by Jane | Dec 30, 2017 | Asia |
Here is your ultimate Myanmar travel guide with some of the best places to visit in Myanmar – and with a route that you can follow in just sixteen days – or you can take your time and do it over twenty-six days as I did.
Myanmar, or Burma as it is also known, has been high up there on my list of countries to visit ever since I was a child and since I learnt that my grandfather was fighting in the jungle during the war. I’m very pleased to say that Burma lived up to all of my expectations and I’m already making plans to return.
I like to travel quite slowly, absorbing the atmosphere of a place and connecting with local people so I didn’t cover quite as much ground as I had originally hoped to do so on this trip to Burma, but that’s not a problem because it gives me the perfect excuse to return and to explore the less touristic south of the country.
(This post contains affiliate links and/or references to our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on or make a purchase using these links. Scarlet Jones Travels is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com)
Before I bring you what could possibly be the most perfect Myanmar travel guide ever, and especially one for backpackers or travellers on a budget, let’s get a few facts straight.
Burma or Myanmar?
Everybody from Myanmar that I spoke to in the country told me that it didn’t really matter whether I called it Burma or Myanmar ……but they all preferred to refer to their own country as Myanmar.
And one reason for this is because the name of Myanmar reflects the diversity of the ethnic groups. Burma is made up of far more than just the Burmese. There are 136 different ethnic groups and while there are different reasons why many countries around the world do not recognise the renaming, for me, if every person that I spoke to preferred Myanmar who am I to question them?
The political situation.
Myanmar is emerging from years of military rule and is transitioning to a democracy but this process is being hindered by violence. Some of these conflicts date back many years and sadly for the people it seems to be difficult for them to break out of this cycle.
There is no doubt that there is a major crisis, some say genocide, which is ongoing in the western state of Rohingya and there are other areas that are totally out of bounds to foreigners or which are tightly controlled (I will cover the background to the different conflicts and history in another post), but there can be no doubt about the absolute delight from the Myanmar people themselves that foreigners are finally allowed to visit their country and I lost count of the number of selfies that I featured in and just about everybody is curious about visitors.
Another selfie request
Is it safe?
Hell yes! Of course I might be proved wrong at any time in the future, but when I was in Burma I never felt unsafe or unsupported. The population of Myanmar are genuinely curious, friendly and honest and they have a refreshing naivety about them.
Many of the people speak English and I am pretty sure that if I were to leave my wallet on a table or my phone in the back of a taxi, that the majority of people would do their best to return it to me.
Your perfect Myanmar travel guide.
I took twenty six days to travel the route that I describe below but it’s perfectly possible to cover it in sixteen days, and if you have the time do take advantage of the twenty eight day visa which will leave you time to head on down to the south. After I have explored the south myself I’ll add a link to this article so that all of the hard work is done for you and you can continue in my footsteps; or you can click here and find out how you can join me and we can travel together if you don’t want to travel solo. – Click here for more information
Begin your trip in Yangon.
I recommend a minimum of 2 nights in Yangon.
I started my trip by flying into Yangon, formerly known as Rangoon but if flight times and prices are better and/or cheaper you can start this tour in Mandalay. If you do begin in Mandalay, pick up my route and head north west to Hsipaw and then after taking the train to Pwin Oo Lwin complete the remainder of the route in reverse (Bagan, Inle Lake and Yangon).
Yangon can’t fail to stimulate every one of your senses and it’s a great introduction to the variety and diversity of Myanmar. This is probably the most chaotic place that you’ll encounter within Myanmar so if you can cope with Yangon you can cope with anything!
Yangon reminded me in parts of India and also of many cities in South America. In places it was down at heel with street markets, rubbish on the streets and filthy water running in the open drains, but it also has a vibrant energy with new businesses springing up and entrepreneurs driving the way forward.
Depending on your arrival time from the airport I would suggest that you begin by exploring the local area on foot; maybe try some of the street food and do check out the decaying colonial buildings.
Yangon street scene
Yangon is also your opportunity to pick up anything that you may have forgotten to bring with you with its state of the art shopping malls as well as traditional night markets.
Whatever you do, do not pass on the opportunity to explore the Shwedagon Pagoda, and for a bonus, time your visit to end at sunset when its golden domes dazzles in the lights.
If you have extra days in the city I would suggest that you take the circle line train which takes three hours to complete its slow circuit of Yangon and will cost you less than a dollar. From the train you will get a glimpse into the backyards of the local people and you will see the vendors selling noodles and snacks on board whilst having to shuffle up on the seats as the passengers stream on at the various stops.
Another great way to spend half a day in Yangon is to take a walk around the large Kan Daw Gyi Lake with its replica palace that houses a restaurant. If you travel as slowly as me you could also take a walking tour of the city and see some more of its hidden gems or you may prefer to relax with a Burmese foot massage which will set you up for the rest of your Myanmar trip.
I really enjoyed the tasty Myanmar cuisine, especially the tea leaf salad and I was very happy to dine at a not-for-profit restaurant that helps disadvantaged people get a leg up into the hospitality trade in Yangon – the LinkAge Training Restaurant.
When it’s time for you to move on you can catch the night bus to Inle Lake.
Where to stay in Yangon
I stayed at The Little Monkey Hostel which is in the busy China Town area. This new hostel is kept spotlessly clean and the staff can also arrange day trips out of the city for you (for example to Bago). You can also sample traditional Myanmar food each day at breakfast – the cost of which is included in your stay. For the latest prices and to book your stay, click this link.
Nyaungshwe and Inle Lake
Hopefully you will have got some sleep on the night bus to Inle Lake. The roads can be extremely bouncy and the going mostly slow, however all of the night buses that I took were driven competently and were quite comfortable with reclining seats, water, toilet stops and a blanket to counteract the fierce air con.
You can take the time to rest if you need to do so today after your night bus ride or, if you are feeling bright and breezy you can ride a bicycle around the small town of Nyaungshwe. My recommended hostel (see below) lends out free bicycles so you can explore to your heart’s content.
Cycle out to the teak pagoda with its little alcoves that contain hundreds of small dolls or you can cycle or take a tuk tuk to the Red Mountain Estate Winery up on the nearby hill for a wine tasting session. Cycle a bit further and you can walk out along the teak bridge and hire a local canoe to paddle you around one of the floating villages.
It sounds a bit cheesy but this was actually one of the highlights of Inle Lake. Unlike the orchestrated fishermen on the lake at dawn, here we floated silently past real families getting on with their lives. Washing clothes, bodies, hair and dishes in the lake and tending their vegetables on their man-made floating veggie patches, it was fascinating to see this community go about its work.
Inside an unusual teak monastery at Inle Lake
You should certainly do your best to catch the traditional puppet show one evening which is performed by a true enthusiast. Mr Aung makes all of his own puppets and actually dances behind the screen whilst he manipulates the puppets. This traditional craft was outlawed for many years under the military regime and it is a testament to Mr Aung that he has managed to continue.
Set your alarm for an early start and rise before dawn to take a boat ride out onto Inle Lake. Breakfast will usually be organised for you either in a restaurant or onboard, although you can go out later in the day if you are not bothered about catching the sunrise over the lake. You’ll see the iconic fishermen who paddle using one leg and you will no doubt have the opportunity to visit a lotus weaving centre, a silversmith, wood carvers and a local market as well as many other small tourist hubs. There may even be some Padaung women who wear metal coils around their necks weaving. When your time here in Inle Lake is done I suggest that you get another night bus – this time to Bagan.
Where to stay at Inle Lake
I stayed at the Song of Travel hostel where all the staff were very friendly and helpful, and like The Little Monkey Hostel in Yangon, beds are comfortable self-contained pods – Click here for up to date prices and to book your stay at the Song of Travel.
Stay at the Song of Travel in Inle Lake
Bagan
Arriving in Bagan at dawn you could negotiate with your taxi driver to take you straight to a pagoda to see the sunrise or you might prefer to go to straight to your accommodation in the town and dump your bags or rest. Hire e-bikes and get out and explore the historical area, losing yourself down the little sandy paths among the 2000 plus structures. For a good explanation of the history behind the pagodas and the culture I recommend that you take a tour (contact me for the name of an excellent guide) and then end the day with a sunset boat trip on the river or you can watch the sun go down from the roof of a pagoda. (Rumours are that it will soon be forbidden to climb on the pagodas)
An early start to see the dawn is a must while you are in Bagan: set out in the dark to find a good spot to watch the sun rise and the hot air balloons float over the plain; or you can take your own hot air balloon flight for a bird’s eye view.
