Koh Rong travel guide, Sihanoukville, Cambodia

Koh Rong is quite possibly that cliched island paradise you've been looking for, boasting pristine white beaches, turquoise water and limited development on most of the island. For years the island was almost completely undeveloped save for a diving outfit and a few bungalows, though that's changing, in particular on the southern patch Koh Touch.

Serviced by the fast boat from Sihanoukville as the fourth stop, Koh Touch is a sandy guesthouse-packed stretch that has earned Koh Rong a reputation as a party island. All the beaches aside from Koh Touch however are undeserving of this label as they're the kind of places where the lights go out when the sun goes down and the sounds of nature, rather than music, will lull you to sleep. Despite many a developer having their beady eyes on the 78-square-kilometre island, the rapid development of late is mostly limited to basic bungalows and cheap guesthouses in Koh Touch, so it remains easy to find a quiet refuge elsewhere on the island.

The island is truly gorgeous. So gorgeous in fact that a production company has set up a permanent base at Soksan Base Camp hotel, on Soksan Beach, making the most of the deserted beaches and exceedingly beautiful waters for filming all sorts of movies and programmes, including reality TV show Survivor. The swish property occasionally opens to outside guests in-between production runs.

Taxi!

The island boasts seven bays, all teeming with marine life, making for great snorkelling and diving. The ultra-high end millionaires' hang-out Song Saa Resort is to the north of the island, but you can save your cash and get the same paradise views at a fraction of the cost elsewhere. There's enough to keep even the most active visitor busy, with diving, snorkelling, mountain biking, trekking, kayaks and motorbike treks, and plenty of sand, sun and sea for those with more relaxed tastes.

Chill out.

Koh Rong has 43 kilometres of beaches, but the majority of bars and accommodation is on the southeast, by Koh Touch village. There's barely a patch along the bright white sand without a bungalow being constructed. Here music blares out till the early hours where sleeping in the tightly packed accommodation close to the pier is usually a wasted effort -- the main generator turns off at 02:30 but that doesn't stop one bar, Mango, which has its own so it can pump on till 05:30.

There's a couple of basic minimarts, laundry services and a choice of eating, but no ATMs or internet cafes -- though a scattering of properties now offer free WiFi. The clientele closest to the village are mostly backpackers and divers who have come to enjoy the nightlife, with expats and couples preferring more seclusion further along the beach at quieter, more spread out accommodation.

Beaches can get very busy at times.

The next largest cluster of accommodation is on Sok San, a sleepy village that's a world away from Koh Touch with regular direct slow boats from Sihanoukville and a fast boat primarily serving the production company based there, with an irregular schedule accordingly. Family-run over-water stilted bungalows and basic beach huts are the order of the day here, with multiple new bungalows springing up during our October 2014 visit.

Soksan Base Camp is based at the end of the village with a whopping 90 new bungalows -- adding to the existing 54 -- being constructed at the end of 2014. This is to accommodate more production crew and to be able to open it up more to tourists -- currently there are only very narrow windows during filming breaks when they accept bookings online, usually in low season. With 24-hour power, high-speed internet and air-con, prices are steep for these smart wooden bungalows but there's nowhere else that really competes.

Pesky cloud.

A handful of other one-off resorts are set around the island at the northeast and southwest and these arrange their own slow boats from Sihanoukville; it's a two-three hour journey that's absolutely worth it if you're looking for real peace and isolation.

The Cambodian government has sold Koh Rong to an investment group based in Cambodia, which has plans to build an airport and "ecological" resort. There's currently little sign of development though apart from a rough and ready road which connects some parts of the island, and the WiFi and mobile phone signals which now service most of the accommodation. If you must make that call, Hello Axiata and Metfone seem to get the strongest signals, particularly on Koh Touch beach.

Waterfall bound.

The interior of the island is largely undeveloped and travelling between beaches requires trekking or a boat; the latter is relatively expensive. One of the most beautiful beaches, north of Koh Touch, is known as Long Set beach, after the farmer who lives there growing cashews, coconuts and mangoes. Thanks to the views, it's thought it will be the first one to be developed. Around the point to the west of Koh Touch, the white coral sand bay known as Seven-Kilometre beach, with Sok San village at one end, is also a potential development site.

Even the bathrooms are memorable.

So far the development group has left the bungalows alone and they appear safe for the time being. The operations pay rent and have signed agreements saying they will leave whenever they are ordered to.
So if you want to take advantage of Koh Rong's perfect beaches, diving, snorkelling and phosphorescent night swimming (subject to availability), go now.

Orientation
Rooms are highly sought after in high season, and it's better to book before you go, or arrive on the early ferry to catch rooms at Koh Touch beach. Be aware that the island does not have mains electricity and resorts rely on generators for power -- you'll get the most power supply at Koh Touch including at night, though not 24/7. Water is also a precious commodity, and most bathrooms employ an economical bucket flush system.

Take your pick at Angkor Chom.

One of the problems of deserted beaches is that undisturbed sand can be the perfect habitat for sand flies. These small black flies like to bite, and leave itchy red marks that can irritate for days. The best approach is prevention so bring along some good strong repellant with DEET and apply it first thing in the morning as well as after the sun goes down.

While you're enjoying the turquoise waters, don't forget to look for sea urchins or sea eggs underfoot. The spines are painful if they embed in your sole and won't pull out easily. However, the discomfort will wear off in a couple of days and these particular creatures are not dangerous.

The blue just goes and goes.

