Yangon

Dala - a glimpse into rural life in Myanmar

2hw — Sat, 25 May 2019 11:43:04 +0000

2hw Sat, 05/25/2019 - 14:43

Dala is a township of several small villages across the Irrawaddy river from Yangon. Getting there is quite easy for the casual traveler - there is a ferry which runs from Pansodan Ferry Terminal to Dala. It is a short boat ride, pleasant in itself, cheap and easy to arrange. The villages do not hold any major attractions, but offer a cultural experience and a glimpse into rural life in Myanmar.

Our video will give you an idea about what can be seen in Dala, but keep on reading for more detailed information.

https://youtu.be/dO8Ri_bGG_o

Once at Pansodan - the main ferry terminal in Yangon, close to The Strand Hotel, look for the sign "Foreigners" on the left side of the building. Even if you get the wrong door somebody will point you in the right direction. Cost of the ferry is 4000 Kyat per person for a return ticket and you have to sign a visitor log. Most likely at the counter you will meet some "helpful" locals offering to be your guide for the day to Dala or Twante - if you decide to take them up on their offer, make sure you agree on a price and confirm what is included. Check the section Dala scams at the end of this post for ideas on what to look out for.

The ferry runs every 20 minutes (approximately) and the journey takes around 10 minutes. For better views go to the top deck - it is interesting experience to watch the local people embarking, disembarking and going about their daily lives, some wearing formal clothes, some in traditional wear, some carrying livestock or produce to sell, some pushing bikes and trishaws.

Reaching the Dala side of the river you will be approached by numerous guides and drivers. It is an overwhelming experience for some and if you find it is too much, you can give yourself some time to relax in one of the coffee shops or restaurants nearby.

As you can see from our map most sights can be reached on foot, but be prepared to do some walking. It is doable, the streets are narrow, however there is not much traffic. Just consider your physical ability and the weather - it can get pretty hot during the day.

If you decide to do the tour with a driver/guide you can choose between a taxi, trishaw, tuk-tuk or a motorbike, if you are alone. Prices are flexible and you will have to haggle and make sure that all terms are set before you begin the journey. We chose a tuk-tuk and paid 10 000 Kyat for hour and a half - not sure if it is the best price, but it was something we were ok with.

Here are the sights in the order we visited them, it is likely every driver picks a slightly different route and maybe skip or add some stops.

Shwe Sayan Pagoda

(Google Maps)

Very peaceful pagoda with two small golden stupas. We were the only ones there, spare for the groundskeeper. We sat in the shade to relax and he gave us small pink leaflets containing the story of the place.

Fishermans village

(Google Maps)

This is a small village on the conflux of Dala and Irrawaddy rivers. There is a local jetty for boats going to Yangon and back, and probably fishing, also we were offered to go for a boat ride along the smaller river.

Engyi Bridge

(Google Maps)

Small unimpressive bridge over Dala river. Nice place to stop for a bit and watch the small boats carrying passengers and goods to and from Yangon.

Lotus lake

(Google Maps)

A moderate sized pond with many lotus flowers. Our driver said the water was clean and that local people made longyi (traditional Burmese skirt worn by both sexes) from the lotus fiber.

Small local market

(Google Maps)

A few people selling vegetables and fish on the ground, may not be there every day.

Bamboo village

(Google Maps)

This poor village with tragic history was an interesting, but also somber stop. The driver claimed that it had been devastated by the 2008 cyclone and partially rebuilt now. Next to the small cluster of bamboo houses one can see the cemetery where the people who died in the disaster are buried. Walking trough the village we saw some people doing their daily chores and of course some kids, yelling "Hello" and waving enthusiastically.

When we reached the end of the village our driver who was walking with us suggested that some foreigners buy rice for the people of the village and we declined. Reading on the Internet there are reports of drivers being pushy and guilting people into buying stuff, just remember you can say "No" and be firm in your decision. Also have a look at our section about Dala scams below.