Sunrise over Bagan
If you want to get out of Bagan take a trip to Mount Popa. Here is a pagoda built high up on a plug of rock with spectacular views out across the plains. There are some interesting statues and tableaus to see as you climb the several hundred steps – the downside is that you have to run the gauntlet of some not so friendly monkeys. Myself and my friends were almost in tears when we descended at sunset, especially because there are men strategically placed with slingshots to chase the monkeys away if they get too close or too aggressive – which in my book tells me that they are not nice monkeys, although the trip was worth the small price that I paid.
Where to stay in Bagan.
I enjoyed the atmosphere in Bagan so much that I stayed for six nights. Whilst not the cheapest hostel I stayed at the Ostello Bello. Like all of the other hostels in Myanmar a great breakfast was included as well as tea, coffee and water throughout the day. – Click here for up to date information on accommodation in Bagan
And please don’t ever think that you should travel anywhere without taking out travel insurance, especially in a country like Myanmar. I was so glad that I had a policy in place when I was bitten by a street dog on the way to Bagan. I use Alpha Travel Insurance – you can get a quote and purchase a policy very easily via this link – Alpha Travel Insurance
Mandalay
When it’s time for you to move on from Bagan take a day bus so that you’ll get the chance to see some of the surrounding countryside on your journey north to Mandalay.
You can condense everything worth seeing in Mandalay into a couple of long days if you are pushed for time. If the weather is good on the afternoon that you arrive, take a taxi up to Mandalay Hill or to the U Bein teak bridge. From the hill you will get a good view of the city and hopefully a decent sunset and if the weather is on your side, some iconic photos of the bridge.
If you have the stamina and you want to hit the best of Mandalay in one day start off by exploring the Palace. Although not the original complex, the palace has been rebuilt and as most of the buildings are empty it has an eerie atmosphere; and also because of the long walk up the driveway through the military enclave. To avoid trouble keep your camera firmly in your pocket until you get inside the palace and don’t forget to take along some identification or you will be refused entry.
The palace at Mandalay
Before leaving the palace, climb the tower for views across the grounds and then visit the Shwe Nan Daw Monastery and the Kuthodaw Pagoda which contains the world’s biggest book; both are near the palace. Get off the main road and walk to both of these and you will see normal Mandalay life continuing in the leafy streets – with noodles drying in the sun and street sellers cooking up lunch in their woks.
After lunch take another taxi and head off to the jade market. There is a small entrance fee here for foreigners but you might be able to avoid that if you’re lucky and dodge the collectors on the gate. The jade market feels like stepping back in time with traders buying and selling gems and haggling over coffee whilst craftsmen cut and polish using ancient tools. Follow the jade centre up with a visit to the gold leaf making centre where you can learn how this ancient craft continues and see how the gold leaf is beaten out by hand. The craftsmen here earn less than £5 a day for some very physical work which really puts things into perspective.
If you want some context behind the history of the palace and how the Royal Family were forced into exile, read The Glass Palace by Amitav Ghosh [easyazon_link identifier=”000651409X” locale=”UK” tag=”scajonblo0e-21″]Click on this link to order your copy of the book.[/easyazon_link]
There are many things to see and do around Mandalay if you have more time. You will be able to find a day tour of some of the historic sites and the old cities which surround Mandalay such as Sagain and Inwa through your hostel: or you could negotiate with a taxi driver and do it yourself. If you haven’t already visited the U Bein teak bridge this is well worth a visit – although as soon as I arrived the heavens opened!
Where to stay in Mandalay
I opted to stay with the Ostello Bello chain again when I was in Mandalay. Run along similar lines to its sister hotel in Bagan this large hostel meant that I could get to know other travellers and I could go along on some of their organised and value for money trips. When you are visiting Myanmar you are not permitted to stay just anywhere so using one of the booking sites shows you the available options to you – Click here for accommodation options in Mandalay.
Hsipaw
Take a shared car for the quickest and most interesting route up to Hsipaw and also for the opportunity to experience Myanmar travel . The car will whisk you up the mountains and over to the charming mountain town of Hsipaw along a jaw-dropping road far quicker than the bus because it will overtake and undertake EVERYTHING wherever possible! Do this journey in the day time for the views and be amazed by the queues of lorries struggling around the hair-pin bends. There are numerous lay-bys where lorries and buses pull in and hose their brakes down with water and everywhere the air is thick with the smell of burning brakes and clutches as the hill takes its toll on these immense beasts.
As you drive you will also get a glimpse of the impossibly delicate looking Goteik viaduct which spans the gorge at over one hundred feet in the air. Our driver over to Hsipaw fancied himself as a rally driver but apart from the fact that he was driving a right hand drive car on the right hand side of the road and every time he nudged out to overtake I would gasp, he was actually a truly competent driver and I thoroughly enjoyed the four hour adrenaline rush.
In 1970 Burma switched from driving on the left to the right hand side of the road but many of the cars (and the road signs) have yet to catch up. Often, right hand drive cars are cheaper in Burma so there are still plenty of them about – the downside is that drivers have gigantic blind spots which makes the whole thing a bit of a guessing game.
Up in Hsipaw the weather is normally a little cooler and more comfortable than anything that you will have come across so far and this small town is fast becoming a firm favourite as a trekking hub. There are many buildings which do more than ust nod at the colonial past – in some parts of town you could be in leafy Surry in England.
Provided you arrive in time I suggest that you head straight out and visit the Shan Palace where you will get the chance to meet and chat to a real life Shan Princess and learn a little about the history of Myanmar from her.
You will learn how the occupants of this grand home were kept under house arrest for many years and you will learn some of the facts surrounding the mystery of the Shan prince and his Austrian bride. If you want to read the background to this story you can order the book at this link: [easyazon_link identifier=”0824816285″ locale=”UK” tag=”scajonblo0e-21″]click here to order ‘Twilight over Burma: my life as a Shan Princess’.[/easyazon_link]
If you want to take a trek you must hike with a guide as it is currently not permitted to go too far into the surrounding countryside. You can walk for one or two days, staying overnight in a home-stay in a rural village in the mountains. Meals will all be traditionally made – in my case over an open fire in the middle of the room – and you will get the chance to interact with local people. My trek ended with visit to the non-touristy hot springs where I bathed with the inquisitive locals who delighted in splashing me with the hot water, but many treks end with a swim to a waterfall. If hiking is not your thing you can arrange a motorbike tour instead – contact me for the name of a brilliant guide in Hsipaw.
If you do the trek you will encounter checkpoints outside the villages but these are there more for the villagers’ safety as to keep you out. I will bring you more facts and information about the political background and the situation in a future article
It is permitted to take a bicycle and ride around the town and the immediate countryside of Hsipaw where you can visit waterfalls or you can explore Little Bagan and poke around inside the dusty old teak pagoda.
preparing dinner at our homestay in Hsipaw
Where to stay in Hsipaw
Most backpackers stay at Mr Charles Guest House which is a hotel and a hostel next door to each other. You can arrange your trekking from here (contact me for the name of a fantastic guide) and breakfast is included. Rooms are simple and the place is very busy with trekkers arriving and departing but the hostel is in a great central location – Click here to book your accommodation in Hsipaw
Goteik Viaduct
This travel day is worthy of its own entry. Take the iconic railway ride from Hsipaw to Pyin Oo Lwin and cross the jaw-dropping Goteik Viaduct. Take a picnic to eat on the train or even better, buy noodles from the ladies who jump onboard with their baskets on their heads at one of the stations that you pass. It is of course possible to go all the way to Mandalay on the train but better to break your journey in Pyin Oo Lwin and stay a night or two or even jump in a shared car for the dash back down the mountain.
The spectacular scenery around Hsipaw
Your train will crawl across the viaduct which creaks alarmingly but the views are well worth a bit of stomach churning and if possible, do buy a tourist ticket so that you can ride on the soft seats. If you do the ride the opposite way up from Mandalay you will have a very early start so far better to do the trip in my direction i.e. from Hsipaw to Pyin Oo Lwin.
Pyin Oo Lwin
I stayed at a lovely old hotel at Pyin Oo Lwin which felt like stepping back in history. We expected a taxi from the train station to our hotel so imagine our surprise when the driver that we had negotiated our taxi ride outside the railway station led us over to a century old horse and carriage. (the carriage was over a hundred years old, not the horse).
After settling in to your hotel/hostel, borrow bicycles (If you stay at the Orchid Nan Myaning bikes are included) and head off to the traditional food night market where you can buy dinner on the go. Just wander around the stalls and graze on anything that takes your fancy. Hover and watch what the locals pay – but to be honest, very rarely did I come across any price-hiking for foreigners in Myanmar which is also a refreshing change.
Depending on how much time you have left on your trip to Burma you can cycle (or take a cab) to the huge Botanical Gardens and/or you may prefer to take a motor taxi to one of the two waterfalls that are in this area. One waterfall is a hike away from where the bus or the taxi will drop you off, the other is easier to get to and has a market next to it where local strawberry jam, damson wine and hand knitted clothes are sold.