Being a small, mostly uninhabited island, medical help is very limited. For anything halfway serious, you'll need to return to Sihanoukville or Phnom Penh. Bring some supplies of iodine and plasters with you, and take care of yourself!

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Battambang travel guide, Cambodia

Battambang province lies in the far western region of Cambodia; bounded to the west by Thailand, the south by the Cardamom Mountains, the east by the Tonle Sap Lake and Pursat, and to the north by Banteay Meanchey province. The landscape, often picturesque and highly varied in this large province, morphs from vast marshes and wetlands around the lake's rim into extensive rice paddies dotted with limestone outcrops and then rolling orchard-blanketed hills around the Pailin enclave, before finishing with rugged forest-clad slopes abutting the southern mountain ranges. Battambang is home to the kingdom's best farming land and the provincial capital was traditionally a wealthy trading town as well as being the second largest city of the kingdom.

'Bourgeois' Battambang with its large ethnic Chinese population suffered greatly during the Khmer Rouge era. With nearby Pailin being one of the last redoubts of anti-government forces during the war of the 1980s and '90s, it also later became the centre of UN peace-keeping operations. Today the town is flourishing again due to its agricultural riches and relatively good communications and transport infrastructure; Khmer expats and investment are returning to the region.

Tourism-wise, the town was always a rather off the beaten track destination -- known mostly for being the end of a scenic boat ride from Siem Reap and its famous 'bamboo railway' -- but these days it's increasingly appearing in traveller tour plans, with easy access to Siem Reap, Phnom Penh and Thailand. The tourism infrastructure is developing fast.

There are plenty of things to see and do in and around town, apart from just admiring the idyllic countryside, with no shortage of great accommodation and food and drink options. The town still remains quiet and far more traditional than the bustling capital or tourism hotspots of Siem Reap and Sihanoukville, so it makes for a wonderfully contrasting destination to complete your Cambodia itinerary.

One oddity of Battambang province is the rain gambling. Although it does happen all over Cambodia, this is the epicentre of the phenomenon. Fortunes are won and lost betting how much rain will fall at a given place at a given time. When in the capital, keep an eye out for people clustered on the roofs of the buildings overlooking the central bus station. Clutching walkie-talkies, they're communicating with both their rain-spotters, who are scattered across the surrounds monitoring the clouds, and their bookies at Phsar Boeung Chhoeuk. The bookies can be a bit shy about having their photo taken, but they're not too worried if you're just there to check it out.

Battambang is Khmer for "disappearing stick", referring to a legend about a cowherd named Ta Dambong who found a magic stick and used it to usurp the then-king. The king's son ran off to the woods and became a monk. In the meantime, Ta Dambong had a dream that a holy man on a white horse would vanquish him, so he decided it would be a good idea to have all the holy men rounded up and put to death. When the prince heard he was required to go into town, a hermit came up and gave him a white horse. When the prince got on the horse he found it could fly. When he flew into town, Ta Dambong realised his dream was coming true so he threw his magic stick at the prince and did a runner. Neither he nor the magic stick was ever seen again.

Orientation
The city itself is split into two by the Sangkar River with the compact central area and main market situated on the left bank. The series of narrow parallel streets numbered imaginatively 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5 and 3 are home to an increasing number of cafes, bars and restaurants. This is where you'll find most of the old Chinese shophouses and a smattering of French colonial-style buildings as well.

Battambang was an important province in the Angkor period so several temple ruins and historical sites can be found within a 30 kilometre radius of town, providing convenient day trip opportunities.

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Sihanoukville travel guide, Cambodia

Sihanoukville is Cambodia's premier beach location, a peninsula ringed by pretty whiteish-sand beaches and surrounded by a smattering of tiny islands. Debate rages over whether its beaches will ever seriously rival those that lure the hordes to neighbouring Thailand, but given international tourism's insatiable appetite for new places, we think they will ... eventually ... one day ... maybe; at least, the international developers who have snapped up many of the islands on long-term leases are hoping so.

Cambodia's youngest city, Sihanoukville town sprang to life in 1955 when a construction team arrived at what was then known as Kompong Som to begin work on Cambodia's first (and only) deep water port. When the port was finished in 1960 the area was renamed Sihanoukville (in honour of then King Sihanouk) but many Cambodians continue to refer to it as Kompong Som.

The Khmer Rouge kept Sihanoukville largely off-limits to all but the most intrepid travellers for years. But today, with a good road from Phnom Penh and an on-again, off-again airport where regular flights may one day become a reality, Sihanoukville is drawing a steady stream of backpackers along with expatriates down from Phnom Penh for lazy weekends.

The first time we visited Sihanoukville we loved it, the second time less so; each time after that less so again, as its seediness started to outshine the prettiness. Despite its newfound popularity, the town has a somewhat abandoned feel to it, amplified by the number of half-built or deserted plots of land marked out by high and imposing fences — plots often "owned" by businesspeople with sometimes dubious land titles and an eye for a fast buck.

And though it's a beach town, it's not the most relaxing place. Endless construction projects in all parts of the town make sleeping in a luxury and time spent on many of the beaches is punctuated by repeated requests from street children and local vendors to buy bracelets, make donations or have massages.

Ochheuteal beach, Sihanoukville's most popular, has a bit of a caravan-park feel to it and the motodops here are among the most dodgy in Cambodia. Over the last few years, Thailand has slowly tightened its visa regulations and it seems there's been a commensurate influx to Sihanoukville of crusty, sex-tourist types who have certainly contributed to the rising number of dodgy bars. Sihanoukville also has a long-running problem with foreign and local paedophiles.

