Myanmar, the golden country

Some of my friends warmed me saying that it is already two years late to visit Myanmar. I must disagree with this. The main reason is, I traveled during the low season - end of March - and I barely saw tourists during my trip. Making this choice probably changed my whole appreciation of the country, and I couldn't be more glad I've done it. 

Having only 9 days in the country, I had to makes choices in terms of destination. I landed in Yangon, visited Bagan, Mandalay and Inle lake. I took 3 flights and 1 night bus which was happily surprising. The bus was very comfy, they gave us food and drinks + a blanket. If you're not a big fan of the Burmese airlines, you can travel by bus (or by boat between Mandalay and Bagan). The travel hours are convenient, but the journeys are sometimes a bit long. 

There are lots to see in all the cities listed above. I must admit that I have a preference for Bagan and Inle lake. However, I found Yangon pleasant, and more interesting than Mandalay.

See below for all the details!

Oh, and yes, you will find ATM wherever you're going! 

Travel agent - to book transport tickets and/or hotels

Min Than Htut - min@pronititravel.com

He is reliable and happy to answer all sorts of questions! 

Yangon

Indicative prices

Airport to city center - 7,000 kyats

Downtown to bus station - 5,000 kyats

Downtown to Schwedagon pagoda - 2,000 kyats

Downtown to Inya lake - 2,5000 kyats

Inya lake to airport - 4,0000 kyats

Restaurants

Nilar Win's: 377 Maha Bandoola Rd - for a great lassi & yogurt!

Fuji Coffee House: 116 University avenue rd - great coffee and decent European dishes

Bagan

Indicative prices

Airport to Old Bagan - 5,000 kyats

1 day bicycle - 1,5000 kyats

1 day electric bicycle - 7,000 kyats

Restaurants

Santhidar: Main rd, between the Old and New Bagan (Myin Kaba) - a must go! Familial restaurant, great food served by generous people. 

Black Bamboo: near Yar Khin Thar Rd (Nyaung Oo) - for both local and French cuisine

Lacquerware shop

Golden Cuckoo: Myin Ka Par village. Large choice of products with different quality. Negotiation possible! 

Sand Paintings

999 Shop: at the end of Yar Khin Thar Rd (Nyaung Oo). Incredible quality, more expensive than what you can find in temples. Only a few designs available. Fixed price, you can maybe negotiate around 2,000 k. 

Great sunrise, with nobody else than yourself and a few people

Schwesandaw and Bulethi temples

Mandalay 

Indicative prices

Airport to city center - 4,000 kyats in a shared taxi

1 day bicycle - 1,500 kyats

Visit of 3 cities by motorbike + driver - 15,000 kyats

Add 3,000 to see the sunrise on U Bein bridge

Restaurant

Marie Min: 27th St, between 74th and 75th St - nice and quiet place, good for lunch and drinks!

Inle lake 

Indicative prices

Airport to Nyaungshwe - 25,000 kyats

Nyaungshwe to airport - 15,000 kyats

1 day bicycle - 1,5000 kyats

Cross the lake by boat - 6,000 kyats / boat

1 day boat trip - 15,000 kyats / boat 

Add 3,000 kyats to go down to the south canal 

Restaurant

Four Sisters: 105 Nam Pan, near the jetty - the place is nothing special but the food is great! One unique menu served and cooked by the family. Good, hearty, and very cheap!

Massage

Thae Su Family: 4,000 kyats for 1 hour massage. Follow the signs on the road! On Kyone Yoe Rd. 

A marine paradise: El Nido

Palawan was on my bucket list for far too long. After hesitating between Coron and El Nido, it is finally in El Nido that we set foot on the ground; after a very long journey.

Indeed, it's 3h flight from Singapore to Manila, 1h20 to reach Puerto Princesa and 5 long hours drive to El Nido.
The journey makes you appreciate El Nido probably more than it should. But who will complain about that?!

We rented a boat the next day to discover the beauty of the site by ship track (not that there are 50 other options anyway).
The scenery was absolutely beautiful. From small lagoons to bigger ones, we discovered fabulous beaches and places. The color of the water was as blue as it can be in your imagination.
As for the snorkeling, it was great but nothing tremendous. Filipinos used to use dynamites for fishing, which literally killed all the corals. Somehow, great fishes are still passing by as well as some turtles and rays, which makes it enjoyable.

Once on the ground, you may have a dinner on the main beach and chose your dish among all the fishes that are waiting to be cooked.
Ending up your day on the waterfront is a great gift to yourself. Just enjoy the sunset, and top up with a cocktail!

