Myanmar Loop, December 2016

[CraigBKK]

Last month I rode in Myanmar with 5 other riders, organised through a company called http://burmasenses.com The trip was 8 nights and 9 days and cost me approximately 38,000THB (I don't recall the exact figure).



This was my second trip to Myanmar this year and gave me a much greater feel for the country and it's people. Although we visited the well known tourist sights such as the Golden Rock, the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, old Pagan, Mandalay and Inle Lake, all of which were pretty amazing, the riding didn't really get interesting until the final part of our trip in the Shan State. There the hills and roads and landscapes were much more scenic and adventurous.

Below is a listing of our accommodation for the trip, all of which can be found on the Myanmar OSM map apart from the small hotel in Nam Sang, which is a small town in Shan State that we used as a stopover on the long and fairly tough NH4 linking Inle Lake and Keng Tung. The Khaing Thitsar Hotel is located at N20.91390, E097.68375 for those who need to stay in this town. On the main road close to the small turning is a restaurant with the same owners selling good Shan food.



Rather than a blow by blow account of the trip as well as my photos of Myanmar's amazing tourist attractions (which have been taken far better by countless others), below is a small selection of GoPro photos, which I think give a clear, general idea of what to expect on a motorbike trip to the country. For example you will see much evidence of road works, especially widening, in the photographs, something we encountered a lot of, particularly in the northern most parts of our route.

Enjoy the photos and let me know of any questions you have, I'll be happy to help if I can.

 

[KTMphil]

Beautiful photo's Craig. The Myanmar Visa thing for the Thai was quite amusing.


Are they getting strict at all about taking big bikes between the Pagoda's in Bagan?

 

[Lone Rider]

Thanks Craig for posting these pictures of the roads and road conditions as it gives us a good idea of what to expect while riding in Myanmar. Guess the road conditions will change over time as it has done and still does in Laos with which I am much more familiar.

 

[CraigBKK]

Beautiful photo's Craig. The Myanmar Visa thing for the Thai was quite amusing.


Are they getting strict at all about taking big bikes between the Pagoda's in Bagan?

Yes, for all Thai readers/riders, you DO REQUIRE a Myanmar visa if entering at a land crossing, in our case Mae Sot/Myawaddy. One of the Thai riders in our group thought he was exempt and ended up having to ride back to the Myanmar Embassy in BKK to apply/pick up an express visa and return to Mae Sot in a single day, before catching us up in Yangon a day later!

No problem with big bike at the pagodas in Bagan.

[video=youtube_share;cmFD7jLsRnM]http://youtu.be/cmFD7jLsRnM[/video]

 

[KTMphil]

Yes, for all Thai readers/riders, you DO REQUIRE a Myanmar visa if entering at a land crossing, in our case Mae Sot/Myawaddy. One of the Thai riders in our group thought he was exempt and ended up having to ride back to the Myanmar Embassy in BKK to apply/pick up an express visa and return to Mae Sot in a single day, before catching us up in Yangon a day later!

No problem with big bike at the pagodas in Bagan.

Myanmar guide on the back for 12 hours was hilarious, he (Myanmar guide) did tell me he enjoyed it.

 

[blackwolf]

Yes, for all Thai readers/riders, you DO REQUIRE a Myanmar visa if entering at a land crossing, in our case Mae Sot/Myawaddy. One of the Thai riders in our group thought he was exempt and ended up having to ride back to the Myanmar Embassy in BKK to apply/pick up an express visa and return to Mae Sot in a single day, before catching us up in Yangon a day later!

No problem with big bike at the pagodas in Bagan.

He could have applied for an e-visa from the comfort of an air-conditioned café using his laptop (such as the one right next to the Mae Sot border crossing), they approve them the same day they are applied for if it's a weekday. Thais are eligible now too and you save one page in your passport. That way he could have saved a lot of time and money and may not have been far behind your group.

