Myanmar: A Journey Along the Irrawaddy River

Myanmar had been sitting on my travel wish list for some time.

I knew relatively little about the country, but I was curious to discover its culture, its people and what lay beyond the places I had read about.

What followed was a journey of golden pagodas, fascinating local encounters, beautiful hotels, extraordinary landscapes and four memorable nights cruising along the Irrawaddy River.

From the colourful streets of Yangon to the temple-strewn plains of Bagan and peaceful waterways of Inle Lake, Myanmar continually surprised me.

Yangon: A Colourful Introduction

Our journey began in Yangon, a fascinating city of contrasts where golden temples sit alongside colonial architecture, bustling markets and everyday street life.

Our guide, Lay, introduced us to the magnificent Shwedagon Pagoda.

Walking amongst the pagodas, surrounded by monks and local families making offerings, was a memorable first insight into the importance of Buddhism in everyday life.

We also experienced another side of Yangon aboard a very basic local train.

With open windows providing our air-conditioning, we travelled past villages, markets and homes, seeing parts of the city we would never have experienced from a private vehicle.

For me, that's one of the joys of travel.

Beautiful hotels certainly have their place - and we stayed in some lovely ones - but often it's the simplest experiences that remain with you.

One hotel that certainly did leave an impression was The Strand Yangon. With chandeliers, ceiling fans, period furnishings and wonderfully spacious suites, it was filled with old-world character and became my personal favourite in the city.

Cruising the Irrawaddy

The experience that really brought our journey together was a four-night cruise aboard Heritage Line's Anawrahta.

After flying to Mandalay, we boarded our floating home and began travelling slowly along the Irrawaddy. River cruising proved to be a wonderful way to experience Myanmar. Instead of constantly packing, unpacking and travelling by road, we could settle in, watch life unfold along the riverbanks and venture ashore to places that might otherwise have been overlooked.

One excursion took us by longboat towards Sagaing and the former royal capital of Ava, where we visited temples, a local school and met some of the children. Later, horse-drawn carts carried us through the countryside to Maha Aung Mye Bonzan Monastery before we discovered a surprise picnic waiting in a secluded location. Cushions, fruit, local sweets, tea and coffee had been beautifully arranged in what felt like the middle of nowhere.

It was completely unexpected - and that's exactly why I remember it.

Returning to the ship for a 60-minute spa treatment wasn't too difficult either!

Village Life Along the River

Another memorable stop was Yandabo, a small riverside village known for its traditional pottery.

We wandered through the village and watched a local potter creating water pots by hand using wonderfully simple equipment and techniques passed through generations.

The process reminded us rather amusingly of the pottery scene from Ghost, and before long a few members of our group were humming Unchained Melody.

Travel doesn't always need to be serious!

These smaller village visits became one of the things I loved most about travelling by river. They gave us opportunities to see another side of the country and spend time observing everyday life away from the major tourist centres.

Bagan: A Landscape I'll Never Forget

Then came Bagan.

There are some places that photographs simply cannot prepare you for, and this was one of them. Thousands of ancient temples, stupas and pagodas appeared to stretch across the plains as far as we could see. We spent time exploring the temples and visiting local markets and a traditional lacquerware workshop, but the moment that stayed with me most came late one afternoon.

As the sun began to set, we looked across the extraordinary temple-strewn landscape as the light changed around us.

It was breathtaking.

Later, back aboard Anawrahta, one of our group introduced the bartender to an Australian favourite - the espresso martini. Sitting with one in hand, looking back across Bagan, seemed a very appropriate way to farewell the Irrawaddy.

Inle Lake: Slowing Down

Our final destination was Inle Lake, and I couldn't have imagined a better place to finish.

After the energy of Yangon, days exploring temples and our adventures along the river, everything suddenly seemed to slow down. One morning we travelled across the lake in a long, narrow boat, navigating small channels before emerging onto open water. We passed fishermen, villages and local families going about their everyday routines, their lives intrinsically connected to the lake.

I loved every minute of it.

We also enjoyed a Shan cooking class, preparing local dishes before sitting down to enjoy the results for lunch, accompanied by local beer and wine.

Later, we visited Inle's floating gardens and a lotus-weaving workshop.

I'll admit that workshops like this aren't normally at the top of my sightseeing list, but this one surprised me. Watching artisans use relatively simple equipment to create such intricate textiles was fascinating.

It was another reminder that sometimes you need to experience something before deciding whether it's “your thing”.

The Journey I Remember

When I think back on Myanmar, I don't remember just one temple, hotel or excursion.

I remember the combination.

A local train through Yangon.

Golden pagodas shimmering in the light.

Children greeting us during our village visits.

A surprise picnic in the countryside.

Watching Bagan change colour towards sunset.

Cruising slowly along the Irrawaddy.

And gliding across Inle Lake by boat.

The river cruise was undoubtedly one of my favourite parts of the journey because it gave us time to slow down and experience the country from a completely different perspective.

And Inle Lake was exactly where I wanted to finish - somewhere to breathe, relax and absorb everything we'd experienced before beginning the journey home.

Myanmar was a destination I travelled to largely out of curiosity. I returned with memories that have stayed with me ever since. And sometimes, that's the greatest gift travel can give us.

This story reflects Linda's personal experience of Myanmar at the time she travelled. Travel conditions, accommodation and experiences may have changed since this journey.