It isn't all bad news though. Sihanoukville's beaches are sprawling and pretty, though perhaps not as postcard-perfect as many of Thailand's. The sand is generally grainier and more yellow-grey in colour and many are lined with ramshackle food vendors. On weekends, Khmer and barang hordes converge particularly on Ochheuteal, and accommodation prices rise accordingly. It's a fun place, and the unusual mix of Khmers and barang relaxing side-by-side is something you don't see in Thailand, nor in fact in the rest of Cambodia, that often.

If you're looking for white sand beaches and turquoise waters, you'll have to head offshore to one of the many islands around Sihanoukville.

The province is also home to Ream National Park, which is well worth a visit.

If you're arriving in Sihanoukville by bus or share-taxi from Phnom Penh, you'll arrive in Sihanoukville town, from where Ochheuteal Beach, Independence Beach, Victory Hill & Beach and Sokha Beach and much more are but a motodop ride away.

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Phnom Penh travel guide, Cambodia

One of the better preserved French relics in Southeast Asia, the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh has a lot more to offer travellers than a quick, depressing swing through Tuol Sleng and a run out to the Killing Fields.

Cambodia's history stretches far back beyond the atrocities committed by the Khmer Rouge in the 1970s. As far as Phnom Penh goes, legend has it that its beginnings stretch back to the late 14th century, when an old woman named Penh found a tree with a handful of Buddha images lodged in one of its nooks. She retrieved the images and had a hill (phnom) built to house them: Penh's Hill, or Phnom Penh, was born.

Established at the crossroads of the Bassac, Tonle and Mekong Rivers, Phnom Penh remained little more than a large village and didn't become the permanent capital until the late 19th century during the reign of King Norodom I. On April 17, 1864 Norodom agreed to make Cambodia a French protectorate in an attempt to keep the bellicose Vietnamese and Siamese at bay. In the years following, the construction of Phnom Penh proper began. Interestingly, 111 years to the day after King Norodom I signed his first treaty with the French, the Khmer Rouge entered, took control and totally emptied Phnom Penh.

By the time Cambodia became a part of French Indochina in 1884, Phnom Penh had developed into a sizeable, largely French-designed city, and by the 1920s it was considered to be one of the most beautiful cities in Southeast Asia, earning it the moniker Pearl of Asia.

A few decades of optimism -- some overseen by then King Norodom Sihanouk, a charismatic arts-loving playboy -- were finally interrupted by war. Historically Cambodia had been a battleground between the Thais and the Vietnamese, but through the late 1960s and early 1970s, Cambodian fought Cambodian as a brutal civil war engulfed the country. By the time the Khmer Rouge took power in 1975 and evacuated the city, Phnom Penh became a ghost town, and it was but a shadow of itself when the Khmer Rouge were finally evicted by a Vietnamese invasion in 1978-79.

People trickled back to Phnom Penh and the city slowly returned to life. However, it wasn't until the 1990s when UN-sponsored elections took place (accompanied by a slew of aid) that the city really began to develop anew. The new century has seen considerable financial investment from China and South Korea and an onslaught of new construction projects have resulted in many of Phnom Penh's French relics as well as its unique 1950s and 1960s architecture falling to the wrecking ball, only to be replaced by characterless glass and brass affairs. The result is a hodge-podge of stunning French colonial buildings and concrete egg-carton eyesores.

And as the money has flowed, so have the people. The once sleepy streets are developing into a chaotic mess of motorcycles, cars, minibuses, ox carts and remorques battling for space. Urban migration continues apace and it's not unusual to see entire families camped out on footpaths. Poverty is endemic and one not well addressed at all by the country's largely dysfunctional government, despite Prime Minister Hun Sen long being a darling of the international aid community.

Phnom Penh and Cambodian history is well documented at the National Museum, S-21 and the Killing Fields. Other attractions include the Royal Palace, temples, markets and boat tours and a bountiful supply of excellent cafes and restaurants for gourmands, bars for night owls and spas for those who need to unwind. Phnom Penh is a charming spot, so don't make the mistake of allowing just a day or two here.

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Siem Reap travel guide, Cambodia

Set in northwest Cambodia, Siem Reap is best known for being home to the incredible Angkor ruins, a sprawling World Heritage-listed complex of ancient temples with the magnificent Angkor Wat as the focal point.

While the Angkor park is surely one of the globe's most amazing historical sites, Siem Reap province is also home to an array of other ruins, such as Beng Mealea, Bantaey Srei, and the holy mountain Phnom Kulen. So if ancient temple ruins are your thing, this province -- an expansive piece of mostly flat land, covered in rice fields and brush -- must be explored fully. It runs along the north shore of the Tonle Sap, Cambodia's "Great Lake", and north to Oddar Meanchey province, where Pol Pot met his end. Few visitors get around to the fringes, even though they are becoming increasingly accessible after many improvements to Cambodia's roads.

The provincial capital of Siem Reap is also a transportation hub, with many people coming through here en route to Phnom Penh, Poipet (the northwest border crossing to Thailand) or by bus or boat to Battambang. And more and more people are now using it as a base from which to visit the renowned Preah Vihear temple.

Siem Reap's international airport now takes in more tourists daily than the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh. Mass tourism has well and truly arrived to this part of Cambodia and is expected to triple between 2010 and 2015.