The Botanical Gardens at Pyin Oo Lwin
Where to stay in Pyin Oo Lwin
I stayed at the shabby chic Orchid Nan Myaning hotel on the outskirts of Pyin Oo Lwin. With ultra-friendly staff and amazing grounds this hotel/hostel is the perfect way to wind down after your Myanmar trip, or it’s a great place to catch your breath before heading south. Click here for details and to book your stay in Pyin Oo Lwin
Wrapping up your trip to Myanmar
To end your trip, its a long night bus back to Yangon or take a shared car (or continue on the train) to Mandalay.
night market in Pyin Oo Lwin
Note that the above route around Burma may be subject to change depending on the weather, the political situation or other elements outside of your control.
When I travel I like to eat local food and I use local tour guides where possible. I prefer to stay in hostels so that I can meet people and while I was in Myanmar there wasn’t one day when I was lonely or alone. I am going to revisit Burma in the first half of 2018 so if you would like to come along with me, drop me a message. We will travel together staying mainly in hostels – the aim of the trip is to introduce you to Myanmar and also to the concept of backpacking and travelling on a budget. Following many requests and emails I occasionally offer my readers the opportunity to travel with me depending on where I am in the world and my clients that I mentor in my life-coaching business sometimes join me too.
(If you would like to increase your self confidence or if you have issues with anxiety then travelling with me will also give you an insight into how I changed my mindset and how I learnt how to believe in myself again – Read more here – The Smash the Pumpkin Project).
And finally, if you have enjoyed reading this guide, or you have friends who are planning a trip to Myanmar, please share this article with them and/or pin this image
Peeping through the temple window
For your Myanmar travel guide book, click here:
by Jane | Oct 28, 2017 | Asia |
Singapore sits on the bottom tip of the Malaysian Peninsular in South East Asia. It’s joined to the mainland by two bridges. In this article I will tell you the top things do in Singapore and how to explore Singapore on a budget.
Yes, Singapore can be expensive, but it’s not necessarily as expensive as you might think. There are ways to reduce costs and ways to see the main sites in the city without breaking the bank.
“This post contains affiliate links and/or references to our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on or make a purchase using these links. Scarlet Jones Travels is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com”
(Almost) Everything that you need to know about Singapore.
Singapore gained its independence in 1965 and it now has a reputation as one of the top financial and economic centres of the world. According to Wikipedia Singapore was actually booted out of Malaysia when the Parliament of Malaysia voted 126-0 in favour of the expulsion on 9 August 1965 following race riots the previous year. On that day, a tearful Lee Kuan Yew announced on a televised press conference that Singapore was a sovereign, independent nation.
Singapore has the nickname ‘the fine city’. This has a double meaning. Fine – as in very nice and fine, and fine as in a penalty fee for an offence. It is illegal and you can be fined for dropping litter, chewing gum in public or crossing the road outside a designated crossing place or against a red light, to name but a few things. The government rules with a tight fist and there are harsh penalties for many misdemeanors.
City living in Singapore
However, the majority of the citizens are happy to accept the tight rules and regulations in return for a calm and ordered way of life. In fact, each of the huge apartment buildings have to adhere to strict racial quotas – no more than a certain percentage of an ethnicity can occupy each building at any one time. If you are of Chinese heritage and want to buy or rent in a particular location you have to wait until another Chinese family moves out and the same goes if you are Indian or Malay too.
[grwebform url=”https://app.getresponse.com/view_webform_v2.js?u=spPd&webforms_id=13127101″ css=”on” center=”off” center_margin=”200″/]
Travelling to Singapore
I took one of Norwegian’s direct flights from London to Singapore. It was a budget ‘no frills’ flight but because I wanted to check my backpack into the hold I paid a little bit extra which also bought me two airline meals, a snack and some drinks on board.
The plane was a Dreamliner which has larger than normal windows and ‘mood lighting’! The interior design gives the appearance of more space, the air system is definitely superior (no dry eyes or a cough for me) and I was thrilled to find that my neighbours were just as keen to talk as I was and they had interesting lives too.
I found my extremely cheap flight by searching on Skyscanner and booking through the link that they supplied – click here to search for the best deals or read more in the panel at the end of this post.
Sophie is a deputy head zoo keeper in the UK and her partner Marcus has more energy and enthusiasm than anybody that I have met for a long time so it will be great to follow their adventures around Malaysia and Singapore, and as a bonus I am hoping to get some useful tips from Sophie about visiting an ethical Orang Utang reserve for when I go to Malaysia.
Take a good guide book which will help you get around the city (Lonely Planet have some good deals and contain loads of information and maps) and sign up for Uber which is widely used. I was hardly ever kept waiting but both the metro and the bus system are cheap and as you might expect, efficient too.
Divali or Deepvali – the Hindu festival of light
My friend Belinda who lives in Singapore and I went along to find out how the Hindu festival of light – Divali – is celebrated in Singapore. Belinda and I first met when we were volunteering at the same NGO in Peru, and have subsequently met twice in Thailand and previously in Singapore.
First we ate lunch in a wonderful vegetarian restaurant called the Komala Vilas which is opposite the main temple. We were surrounded by Indians; the ladies were wearing some fabulous saris because you should wear your most colourful clothes for Divali, and we ate the traditional way using just our right hand.
Hindu temple in Singapore
After our meal we crossed the road and after removing our shoes and washing our feet we joined hordes of people in the Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple where we walked slowly in a circular route around the various Hindu gods and goddesses. We received an auspicious ash bindi from a couple who took the time to explain the various customs and then were bemused by another gentleman who wanted to give us a red bindi. Indicating that we should hold out our hands, but slapping down my pro-offered left hand (I should have known better) he poured a little pile of red powder into our palms. Confused Belinda and I looked at each other. If we were not to use our left hands how could we dot our foreheads? Another lady rescued us and tutting loudly and shaking her head she ‘dotted’ us before scurrying off.
The left hand is considered dirty in many cultures and should never be offered to anybody. During our meal, both myself and Belinda actually sat on our left hands to remind ourselves not to use it. No matter how much I practice I don’t think that I will ever get the hang of tearing up bread with just my right hand. I have always wondered how somebody who is left handed copes – or are they simply forced to adapt from birth? If you know the answer to this question, please let me know in the comments below.
Singapore – a green and sustainable city
Everywhere in Singapore you will see gardeners carefully tending the many green spaces. Despite the skyscrapers and the modern buildings there is an awful lot of greenery (and water) around.
If you want to learn about how Singapore is doing its best to conserve energy and resources then you should visit the Gardens by the Bay. Here, huge artificial supertrees loom high above the park, supporting amazing vertical gardens. There are many sections to this huge park, entrance to most of it is free, and all sections are highly educational as well as just downright pretty.
Budget things to do in Singapore – go to a park
I cycled from my friend’s home through parkland that runs alongside the seashore next to the beach to the Gardens by the Bay with views of literally hundreds of container ships and tankers anchored up and waiting to get in or leave the port. I crossed the large barrage which was built to create a freshwater reservoir for the city and then I entered the huge parkland where sustainability and environmental protection is taught on entertaining information boards and displays. Despite no hills, I was a soggy blog of sweat by the time that I finally got back home – the humidity in this city is intense – although as I was soon to discover, it was nothing compared to the heat in Melacca.
Explore Singapore: top things to do in Singapore
I began my Saturday by meeting a friend at the Merlion. Singapore was named the ‘lion city’ after a Sumatran prince landed and claims to have seen a lion. Singa is the word for lion in Malay and this iconic statue was the main symbol for the city before the amazing Marina Bay Sands Resort replaced it on all of the glossy brochures.
I drank tea with David in the beautiful building that is now the Fullerton Bay Hotel before heading off to Fort Canning Park. This large hill overlooks Singapore and it was initially the place where the Malay royalty built their palaces, and later it was where Sir Stamford Raffles (the founder of modern day Singapore) chose to build his first home and a botanical garden.
Once the British colony was established, they built a fort and a military base and the two main buildings remain as a reminder of the grandeur that the officers would have lived in.
I visited the Battlebox (entrance costs S$18 and includes a guide) which is the underground bunker constructed in the 1930’s and from where the British Far East Command Headquarters ran operations during World War II. The excellent tour was led by Aysha who explained the story of how and why the historic decision to surrender Singapore and its million citizens to the Japanese was made.
We walked through many of the underground rooms and learnt how the communications worked, the ventilation system and also much of the psychology behind the wartime planning.
There was a huge responsibility on the officers and their subsequent decision to surrender. As a result of this decision 80,000 British and Commonwealth soldiers were taken into captivity in horrific conditions and one million residents of Singapore were exposed to three years of terror and many were executed.