Myanmar e-visa official website (others will charge you more, only use this one):

https://evisa.moip.gov.mm/

 

[CraigBKK]

He could have applied for an e-visa from the comfort of an air-conditioned café using his laptop (such as the one right next to the Mae Sot border crossing), they approve them the same day they are applied for if it's a weekday. Thais are eligible now too and you save one page in your passport. That way he could have saved a lot of time and money and may not have been far behind your group.

Myanmar e-visa official website (others will charge you more, only use this one):

https://evisa.moip.gov.mm/

We discussed this with him before he returned as we had all acquired e-visa prior to the trip. Although I had received notification/approval a few hours after applying some of the other riders had had to wait a day or more, so he decided against this.

 

[Joko_Londo]

Awesome pics! I'm starting a loop through Shan State next week, and it's nice to read about others' successful trips. No problems from checkpoints going from Taunggyi to Kengtung?

 

[CraigBKK]

Awesome pics! I'm starting a loop through Shan State next week, and it's nice to read about others' successful trips. No problems from checkpoints going from Taunggyi to Kengtung?

On that route the only checkpoint where we had to stop and wait for the guide's support vehicle was at the bridge, which you can see in one of the photos and was quite large. Nice little restaurant, with friendly staff and great food made the short wait a pleasure. We were told no photos of either the checkpoint or bridge and I was quizzed about the information on my GPS too.

The Shan State was my favourite part of the trip in terms of scenery, riding, food and people.

 

[blackwolf]

On that route the only checkpoint where we had to stop and wait for the guide's support vehicle was at the bridge, which you can see in one of the photos and was quite large. Nice little restaurant, with friendly staff and great food made the short wait a pleasure. We were told no photos of either the checkpoint or bridge and I was quizzed about the information on my GPS too.

The Shan State was my favourite part of the trip in terms of scenery, riding, food and people.

I assume that is the checkpoint a special permit is required for. Ordinarily, foreigners can't cross the Shan from Taunggyi to Kengtung without this permit but it is issued automatically by tour agencies when you book a motorcycle or car trip that crosses the Shan through them.

 

[Joko_Londo]

I've been told my Myanmar Drivers License acts as a permit wherever one is needed. We'll see when I hit the road tomorrow.

Although I'm glad to hear the road from Taunggyi to Kentung is provisionally opened, my biggest concern is getting from the northern road, Hwy 3 (Mandalay-Hsipaw-Lashio) to that southern road (Taunggyi-Kentung). Looking at Google Maps there appear to several routes to do this, but some of them go through areas controlled by Shan State Army-N... and are probably closed to foreigners.

Hmmm... smuggle the bike inside a vegetable truck?

 

[blackwolf]

I've been told my Myanmar Drivers License acts as a permit wherever one is needed. We'll see when I hit the road tomorrow.

Although I'm glad to hear the road from Taunggyi to Kentung is provisionally opened, my biggest concern is getting from the northern road, Hwy 3 (Mandalay-Hsipaw-Lashio) to that southern road (Taunggyi-Kentung). Looking at Google Maps there appear to several routes to do this, but some of them go through areas controlled by Shan State Army-N... and are probably closed to foreigners.

Hmmm... smuggle the bike inside a vegetable truck?

I have heard all foreigners including expats need a permit to cross the Kengtung to Taunggyi road, if you're able to use your licence by all means give it a go and let us know how you went. Any roads in between are also restricted as you say. See how you go.

 

[angloasian]

Very cool bro... officially jealous

Yes, for all Thai readers/riders, you DO REQUIRE a Myanmar visa if entering at a land crossing, in our case Mae Sot/Myawaddy. One of the Thai riders in our group thought he was exempt and ended up having to ride back to the Myanmar Embassy in BKK to apply/pick up an express visa and return to Mae Sot in a single day, before catching us up in Yangon a day later!

No problem with big bike at the pagodas in Bagan.

[video=youtube_share;cmFD7jLsRnM]http://youtu.be/cmFD7jLsRnM[/video]

 

[oldbloke]

Very cool bro... officially jealous

Ditto... I just hope they open up highway 4 out of Kengtung, and 44 up to Hsipaw before I'm too old to ride it... The way the peace process is going, it's not looking promising .. but we can live in hope...