The town itself is situated three kilometres south of the temple park, and has exploded from a relatively small backwater town to the fastest growing settlement in the nation. Annually, two million visitors now travel through the small city to see the adjacent Angkor ruins. This tourism hub has three PGA-rated golf courses, the presence of international hotels such as Sofitel, Raffles, Aman and Le Meridien, and an airport with 36 international and domestic flights arriving daily. Developers scramble to build facilities that complement the impressiveness of Angkor, described by Henri Mahout, the Frenchman who re-alerted the West to it in 1860, as "a rival to that of Solomon and erected by some ancient Michelangelo... grander than anything left to us by Greece or Rome."

The chaotic growth has not always had the best results and some would argue it has all happened far too quickly, without any planning or considerations of sustainability. For example, the town has been experiencing serious issues with water access for a number of years now, driving businesses to distraction. No matter what your opinion of that, Siem Reap is booming and is set to remain a key stop for travellers to Southeast Asia for years to come.

Straddling the Siem Reap River which flows from Phnom Kulen, the town itself is home to a couple of minor sites of interest, some reasonable shopping and hundreds of guesthouses and restaurants. It is the best base from which to launch your visits of Angkor and the surrounding area and the town offers a full range of accommodation options, from $4 flophouses to $3,000-plus a night luxury hotels.

Most tourists tend to visit the ruins in the morning and late afternoon, taking a break back in town during the middle of the day when the heat and poor light detract from the temples. The easiest way to visit is to hire a tuk tuk or motodop in the morning for a $10 to $15 flat rate, although you can also see the temples by bicycle (on average $2 per day), bus, car, helicopter, microlite and even hot-air balloon.

Back in Siem Reap, visitors tend to spend their time lying around their guesthouse and splashing in a pool if they're lucky, sipping or supping in one of the town's many stylish (and some not-so-stylish) bars and restaurants, seeing the minor sites, visiting nearby villages and shopping. Although it seems like a new hotel opens every month, the impact on prices has been minimal and there has been little variation in the last few years. During low season, it is possible to bargain a little, depending on the month. This will rarely work in July and August though, when visitors numbers spike.

Spas are springing up to tend to ruin-weary legs and dust-encrusted faces, some sumptuous, and many mid-range ones which can be just as good. Almost every hotel has a contract with a local spa to provide in-room massage, while most high-end hotels have separate spa facilities.

Even those with a minimal interest in the ruins will easily be occupied for a couple of days, while if exploring tree-shrouded hidden crevices and piles of rocks are your thing, you could end up spending a month here.

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Chaung Tha Beach travel guide, Burma

Chaung Tha Beach, a quiet Bay of Bengal coastal beach town, is a long stretch of sand that's home to some of Burma’s most affordable beachfront accommodation. It's popular with weekend beach goers from Yangon with a slow but steady flow of Western travellers. The vast shoreline provides plenty of refuge, perfect both for couples seeking a peaceful romantic getaway as well as for solo travellers looking to unwind quietly. If it's a party beach that you're after then this isn't your place; however, if you're looking for the kind of venue that'll allow you to read through the stack of books that's been weighing your backpack down, or clear off your e-book to-read list so you have an excuse to download more, then this is a beach for you.

Chaung Tha has a range of accommodation options, ranging from simple no-frill hotels across the road from the beach to high-end luxurious beach resorts with swimming pools, fancy restaurants and on-site spas. However, in general Chaung Tha is cheaper than nearby Ngwe Saung Beach. Additionally, the resorts are much closer to one another, making it easier to interact with locals and other travellers. Evening beach football matches are common, with locals more than happy to let foreign travellers join in.

Because of its natural beauty and proximity to Yangon, Chaung Tha has enormous potential to become one of Burma's major tourist destinations. At the moment, however, the town is very much underdeveloped. Footpaths are in bad shape and there's no electricity; the resorts must rely on power generators at night. The situation appears to be changing and many of the town's hotels are expanding or have plans to add additional rooms.

The beach is accessible via bus from Yangon and is a five- to six-hour ride. Be warned, though, that the second half of the journey consists of sharp twists and turns through some of the steepest groups of rolling hills in the Ayeyarwady Delta. Motion sickness pills are available at the bus station.

Orientation
Chaung Thar Road runs parallel with Chaung Tha Beach. The majority of the hotels and bungalows are beachside and across the road you'll find several restaurants, simple convenience stores and souvenir shops. A small town and market area is near the southern end of the beach and is an easy 10-15 minute walk from any of the resorts. The going rate for a motorcycle taxi anywhere in town is 500 kyat per ride.

There are no ATMs in Chaung Tha Beach so bring enough cash with you. Several of the guesthouses in town offer free WiFi. If you're already in town and internet access is essential, it may not be a bad idea to test the guesthouse's WiFi before you agree to book the room. The restaurant located inside of the Shwe Hin Tha Hotel offers reliable WiFi to both hotel and restaurant guests.

The shops across from the Golden Beach Hotel sell umbrellas (a necessity during rainy season) for 2,000 kyat. 'Chaung Tha Beach' souvenir T-shirts are also available for just 1,500 kyat. In that area you'll also find a very basic pharmacy selling a small selection of medicine and toiletries.

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Pyay travel guide, Burma

Pyay (most often pronounced Pyi) is a riverside town that forms a convenient spot to break the western route between Yangon and Bagan. Boasting a quite spectacular pagoda, a collection of ancient ruins, some relaxed riverside scenery and, for the more adventurous, a series of impressive cliffside carvings well outside town, Pyay is certainly worth an overnight stay if not two nights for those with the time.