There is an amazing book by Eric Lomax that documents the life of one of these soldiers who was put first into Changi prison in Singapore and later transferred to Burma to work on the infamous ‘death railway’
You can order your own copy of [easyazon_link identifier=”B0036RCVJM” locale=”UK” tag=”scajonblo0e-21″]The Railway Man at this Amazon link[/easyazon_link]– and while I haven’t seen it, a[easyazon_link identifier=”B00HT29OOK” locale=”UK” tag=”scajonblo0e-21″]film has been made too.[/easyazon_link]
I visited Hellfire Pass and Kanchanaburi when I was in Thailand. This was an extremely moving place with an excellent museum showing how the Japanese forced their prisoners of war to build their railway so quickly – click here to be taken to that article
After emerging from the Battlebox I spent a very happy hour or so exploring the park and taking in the Spice Trail, part of the original cemetery and the various buildings that are dotted around, all in wonderful surroundings in this oasis above the city. www.battlebox.com.sg
As I wandered down the hill and back towards the city I passed through the massive concourse of the National Museum of Singapore and then I passed the Peranakan Museum. I paused to ask how much the entrance fee was just as a guide was introducing himself to a group of visitors. He was so engaging and so interesting I immediately bought a ticket so that I could tag along. I wasn’t disappointed either as our guide took us to the best exhibits in the museum and explained much of the Peranakan culture (entrance cost me S$10 with a free guide thrown in).
The imposing National Museum of Singapore
Displays in the museum cover Peranakan life through their birth, marriages and death. The culture is rich in colour and with beautiful ceremonies. Peranakan means ‘child of’ or ‘born of’ and it refers to people of mixed ethnic origins in the Malay Peninsula. The majority of these people were initially traders and business people who met and mixed through marriage and who have assimilated several cultures, be they Chinese, Malay or Indian. Originally, the traders from China and India arrived in Malaysia on the trade winds but they had to stay awhile until the favourable winds could return them to their homeland. Consequently many fell in love and married Malays and their descendents became known as Peranakan.
Singapore always confuses me so I was very pleased when our guide who was leaving the building as I did, offered to accompany me part of the way to my bus stop which was in the direction of his metro station. Sadly I didn’t get his name but I would have loved to have talked some more with him because he was so passionate about his work. I do know that he used to lecture in tourism and lives across the border in Malaysia…so if you do come across him, grab his tour.
Map of Singapore
Food and friends
I was very pleased to meet Faisal again whom I had met in a hostel in Porto, Portugal earlier this year. We shared lunch (Malay food) in a mall and caught up with the gossip and Faisal told me some more about his business in Singapore – teaching both adults and children how to cycle.
I love to hear how entrepreneurs discover their niche and teaching children to cycle was quite alien to me. In the UK, kids generally graduate to a small bike with stabilisers after their pedal tricycle and after spending a Sunday in the park with a parent or grandparent they are just left to their own devices to learn how to ride. I remember vividly the day that I cracked my bike riding. I had had the obligatory time being pushed around the garden by my father with no success and one day I took myself outside the house and determinedly rolled down the hill and around the corner over and over again until I worked out how to balance….and then I was away pedalling furiously.
The old dock areas
Much of the original docks have been transformed into areas with bars and restaurants and a whole area had given itself over to fish and seafood, and especially crab.
On my first visit to Singapore Belinda and I ate at one of these restaurants. A big bowl of crab in a black pepper sauce was presented to us, together with a set of tools – nutcrackers, or should that be claw crackers and a hammer as well as an enormous bib. We needed to wear the bib as by the end of the meal I was covered in crab goo.
Raffles and the Singapore Sling
I had always promised myself that I would have my first Singapore Sling cocktail in the bar where it was invented and so one evening we went along to the Long Bar in Raffles Hotel. The main ingredients of gin, cointreau and pineapple juice all went down the hatch very well and at an exorbitant price but it had to be done and I have to say, that I did enjoy it. The experience was made more special due to the surroundings – although the bar has been renovated it has been updated in keeping with its original style with teak floors and ceiling fans although I guess that the atmosphere would have been far more genteel than modern times with chattering tourists filling it up.
Skybars
For the very best sky bar you should head to the top of the Marina Bay Sands. It is worth it here for the view alone. Drink prices and service leave a lot to be desired but you can visit and leave again after taking a few photos without parting from any money from your wallet.
Summary of Singapore
There is no denying it, Singapore is not a cheap city but you can adapt it to your budget. Alcohol is very pricy everywhere and food, even in the supermarkets generally costs a lot more than you would expect to pay in Europe. However, the hawker centres, food markets and smaller backstreet cafes and restaurants (such as the Komala Vilas) offer extremely reasonably priced and tasty food.
Transport links around the city are as good and efficient as you might expect and the bus drivers that I came across were all super-friendly.
I know that I am extremely lucky to have a wonderful friend Belinda who lives in the city and who invited me to stay with her, but there are many reasonably priced hostels and lots of AirBnB hosts that offer rooms or entire apartments (contact me if you would like a first time discount off an AirBnB stay)
Entrance to many of the main museums and attractions are not overpriced and you can get plenty of enjoyment from simply wandering around the (free) grounds at the Gardens by the Bay without paying the entrance fee for the domes or the skywalk.
Raffles once lived here in Singapore
Yes, Singapore is highly regulated, extremely clean and has none of the organised chaos of the rest of South East Asia but it is certainly worth a visit for at least a couple of days.
I didn’t get around to the interior, Sentai Island, the Botanical Gardens or the zoo so I shall simply have to return another time.
Getting great cheap flight deals and booking with Skyscanner
I LOVE the Skyscanner site.
It searches and compares flights between any destination that you want to travel and even those that you don’t yet know that you want to travel between. Clicking on the link and booking via their site is nearly always the same as going to the airline direct and in many cases I have saved myself quite a bit of money.
The best thing is that you can enter vague search queries and the site will deliver almost every single variable possible: for example,
- a) Search from Hanoi to Bangkok any time during March
- b) Search from any airport in Vietnam to any airport in Thailand on a specific date or
- c) Search direct flights/cheapest options….or any variation of the above.
Back at the beginning of the year I wanted a week away in Europe. I didn’t care where, but I knew that I had to fly from Barcelona. So I searched flights from Barcelona to Anywhere during the whole of March and Porto came up top. I had a return flight with very good departure times for £30. Bargain.
And as a bonus for me, if you book using any of the links to Skyscanner in this article or anywhere else on my website I will earn a teeny weeny bit of commission at no extra cost to you. Bookmark this page/link and use the site (via Scarlet Jones Travels) for your next adventures.
by Jane | Oct 18, 2017 | Asia |
Ayutthaya or Sukhothai: the ancient Siamese cities: which one is the best?
This article was originally published in January 2016 has been updated with new information. It also contains affiliate links and/or references to our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on or make a purchase using these links
Scarlet Jones Travels is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com
If you don’t have time to visit both of the ancient Siamese cities of Sukhothai or Ayutthaya this article may help you to decide which one is the best or you could get a copy of the Lonely Planet Guidebook for Thailand (click here for the latest version). Both Ayutthaya and Sukhothai lie to the north of Bangkok, each was once the capital city and both are brimming with ruins.
Sukhothai is older than Ayutthaya and was once the original capital city of Siam (the original name of Thailand). The city was abandoned and the population were forcibly relocated south to Ayutthaya in 1583 after a battle, a Burmese invasion and an earthquake. I visited them in reverse order as I made my way north up through Thailand.
Ayutthaya – A UNESCO Listed Cultural Heritage Site
The city of Ayutthaya was the capital of Thailand for 417 years (after Sukhothai) and before the political power was transferred to Bangkok and it sprawls out, scattered with ancient ruins and temples. The modern buildings in the town have been built right up to the edges of the rusty red bricks and the collapsed spires of the ancient city and an enormous central area is given over to grassy parkland that is peppered with relics.
Ayutthaya was founded in 1350 when the Thais were forced south from their previous capital in Sukhothai and it lasted as the capital until 1767 when the Burmese invaded and destroyed much of it. In the 17th century it ranked in the Top 16 cities in the world (how have I never heard of it before now?) and it was renowned as a centre of commercial prosperity, international trade and harmony; however what I find astounding is that 1 million people lived there at the height of its power.
It is now quite rightly listed as a UNESCO Listed Cultural Heritage Site and, I repeat, how on earth had I never heard of it before? The old part of the city is bordered by 3 rivers which almost form an island and the monuments and the ruins lie a deceptively large distance apart. It’s a good idea to hire a bicycle or to tackle the sights over several days in a series of bite-sized chunks, but there’s plenty to see and to do here apart from the old temples.
Click here to compare the current grandeur of Bangkok, the capital city of Thailand to the ancient cities.
[grwebform url=”https://app.getresponse.com/view_webform_v2.js?u=spPd&webforms_id=13127101″ css=”on” center=”off” center_margin=”200″/]
What did I see and do in Ayutthaya?
