Bicycle diaries: A bike tour through Myanmar

Bicycle diaries: A bike tour through Myanmar

Our Myanmar bike tour offered the perfect insight into Burmese culture coupled with the kind of outdoor adventures we love

Readers of this blog will know that I prefer my adventures on two legs rather than two wheels. Given the choice, I usually choose hiking over cycling. However, when we had the opportunity to cycle through Myanmar for two weeks with G Adventures, I didn't want to pass up the opportunity.

The trip had a catch: As with most of my adventures, I had my trusty accomplice with me - but Kia could barely ride a bike! She didn't learn to ride until she was 28. In the years that followed, she only practiced occasionally, often falling and getting bruises.

With this in mind, I was a bit skeptical about embarking on a two-week bike tour through Myanmar, covering between 20 and 80 km per day. However, Kia was unconcerned as always. A support vehicle was assured throughout the tour and I promised to stay nearby during the rides. Convinced, we registered, booked flights and bought our cycling gloves.

The last long distance bike ride I did was a coast to coast trip across the UK. Firstly it was only three days and secondly it was due to a much milder climate. This would be a completely different cycling experience!

We met our CEO (Chief Experience Officer), Chit, along with our budding cycling colleagues in Yangon. The group was just nine people plus Chit, another tour guide we knew as Mr Thein, and a small support team of mechanics, drivers and local experts.

alt="interesting facts about Myanmar">Atlas & BootsThe gold-plated Shwedagon Paya in Yangon, start and end point of our tour

Chit proved to be an excellent host and guide, full of knowledge and pride in his country. He knew Myanmar's problems but was excited about how tourism could help address them. He was more than happy to answer our questions about his country, which was great because all of my knowledge of Myanmar came from reading George Orwell's rather depressing Burmese Days.

After an afternoon and evening in Yangon, we flew north to Nyaungshwe near Inle Lake to begin the journey in earnest, mounting our bikes and hitting the road. We did this under a blazing sun, with heat pouring simultaneously from the sky above and the asphalt below. The whole group found cycling in this climate strenuous, but Kia struggled more than others - especially on the uphill sections.

alt=“Bike tour on Inle Lake in Myanmar”>Atlas & BootsGlide through lotuses and water hyacinths on Inle Lake

The first day was a relatively moderate 26 km (16 miles) along the shores of Inle Lake, and I was worried about how Kia would handle the more strenuous days that followed. Knowing we would have a support vehicle – also called a “broom car” – was a great comfort.

We both love seeing the world from the ground and cycling literally brings us closer to the land and its people while offering authentic sights and smells. We both wanted to spend as much time in the saddle and as little time in the back of a van as possible. We hadn't come to Myanmar to see it through the glass disinfectant filter - we had come to Myanmar to ride bikes.

alt="bicycle-tour-through-myanmar-peter">Atlas & BootsCycling literally brings us closer to the country and its people

Luckily the cycling days were spread out throughout the tour, with rest days and hiking mixed in with saddle time. Kia had time to refine its technology and was helped by the ever-present chit. On one of the longer days in the saddle, he spent the day with Kia, riding alongside her and giving hill-by-hill instructions on how to use the gears and get the most out of all the descents. This gave me a bit more freedom to go at my own pace and stop when I wanted to take photos.

In addition to the tranquil Inle Lake, the tour took in Myanmar's most beautiful sights, including the surreal Pindaya Caves, an underground collection of more than 8,000 Buddhas; a night hike to Yasakyi Monastery in the hills above Pindaya; Mandalay and the world's longest teak bridge at U Bein; Mount Popa and the Tuang Kalat Temple on a volcanic cone; and of course the wondrous views of Bagan with its 2,000 stupas.

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• alt=“Interessante Fakten über den Inle-See-Fischer in Myanmar“>
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In the end, Kia only needed the support vehicle once, and that was on the toughest day of driving: an 83 km (52 ​​mile) climb up Mount Popa at 1,518 meters (4,980 feet). She was the first to break through, but considering only four of the nine made it to the top that day, she didn't do badly at all. The rest (including me) stopped halfway through due to heat and fatigue.

On the penultimate day of cycling, with Chit's help and a touch of Kia's tireless competitive spirit, she set a personal best: a 52km (32 mile) ride from Mount Popa to Bagan, with the iconic stupas and the setting sun as her reward. She kept pace with the group throughout the day, at one point overtaking three members, including me. You could say your very own Everest.

Encouraged by her newfound skills, she raced through the next day's bike route around Bagan, always keeping pace and never losing the group.

alt=“Bike tour through Myanmar Bagan04″>Atlas & BootsBagan's iconic stupas amid a setting sun

Our Myanmar cycling tour was an excellent mix of active adventure and cultural immersion. With six days of cycling, two hiking, and the remaining time spent exploring destinations and meeting locals, the tour offered a unique insight into a country emerging from a turbulent past.

Our experience in Myanmar couldn't have been more different than Orwell's Burmese days. But then again, Myanmar is a completely different country than Burma.

Bicycle tour through Myanmar: the most important thing

What: 13-day cycling tour of Myanmar (Burma).

Where: The tour began in Yangon, the country's largest metropolis, before heading north to Inle Lake, Pindaya and Mandalay, then to central Myanmar with Mount Popa and the Irrawaddy River before ending in Bagan. Accommodation included 10 nights in comfortable tourist class hotels, one night in a guest house and one night in a monastery (classified as homestay).

When: The best time to visit Myanmar is from October to March, when the monsoon has subsided and temperatures are pleasant. It gets very hot in the country from April to May. The central regions where Bagan and Mandalay are located can reach temperatures of over 40°C - not ideal for cycling! From May to September there are heavy rains with the southwest monsoon. During this time, roads may become impassable, particularly from July to September. From October the rains decrease.

How: We booked G Adventures' 13-day Myanmar bike tour, priced from €2,499 (US$2,730) per person. The price includes all accommodation, 12 breakfasts, four lunches, one dinner, bike rental (including helmets and water bottles), domestic flights, transportation, an amazing Chief Experience Officer throughout the trip, and additional support staff including experienced guides, mechanics, and drivers. For more information or to book, call 0344 272 2040 or visit gadventures.co.uk.

Please note that prices do not include international flights and there are no direct flights from the UK. However, several airlines offer one-stop flights from London Heathrow via Dubai, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore or Bangkok. Book via skyscanner.net.

If you're considering a bike tour somewhere, check out our five tips for bike travelers.

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Lonely Planet Myanmar is a comprehensive travel guide to Myanmar, ideal for those who want to both explore the top attractions and take the road less traveled.

Disclosure: We traveled to Myanmar with support from G Adventures. All publications say this, but we really don't guarantee positive coverage. We say what we think – good and bad – so you can make informed decisions with honest advice.

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