Pyay's most impressive attraction is the Shwesandaw Paya, with a glittering gold-covered stupa at its centre. With four entrances at its cardinal points, we found the best approach was to walk to the western one from the riverbank. The views from the summit are all-encompassing from the bridge over the river to the south across to the northern reaches of town.

Further afield, the ancient ruins at Thayekhittaya have been described by some as "Bagan lite". The ancient site was the capital of a Pyu kingdom from the fifth to ninth centuries (until it was sacked and left in ruins by the Bagan king Anawratha in the 11th century. Today, aside from a small museum on site, the remains are scattered across a sizeable estate that doubles as not only an archeological site but also a living, working farm community. Generally the ruins are less spectacular than at Bagan, but you can easily lose a half-day here.

The third prime-time attraction visited from Pyay is the cliffside carvings at Akauktaung. These can be visited on a long half-day trip from Pyay as the trip involves a two-hour each way motorbike ride followed by a 30-minute boatride along the Ayeyarwady river. The cliff carvings are impressive -- more so than the photos may have you think, and if a trip here fits in your budget and timeline, we'd say it is well worth it. The rural scenery en route to the site is also very rewarding.

Pyay town itself is bustling but perhaps a little boring. There's a pleasing riverside area you can walk along with a couple of bars well placed to take in the sunset, a small night market and a considerably larger morning and wholesale market to the north of town (also along the river), but overall the main reason for staying here is the above mentioned attractions.

Orientation
While Pyay town is a bit of a sprawl, the centre of the action that will be of interest to foreign travellers is quite compact. East-west running Bogyoke Street bisects the town, through the clocktower and then the Aung San statue, with Lanmadaw being the main north-south throughfare and Strand Road running along the riverfront.

Shwesandaw Paya can be seen frequently from around town, but it sits just to the north of the clocktower. The best approach though is from the river, one block north of Bogyoke Road. All the accommodation options listed are within a 10-15 minute walk of the train station.

We've been advised there are now ATMs in Pyay, including one by the lobby of the Lucky Dragon and at least another one on the main road, somewhere opposite the Pagoda.

Internet cafes are dotted around town and you'll find the post office a block south of the night market, between Lanmadaw Street and Strand Road.

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Ngwe Saung Beach travel guide, Burma

Ngwe Saung is a near endless stretch of whitish sand and bluish waters found on Burma's Bay of Bengal coast just south of Chaung Tha. It's a beach for serious beach lovers -- that is, those who seek a beautiful beach and nothing more as there's nothing much else to do.

The resorts located in Ngwe Saung are very spaced out, with certain areas having an almost deserted island feel. At the time of our visit in June 2013, many of the resorts were closed and undergoing major renovations and reconstruction of rooms that are sure to be pricier than those found in nearby Chaung Tha.

Take a long walk along the coast and you're sure to run into the Kyauk Maumghnama Pagoda ('brother and sister rocks'), twin pagodas set upon boulders located on an especially photogenic area of the beach. Locals riding archaic bullock carts and cows who seem to enjoy sunbathing as much as us are a few of the other sights to be seen along Ngwe Saung beach.

Accommodation options on Ngwe Saung range from a few flashpacker options to fancy resorts with swimming pools and private beach villas. It's being developed as a beach for honeymooners and couples seeking a quiet romantic getaway.

Small restaurants serving traditional Burmese cuisine such as mohinga are scattered throughout Ngwe Saung, with a few offering seafood and Chinese cuisine with English menus located near the bus station. It's a small town that's especially sleepy during rainy season, so options are quite limited.

Having a few drinks in your resort's restaurant is the only form of nightlife that exists, so don't expect any beach parties or wild nights.

The Ngwe Saung twin pagodas are located towards the southern end of the beach – a good place to take some photos and enjoy a stroll along the beach. An elephant camp is located on the road to Pathein – trips cost 10,000 kyat per person. Our receptionist told us of a tour to a local fishermen's village for 15,000 kyat – but was unable to elaborate on exactly what this involved. Tours can be booked in town or at your resort.

A good way to spend a few hours is to hire a bicycle and take a ride to town. It'll give you a good chance to interact with the locals, rather than just being cooped up in your private resort.

Bring books, sunblock and your bathing suit – the beach is the main attraction.

Ngwe Saung is easily accessible by bus from Yangon or Pathein.

Orientation
Ngwe Saung beach is very long and you'll most likely need a moto-taxi or bicycle to go anywhere outside of your resort. The going rate for one-way rides anywhere in the vicinity is 1,000 kyat. The north end of town is home to the bus station, internet cafe and a few restaurants with menus advertised in English.

From there, a long road that runs parallel with the beach extends to the south, with the resorts located on the beach side and a few small restaurants, petrol stations and rudimentary convenience stores found across the street.

A rundown fishermen's village is located on the northern part of the beach. You'll likely see plenty of fishermen and their families casting large nets into the water. It's a sight to be seen, and a much different atmosphere than that of your resort.

Like nearby Chaung Tha, Ngwe Saung is very underdeveloped. With an expected increase in tourism, the situation is changing rapidly. We're told that Ngwe Saung will have electricity in the next year or two. For now, the resorts rely on power generators that are turned on in the evenings.

ATMs are nonexistent in Ngwe Saung so bring enough cash with you to last the duration of your trip. It's good to have a good mix of dollars and kyat, since you'll pay for your room in dollars and incidentals in kyat. Otherwise, the hotels will give you a poor exchange rate -- it's highway robbery.