I hired a bike from my Ayutthaya hostel and my first port of call was to the very well laid out Ayutthaya Tourism Centre. Here I collected a decent map and where I read the informative display boards that explained about the history, the geography, the art and the culture of the city. I learnt about how and why Ayutthaya deserves its place as a UNESCO Listed Cultural Heritage Site and I also got information on some traditional homestays although sadly I didn’t have enough time to stay in any of them.
Wat Ratchaburana
This was one of the largest complexes inside the park and I felt like Indiana Jones as I climbed up into one of the towers – and then clambered down inside narrow stone steps to the bottom. I held my breath as it fleetingly crossed my mind that if someone chose to close the hatch at the top I could be there forever until I had turned into nothing but dust – but seeing the ancient murals on a tiny patch of ceiling was worth the slight trauma, as was the special feeling of having the whole place to myself.
Wat Mahathat
Among the ruins of this particular temple is the much photographed head that was caught up in the roots of tree a long time ago and is now bound there forever. I actually hunted around for ages until I gave in and I asked somebody who laughed and said ‘just find the crowd’. And I turned a corner and there was a huddle of people all jostling for the best picture of it. As a mark of respect you should try to avoid standing over a Buddha image so everybody was squatting to get their photos taken with the stone head.
Elephant rides
There is a well trampled route – sadly along the side of the main highway – where weary looking elephants ferry tourists along in the dusty heat. I have to confess to once riding an elephant in India, although I would never do that now that I am aware of the damage that it can do to these huge animals. The training methods are usually based on cruelty and fear – but not withstanding that, it seems so wrong to walk animals along hard pavements with lorries and cars just inches from them and the pollution pumping out, not to mention the sharp hooks that get stuck into their heads by some of the mahoots.
You really shouldn’t buy into this depressing part of the tourist trade; but for now, until more tourists boycott them the elephants are a part of the Ayutthaya tourist scene.
River Trip
Talking to Annika and Robin from the UK who were staying at my Ayutthaya hostel I learned about the river trip and this was something that I was really pleased to do. Early one evening a small group of us were ferried around the rivers and canal systems that circle the old city of Ayutthaya for a couple of hours. This trip included short stops at three very impressive sights.
We visited
- Wat Phananchoeng with the most massive golden Buddha ever
- Wat Phuttaisawan with its weird cockerel statues and
- Wat Chai Watthanaram where we wandered among the ruins as the setting sun showed off dark silhouettes of half broken spires and domes against the night sky
The Chao Sam Phraya National Museum
This museum had some interesting pieces in it with more Buddha images than you could shake a stick at – but the best bits were the gold and jewelled treasures in the special rooms upstairs. There was an impressively huge bronze Buddha head and many intricate wooden carvings as well as loads of other stuff, although disappointingly there wasn’t much information in any language other than Thai.
The Toy Museum
Now this museum was just bizarre. It had a huge collection of toys BUT some would be hard pressed to be called toys. They were grouped together in dusty clusters with, as far as I could see, no thought given to themes or historic relevance. There were cabinets full of plastic pieces such as you might get with a fast food burger meal, and just not one example of each, but hundreds. There was a definite robot theme going on and some very battered dolls, as well as knives (toys?) pictures and, well, just strange stuff. It was odd but for entertainment and giggle value alone it was well worth the admission price. You can still get something like these classic robots on Amazon – [easyazon_link identifier=”B0185N1B1U” locale=”UK” tag=”scajonblo0e-21″]click here for some examples if you want to bring back some distant childhood memories![/easyazon_link]
The Japanese Village
Ayutthaya was a thriving port and back in the days when it was the capital city the people of Ayutthaya welcomed traders of all nationalities – although they were not permitted to settle inside the old town walls. Several villages were established outside the city perimeter – among them the Japanese, the Portuguese, the Spanish, the Dutch and the French. I visited the Japanese Village which had a small information centre and a riverside garden but to be honest, not much else, although I was told that the garden is still trying to recover following devastating floods a couple of years ago.
Orientation:
Ayutthaya lies to the north of Bangkok and it was once one of the world’s most prosperous cities. It ranked in the Top 16 Cities of the World in the 17th century when it contained 3 palaces and many other royal buildings and important temples.
I travelled the five hours to Ayutthaya by bus from the western city of Kanchanaburi (read that article here): home to the famous bridge (over the River Kwai), the Erewan waterfalls and Hellfire Pass. Ayutthaya was the only city in Thailand where I was warned not to go out alone after dark – not because of robbers but because of the packs of feral dogs. Lying comatose during the heat of the day, these sleepy looking mongrels wake up and prowl the streets at night. Like something out of a futuristic movie they follow you, circle around you and generally freak you out. They have been known to attack people when the streets are deserted, and later lying in bed you hear the packs howl and call to each other like wolves. These dogs are no reason not to go to Ayutthaya though – all in all, it is a great city full of history and it gives you more than a glimpse into a past life.
Sukhothai
I took the five hour bus from Ayutthaya to Sukhothai and I spent a couple of nights here so that I could visit the city and compare it to Ayutthaya. I stayed on the outskirts of the modern town in a tiny cell-like room in a little guesthouse which had nothing much going for it apart from having a real wood fired Italian pizza oven in the garden, where the Russian owner made excellent pizzas and his Thai wife made superb pasta dishes and coconut ice cream.
Sukhothai is older than Ayutthaya and unlike Ayutthaya which has the old and the modern side by side, in Sukhothai the older ruins stand totally separate and are a 20 minute songthaew ride (open sided truck with bench seats in the back) along the highway. It was perfectly safe to do this trio by myself and once at the gates to the heritage area I picked up my map, hired a bicycle and I paid my entrance fee into the main site.
There are 5 mains sites in the historical park – the central site, and areas ringing it to the north, south, east and the west where each commands its own entrance fee. The major ruins are clustered in the centre and were once palaces, temples, and administration centres when Sukhothai was at the hub of the country. The ruins bear a similarity but are different to those in the southern capital at Ayutthaya; these are from an older era, but it is the location which sets them apart. Huge grassy fields are dotted with copses of trees around lakes and streams.
You can see any number of stone elephants, gigantic Buddhas and chedis and stupas. The pace is unhurried as people cycle around the paths and wander among the ruins, scooters buzz around and the minivans ferry coach loads of day trippers, but there is space for everyone and as the temperature climbed and the insects zizzed and fizzed, more and more people chose to flop under one of the shady trees and rest awhile.
I visited three of the five sites at Sukhothai – the central, the north and the west and by then I was done – I was all ruined out. I collapsed under a parasol drinking an icy cold drink and watching an artist paint a Buddha onto canvas. I bought one of her pictures as a memento of the region and the ruins before wearily heading back to my hostel. It was extremely hot and dusty in Sukhothai and while there is plenty to keep you busy for a whole day or even longer in the historic area, I was done.
Cycling Sukhotha
On my second day in Sukhothai I joined a bicycle tour of the surrounding countryside, where the air was slightly fresher and I learnt about rural life in central Thailand. Our tour, operated by Cycling Sukhothai link here which promotes eco-tourism was led by Mem who led took 8 of us first to a local market and then to:
- A mushroom farm
- A (rice) whisky farm
- A cock breeding/fighting home
- A fish smoking factory
- An ice cream maker
- A frog farm
- A furniture factory
- A basket weaver
We cycled from one rural enterprise to the next along dusty lanes and by canals and paddy fields where people were planting out the bright emerald green shoots. They were ankle deep in water and wore conical straw hats and indigo shirts and oxen and buffalo pulled their ploughs. We tasted the ice cream and the whisky and we watched a proud owner bathing and massaging his champion fighting cockerel.
We passed mums swinging their babies in cribs made from reeds that hung from the roofs of their porches and when I got into my tuktuk to go back to my hostel, the driver suddenly jumped off and ran into the bushes and then came back with a big honeycomb with some very angry bees buzzing around it. I nervously shared the tuktuk with his oozing gold treasure complete with the still angry insects before collecting my rucksack from my hostel and hot-footing it to the bus station for Chiang Mai and the north.
Ayutthaya vs Sukhothai
If you have time, I would certainly recommned that you factor in both cities on your trips especially if you are interested in history; although after a while you may suffer a little bit from ruin overload.
- Ayutthaya has a much livelier feeling and there is a lot more to see and to do apart from visiting the historical parks but wandering around the ancient Sukhothai city gives you a chance to recharge your batteries.
- Bus Ayutthaya to Sukhothai and enjoy the scenic countryside on the five hour journey
- The climate is similar in both cities and both have more than their fair share of temples and glittery gold.
