Blogs from Southern Burma, Burma, Asia

The tall have it so easy. Through no effort of their own they’ve won the genetic lottery and spend their lives quite literally looking down their noses at the rest of us. Their elevated status gives them multiple advantages: instant respect, a better chance in the marital stakes, improved job prospects and the best views in any crowd, much to the annoyance of those poor sods stood directly behind them. Even so, once in a while they'll have the cheek to pipe up about how tough it all is, constantly asked how the weather is up there, made to feel like some enormous freak. But really, how hard can it be? Boo hoo, poor you… given the chance, few would choose, I suspect, to swap with someone who was short. Cos being short is no fun ... read more

Myeik est une ville assez moyenn, sans particularité notoire, comme finalement toutes celles de cette partie sud-est du Myanmar. Ce qui compte ici est dans la mer, qu’on appelle l’archipel de Myerk ou les Merguis Islands. C’est un chapelet d’îles (800 selon la police, 1.500 selon les syndicats), vierges, la plupart inhabitées et souvent inexplorées. Cet archipel s’étend jusqu’à l’extrême sud du Myanmar, à hauteur de Kawtaung, soit une belle trotte. Un seul hébergement dans toutes ces îles. Il y a évidemment de magnifiques spots de plongée et de snorkeling, les accès sont très lointains. C’est dire si, y accéder et avoir le privilège d’y consacrer plusieurs journées se méritent en temps et en épaisseur de portefeuille ! Des départs sont aussi possibles depuis Kawtaung et de Ranong en Thaïlande. Ainsi, la plupart des visiteurs qui ... read more

L’idée du voyage est de longer la bande étroite de sud-est du Myanmar et de rejoindre la Thaïlande à son extrémité. C’est une zone peu visitée du fait de son éloignement et des conditions de transport parfois difficiles au Myanmar. Il semble bien que Hpa An cherche à se développer touristiquement. Si la ville elle-même a un attrait moyen, elle est une bonne base pour se disperser dans sa campagne magnifique. De grands projets de rénovation de ses quais sont en place et vont certainement voir ouvrir des hébergements modernes. Aujourd’hui c’est un grand chantier. Surtout ne pas réserver dans un hôtel à proximité des quais. Le bus a l’air de vouloir faire un record de distance avec un seul plein d’essence, ou bien la seconde ne s’enclenche pas, on avance à un rythme de tortue. ... read more

4 hours into an 8-hour bus journey from Dawei to Mawlamyine and the bus stops for 20 mins with the engine off for no apparent reason. The bus is full, we are seated in the middle at the very back in the last available seats. We understand (from muddled language barrier conversations), that locals prefer not to book these seats, as it’s difficult to get off the bus. For us, these seats are luxury considering the hideously cramped 12 hour journeys we regularly endure on racing minibuses winding around country roads, with our fellow passengers reclining their seats into our knees, puking into little plastic bags and falling asleep with their heads on our shoulders. Whilst I’m on it, I should mention the ear piercingly loud music (a random variation of bad western pop covers to ... read more

Southern Myanmar is a long tail of land that, for more than 1,200 km, abuts Thailand, the Tenasserim Hills and their subranges forming the border. Time was now against me, which meant I couldn’t fly to Myeik, the most southerly airport open for tourists, because of the painfully long time it would take me to wend my way north again by bus (there are no flights between airports in the south; everything goes through Yangon). Instead, I opted to fly to Dawei, about halfway down (as it were), and head out to Maungmagan on the coast, and make my way back overland from there. Once released by the airport – although it was a domestic flight, passport and visa checks were carried out, as they have been almost every time I’ve crossed a state border here ... read more