Transport

• Flight with Cebu Pacific from Singapore to Puerto Princesa
• Van from Puerto Princesa to El Nido with Day Tripper Palawan, Eulen Joy Express or Lexus for 600 PHP or 800 PHP. The tickets can be bought directly at the airport. About 5h30 for one way. Don't forget to choose your seat when you're booking, the ones at the back are terrible! 

Accommodation

• Treetops - They have won the award for the best hotel in El nido from Trip Advisor in 2013, and it's not for nothing. The service is simply perfect, the staff is adorable and always willing to give good tips. Breakfast is not included but it is worth it to take it. It comes with fresh bread, fresh juice, fruits, coffee and a dish of your choice. The room is decent and clean, and the little terrace is appreciated. 
  Location wise, it is very quiet and 10min from the town, but the staff will always be able to book a tricycle for you (30 PHP). Walking distance from Coron Coron beach.
  They don't have a website. Contact David for more info
• Rico’s Cottages directly located on the beach with a nice view and a little terrace

Restaurant

• Any restaurant on the beach will propose tasty fresh fishes and shellfish
• La Salangane for a nice dinner - I would avoid their hotel as their rooms aren't great but they propose a good food menu with local and european dishes, fresh fishes + nice cocktails
• Mezzanine for nice cocktails and desserts. The view is stunning and the place surprisingly not crowded at all

Activities

• Private boat for the day + lunch included and snorkelling equipment - mix of A and C tour: 1,200 PHP
• Speed boat up to 9 people + lunch + equipment: 1,900 PHP – booked with La Salangane PADI center
• Watch the sunset from Coron Coron beach

There is NO ATM in El Nido

The Krakatau Experience

Camping: the word that had disappeared from my vocabulary a very long time ago! I do not know if I am reconciled with it, but I must admit that it was an experience.

But before we evoke it, let's go back to the beginning.
We arrived in Jakarta on Friday evening and had one night in the Indonesian capital. Our driver picked us up early Saturday morning. The idea was to get off Jakarta the fastest possible as we had a few hours drive to reach the north of Java, so we picked a hotel located on the west side of the city.
We arrived mid-morning in Carita, where a boat was waiting for us. The boat trip was about 2 hours long to the Krakatau. We first stopped in front of the volcano to do some snorkeling.

Surprisingly, the corals were beautiful and the life down there is very active, even though the volcano is still alive.

After this refreshing stop, we switched for a much sporty outfit to climb the Krakatau. I must categorize this climb as an "open to all level, beginners welcome"! It is in fact quite easy and lasts overall only 30-40 minutes to approach the crater. Unfortunately you can't go too high since the beast is still alive, but the view is already stunning from the "first level".

As for the night, we had the choice between staying in a 'hotel' that didn't inspired us, or try the camping mode. We went for the second option. Mainly because we wanted to enjoy the wonderful view of the volcano, by establishing as a base, this black sand beach which was completely deserted.

We had a great barbecue for dinner, cooked by our guides; and the Krakatau as the eye-catcher.

The night wasn't much relaxing due to our choice of accommodation, but waking up in front of the volcano definitely made my day.
Straight after breakfast we snorkeled in two great spots full of different varieties of coral & fishes. We even had the chance to follow about 15 dolphins on our way back to Carita. This surprise perfectly closed our week end!

Schedule:

• Flight from Singapore to Jakarta on a Friday Evening
• 1 Night in Jakarta 
• Pick up on the Saturday at 7 am
• Transfer in a private car to Carita
• Snorkeling at Rakata Island
• 1 Night - camping - in Sretung Island in front of the Krakatau
• Climb the Krakatau for the Sunrise on Sunday morning
• Snorkeling
• Way back to Jakarta
• Flight to Singapore

Guide - Thom from Krakatau Adventure
Price for 8 people - 9,500,000 IDR
Includes car transfer, boat transfer,  food, 1 camping night, camp gears and snorkeling equipment
(does not include the 40 facial wipes you will use in 2 days to 'clean' your body!).

Flights with Jetstar - 100 SGD
Friday at 8.05 pm
Sunday at 8.30 pm

BOROBUDUR !... and Prambanan

Yogyakarta: How awful!?
Pedestrians are strongly discouraged from walking down the street since there are no sidewalks at all, and the city is noisy and yet, terribly annoying!
This being, two days are enough to visit the surroundings!

The two temples to visit: Borobudur and Prambanan are both located opposite from each other. Prambanan is 20 minutes east of Yogya and Borobudur is 45 minutes up north.

