The Mysterious Mrauk U

Mrauk U. This spot has been on my Myanmar Bucket List for quite some time. Say it kinda like "M-i-ah-oo." Mrauk U is a town and living archeological, historical and religious site in Rakhine State (northwestern Myanmar). Part of its allure is that it is not an easy spot to get to, so the trip requires more than a long weekend. Spring Break, or Thingyan (Burmese New Year), finally provided some time to make the journey.

My colleague, friend and travel buddy, B, and I began the trip on a Thursday morning. It was the first day of Thingyan, the Myanmar New Year celebration, which involves the whole country slowing waaaay down, stages constructed in every neighborhood, water fights, music and general partying all over. There is a spiritual aspect to the celebration as well, but it seems to be getting lost as the country develops. I was excited to experience the holiday myself as the last two years I have traveled during the entire break (Taiwan and Vietnam). I managed to secure a taxi driver who was working and he picked us up and safely drove us to the airport. Things didn't look too crazy yet; in fact, there was no traffic which is a rarity for Yangon!

It was a travel day; we had coffee, I ate vegetarian fried rice and we hung out at the airport. We were the only foreigners on our small plane to Sittwe and the just-over-an-hour flight flew by. Sittwe's airport is tiny and after checking in with immigration (this happens even for domestic travel in Myanmar for foreigners), we found a taxi driver who took us to the Shwe Thazin Hotel. We enjoyed watching the water festival revellers from the safety of the car, checked in to our room and relaxed at the hotel. The hotel restaurant serves great food and its roof deck offers excellent views. We worked to confirm our travel plans for the next day.

Sunset over a pagoda in Sittwe

We wanted to leave early for Mrauk U since Sittwe was basically a pit-stop, but our boat driver was out partying, so we were told we couldn't leave until 10am on Friday (hey, at least they were honest). B took advantage of the late start to go for a run and I slept in and did some reading. Another taxi ride later (and I did get splashed by a young boy on my way from the hotel to the cab parked just outside) and we were aboard and headed up river!

B enjoys the ride

It's about a 5 hour journey upstream from Sittwe to Mrauk U. Our boat was basic, but we napped, read and took pictures as we motored along. It was hot, despite the soft breeze and I would definitely recommend leaving earlier in the morning, especially if you make this trip in summer (like we did).

Approaching Mrauk U

View from the pier

We arrived late afternoon to a very quiet pier in the town of Mrauk U. Our boat driver called someone and we ended up on a tuk-tuk ride to our second Shwe Thazin Hotel. We didn't expect to stay dry and we didn't. As we drove through town, we were splashed with water by the celebrating locals. We felt like quite the spectacle. Technology was secure in waterproof cases and everything else dries, so it was all good.

Below is a video of one of the Thingyan floats. This one is playing traditional music, but it's not uncommon to hear heavy metal, pop or hip hop blasting as young people ride by crowded onto trucks.

The Shwe Thazin

After checking in, having snacks and renting bicycles at a shop nearby (1,000MMK for the evening, less than one dollar), we were off to explore some of the temples in the northern group. Here are a few of my favorite shots from the first evening.

First sunset in Mrauk U

Hallway to enter

And a peek inside

Our first full day in Mrauk U was Saturday and we had arranged for a car and driver for the day. Mrauk U is spread over miles of jungle and rural areas, so I'd recommend you do this, too. We scheduled a 5:30am pick-up and requested a sunrise view. Our driver parked below a small monastery on a hill and as we climbed past, I saw monks waking up and beginning their daily routine. There was a golden pagoda and we enjoyed the surrounding views as the light of day came over the area.

Magical? Yes.

Watching the morning come in

After breakfast back at the hotel, we set off again. Our morning consisted of exploring temples, wandering through monasteries and taking in the local life that is going on all around the historical sites. We started at Koe Thaung, probably one of the most photographed temples in Mrauk U.

Entering Koe Thaung

Koe Thaung in the distance

Our driver didn't speak much English, but he was cheerful and told us the names of each spot that we visited. We stayed mostly dry, as the water fights don't tend to be near the religious structures. 

I'm here!

The sound system at one monastery. Many monasteries broadcast services and chants.

We also got to observe more celebrations. It was a lot of fun to see everyone out and about, relaxed, smiling and celebrating. It's a challenge to capture, but I got a few pictures.

Most of the time Thingyan festivities looked like this...

Kids throwing water at our passing car.

We took an early lunch and a long afternoon nap to skip out on some of the heat. I think our young driver was happy to have a chunk of time off, too. He returned late afternoon to continue showing us around and we again asked for a place with a view for the sunset. It was a pretty amazing day!

B capturing the moment

Peek-a-boo

Temple dog

View looking back at the old castle's walls

The next day we were on our own so we rented bikes and set out to explore some more! There is something so adventurous and magical about going around and discovering these special spots. 

A steep climb to a small pagoda

Nature is working to re-claim this one

Action shot captured by B!

Celebrating Thingyan (water festival)

Sunset - photo credit to B

We had booked our boat back for Monday, but due to Cyclone Maruutha and storm warnings our travel agent cancelled the boat ride and set up a car instead. It took about three hours to drive from Mrauk U back to Sittwe. It was the last day of the new year celebrations and we enjoyed watching the festivities as we passed through many small towns on the way back to the airport.

The rest of my break was spent resting and relaxing in Yangon. I'm glad that I finally got to Mrauk U and that I was lucky enough to experience Myanmar New Year; both are truly memorable experiences.

What I'm Listening to:
I first "met" Tycho at Laneway. You can stream their album, Dive, but I recommend you buy it, too.

Just Finished Eating:
I've been a fan of Forks Over Knives for a long time. Today I tried their Crispy Baked Falafels. I don't have arrowroot powder, so I subbed tapioca starch. I also threw in some turmeric, smoky Spanish paprika and a little apple cider vinegar. The "dough" is pretty dry and it was hard to form the balls, so adding a little liquid helped.

This West African Peanut Soup is creamy, without cream! Give the combo of greens, peanut butter and tomato a chance. I used bok choy (instead of collard greens) and a red curry paste (instead of the sriracha) and it turned out great! I recommend serving it over brown rice.

Just Finished Reading:
This one is actually a re-read. I don't read a lot of books more than once, but Melissa Bank is a special exception. I strongly recommend The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing. This collection of inter-connected stories will have you smiling, cringing and finally cheering. You can read the beginning of the book's first story here.