Places to Visit in Myanmar

Myanmar was once booming with tourism and was the next big thing in South East Asia (SEA). You would get such great deals at much cheaper than some other parts of SEA. It had people visiting in their droves until the military coup in 2021. The situation has changed significantly since then and has slowed many things down.

 

I moved to Myanmar for work in May 2023 and although I did not write much while I was there (better safe than sorry), I tried to see a bit of the country. 

See my first post on Myanmar in case you missed it Slowly Making My Way Around Myanmar

I took a few weekend trips around and discovered some beautiful places I think are worth sharing with you, in case you happen to visit that part of the world.

Ngwe Saung

Ngwe Saung is a beach resort area located about 238km from Yangon. It's a 5 hour drive without traffic but 6 hours realistically. I got there by public transport, by coach/bus. It was the only place in the country I was allowed to get to by public transport.

Reaching for the sun

Departure from Yangon from the pick up point was at 5:30am on a Friday and by 11am, I was settled in the hotel. I returned on Sunday and the pick up from the front of the hotel was at noon. By evening around 6pm, I was back home. 

Visiting Vietnam

Vietnam had been on my bucket list for such a long time and I was excited to go with some friends. 

The visa application was online and more straightforward than I imagined it would be. Between the application and the visa being granted, it all happened in a week.

Getting There

As with travelling, a few things did go wrong and I remember saying this was one of my worst trips (the travel part) recently. I don’t remember when last I went on a trip that was this stressful! 

I arrived at the airport and was told that I could not be checked in as the airport I was meant to transit through required me to go through immigration, so I needed a transit visa. I’m not sure how we missed this when the ticket was booked, but I got rerouted on one leg and bought another ticket on the spot, and all this was happening before 6am. I was originally to leave at 6am and arrive at 11:30am, including the lay over, but the trip ended up taking the whole day. I got to my destination around 9pm.

Visiting Greece

Greece is a popular destination in Europe where civilization is said to have started around 1600 BC. The country is full of so many gems, then the islands score a good number of tourists yearly. The capital, Athens, is a good place to start. Walking around on cobble stones, restaurants line the streets in typical European style. The city is full of so much history and it is easy to walk around.

View of Athens

The Acropolis is one of the most popular sites to see in Athens. it is a historical landmark that holds particular significance in the Greek history and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. 

Odeon of Herodes Atticus, a stone Roman theatre structure

Visiting Mauritania and Riding the Iron Ore Train

Mauritania is a country in Northwest Africa, a country very few get to visit. I've been told that I visit places normal people would hardly think of visiting. My travels take me off the beaten path and I'm happy to keep discovering. 

The Iron Ore Train was the reason I visited Mauritania and it was nice to discover a bit of the country. 

We arrived in Nouakchott, the capital, and we got visas on arrival - the visas cost $60. It is advisable to have cash, it was quick and efficient. As this was an organised group tour, we had a briefing on the evening of our arrival then headed out to dinner.

Benefits of Travelling

 Let’s face it, life can be hard. We have a lot going on at different times of our lives. How do you disconnect from all the pressure and obligations we have? When do you get some down time?

Travelling is one way, at least it works for me from experience and from feedback I’ve got from fellow travellers.

Visiting Singapore

Quick facts:

- Singapore is an island country in Southeast Asia. 

- It is a city state and does not have states and cities like other countries. The country is a well-planned urban area.

- The country has an estimated population of 5,917,600 people.

- The official languages are Malay, Chinese, English and Tamil. The population is a mix of people originating from China, Malaysia, India and others. 

- Their currency is Singaporean Dollars (SGD).

- Singaporeans kind of sound like Nigerians when they speak English, hahaha

Visa requirements

i) Valid Passport with minimum of 6 months validity from the date of entry

ii) Photocopy of passport

ii) Previous passports (if any)

iv) One recent passport size colour photo with white background (taken within the last 3 months)

v) Completed Visa Application form (Form14A)

vi) Sponsor Letter of Introduction (LOI) from Singapore (V39A)

vii) Proof of employment letter with salary & leave entitlement, employment letter approving annual leave

viii) Pay slips or bank statements

ix) Hotel Booking

x) Copy of round trip air ticket booking/itinerary 

xi) $22 visa fee

May ~ Mental Health Awareness Month

 “Like sand through the hourglass, so are the days of our lives” – a phrase I heard regularly on TV during my childhood. One I’ve come to appreciate now. By the way, if this was part of your childhood, you probably know the TV programme I’m referring to and you’ve earned the right to be called an elder 😊 I'd be keen to know if you know which programme it is.

The sun setting over Yangon

Every sunset and sunrise come with the hope that we could still do something meaningful. We trudge on through life despite the many challenges and we sometimes take for granted the things and people we think will always be there. Someone here today may be gone tomorrow, and nothing is guaranteed. The line of everyone is fighting their own battle has become excessively popular. The world is much harder than it used to be which takes its toll on people in different ways. Mental health being one hidden part, as it doesn’t instantly show.

May, I’ve heard is mental health awareness month, and in one way or the other, we all deal with mental health issues. There used to be so much stigma around admitting to not being okay, but increasingly, people are able to speak more openly about it. There are also more resources available now to help people deal with different situations.

In certain professions, unfortunately, overworking and sometimes burnout is glorified, which leaves people assuming that it is normal. But I know from experience that speaking out is always the first step to seeking and finding a solution. People typically tend to delay speaking out or seeking professional help with mental health issues for fear of stigmatisation. 

Interestingly, I found that the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (both UN agencies) have jointly developed a publication entitled "Mental health, human rights and legislation: guidance and practice". See an excerpt below:

"Mental health is growing as a public health priority and human rights imperative, and an increasing number of countries are wishing to adopt or reform legislation related to mental health. However, laws on mental health, currently often fail to address discrimination and human rights violations including in mental health care settings. In order to support countries in this area, the World Health Organisation and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights have jointly developed the publication which you can find here: Mental health, human rights and legislation: guidance and practice (who.int)"

Reading stories of some who dealt with major mental health challenges and came out of it, some were waiting for acknowledgement or validation which never came. They were brave enough to take the bull by the horn and seek help, despite the stigma sometimes. In many cases, you have to be your own hype woman or man and make the best out of the fleeting moments of this life that you have, which includes your mental wellbeing.