views from the yangon circular train (video)

If you have a few hours to spare and see the area around Yangon, I suggest a trip on the Circular Train.

Below is a short video of the views from my seat:

travel zen on friday: sunrise in Bagan

I found Bagan a magical place... especially at sunrise. Happy Friday, everyone!

Sunrise in Bagan

Below is a time lapse video I took of hot air balloons at sunrise in Bagan. Enjoy!

airline review: asian wings airways

Asian Wings.

Although a few international and regional airlines fly into Yangon and/or Mandalay, many (if not all) do not fly domestic routes. Instead, it appears that local airlines dominate those routes. Asian Wings is one of them.

I flew Asian Wings between Yangon and Bagan - a short hour or so flight - and thought it was harmless enough.

Booking

First, I booked the flight through another airline with a code share with Asian Wings. I booked and paid online and received confirmation fairly quickly.

Check - in

The check in process was fairly chaotic, as detailed HERE. It was also quirky in that check in was done in person with no option whatsoever for online checkin. For more quirks, please check out my previous post HERE.

The Flight

We boarded from the back of the plane and deplaned the same way. So, if you want to get off the plane, sit in the back.

The plane was small but clean. The seats were also smaller than US airlines. So, taller folks might have some issues. But, for shorter folks, it should be somewhat comfortable. There was no in flight entertainment or anything like that but for such a short flight, it did not really make a difference. One thing I did not really like was that the windows were too scratched up and it was difficult to take pictures from the window seat. A shame, really, because there were some pretty nice views especially when we were getting in to Bagan.

The window of Asian Wings.

The flight attendants were well dressed in their uniforms and were friendly. I believe they all spoke English with varying degrees of proficiency.

Asian Wings did provide in flight snacks (included in the fare price, which was not cheap). They were not great (the sandwiches were dry and sparing) but I appreciated a bit of a bite to quell my gnawing hunger.

Asian Wings Snacks.

Asian Wings Sandwich.

Verdict

Overall, I had an okay experience with Asian Wings. It got me from point A to point B and back without much problems.

Have you flown with other domestic airlines in Myanmar?

things to know about yangon international airport (rgn)

RGN.

As Myanmar continues to open up to the world, I am certain that it will attract many more visitors. This is not surprising. I found the country beautiful, the people were friendly, and the food was tasty. A perfect trifecta.

But first, what should a traveler expect when arriving at/departing from Yangon International Airport (RGN)?

The below is accurate as of my visit in November 2015.

travel zen on friday: fishermen in bagan

Fishing at dusk. Happy Friday, everyone!

Fishermen on the Ayeyarwady River.

bagan eats: curries and more

Feast at Shwe Myanmar (aka Golden Myanmar)

While Mr. Sazy Rock and I enjoyed eating in Yangon, one other dish that captured my stomach comes from Bagan: the pork curry. I soon learned, however, that the dish itself, while very tasty, was not the draw. Instead, a particular restaurant that served that dish was the star.

But before I get into my top tastes in Bagan, as a little background information, we ate a lot. We tried many dishes. But, some, sadly, were not worth mentioning. The below, on the other hand, deserve a lot of kudos:

yangon drinks: wines

The wine display at Governor's Residence.

In one of those "who knew" moments, Mr. Sazy Rock and I ended up doing an impromptu Burmese wine tasting at the Belmond Governor's Residence in a tony part of Yangon. I am unsure about the state of the Burmese wine industry but it appears that they are definitely trying to establish a premiere one in Southeast Asia.

The wines we tried were all from grapes grown in Myanmar's Shan state. I was told that the area is cooler due to its elevation and that grapes are grown at over 1,000 meters above sea level. It also appears that French and German winemakers, along with locals, have had a hand in developing the wines.

yangon drinks: cocktails

Gimlet from the Strand Hotel.

In my short but memorable time in Yangon in November 2015, I did not see any discernible cocktail bar scene. I'd like to say it was a robust scene as what we found in Japan in February 2015, but alas, I cannot. We did, however, find a few watering holes in the city. 

To be honest, I was a bit wary about cocktail drinking because I was unsure about the purity of the water used to make ice. For the most part, I drank a lot of Myanmar beers but, I did go for a cocktail (or three) at reputable establishments.

First, we visited the Strand Hotel. I am told that the hotel was once owned by the same folks who owned the iconic Raffles Hotel in Singapore and the E&O Hotel in Penang, Malaysia. As an aside, I felt a sense of closure now that I have drank at all three iconic hotel bars (the dreadful Singapore Sling at the Raffles and a refreshing Gin & Tonic at the E&O). 

sazy rock's top 10 tastes of 2015

The tuna auction in Tokyo, Japan.

I have spent most of 2015 traveling to eat in Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Thailand, Myanmar (formerly known as Burma), and in 20 states in the United States. In fact, after this post goes live, I will be off to Israel and Jordan. Although a few bites have been disappointing, for the most part, it has been a very delicious year (and I suspect will continue to be delicious during the remaining two weeks of 2015).

A memorable lobster dish from Azurmendi in Bilbao, Spain from 2014.
Yes, I still think fondly of this dish to this day.

I've been fortunate to eat an array of food from so many different parts of the world - some I have written about (click on the name and city of the restaurant to get the link to the post) and some I have not. Although I could easily list more than the 10 below, I had to force myself to be disciplined. My list could also change tomorrow. 

travel zen on friday: bagan pagoda

The Ayeyarwady River cuts through the country before it splinters off in the South. The pagodas of Bagan look amazing amidst its still waters. Happy Friday, everyone!

Sunset in Bagan.

yangon eats: lahpet, balachaung and so much more

Fried fish with balachaung.

I must admit that I did not really know much about Burmese cuisine. Prior to our trip, I've only eaten at a Burmese restaurant once. Now, after returning from our trip, although I cannot say that I am an expert, I can definitely say that I am an enthusiastic supporter of the local cuisine.

Our first stop was Yangon, a big city that is likely the entry point to the country for most people. Mr. Sazy Rock and I would like to say we ate everything but we only had two stomachs between us. We tried though. We really did.

Below are my top tastes that are absolutely worth a looooooooong journey from the US:

the latest on cash machines (atm's) in myanmar

The Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon.

Prior to my recent visit to Myanmar (aka Burma), many websites strongly advised travelers to bring crisp dollar bills because of the lack of ATMs (or automatic teller machines) in the country. For many skittish travelers wary of carrying around large sums of cash, I have good news!