- Ayutthaya has backpackers hostels and accommodation in dormitories (which I personally prefer) but when I visited Sukhothai only had guest houses (more expensive for the solo traveller and less opportunity to meet people)
Click below for the up to date prices and choices for the Ayutthaya hostels:
And finally – don’t forget to take out travel insurance. I use Alpha Travel Insurance which works for me. Check out their latest prices here
by Jane | Sep 24, 2017 | Asia |
Hoi An. I had heard mixed reviews about this city in Vietnam. It seemed that everybody loved it but many people didn’t like its Disneyfied atmosphere: so I went to find out for myself what the truth was about Hoi An and what there was to do there.
[grwebform url=”https://app.getresponse.com/view_webform_v2.js?u=spPd&webforms_id=13127101″ css=”on” center=”off” center_margin=”200″/][grwebform url=”https://app.getresponse.com/view_webform_v2.js?u=spPd&webforms_id=13182401″ css=”on” center=”off” center_margin=”200″/]
This is what I discovered:
Love is in the air. Everywhere!
Love is in the air
Hoi An is a totally photogenic town and it has marketed itself well. It attracts hordes of newly-weds on their honeymoon and couples who want to pose for their wedding albums. Dodging the tripods and the professional photographers can prove quite difficult. Shop keepers are more than happy for lovers to pose in exchange for a small fee in front of their colourful lanterns and in some places it can be difficult to walk along the canal bank without wandering into somebody’s photo shoot.
Hoi An reflections in the canal
Must know:
- In Hoi An the tourism is orchestrated and managed at a highly professional level.
- There will be a zillion people crowding onto the bridges for the best photo shot.
- They will use elbows to move in front of you!
- The food and drink prices are inflated
- And yes, the touts will hassle you on every corner….
…..but after the brashness of Hue and Danang I have to admit that I did like Hoi An.
Things to do in Hoi An, Vietnam
My friend Gosia and I arrived on the local bus from Danang without accommodation and we wandered around the streets to find the best hostel for our money. As it was the shoulder season there was plenty of choices and we could bargain for a discount. We soon found a reasonably priced hostel and Gosia and I quickly dumped our bags and went out to explore and find out what we could do in Hoi An.
If you want to check your accommodation in advance, you can search for hostels here with Hostelz.com or you can look for hotels and other accommodation with Agoda.com. I use both sites when I am travelling – even if I don’t book in advance.
Hoi An – a pretty UNESCO listed town
Hoi An old town
The heart of Hoi An as far as visitors will be concerned is the compact old town area which is focused around the canal.
Hoi An gained special importance in the 15th century when it grew and thrived as one of the major South East Asia trading ports. You will find a mixture of authentic housing styles and luckily the authorities have recognised the attraction of these. Unlike in much of Vietnam where the old is getting ripped out at speed, here in Hoi An it is being repaired and repainted.
Hoi An canal
The brightly painted houses are festooned with flowers and in the evening the trademark silk lanterns light the streets with warm colourful glows and attract hordes of people like bees around a honeypot.
Ancient temples offer tantalising glimpses into a mysterious past and you can jostle for a picture on the old wooden Japanese covered bridge (for a price). You can browse among the hundreds of tiny shops which sell artisan products and where you will find a whole host of things made out of silk and made-in-a-day clothes or you can relax and sip mojitos on a roof terrace overlooking the canal.
One of the best things that Hoi An has done has been to ban motor vehicles from the old town for much of the daytime and for all of the evening. Whilst the streets are packed with visiors at least you don’t have the eye-watering pollution and traffic fumes that plague the other towns in Vietnam and while the noise levels are intense, they are at least not the exhaust drones of cars and lorries.
Get your Lonely Planet guide here and discover where you can avoid the crowds and the pollution in Vietnam
One of the downsides is that you have to purchase a book of tourist tickets in order to gain access to the Japanese Bridge and to many of the temples and places of interest. I only had time to visit one or two of the attractions but it wasn’t possible to pay at the individual sites. Why not offer the book at a discounted rate? I would willingly have paid slightly over the odds to see the one or two choice places that appealed ot me.
Hoi An Temple
Beware of this trick
The touts do a pretty good job of leading you to think that you need to purchase a ticket to simply enter the old town area. This is NOT true. The book of tickets will give you access to many of the temples and the Japanese Covered Bridge but ANYBODY is free to wander around the old town area without a ticket. We saw a lot of tourists hesitantly parting with their cash, believing that they had to do this so that they could enter the narrow streets.
The Japanese covered bridge in Hoi An
The old town of Hoi An is a gem and whilst outside of the UNESCO listed district is a new town; it’s still worth a wander around. Here life goes on as normal away from the tourists. Coffee shops and markets are filled with the local Vietnamese residents. Small family run businesses trade as they have done for years and you can find the best Banh Mi stalls in Vietnam.
A long straight road leads you away from the city to one of the beaches. I hired a bicycle and I cycled along this road one morning whilst heavy lorries honked and swerved around me as I tinkled my bell and I in turn swerved around clusters of school children on their bikes and I avoided herds of cows that were being led through the traffic.
Ho An’s Beach
Once away from the town, the terrifying road thankfully quietened down and I pedalled alongside the vegetable garden area of this region. Irrigated fields stretch for miles, where many of Vietnam’s green vegetables were growing and people worked in the fields shaded from the sun in their conical hats. The road became dustier and sandier and eventually I reached the beach.
Hoi An Beach
After the tourist bubble of Hoi An old town the beach was a welcome relief. Yes, it was busy and yes, it was lined with beach bars, but the overwhelming noise level that had accompanied everything that I had done in Vietnam to date was toned right down.
I treated myself to a cocktail and I settled down on a sun-bed on the sand. I watched the fishermen surfing the waves in their little bouncy round coracles and I relaxed. It was lovely to escape the chaos that was all I knew of Vietnam to date.
I would soon discover the interior beauty of Vietnam away from the tourists, but for now, with my cocktail, my book and my thoughts I was very happy.
Things to do in Hoi An; visit the beach
Night time in Hoi An
The old town is always busy but it REALLY comes alive at night. The silk lanterns swing in the breeze, glowing with warm, colourful lights and the street food market sets up on the canal side. The air is filled with the smell of barbequed food and stir fried noodles and you will be spoilt for choice with places to eat.
For me, the best place was down by the canal where among the tiny little plastic tables, you squat on a low stool and eat traditional dishes from the region while ladies run to and fro encouraging you to eat more. Like everything else in Hoi An, this is street food manufactured and repackaged for the masses but it was fun, tasty and much cheaper than the restaurants.
Hoi An at night
When you are eating street food or in a smaller cafe in Vietnam it is often normal to simply toss your chewed bones, serviettes and rubbish under your table as you eat (obviously check what the local people are doing first!)
If you are lucky there will be a small bin or a bucket there for the bits, but more often than not the debris simply collects around your ankles until the evening winds down and the street traders sweep everything away. To begin with, it felt quite naughty to throw my chicken bones onto the floor, but after a while, like everything else, it soon becomes the norm.
I met up with my friend and fellow blogger Donna Wanderlust from Haute Culture Fashion and together we hired one of the totally over-the-top tourist boats that silently glide around the canal at night. Surrounded by young couples who were gazing deeply into each other’s eyes, Donna and myself roared with laughter as our lady pushed us around on the water in the dark with her long pole and she encouraged us to launch the little paper and candle boat that we had bought. She told is that this would bring us good luck and enduring love (this concept is similar to the Loy Krathong festival in Thailand).
I also met Nam in Hoi An and a few days later I did finally escape from the cacophony of noise when I took a motorbike through the Central Highlands. Read about that trip here.
Donna Wanderlust poses with the laterns
Would I return to Hoi An?
Yes I would return.
I didn’t have time to go to the water puppet theatre (although I did catch a show in Saigon) and I didn’t have time to explore some of the Chinese and Buddhist temples and shrines in the town, but I would definitely return to Hoi An if I go back to Vietnam.
Hoi An – early morning
Whilst most things in the town are overpriced, you can buy ‘fresh’ beer for about 30 pence a pint, silk sleeping bag liners for $5 and you can drink mojitos as you watch the sunset from a roof terrace above the canal.
If you can’t get to Hoi An and you fancy one of the silk sleep sacks (great for travelling) you can get one at this link: [easyazon_link identifier=”B00W8B8IYO” locale=”UK” tag=”scajonblo0e-21″]Silk sleep sack[/easyazon_link]
You WILL get pestered by touts (be firm but polite if you don’t want to buy), you could pay over the odds for bicycle hire, a hotel room, food and tours (bargain hard), but you will get the most beautiful photo opportunities and you will get a glimpse into another era (albeit freshly painted) from the past.
Read more
If you have enjoyed this article and you would like to know more about my adventures in South East Asia, click here for more articles.
