on my mean, pink road machine throughout the valley and returning to the town at night to knock back a few and hone my pool skills. Even though I didn’t like the town itself too much, there were other things in the valley that I could spend weeks doing. Whether you are looking for parties, friends, nature, drugs, or learning how to juggle -you will find your niche in Pai.

 *****
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