We spent the Saturday afternoon at Prambanan, this park that contains hundreds of Hindu temples. We took the time to walk to the most remote sites and to read the few explanations that are on the way. Although much smaller, the site looks like a miniature of Angkor temples.
We visited so slowly that when we returned to the starting point, night fell, and a few well placed lights were illuminating the main temple.

On the next day we woke up very early to see the sunrise from the top of Borobudur. However, the mist spoiled the party and we've catched the first glimpse of the sun 'only' around 7 am. No regret, we then requested a guide at the site entrance for 1 hour tour, to give us some more insights.

According to our schedule, it would have been better to pick an hotel near Borobudur, since Yogyakarta has no interest whatsoever.

As for the Sunday afternoon, it is possible to climb the Merapi, relax in the pool or/and a spa, or to visit some other areas (Sultan place, etc.).


Indicative prices
Yogya city center to Prambanan (round trip) - 140,000 IDR
Yogya city center to Borobudur - driver for 4 hours - 250,000 IDR
Borobudur Sunset tour - starts at 4.30am - 380,000 IDR
Prambanan ticket entrance - 180,000 IDR
Borobudur 1h guided tour - 100,000 IDR

Flights from Singapore to Yogyakarta
Saturday: Air Asia, 11.10 am - 12.25 pm
Sunday: Tiger Air, 6 pm - 9.15 pm

Restaurant
Gadjah Wong on Jalan. Gejayan Soropadan 79-D
They serve great European food at a cheap price. A must go if you're sick of Asian cuisine! 
The restaurant is set in beautiful surroundings. Different atmospheres according to where you decide to seat (local, jazzy, etc).

This vintage venue - KILO

A few plants, white walls, sofas randomly arranged; Kilo's lounge bar does not seem like much at first, but stay longer, seat in one of the comfy couch and start to sip one of their nice cocktail.

The bar opens at 8 pm. As it is referenced as a 'late night cocktail bar', you will find the place empty. However it's a great time to come to have a chat with your friend, and enjoy the original view on the Stadium. The deep house music in the background creates a different atmosphere enhanced by the vintage furniture around.

If you start to be hungry, you can ask the staff to get a table at their restaurant. It is usually fully booked, I recommend to call in advance to have your seat reserved, but you can give it a try and let's see how it works!

Lucky you if you end up going to the 2nd floor of the building to try their food! The restaurant is also simply decorated. It has open windows on the river and plants slowly growing in the corners.
I advise to share a few of their incredible appetizers among your peers. Once you have a look at their menu, you won't event know which one you fancy over a second one: everything seems (and is!) succulent!

I went for the stuffed roasted figs with blue cheese, bacon and walnuts, and the black and white prawn ravioli. No words to add, it was simply succulent. As for the desserts, the churros were nothing incredible, but the lava cake was delightful.
The hardest is by far, to make your choice. But I believe all dishes remain great.

You can go back to the bar on the 8th floor to digest with a nice cocktail in hand. The music will then beats harder, and people will start filling up the place.

Kilo is now throwing some parties on Fridays and Saturdays and bringing unusual DJ's (deep house, electro, jazz, etc). Check out their facebook page for more details. It's apparently very crowded, but it's definitely worth the try.

To conclude, I will come back:
- for the atmosphere and the - not so underground but great - music
- for their amazing food & cocktails
- just to escape from the traditional bars in Singapore
- to see how the place look like during their parties!

Kilo 
66 Kampong Bugis (MRT Lavender)
2nd Floor for the restaurant
8th Floor for the lounge bar

Bocuse Catering School

Lost between woods and highways (even the MRT does not come that far!), the Bocuse Catering School still manages to draw us to its restaurant thanks to the unbeatable value for money of the food served.

Prepared by students in order to fund their projects, the Institute offers sessions to the public to savor their food, roughly, about 4 times a year. For the incredible price of $ 25 you can taste three dishes inspired from our tasteful French cuisine: lobster, lamb confit, scallops, lava cakes are on the menus.
They also try to create pleasant atmospheres by choosing various themes: you can be immersed in a jungle or re discover the French capital through the decoration.

To subtly pair your food, either bring your own wine, or ask for a $25 bottle of their great cave (you can bring one at home as well for the same price)

Food wise, the menus vary for each session, but it is never disappointing.

It's a pain in the neck to reach the place, but it's all worth it! Furthermore, their sessions only take place once in a while, and I believe each of us is able to find a cab to get there!

Venue: Chez West
Block 2, Level 3, ITE College West
1 Choa Chu Kang Grove
To subscribe to their newsletter and be aware of the next sessions write to Lydia
Tables are limited and it get booked very quickly!