You can pin and share this post at Pinterest by clicking on the following image too
Things to do in Hoi An
*Banh Mi – a French style baguette stuffed with a variety of things. You can choose from belly pork, pate, grilled chicken, fish or meatballs, cucumber, cilantro, onions and then there are the salsas. This very basic meal is food heaven.
This post contains affiliate links and/or references to our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on or make a purchase using these links
Scarlet Jones Travels is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com
Things to do in Hoi An, Vietnam
by Jane | Sep 17, 2017 | Asia |
…..and is being awarded a UNESCO World Heritage Site Award a blessing or a curse?
After two days on the slow boat from Thailand to Laos we arrived at the UNESCO listed city of Luang Prabang which sits, as do most major towns in Laos, on the banks of the Mekong River. At this stage we were totally unaware that the Hmong New Year was just around the corner.
I explored Luang Prabang and the surrounding countryside, both by myself and with new friends that I had met on the slow boat (you can read what Luang Prabang has to offer its visitors here), but even after a week in the city and getting to know my way around, there was something unsettling that I was unable to put my finger on.
[grwebform url=”https://app.getresponse.com/view_webform_v2.js?u=spPd&webforms_id=13182401″ css=”on” center=”off” center_margin=”200″/]
Luang Prabang got its World Heritage Site Award thanks to the fusion of the varying architectural styles.
Traditional wooden Lao houses blend with modern buildings which in turn blend with the villas built by the Europeans who colonised and claimed Laos in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Luang Prabang.
The architecture makes Luang Prabang special although much of the original work is being hidden as the townspeople embrace tourism and cover up the traditional frontages with brash signs inviting you to try the fresh coconut drinks or the cheap beer.
When I was in town there was an additional attraction. Luang Prabang was celebrating its 20th anniversary of the World Heritage award.
The traditional Laos name for Laos means the land of a million elephants and as a very special attraction a herd of twelve elephants was walked – some for more than six hundred kilometres – into Luang Prabang to take part in the parade.
Unesco World Heritage celebration
There was a massive celebration event planned. Thousands of people turned out, all dressed in their traditional costumes and they paraded along the main street in. They walked in groups, representing their communities, their villages or their employers.
UNESCO World Heritage Site celebrations
They carried flowers, they played instruments or danced and they looked beautiful. But to be honest, not that many of them looked very comfortable in the spotlight.
The sides of the main street were packed and tourists were running over and shoving cameras in faces to get the perfect shot – never mind the fact that the Laos are generally very shy. That they were in the parade seemed to mean that they were fair game to some of the audience.
I did take plenty of photographs but I didn’t push my lens into people’s faces and I always indicated that I was asking permission if somebody was looking straight at me. If they refused to acknowledge me, I lowered my camera. For this reason I travel with a small descreet camera which I can easily slip into my pocket if anybody indicates that they are not happy to have their photo taken. I use the Panasonic Lumix which has a decent zoom – [easyazon_link identifier=”B01AAU7RWI” locale=”UK” tag=”scajonblo0e-21″]click here if you are interested in the specs and the latest prices.[/easyazon_link]
This lady was happy to be photographed
To be granted a UNESCO World Heritage Site status does undoubtedly bring more visitors and therefore more money to a town, but at what cost?
The locals put on a wonderful procession but in my opinion, many of them were uncomfortable with the attention. On the other side of the coin the tourists often just get a sanitised Disney-fied view of the world and don’t experience the real world. (Just wait until you read about Hoi An in Vietnam).
To accompany this series of articles on Laos, I have published a comprehensive 28 page travel itinerary of my month-long route around Laos. Simply enter your details in the box below to get your free guide.
[grwebform url=”https://app.getresponse.com/view_webform_v2.js?u=spPd&webforms_id=13109801″ css=”on” center=”off” center_margin=”200″/]
It was cold in Nong Khiaw.
Now let’s fast forward in my adventures in Laos via Nong Khiaw which was truly beautiful and pick up the story again after a ten hour minivan ride through tortuous mountains when we arrived in Xam Neua.
keeping warm in Laos
Xam Neua is in Laos’ most remote province and when we were there was freezing cold, wet, rainy and muddy and I began to fall sick after eating some very dodgy food.
Gosia and I had planned to head up into the remote north eastern region and visit the caves from where the Lao PDR party had conducted their operations but it was just too damn cold and the guesthouses were just too damn horrible.
The only saving grace was that we met the lovely Christian on the bus and hung around together for a few days. Walking around in the rain and the mud the three of us stumbled across some ladies who were weaving on the porches of their falling down wooden homes and we met others at the bus station who were working on a large tapestry. This is what I mean by getting an authentic view of a place – meeting and interacting with the ordinary workers, families and people going about their usual business
working together
Gosia and I decided that no matter how impressive the caves were we just were too cold to go and visit and I was too sick so we jumped on another minivan and dropped southwards to Phonsovan.
Many tourists stop at Phonsovan and use it as a base for visiting the Plain of Jars which was also on our hit list but I was too sick to consider venturing out on a day trip and Gosia was still too cold.
Our accommodation was nothing more than a wooden cabin (think garden shed) with a tiny bathroom attached and piles of fleecy blankets on the bed, although the family that owned the hostel were lovely. We decided to keep moving south but we had to wait for the next epic minivan journey the following day.
The Hmong New Year
We had a day to kill and we had heard loud music so we decided to go and explore the town. What a find!
Forget your UNESCO processions and your world heritage parades.We had struck gold and we had landed in Phonsovan at the Hmong New Year.
A large piece of land behind the bus station was hosting a country style fair such as you might imagine would have taken place in the UK many years ago or in the rural United States back in the 1930’s.
Hmong New Year
Tailors and seamstresses were busy in the market making new dresses and outfits. The girls (and many of the men) were dressed up to the nines in traditional Hmong costumes – there were bright colours everywhere.
The Hmong people are, or used to be, identified by their elaborate clothing with the different designs and headwear which symbolised which village or even which family they belong to. They do still wear the clothes but the dress code is not so rigid as it used to be, or in the towns at least.
Now in Phonsovan during the Hmong New Year celebratons many of the girls have the freedom to choose their own costumes and they team up with best friends to coordinate their look, splashing out on new clothes and tottering around the field aand the dirt roads in towering high heeled shoes.
Hmong New Year
On the fair ground itself, hawkers were running country fair type entertainment; there was nothing high-tech here. There was a rickety looking ferris wheel which appeared to be constructed out of old bits of pipe and there were dodgem cars speeding around a circuit. You could throw darts at balloons to win a large cuddly toy….. or you could find yourself a husband or a wife!
Courtship rituals of the Hmong people.
In the fields behind the fairground people were swarming around. Women were standing chatting and eating fried chicken on sticks, small children were scampering around and men were parading and eyeing up all of the young ladies.
Most intriguing of all, many groups had arranged themselves in two parallel lines facing each other. They were tossing small balls between them as they recited some sort of a chant or poem., many sheltering from the sun under brightly coloured parasols.
courtship rituals
I was over the moon. We had stumbled upon a Hmong courtship ritual. I had heard about this before I had come to Laos and here I was witnessing it for myself. This display wasn’t being put on for tourists – this was day to day life during the Hmong New Year.
The done thing is for the participants to look suitably bored as they toss the ball underarm to the person standing opposite but this was one way that they would choose a marriage partner.
Just like many places in the world there were more hopeful women than men, but the men and teenagers who had joined in were looking like the cats that got the cream surrounded by all of the beautiful girls with their perfect complextions, intricate makeup and wonderful clothes.
Unlike imy time in Luang Prabang where I often felt uncomfortable looking at the people, their buildings and the places of interest, here we felt accepted. Yes, we were stared at – we only met two other ‘farangs’ (foreigners) in town while we were there – but it was a different sort of staring.
There was no animosity just intrigue. WE were the exhibition, the interesting sight. We were on their turf during the Hmong New Year and we were constantly invited to take photos of people and their children or to pose with groups of teenagers for ‘selfies’.
I managed to hold my bout of sickness together long enough to enjoy our afternoon in the sun and watching all ages enjoy their Hmong New Year celebrations.
Gosia and I agreed that despite the cold and despite the fact that we hadn’t made it to either the caves or to the Plain of Jars and despite the fact that we had been crammed onto overcrowded minivans for long days of travel (did I mention that the Laos are unable to ride on buses without being travel sick?) we were both so pleased that we had made our long journey around the mountains of northern Laos and we were grateful to be able to join with the Hmong people as they celebrated their New Year.
Do you want to learn more about minority people and their traditional clothing?
Identify your passions and make your life sparkle.
If costumes are your thing, or art or history I can show you how you can bring more of them into your life via the challenges on the Smash the Pumpkin Project.
The Smash the Pumpkin Project is an online course which guides you along a journey of self development. You will be given a series of challenges but you are encouraged to weave whatever it is that interests you into your lifestyle whilst you complete the challenges.