WiFi is rare and was very slow at the one place we found offering it to the public. Decent connection speeds are currently only available at the expensive resorts, so plan according.

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Mandalay travel guide, Burma

Storied Mandalay was founded in 1857 and was the last independent royal capital of Burma (Myanmar); today it's arguably the cultural centre of the country with a good swag of sights to see.

In 1885, a successful British invasion meant Mandalay fell under colonial rule. Then the Japanese occupied Mandalay from 1942-1945, when a part of the city and most of the 19th-century-built royal palace was destroyed by Allied bombings. Today, a rough estimate of a third of the population in Mandalay is Chinese, many of whom immigrated since independence in 1948. Many destroyed properties were purchased by the Chinese, and their presence has been somewhat controversial in the rebuilding of the central city.

The final two kings of Burma called Mandalay Palace home; pagodas scattered across the city host iconic statues, and relics that may be older than Mandalay itself have been brought from all over Asia. Groups such as the Shan, Indians and Chinese live all over the city, but are also clustered in certain areas, lending a feel of growing "towns" – Chinatown, or Little India, for instance – though nothing quite so definite just yet.

Mandalay is still finding its place in the newly opened Myanmar, but at a slower rate than its big brother Yangon. Budget guesthouses are mostly all on the west side of town, with the main cluster near the southwest corner of the palace moat. The east side of the city boasts some scattered, reasonably priced accommodation, but mostly high-end hotels, and local guesthouses that are still forbidden to host foreigners.

Due to its location in the north, a diverse array of food is available and it can be extremely tasty if you find the right spots. No one should go through Mandalay without the experiences of eating at a Burmese teashop, a Shan buffet, a Chinese restaurant and an Indian chapatti/roti street stall. There are not as many street stalls as other places in Burma, but most of the restaurants still keep the local prices, which makes it cheaper than Yangon.

Nightlife is nearly non-existent, with few beer stations being open past 23:00 and Western bars numbering: one. For the best collection of beer stalls and tea shops open past dinner time, Diamond Plaza has a surrounding concentration of both, with most of them lining 77th Street.

Sights and activities are spread throughout the city and a map is a must. Most hotels and guesthouses have their own versions, which can be decent or absolutely horrible, or they sell a generic one for US$1. Gold Yadanar Hotel has one of the better quality maps with a good list of hotels, restaurants and sights around the city, while Mandalay City Hotel has a good map on plain paper that has a slightly different list.

The famous pagodas, payas and relics are dotted across the streets of the city as well as its outskirts; royal structures and Mandalay Hill are to the north. Since very little will be close to your accommodation, visiting multiple sights in a day can be strenuous and time consuming. We found it best to befriend a taxi driver who will give you a good day rate -- about US$25-30 -- and to split the fee with friends for a good tour around the city plus wherever the driver may suggest.

Mandalay is also known for its surrounding ancient cities such as In-wa (Ava), Mingun, Sagaing and Amarapura. These places not only host their own sights, but can be a great escape from the traffic and bustle of Mandalay. Around US$35-40 a day will get you a local taxi-tour guide and if you're lucky a history buff to show you all the best spots.

Most of the must-see sights in the city can be seen in one to two days with good transport. The surrounding ancient cities are open and beautiful, but one full day can give you a healthy tour of the outlying area, whereas two full days may cost more than it's really worth. With so many other amazing places to see in Myanmar, we suggest putting aside just two to three full days here.

Orientation
To the north of Mandalay's city centre lie the palace grounds, around 1.5 kilometres square and surrounded by a towering brick wall and vast moat. From there, a giant grid of streets extend outwards, home to an estimated one million people and fewer than five sets of traffic lights.

Almost every street is numbered, with east and west running streets being from roughly 5th Street to 40th Street, and north and south-running streets being from roughly 60th Street to 90th Street. Street numbers get higher as you head south and west.

To the west of the city centre runs the Ayeyarwaddy River, with scattered jetties lining the north-south bound waters. The main Gawein Jetty is off 35th Street. Mandalay airport is 35 kilometres south of the city, or about an hour's drive, and the train station sits near the middle of the city on 78th Street, just south of the palace moat.

There are three bus stations in Mandalay. The main one is Chan Mya Shwe Pyi Highway bus station (Kywe Se Kan) and is 10 kilometres (about 45 minutes) south of the city centre and buses depart here for Yangon, Bagan, Taunggyi, Inle Lake, Kalaw, Pyay and even Mawlamyine and Myawaddy. Pyi Gyi Myat Shin bus station is on the east side of the city centre on the corner of 60th and 37th Streets, where buses depart for Pyin Oo Lwin, Hsipaw, Lashio and Muse. Thiri Mandala bus station is west of the city centre on 23rd Street, just west of 88th Street. Here you can catch buses to Monyar, Shwebo, Mogo (with permission) and Pakokku.

ATMs are becoming a more common sight. CB Bank currently has the most machines: one on 78th Street between 27 and 28; one near the clock tower on 26th Street between 84 and 86 and one on 32nd Street, between 83 and 84. There is an ATM in the airport; a couple of them around Diamond Plaza, which sits on 33rd and 78th Streets, and one at New Star Jewelry on 78th Street between 32 and 33.

As for money exchanges, be aware that the black market is no longer a good option. We highly recommend changing at banks, established moneychangers or at the airport. Most CB Banks can change money, along with Sedona Hotel on 68th Street between 26 and 27 Streets, and at Mahar Myat Mhuni Pagoda on 82nd Street near BoBaHtoo Road.

