11th day
After an early morning flight to Mandalay, we follow our guide U Saw Tun through the artesan quarter in Mandalay. Marble, gold leaf, wood, silver, textiles – combined with tradition. With ancient skills and knowledge they produce precious art on each corner. Now the famous Glass Palace where Myanmar’s great kings lived their lives! The British soldiers came, then independence and the end of colonial times. We would like to know everything about former decades from our friendly tour guide. How did people live in these old palaces and gardens?

Our 12th day
We say good bye to this large mountain lake and head off by train through a fertile area. It is a different experience chugging across the plateau in this old diesel train. We get back in the car again in Aung Ban and drive on. “Here you find wild rose cherry trees along the hill sides in the spring”, explained our guide Ko Ko.

On the way to the famous Pindaya caves we pass Banyan trees planted 150 years ago by one monk. From a distance we see the white lines that turn out to be the stairways leading up to the caves.

13th day
In Kalaw the air is cleaner and the hills and valleys are covered in greenery. The colourful colonial buildings in the mountains look like nothing less than a miniature village. We are so excited - how many different sceneries are there to enjoy in Myanmar?. The officers and Generals of colonial times enjoyed the cool peace of this town, as did Orwell.

We are in Shan country. The Shan are mostly paddy farmers and live in the fertile valleys and lower slopes of the mountains. I want to learn more about the different hilltribes: the Palaung, the Taungyo, the Danu and all others. We have the best trekking guides of the region and our adventure begins. Through orange groves and Shan leaf plantations, we weave our way up and down the mountain to the hill villages. Here the Shan leaves are dried over large ovens, and at Inle Lake they will be wrapped around tobacco to make the famous cheroot.

14th to 19th day - Ngapali Beach
I am looking forward to 5 days at the beach, relaxing in the 4 star deluxe Bayview Beach Resort at Myanmar’s most famous and beautiful beach destination. The palm trees along the white sandy beach sway in the gentle breezes from the Gulf of Bengal. Peace reigns.

The Bungalow with the large teak terrace is right on the beach. Laying on my bed and reading Orwell’s famous “Burmese Days” I listen to the surf. The author lived here as a young officer during colonial times, in the small town of Thandwe. Back in England, he wrote down the experiences he collected in Burma. It seems that not much has changed since he left, and yet again time loses its importance.

Two young novices from a nearby monastery , robed in the traditional red cape are a splash of colour against the blue ocean scenery. An old monk is initiating the young boys into the mysteries of Theravada Buddhism. In two months the novices will be back with their family.

Behind the Bayview, with only 33 rooms in beautiful Bungalows, lies wilderness. R. Kipling spent his days in a small hut at the beach of “Kipling Bay”, where he wrote the draft for his Nobel prize winning Jungle Book.