Places to Visit in Myanmar 2

 Continued...

In case you missed the previous post, you might find it useful, so here is the link

Bagan

The ancient city of Bagan in Myanmar is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is considered to be significant in the history of Myanmar as that's where a good part of civilisation in the country started.

Lined with temples, stupas and pagodas, in burnt red bricks but also whitish and black ones, some of them date back to the 15th century. There are also the signature gold temples that you'll typically find everywhere in the country.

Places to Visit in Myanmar

Myanmar was once booming with tourism and was the next big thing in South East Asia (SEA). You would get such great deals at much cheaper than some other parts of SEA. It had people visiting in their droves until the military coup in 2021. The situation has changed significantly since then and has slowed many things down.

 

I moved to Myanmar for work in May 2023 and although I did not write much while I was there (better safe than sorry), I tried to see a bit of the country. 

See my first post on Myanmar in case you missed it Slowly Making My Way Around Myanmar

I took a few weekend trips around and discovered some beautiful places I think are worth sharing with you, in case you happen to visit that part of the world.

Ngwe Saung

Ngwe Saung is a beach resort area located about 238km from Yangon. It's a 5 hour drive without traffic but 6 hours realistically. I got there by public transport, by coach/bus. It was the only place in the country I was allowed to get to by public transport.

Reaching for the sun

Departure from Yangon from the pick up point was at 5:30am on a Friday and by 11am, I was settled in the hotel. I returned on Sunday and the pick up from the front of the hotel was at noon. By evening around 6pm, I was back home. 

Visiting Vietnam

Vietnam had been on my bucket list for such a long time and I was excited to go with some friends. 

The visa application was online and more straightforward than I imagined it would be. Between the application and the visa being granted, it all happened in a week.

Getting There

As with travelling, a few things did go wrong and I remember saying this was one of my worst trips (the travel part) recently. I don’t remember when last I went on a trip that was this stressful! 

I arrived at the airport and was told that I could not be checked in as the airport I was meant to transit through required me to go through immigration, so I needed a transit visa. I’m not sure how we missed this when the ticket was booked, but I got rerouted on one leg and bought another ticket on the spot, and all this was happening before 6am. I was originally to leave at 6am and arrive at 11:30am, including the lay over, but the trip ended up taking the whole day. I got to my destination around 9pm.

Visiting Greece

Greece is a popular destination in Europe where civilization is said to have started around 1600 BC. The country is full of so many gems, then the islands score a good number of tourists yearly. The capital, Athens, is a good place to start. Walking around on cobble stones, restaurants line the streets in typical European style. The city is full of so much history and it is easy to walk around.

View of Athens

The Acropolis is one of the most popular sites to see in Athens. it is a historical landmark that holds particular significance in the Greek history and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. 

Odeon of Herodes Atticus, a stone Roman theatre structure

Visiting Mauritania and Riding the Iron Ore Train

Mauritania is a country in Northwest Africa, a country very few get to visit. I've been told that I visit places normal people would hardly think of visiting. My travels take me off the beaten path and I'm happy to keep discovering. 

The Iron Ore Train was the reason I visited Mauritania and it was nice to discover a bit of the country. 

We arrived in Nouakchott, the capital, and we got visas on arrival - the visas cost $60. It is advisable to have cash, it was quick and efficient. As this was an organised group tour, we had a briefing on the evening of our arrival then headed out to dinner.

Benefits of Travelling

 Let’s face it, life can be hard. We have a lot going on at different times of our lives. How do you disconnect from all the pressure and obligations we have? When do you get some down time?

Travelling is one way, at least it works for me from experience and from feedback I’ve got from fellow travellers.

Visiting Singapore

Quick facts:

- Singapore is an island country in Southeast Asia. 

- It is a city state and does not have states and cities like other countries. The country is a well-planned urban area.

- The country has an estimated population of 5,917,600 people.

- The official languages are Malay, Chinese, English and Tamil. The population is a mix of people originating from China, Malaysia, India and others. 

- Their currency is Singaporean Dollars (SGD).

- Singaporeans kind of sound like Nigerians when they speak English, hahaha

Visa requirements

i) Valid Passport with minimum of 6 months validity from the date of entry

ii) Photocopy of passport

ii) Previous passports (if any)

iv) One recent passport size colour photo with white background (taken within the last 3 months)

v) Completed Visa Application form (Form14A)

vi) Sponsor Letter of Introduction (LOI) from Singapore (V39A)

vii) Proof of employment letter with salary & leave entitlement, employment letter approving annual leave

viii) Pay slips or bank statements

ix) Hotel Booking

x) Copy of round trip air ticket booking/itinerary 

xi) $22 visa fee