Internet has become more common at guesthouses and hotels and a few restaurants, such as BBB, Vcafe and Hunters Café and Bar, now have WiFi. Internet cafes are still scattered and possible to find, but no matter where you are, do not expect a good or reliable connection.

As far as medical services go, we still advise that if an ailment can wait to be treated elsewhere, wait; but if you find yourself dealing with something that can't wait:

Mandalay General Hospital is on 30th Street, between 74th and 77th Streets and has local prices with local conditions. T: (02) 21041
The City Hospital (Myodaw) is on Theik Pan Street between 65th and 66th Streets. It is more expensive and you should expect to pay upwards of US$100 for most visits. T: (02) 66851. http://www.cityhospitalmandalay.com
Mandalay Children's Hospital is on the corner of 30th and 74th Streets. T: (02) 21508.

Contact the Central Police Office at (02) 36869/39635 or in an emergency call 199.

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Hpa-an travel guide, Burma

Though Hpa-an is officially the capital of Kayin (or Karen) State it has the feel of a country town and indeed is a relatively remote settlement, with a total population of around 50,000. But it's the market centre and transport hub for the surrounding region and what it lacks in size it makes up for in bustle and this vibrant, friendly little outpost is well worth a visit.

The market is great, the waterfront area picturesque, there's a couple of half decent places to stay and eat and a handful of fascinating sites to visit within easy reach of town. The population is as you'd expect: a mixture of ethnic Karen and Burmese with Sino-Burmese traders and foreign visitors still something of a rarity.

Hpa-An is tucked away in the centre of some spectacular limestone ranges not far from the Thai border but is only a five-hour or so drive from Yangon and a mere hour on a decent road to Mawlamyine. Furthermore, with the opening of the Thai/Burmese border at nearby Myawaddy, the town has suddenly become less remote and we expect tourist traffic to increase in the near future. If you're in this part of the country don't miss it -- this is a great little town and to which its well worth dedicating a couple of days.

As with the accommodation Hpa-An's eating choices are rather limited. There are plenty of coffee shops and noodle places near the market but for something more consistent the best bet is the excellent San Ma Tau Restaurant on Bogyoke Street. A little way out of the centre -- a 15 minute walk or a taxi ride it is well worth making the effort to get there. The Burmese curry house's claim to fame -- and it is something of a local institution -- is that your curry selection comes with no less than 10 free side dishes including vegetables, dips and chutneys. For a 2,500 kyat curry that's a great deal. Open all day but don't leave it too late in the evening or there won't be much left!

Orientation
Hpa-an has one of the most picturesque settings of any Burmese state capital lying along the south bank of the Thandwin or Salween River and with limestone outcrops surrounding the town on all sides. Opposite town, across the river is Hpan Pu Mountain, and to the south is the spectacular Zwegabin, sacred mountain of the Karen people and which features on the state flag.

The town centre is set back slightly from the riverfront and comprises a compact network of narrow old streets around the central market area. Three main routes lead out of town: highway 58 heads south to the bridge and continues westwards to Thaton and Yangon; keeping straight on at the bridge will eventually lead you to Mawlamyine and highway 58 going east runs to Myawaddy and the Thai border. Most of the town's newer buildings lie on these arterial routes including the town's newer accommodation options, some of which can be a fair distance from the centre.

The riverfront is sedate compared to those of other river port towns such as Mawlamyine or Pathein; there's a couple of temples from where you could add a foreground stupa to your sunset over the river photos, a small park area where locals gather in the evenings for football games and a slightly half-hearted attempt at a promenade along the Salween which is crying out for a bar... could someone please set a nice one up? Then Hpa-An would be just about perfect.

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Nyaung Shwe travel guide, Burma

Set among the mountains of the nation's Shan State, Nyaung Shwe is best known for being the gateway to Inle Lake. This is the country's second largest lake and features floating villages, gardens, various tribes nearby and fishermen who row with their legs. It's a gorgeous area and deserves its distinction as one of Burma's must-see travel destinations.

The town itself is pleasing too, being quite rustic with a small-town feel, and featuring its own ancient pagodas said to be from the 17th century. Horse-drawn carriages are still a popular means of transportation used by the locals; you'll have plenty to do in the area, and bikes available for hire will allow you to explore much of the countryside. A large winery, hot spring pools, villages, markets and pagodas are just some of the area's main attractions.

Many travellers come to Nyaung Shwe from Bagan, one of the country's other must-see destinations. It's a 6.5 hour trip, relatively short for this country. Another option for getting here though is via a three-day trek from Kalaw. You'll get to see several mountain villages, a variety of plants and birds, all set upon the misty blue mountains of the Shan State.

A channel connects Nyaung Shwe to the lake and is a few kilometres in distance. Given its nearness to the lake, an explosion of development in the area is to be expected; we're told that land prices have skyrocketed. Some new hotels are being built and many of the current ones are conducting renovations. The people of Nyaung Shwe are very hopeful for a coming surge in Burmese tourism. At the moment, 14 resorts are located directly on the lake and developers are pushing for more -- something that we hope doesn't happen.

A few negative aspects have arisen as a result of the anticipation of increased tourism. Population relocation of some tribespeople has occurred and there are several strategically placed 'workshops' that contain workers creating items not traditionally produced in the area (umbrellas, clothing, jewellery and cigars, available for purchase of course). Of course, you can skip the workshops.