Mahar Thin Gyan Buddha Image

(Google Maps)

Major pagoda with a large sitting Buddha statue inside, it was quiet when we visited, with only a few worshipers around. The central entrance seemed closed, but a side door was open.

Local market

(Google Maps)

If you have seen some of the big markets in Yangon already, this one holds no real surprises. A few stalls selling fruits and vegetables, raw meat and sandalwood to make tanaka.

Clock-tower roundabout

(Google Maps)

Major intersection in the area, marked with about 15 meters tall clock tower. Right next to the local market above.

ChuChu shop

(Google Maps)

One of the highlights of the day - a recycling workshop. So many clever ideas in one place, all revolving around the principle of turning trash into usable items. The surprises start even before you enter the little shop - the pathway is made of old tyres, covered by a roof made of plastic bottles. Inside you can see numerous items made from recycled plastic, rubber, paper, cardboard and metal - from wallets, made of cement bags to handbags, made of bicycle tubes and flip flops, made of tyres. The building itself is interesting too - some walls are made of bottles, the roof "tiles" are tyres and light comes trough jars filled with water. Prices are on par with western souvenir shops, but the items are definitely unique.

Recycled paper and plastic wallets and elephant figures

Handbag made of tyre - a patch that was used to cover a hole is visible

The workshop

Aung Taw Mu Big Buddha Statue

(Google Maps)

Another large Buddha statue that looked like it is still under construction - open air with just a tin roof to protect it from the sun and the rain.

Orphanage/school

(Google Maps)

Not really an attraction or a sight this one, located just behind the Aung Taw Mu Big Buddha Statue our driver called it a "school", but it looked more like an orphanage. It is managed by a single Indian man, there were about 10 kids, lying under the "classroom". Honestly, we got some bad vibes from this place and tried to leave as quickly as possible.

View from the ferry back to Yangon

View of Yangon over the Irrawaddy river

Dala scams

Unfortunately there are some things that may spoil your day in Dala, here are the popular ways locals may try to scam tourists. If you encounter other scams - please share your experience in the comments.

Drivers

The complete lack of regulation allows for locals offering transportation in Dala (including to Twante) to ask exorbitant prices from tourists. This applies for taxis, tuk-tuks, motorbikes, trishaws drivers and guides - everything depends on your negotiation skills. From the moment you set foot off the ferry there will be people offering their services, often giving you the best price as you are their best friend, brother or boss. Negotiate, haggle and be ready to walk away if the price does not sit well with you. Before starting the journey be sure to have clear understanding of what and how much you are paying for. Is the price per person or for the whole vehicle? Is it per hour, 30 minutes, or for the whole trip? Return or one way? Use common sense too - never pay in advance, never pay in the middle of the trip - be it for gas, repair or whatever - if asked, just find another driver.

Some tourists have been asked to pay for damage blamed on them - do not pay and walk away. If you notice something broken at the start - point it out to the driver. Make a joke of it if you want, but make sure he knows you know it is broken.

We agreed to go with a tuk-tuk driver at the price of 3000 Kyat per 30 minutes. It was a pleasant ride, he stopped everywhere we wanted to and allowed us to take our time at stops. He was friendly and spoke good enough English to give us a bit of information about the sights. When we returned to the ferry we calculated that for the hour and a half we owed him 9000 Kyat, which I happily paid. Taking the money he asked for another 9000 - he tried to convince us this was price per person. We refused, argued a little and left. Point of reference - the day before we paid 4000 Kyat for one hour taxi (air conditioned) ride in Yangon.

Official tourist guides

It is possible that at the Pansodan Terminal or even before that - in close proximity to the terminal - you are approached by people claiming to be official guides. They might insist that foreigners are required to have an official guide to go to Dala. This is not true and is the first step in a scam. Softer approaches also exist - just a friendly girl offering to take you to her poor village on the other side of the river. Again - simply avoid. What happens next most likely is the rice scam below and/or an expensive trishaw ride across Dala. People have complained that they were asked to pay hundreds of dollars for transportation and guiding services, initially offered as free.

