Bicycle diaries: a bike tour through Myanmar

Bicycle diaries: a bike tour through Myanmar

Our bike tour through Myanmar offered the perfect insight into the Birmanian culture, paired with the type of outdoor adventure that we love

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

The trip had a catch: As with most of my adventures, I had my loyal accomplice with me - but Kia could hardly ride a bike! She only learned riding at the age of 28. In the following years she only practiced from time to time, fell frequently and got bruises.

The last long-distance bike tour I did was a trip from coast to coast across the UK. First, it was only three days and second, it was a much milder climate. That would be a completely different cyclist experience!

We met our CEO (Chief Experience Officer), Chit, together with our prospective cycling colleagues in Yangon. The group consisted only of nine people plus chit, another tour guide, whom we knew as Mr. Thein, and a small auxiliary team of mechanics, drivers and local experts.

alt = “interesting facts about myanmar”> Atlas & Boots The gilded 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 the problems of Myanmar, but was enthusiastic about how tourism could help to tackle it. He was more than happy to answer our questions about his country, which was great, because my entire knowledge of Myanmar came from reading George Orwell's rather depressing Burmese Days.

After an afternoon and evening in Yangon, we flew north to Nyaungenhwe near Lake inle, to seriously start the trip to climb our bicycles and make our way. We did this under a blazing sun, while heat flocked from the sky at the same time and the asphalt below. The whole group found cycling in this climate exhausting, but Kia had more fighting than others - especially in the upper recordings.

Alt = “Rad tour at the Inle Lake in Myanmar”> Atlas & Boots Slide through lotus plants and water hyacinths on the inle see

The first day ran over a relatively moderate 26 km (16 miles) along the banks of the Inle Lake, and I was concerned how Kia would master the following more strenuous days. Knowing that we would have an accompanying vehicle - also called "broom car" - was a big consolation.

We both love to see the world from the ground, and cycling literally brings us closer to the country and people and offers authentic sights and smells. We both wanted to spend as much time in the saddle and as little time as possible on the loading area of ​​a van. We hadn't come to Myanmar to see it through the glass disinfection filter - we had come to Myanmar to ride a bike.

alt = "bike tour-myanmar-Peter"> Atlas & Boots cycling literally brings us the country and people closer

In addition to the quiet inle lake, the tour led to the most beautiful sights of Myanmar, including the surreal Pindaya caves, an underground collection of more than 8,000 Buddhas; A night hike to the Yasakyi monastery in the hills above Pindaya; Mandalay and the longest teak bridge in the world at u leg; Mount Popa and the Tuang Calad Temple on a volcanic cone; And of course the miraculous view of Bagan with his 2,000 stupas.

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In the end, Kia only needed the accompanying vehicle once, and that was on the hardest day of driving: an 83 km (52 ​​miles) long ascent to Mount Popa at 1,518 meters (4,980 feet). She was the first to break through, but when you consider that on that day only four of the nine made it to the top, she didn't cut off badly at all. The rest (locked up) stopped halfway because of heat and fatigue.

On the penultimate bike day, she set up a personal best with Chit's help and a pinch of Kia's tireless competitive spirit: a 52 km (32 miles) long journey from Mount Popa to Bagan with the iconic stupas and the underlying sun as a reward. She held step with the group all day and overtook three members once, locked me up. You could say your very personal everest.

encouraged by her newly discovered skills, she raced around Bagan through the bicycle route of the next day, always kept step and never lost the group.

alt = “bike tour through myanmar Bagan04 ″> Atlas & Boots The iconic stupas of Bagan in the middle of a setting sun

Our bike tour through Myanmar was an excellent mix of active adventure and cultural immersion. With six days cycling, two hikes and the remaining time that was spent to explore travel destinations and meeting locals, the tour offered a unique insight into a country that emerged from a turbulent past.

Our experience in Myanmar could not have been more different than Orwell's Burmese days. But on the other hand, Myanmar is a completely different country than Burma.

bike tour through Myanmar: The most important

Was: 13-day bike tour through Myanmar (Burma).

Where: The tour started in Yangon, the country's largest metropolis before led north to the Inle Lake, Pindaya and Mandalay, then to Central Myanmar with Mount Popa and the Irrawaddy River before it ended in Bagan. The accommodation comprised 10 nights in comfortable tourist class hotels, one night in a guest house and one night in a monastery (classified as a host family).

When: The best travel time for Myanmar is from October to March when the monsoon has subsided and the temperatures are pleasant. It gets very hot in the country from April to May. The central regions in which Bagan and Mandalay are located can reach temperatures of over 40 ° C - not ideal for cycling! From May to September, the Southwest Monsun will lead to heavy rains. During this time, streets can become impassable, especially from July to September. From October the rains are after.

like: We booked the 13-day Myanmar bike tour from G Adventures at a price from € 2,499 ($ ​​2,730) per person. The price includes all accommodations, 12 breakfasts, four lunches, dinner, bike rental (including helmets and water bottles), domestic flights, transport, a fantastic chief experience officer throughout the trip and additional helpers, including experienced tour guide, mechanic and driver. For more information or bookings, call 0344 272 2040 or visit gadventures.co.uk.

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

If you are considering a bike tour somewhere, read our five tips for cycling.

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LONELY PLANET Myanmar is a comprehensive travel guide for Myanmar, ideal for those who want to explore the most important sights and take the less busy street.

disclosure: We traveled to Myanmar with the support of G Adventures. All publications say that, but we really don't guarantee positive reporting. We say what we think - good and bad - so that you can make sound decisions with honest advice.

Mission statement: Atlas & Boots

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