If you remember what the rest of Southeast Asia was like 20 years ago, then you’ll have a sense of what traveling in Burma is like today. Having recently shed its pariah nation status, Burma—referred to as Myanmar by many—is now more welcoming to both tourists and investors than it has ever been. Change is quickening, but for the moment, Burma straddles the historical line, with one foot planted in the past and one in the now. The result is a travel experience that delights the senses and the intellect. There is a cautious but palpable optimism in the air; the Burmese, unaccustomed to masses of visitors, at least for the present, offer sincere smiles to tourists; and, the intoxicating scenery, ancient temples, and engaging faces are a feast for the eye. This traveler’s advice: catch it while you can.
The town of Sitwe lies on the Burmese coast, just 50 miles southeast of the border with Bangladesh. In a covered market overlooking the Bay of Bengal, you can acquire all the ingredients you need for dinner: veggies, grains, poultry, and fish. And the butcher’s stall is just across from the fisherman’s. In monsoon season umbrellas are omnipresent, and this lady, vending her own wares in the marketplace, is silhouetted against hers.
Dan Ripp
Sitwe, on the Bay of Bengal, also sits at the mouth of the Kaladan River. A boat can be hired to bring you upstream where ancient temples near the town of Mrauk U (pronounced “m’rau oo”) practically blend into the jungle. Notwithstanding the thrashing monsoon rain, the views of river life along the way are refreshing in their simplicity.
By the shore a farmer whips his water buffalo as it trudges through a half-plowed field.
Dan Ripp
A couple in a canoe paddle into a tributary, perhaps intending to gather the day’s catch of fish from one of the many traps set in the Kaladan.
Dan Ripp
The distant view is often dotted with golden pagodas perched above hilltops as the skies threaten more unceasing rain.
Mrauk U is a charming town and worth a visit if you can reach it. A half-day’s trip up the Kaladan, the town was once a regional power. A local guide said that Portuguese vessels used to pay homage at Mrauk U and trade goods as they made their way along the eastern Indian Ocean on their way to more distant ports in East Asia.
Dan Ripp
On the outskirts of town, 15th- and 16th-century temples emerge from the jungle as cattle obliviously feed nearby.
A number of the temples have accessible interiors with sculptures and statues that remain remarkably intact.
Dan Ripp
Some temple interiors are not lit, and natural light filtering in from the outside makes the passages barely navigable. Others are exposed to the elements. Either way, the hundreds, or even thousands, of examples of craftsmanship found there demonstrate a civilization of skilled artisans.
From a hilltop it’s possible to survey the local landscape. Waterlogged fields and distant mountains evoke familiar images of Southeast Asian landscapes.
Dan Ripp
Coming to the edge of the rice fields, we witness a farmer’s intimate relationship with his beasts. He cajoles and jokes with them from one moment to the next, changing his tone and mood to prod the oxen, all the while paying scant attention to the monsoon that drenches everything.
Dan Ripp
After emerging from a temple, we follow the sound of chanting into a monastery. A single-room building sits on 15-foot stilts above the sodden ground. Inside the steamy, 20-square-foot room sit around 40 teenage boys and their master. These lads, mostly still children, are monks. They live an austere existence, but are highly respected in Burma for their devotion. Eighty-nine percent of Burmese are Buddhist, and males are encouraged to enter a monastery at least twice in their life. They chant, each to his own prayer, not in unison. The sound is almost cacophonous but somehow doesn’t offend.
The master monk observes his flock intently.
Dan Ripp
A younger monk takes a prayer break to observe the scene outside.
Dan Ripp
One of Burma’s best-known sites and main attractions is the temple complex at Bagan. Bagan, a dry plain situated at a bend in the Irrawaddy River, is studded with the remains of over 2,000 temples constructed between the 11th and 13th centuries. The temples are remarkably accessible and produce splendid sunset views and silhouettes, while the coastal region remains drenched by monsoon.
Dan Ripp
The Sulamani Temple takes on deep pastel colors in the sunset light.
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These young monks were seeking shade from the summer heat in front of Sulamani.
While Bagan’s temples can keep the traveler spellbound for days, the region is also home to the Shwezigon Pagoda at the northern end of the plain. While it’s not as grand as the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, the Shwezigon remains impressive for its size and pure gold leaf exterior.
Dan Ripp
