Mingun and Sagaing

On one of our rare holidays from work, a colleague asked me if I fancied a trip to Mingun and Sagaing on the back of his bike. Mingun and Sagaing lie just over the Irrawady River from Mandalay and, as the crow flies, the distance is not so great. However, as only a single bridge serves the river, a long and arduous ride is needed down and back up the river in order to reach the landmarks in the area. Unfazed, we popped on our helmets and set off for our destination.

Myanmar General Information

Are you interested in coming to Myanmar for a visit? If so you have come to the right place. In this blog entry I have pulled together what I believe to be useful information for anyone planning to come here, gathered over the long weeks I have spent living in Yangon and Mandalay. I have attempted to be as truthful as possible in my analysis of the country and what it can offer, so read on to find out about the good and bad aspects of a trip to Myanmar.

The Outskirts of Mandalay and Beyond

Having been in Mandalay for over a week, I had taken in most of the important sites in the confines of the city itself. On the spur of the moment, a colleague and I decided it was time to head to the outskirts and beyond to see some of the points of interest a little farther afield. We packed our bags, sorted out a ride, and made the most of the day’s good weather by taking in a handful of greater Mandalay’s sights.

Da Nang and Hoi An: Travel’s Version of Beauty and the Beast

After reading plenty of gushing online articles about how Da Nang in Vietnam was an upcoming tourist destination well worth checking out, my travel companion and I decided to start our trip around Vietnam  from there. It pains me to admit that, in my opinion, the articles about Da Nang being a city full of things for visitors to do are very wide of the mark.

Bolivia: Uyuni Salt Flats and Beyond

I’d heard mixed reports about Salt Flat tours in Bolivia so it was with some trepidation that I booked a three day, two night tour starting in Uyuni and ending in Chile. Some people swore it was the best thing they’d done in South America while others lamented it as little more than a boring and drawn out drive. In the end my worry was for naught as, after an admittedly less than auspicious start, the tour proved to be one of the highlights of my South American adventure.

The Wonders of Perito Moreno Glacier

I saw a lot of natural wonders on my recent jaunt around South America including roiling lava in the crater of an active volcano, a collection of ferocious waterfalls and innumerable snow-capped mountain peaks. For me, however, the most astonishing of them all was Perito Moreno Glacier situated in Argentinian Patagonia where you can while away hours listening to the creaks and groans of the ever expanding ice and watch enormous chunks of it crash into the beautiful azure waters of Lake Argentino.

The Long Hard Road to Machu Picchu

Getting to Machu Picchu on a budget is not as straightforward as you might think – the journey to this wonderful site can be a real challenge and, at times, is certainly not for the faint-hearted! If you want to visit while spending as little cash as possible be prepared for arduous walks, nerve-shredding drives and times of overwhelming exhaustion. Read on to find out how I sorted tickets and travel arrangements before I made my way from Lima to the mountain citadel via Cusco and Aguas Calientes.

Iguazu Falls: A Real Creature Feature

Iguazu Falls sits on the border of Argentina and Brazil and is the largest waterfall system in the world. People often visit both sides as it is said they offer completely different experiences of this great natural wonder. In addition to the roaring walls of cascading water, Iguazu also offers visitors the chance to spot a massively varied collection of wildlife from colourful birds, enormous reptiles and cheeky racoon-like creatures.

Buenos Aires: Boca and River Stadium Tours

Buenos Aires is a football fan’s dream. The Argentine capital is home to a great many football teams and offers the chance of catching any number of games with electric atmospheres if you are willing to pay enough to see them. Those in Buenos Aires outside of football season or between games need not worry as two of the country’s biggest teams, Boca Juniors and River Plate, offer stadium tours to any fan who wants to catch a glimpse of what goes on in the background at these two famous clubs.

Summiting Volcan Villarrica

When, over breakfast at our hostel in Valparaiso, a young couple told us of a climbable active volcano in Pucón near the Chile-Argentina border we knew we had to go. Pucón, a hub for adventurous travellers, offers opportunities to hike, white-water raft, ski and snowboard. Its most famous attraction, however, has to be Volcan Villarrica which allows those hardy enough to reach the top a glance at a bubbling lava lake deep within its crater.