Rice for the poor

This most often occurs at the Bamboo village - you may be taken there by an "official" tour guide or your driver. They claim that the village had been devastated by the 2008 cyclone and/or the 2004 tsunami. Often your driver/guide will add a personal touch by mentioning close relatives lost to the disaster. After taking you trough the village they will suggest or insist on a donation in the form of bags of rice that can be very expensive. It is understandable how the sad story, combined with the bleak state of the place can pull some strings in your heart and make you willing to give a donation. It is a scam that has been going on for a long time, you are not the first and will not be the last - simply decline the offer and be firm.

Date Visited

May 2019

Destinations

Comments

The Drug Elimination Museum in Yangon

2hw — Sun, 25 Mar 2018 06:54:36 +0000

2hw Sun, 03/25/2018 - 09:54

Unless you have strong interest in drugs this museum will not be on your two-day itinerary in Yangon. But if you are lucky enough to have more time in this interesting city I would recommend this unusual way to spend a couple hours. The three-storey building contains a lot of information and at some point of time must have been a great, modern museum.

The first floor is where one can learn how drugs entered Myanmar, which countries are the main producers of drugs, main transport routes worldwide and my personal favorite - the stories behind the Opium Wars, which are presented with scenes, detailed history about the events and some side panels about particular people involved.

A very confusing attempt at interactive display was a small corridor named "Drugs ruin lives" - a bunch of plastic dudes at a boring party the way I understood it. At the end there is a scene that shows dead bodies and a monster hand reaching at you, probably a way to send a simple and strong message for the kids.

Drugs ruin lives

If you have more time you can learn in details about some operations in Myanmar that caught numerous criminals and led to the destruction of industrial amounts of heroin, marijuana, ecstasy and so on. To get an idea of the scale of the problem think about this - at some point they had over 50 planes spreading herbicides to destroy poppy fields. From the way things are presented I got the feeling that the war on drugs is over in Myanmar, however in reality I'm not sure that is the case.

Left: Seizure of 118.4 kg heroin, Yangon, 2009 | Right: Seizure of 592.7 kg heroin, Ye township, 2004

The exhibits on the upper floors are all about recovery - from dioramas of drug rehabilitation centres and various activities to help addicts to how the government helped farmers switch from poppy and cannabis to rice and vegetables. Be careful on the top floor, there are holes in the ceiling and pigeons live above. Yes, there are bird droppings in piles, we also saw a dead pigeon in one of the exhibits.

Dangers of drugs

In the morning the museum was almost empty, I noticed a father with his young daughter paying special attention to the dangers of drugs. Later a group of local teenagers came in with the main goal to snap some selfies with the marijuana leaves on display.

Location: Drug Elimination Museum in Yangon

Entry fee: 4000 Kyats (US$ 3) per person, 6000 Kyats (US$ 5) for camera

Open: 9:00 - 16:00 Tuesday - Sunday, except public holidays

Destinations

Gallery

Opium wars

Destruction of seized drugs

Life without drugs

Where pigeons come from

Giant poppy

Comments

Twantay - a day trip from Yangon and what are these snakes doing in the temple?

2hw — Sat, 24 Mar 2018 07:55:00 +0000

2hw Sat, 03/24/2018 - 09:55

Yangon itself has so many things to offer that some travelers ignore the gems around the city. One of the day trips we enjoyed greatly was the day we went to Twantay - it is more adventurous than visiting the main pagodas in the big city, but is also a fun and rewarding experience.

One can get to Twantay by taxi from Yangon via the bridge, but it is a long way and where is the fun in that? I recommend taking the ferry to Dala, keep reading to see why.

There are many reasons to start the day early - get some tea in the morning, leave enough time for all the stops and as an added bonus you will get a chance to experience the morning hustle and bustle around the pier with people from all ages and walks of life begin their day by crossing the river.