You can now trial the Smash the Pumpkin Project for one month, during which time you will get five emails and a one-to-one session with Jane who is the mindset coach leading the online course.
Click here to find out about the project if it is new to you or to remind yourself about the course. You can read about it here or click the button at the end of the article. Sign up or, if you want more information drop me an email at info@scarletjonestravels.com .
Click here for the Smash the Pumpkin project
Smash the myths, live your dreams.
Pin and save this post
Pin and save this image
[grwebform url=”https://app.getresponse.com/view_webform_v2.js?u=spPd&webforms_id=13127101″ css=”on” center=”off” center_margin=”200″/]
This post contains affiliate links and/or references to our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on or make a purchase using these links
Scarlet Jones Travels is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com
This article was originally published in May 2016 and has been updated and republished with new content
by Jane | Sep 17, 2017 | Asia |
Did you know that there was once a secret war in Laos?
Did you know that since the end of that war more than 20,000 people have been killed or injured by UXO – unexploded bombs?
I want to tell you about the secret war in Laos because its after-effects still have such a huge impact on the population today.
[grwebform url=”https://app.getresponse.com/view_webform_v2.js?u=spPd&webforms_id=13182401″ css=”on” center=”off” center_margin=”200″/]A brief history of the secret war in Laos
Throughout it’s history Laos has been invaded and occupied. For many years much of the rest of the world refused to acknowledge it as a country in its own right – with France and Vietnam claiming it as their own among others. It has a dramatic history but no period is so sad as the years between 1964 and 1972 when the US was fighting its war with Vietnam.
During this time the US dropped more than two million tons of ordnance on Laos during 580,000 bombing missions – equal to a planeload of bombs every 8 minutes, 24-hours a day, for 9 years – making Laos the most heavily bombed country per capita in history. (text from: http://legaciesofwar.org/about-laos/secret-war-laos/) Can you believe these disturbing statistics?
The histories of Laos and Vietnam are intertwined. Here is a brief look at the disturbing legacy of the secret war in Laos.
There is no war in Laos.
Henry Kissinger repeatedly denied US involvement in Laos. He did not obtain the permission of Congress to bomb the country, nor did he inform them once it had begun. During the American (or the Vietnam War depending on which side you view it from) it was agreed at the Geneva Convention that Laos would remain neutral.
The US were fighting in Vietnam, desperate to prevent the spread of communism in the region; and they especially targeted the Ho Chi Minh Trail. The Vietnamese transported goods, arms and personnel along this route from north to south. The Ho Chi Minh Trail borders Laos in many places, in a vast mountainous area covered with thick tropical jungle. (When I was in Vietnam I took a motorbike tour along some of the Ho Chi Minh Trail – you can read that article here)
Many Laos were anti-American and supported either the Vietnamese operations and/or communism. They were fighting their own battles inside Laos between the (royal) government and the Pathet Lao. Despite the rulings at the Geneva Convention the CIA conducted an undercover operation in Laos to prevent the spread of communism and which enabled them to support their operations against the Vietnamese and the Ho Chi Minh Trail. For nine years they constantly denied their operations in Laos, however they have since held their hands up and confessed that they were there.
The US bombed the trail – they bombed across the border in Laos and hundreds of returning bombers simply indiscriminately emptied their cargo of bombs as they flew across Laos.
The secret war in Laos gets worse!
They didn’t drop ‘normal’ bombs either. They dropped napalm (Agent Orange) on the jungle so that the leaves would die on the trees and to reveal the villages and the route of the Ho Chi Minh Trail below; and they dropped big bomb casings which exploded and which released hundreds of little bombs (known locally as bombies) – each the size of a cricket ball – designed to injure people as opposed to killing them outright or destroying property.
The war ended and people got on with their lives. But life in Laos today still means living on a knife’s edge. Thousands of the bombs and bombies failed to explode and they are still injuring or killing more than 300 civilians a year. Farmers work in their fields, children play, fish or climb trees. Women light cooking fires. Many of them are blinded, lose limbs or lose their lives
Over time the bombies slowly work their way to the surface of the fields and then the farmer might step on one as he innocently plants his rice. The children net them from the river bed or knock them out of the trees where they have grown upwards, caught in the branches. Cooking fires are lit and the heat can trigger an explosion and I was even told of a man who was killed while digging a hole in the earth floor in his bedroom for a new bedpost.
I bet you have never considered the following either.
Laos is a desperately poor country but even with the money that is available it is unable to easily develop a better infrastructure. For example, the govenment allocates money which is set aside for a new highway and a new school.
Before ANY work can begin the land has to be checked and cleared for dormant bombs. And it’s not enough to simply clear the land which forms the footprint of the school building. The surrounding land has to be checked which is slow, painstaking and dangerous work. Other countries are providing help and manpower but when you consider the mountain of unexploded devices that are still hanging around this is just a drop in the ocean.
The hospitals still see too many victims of the bombies and everywhere you see men, women and children who have lost limbs, eyes or have burn injuries. Schools are closed when a new bombie is discovered in the playground and the dangers of driving off the side of the highway have somewhat more disturbing implications than just toppling the bus into a ditch.
Up to one third of the bombs didn’t explode when they were supposed to, leaving behind a deadly legacy. I am lifting the following facts and figures from the Legacies of War web site which you really should check out, although I did read the same at the UXO Museum. There are many NGOs and charities trying to improve the lives of the Laos people but this website starkly sets out the facts for you.
- Over 270 million cluster bombs were dropped on Laos during the Vietnam War (210 million more bombs than were dropped on Iraq in 1991, 1998 and 2006 combined); up to 80 million did not detonate.
- Nearly 40 years on, less than 1% of these munitions have been destroyed. More than half of all confirmed cluster munitions casualties in the world have occurred in Laos.
- Each year there continue to be over 100 new casualties in Laos. Close to 60% of the accidents result in death, and 40% of the victims are children.
- Between 1995 and 2013, the U.S. contributed on average $3.2M per year for UXO clearance in Laos; the U.S. spent $13.3M per day (in 2013 dollars) for nine years bombing Laos.
- The U.S. spent as much in three days bombing Laos ($51M, in 2010 dollars) than it spent for clean up over 16 years ($51M).
I just find my jaw dropping even lower with each horrific statistic.
Education
An education programme is in place across Laos. In primary schools children are taught how to identify the various explosive devices and told about the consequences of playing with them or of accidentally disturbing them. The little bombies look like small balls which are especially attractive to toddlers and some boys being boys will try to break them apart to get the explosives out.
Adults also do this too so that they can use the gunpowder or they melt down the metal casings to exchange for money; taking risks every day. Some villages recycle the deactivated aluminium cases into jewelry or cutlery which they sell, and all across Laos you can see the larger bomb cases turned into furniture, fence posts or flower baskets.
The people of Laos live with the legacy of the secret war every day. They have become desensitised to it. The bombs are a part of the fabric of their culture. It is no great shock when a villager loses a limb after stepping on a bomb – it is normal life. Sadly, it still happens in Laos too frequently.
No apologies
I make no apologies for what some might view as a pro-Laos stance in this article and there are two sides to every war. One person’s terrorist is another person’s freedom fighter but no matter what your viewpoint on the advance of communism or whatever reason is given for a war, there needs to be transparency, a majority well-informed decision to take action and as little impact as possible on the lives of civilians. The Laos resorted to living in caves by day and farming their rice fields at night. I repeat:-
- Over 270 million cluster bombs were dropped on Laos during the Vietnam War (210 million more bombs than were dropped on Iraq in 1991, 1998 and 2006 combined); up to 80 million did not detonate.
- Nearly 40 years on, less than 1% of these munitions have been destroyed. More than half of all confirmed cluster munitions casualties in the world have occurred in Laos.
I would be grateful if you would share this article with your friends and for additional reading, information or to donate please take the time to check out the following links. Clear Laos Now – Legacies of War Fred Branfman at Alternet on Henry Kissinger Read about the impact of UXO devices and the correlation with poverty here COPE – Helping people to move on How and why the Hmong got involved And from a modern day writer who weaves some fantastic stories around the history of Laos, click here and discover my new favourite author – [easyazon_link keywords=”Colin Cotterill” locale=”UK” tag=”scajonblo0e-21″]Colin Cotterill[/easyazon_link] To accompany this series of articles on Laos, I have published a comprehensive 28 page travel itinerary of my month-long route around Laos. Simply enter your details in the box below to get your free guide. [grwebform url=”https://app.getresponse.com/view_webform_v2.js?u=spPd&webforms_id=13109801″ css=”on” center=”off” center_margin=”200″/] Scarlet Jones Travels is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com This post contains affiliate links and/or references to our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on or make a purchase using these links This article has been updated and republished from the original in April 2016
