Burma Travel Tips

Kalaw - Inle Lake Trek

Most backpackers who travel in Southeast Asia do not include Burma in their itinerary. It’s considered to be relatively more expensive, dangerous because of the political climate, too much of a ‘hassle’, and technologically isolated. 

But this is exactly what made Burma so interesting for me. I’ve always tried to give countries like this a chance. People said India and Nepal are not safe places to go to but I had a safe and great time traveling in them for two months. 

I wanted to see and experience Burma for myself. I stayed there for 17 days, I wanted to stay longer if not for the food sickness I experienced twice. But Burma has been worth all the ‘hassles’. I found it gave me such a memorable and unique travel experience.

What's Next After Living Out Your Dream?

Mui Ne, Vietnam

Dec '11

Photo by Anthony

I was recently invited to give a talk on traveling and career break by Tara Let’s Go Asia. Tara Let’s Go Asia’s goal is to encourage people (especially professionals) to include travel in their lifestyle. One of their maiden events was to bring together these people to hear speakers share their experiences and tips on how to make more money and save up for travels, and how they were able to do their own career breaks. One of the speakers was my good friend Paul of WalkFlyPinoy who I travelled with for two months on my Big Trip, and has long since lived on the road pursuing his love for travel, travel photography and writing. He told the organizers of Tara Let’s Go Asia about me and how I was able to ‘reintegrate’ myself back in the corporate world. After a few weeks of convincing, I said yes. 

The People You Meet On The Road

"There was once a man who became unstuck in the world – and each person he met became a little less stuck themselves. He traveled only with himself and he was never alone." 
- Castles in the Sky, Film by Taylor Steele

I walked into the common bathroom and was fascinated by its design and how a backpackers’ dorm isn’t that bad after all. It was my first day of traveling solo, my first time staying in a dorm without knowing anyone. “Hey!” Another girl walked in and she’s my first friend on this whole backpacking trip. We decided to see the city together, and met more people and walked around the city proper after that. The next day I saw her off as she left for another town and I was preparing to leave that afternoon as well. She’s one of the people who frequently liked my travel photos in Facebook and wanted to meet again in a beach in another country. Sadly, I wasn’t headed that way. But she’ll forever hold a place in my memory as the first person I met while traveling solo. 

On Friendship

MIB Days, Circa 2008

We were all laughing and making jokes. Not having a care, well just a little bit, if we’re disturbing people in the other room and in the hallway. It’s been quite a long time since we hanged out together. But there he was, on the bed, laughing with us. The love of his life next to him. I wonder what she must be feeling about everything. I wonder what it must feel like to be in her place. I wouldn’t want to be in her place. He, on the other hand, has always been like that. The strong one, caring more for the people he loves, even though everyone’s worried about him.