If possible, spend at least three nights in Nyang Shwe but four would be ideal. The lake tours (that include visits to the workshops) take an entire day. We opted for a half-day tour that included visits to floating villages, floating gardens, outstanding views of the fishermen and surroundings and a trip to an old fish-farming centre, which was a perfect place to watch the sunset.

A bike trip to the Red Mountain Winery, run by a Frenchman, is an excellent way to spend a few hours or can be part of a full-day bike tour. The wine is outstanding, not just for being Burmese, and the restaurant is inexpensive and offers the best views that we've seen in the country thus far.

A five-day rotating market occurs around Inle Lake. Check with any tour agency when and where it's next on; we're told that the best is the Hmawbe Market. Very few tourists visit and you'll see men and women from the Pa'o tribe, in their black robes and colourful headwear, trading items including animals such as water buffalo and cows.

Being at a higher elevation than destinations such as Yangon and Mandalay, the weather in Nyaung Shwe is much cooler. Many of even the higher-end hotels don't offer air-con because it's so unnecessary. This will allow you to spend your entire day out and about if you choose, with no need to seek refuge indoors during the middle of the day.

With the lake's stunning natural beauty, a trip to Nyaung Shwe is essential if you visit Burma. The scenery, food and activities will surely make the time fly by. The people are incredibly hospitable and you'll likely find yourself staying longer than originally expected.

Orientation
Yone Gyi Street is where many of the town's travel agencies and restaurants are located. It cuts through the northern part of town and leads to the canal. If you stay in a hotel on or near this street, nearly everything is accessible by foot. Many choose to rent bicycles to get around and they are readily available throughout town for 1,000 to 1,500 kyat per day.

KBZ Bank, home of the town's ATM machine that was working at the time of our visit, is located on Lan Ma Taw Street just off of Yone Gyi.

Just about every hotel offers WiFi to guests. If you need to use it outside of your hotel, it's available at several of the restaurants including The Golden Kite and The French Touch.

Mingalar Market is located on Yone Gyi Street in the centre of town. You'll find the night market a block to the south from there.

Travel agencies are located on just about every block in Nyaung Shwe. With so many options it pays to shop around. We liked Thu Thu Travel Agency [T: (081) 209 258, thuthua79@gmail.com]. It's run by Thu Thu and her niece Yin Yin. They both speak excellent English, are very knowledgable about the area and were happy to answer all of our questions.

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Mawlamyine travel guide, Burma

"By the old Moulmein pagoda lookin' lazy at the sea…," wrote Rudyard Kipling on his 1889 visit and we reckon probably not a lot has changed since in this very sleepy, yet absolutely charming town. Moulmein, officially renamed Mawlamyine, was in former times the British capital of Lower Burma, and is now capital of Burma's Mon State and even officially weighs in these days as the country's fourth largest city (after Yangon, Mandalay and Nyapitaw), though it seems to be barely a city and certainly not large.

Yes, there is the occasional newer concrete construction, notably a truly hideous line of shophouses along the waterfront, but there's few buildings over three or four storeys high, a plethora of Victorian period architecture, a couple of the country's most venerable mosques and of course all Kipling's splendid old pagodas.

The waterfront is lively, with fishing boats and passenger ferries departing and arriving from all points, and a couple of great markets, but otherwise it's a delight to just wander the quiet, tree-lined streets wondering which buildings would have been around when George Orwell was part of Mawlamyine's police force.

Mawlamyine is situated some 300 kilometres southeast of Yangon on the southern side of the mighty Salween, overlooking the river's scenic estuary and Gulf of Martaban. It's very much the gateway to the long narrow ribbon of southern, peninsular Burma wedged between the Tenassarim Ranges to the east forming the Thai border and the Andaman Sea and Indian Ocean to the west.

There's a great feel to this cosmopolitan little town. Watch the world go by from market tea shops, check out the sunsets from waterfront cafes, look lazy at the sea from ancient hill-top pagodas and meet what we reckon are some of the friendliest of the country's inhabitants; this can easily keep most visitors happy for a couple of days plus quite a few visit-worthy sites are located within easy striking range of town.

We found enough good and varied cafes and eateries to keep you going for a few days too but nowhere's perfect -- and Mawlamyine's downside is a rather pitiful accommodation choice.

Orientation
The layout of this town of some 300,000 people reflects the country's geography in these parts, which is to say long and thin, and stretching north-south along the coastline. The sea -- the Gulf of Martaban -- forms the western limits and the Salween River (spanned by the spectacular Than-Lwin Bridge) prevents Mawlamyine expanding northwards, with the central and oldest part of the town being sandwiched between the sea and a range of low wooded hills atop which sit the string of famous old pagodas.

Strand Road runs along the busy waterfront with three more parallel roads behind it: Lower Main Road, Baho Street and Upper main Road. Much of the commercial and market areas are concentrated along Lower Main Road while the Upper version already has a suburban feel to it, with larger old villas and colonial period administrative buildings set among trees and with lanes leading off upwards to access the hilltop pagodas.

Behind these low hills spreads the newer part of town, which includes the train and bus stations. At present it's still limited in size but development is afoot, with new industrial zones and shopping malls planned. Beyond the Rangoon-Dawei railway line paddy and rubber plantations stretch off to the eastern horizon, where the spectacular limestone hills of Hpa-an can be seen.

Mawlamyine certainly stretches a long way down the coast to the south, but the central district which contains most of the sites visitors would be likely to visit is relatively compact and much can be done on foot. The town's low on traffic, high on greenery, has plenty of old buildings scattered about and makes for a very agreeable spot for a wander.

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