There is a special office where foreigners can buy tickets at Pansodan Ferry Terminal (the pier near the Strand Hotel), it is on the left side of the building and there will always be someone pointing you in the right direction. The return tickets cost 4000 Kyat per person. The ferry takes minutes to reach the other side where a different world awaits. Welcome to Dala, the big city is left behind, you are in the countryside now - the colonial buildings are replaced with shacks and small houses, the greenery is not parks but patches of farmland.

Welcome to Dala

From the moment you jump off the boat there will be people offering you various modes of transportation to the sights and villages around, they already know what you are doing there. Renting a motorbike, riding in a horse cart, tuk-tuk or a car, joining a minibus full of locals - it is really up to your preferences, budget and bargaining skills. Just keep in mind that you will be traveling about 60 kms on bad roads which will take about 2 hours. We opted for a car at the price of 35000 Kyat for the day, our driver didn't speak English, but knew where to stop as we discussed this with the help of another, English speaking, driver before leaving. The roads between Dala and Twantay are peaceful, surrounded by rice fields and small pagodas.

Snake Temple

The first stop was the main attraction of the day - the pagoda where tens of snakes live. It is a very small building in the middle of an artificial lake, really picturesque from many angles. If you are afraid of snakes this is where you should stop - enjoy the view without crossing the bridge, it is still worth the trip. For me the first surprise inside was the size of the temple - it is very, very small. Second surprise were the snakes - I expected to see some crawling on the floor, but most were sleeping on the windows and some were crawling up and down the Buddha statue in the center.

There are about 30 snakes - from babies to big fat monsters, all pythons collected from the nearby rice fields, the nuns explained that they are not dangerous and eat only milk. This unusual practice began decades ago and it is believed the snakes are reincarnated water spirits. We were about to leave when a group of locals came in, it was a real pleasure watching both adults and kids taking photos and being as excited as a kid's first time in a zoo.

Shwe San Daw Pagoda

Big and beautiful pagoda, which may fail to amaze after seeing the impressive Shwedagon in Yangon, but considering the village around it - it is a mighty temple. The main golden stupa is surrounded by colorful shrines and small buildings, good place for a relaxing walk.

In these peaceful surroundings we witnessed a scene, which made the locals laugh, but as a dog lover I didn't find it very funny. There were a bunch of monkeys wandering around the stalls and at first I thought were cute, but then one of the bigger monkeys attacked a dog. Without any warning the primate pulled the dog's tail and kicked it viciously at the same time, the poor thing howled more from shock than pain, then both ran away in opposite directions (ok, I chuckled a bit too).

Market

The Twantay market is a very lively and colorful place, a real glimpse into the villagers daily life. Of course they sell the usual fruit, vegetables, meat, seafood and grains, but it has a more "low tech" feeling than some other markets - many stalls use weight scales and there are many rickshaw taxis, which the locals use to transport their purchases home.

We spent more than half an hour just walking and browsing the market and bought some bananas from a stall offering a nice variety.

Clayware

This stop was a bit unexpected as we haven't included it in the plan when we spoke with the driver. I thought we had seen all we wanted for the day and were going back to Dala when he parked the car and waived his hand in the general direction of a small dirt road up a hill. Ok, always ready for a new experience we went up the hill not sure what to expect. The intense smell of burning wood was the first hint that reminded me of reading about Twantay's pottery district. And I was right - up the hill were several small "factories" making all kinds of clay ware using methods dating back centuries ago.

The locals didn't speak English, but were keen to show us how things were made and with our basic understanding of the process (mix water and dirt, shape clay, bake, cool, polish) it was an interesting visit. The produce is not made for tourists, it is what people in Myanmar use at home, they didn't even offer us to buy anything which was a surprise. A great sight to behold were the kilns - so huge, like huts, an indication to the volume of pots and jars made every day. A not so great sight to behold are the people working in far from first world conditions, I felt particularly bad for a skinny teenage girl doing the (in this case literally) back breaking work of carrying huge bunches of wood to feed the fires.

a pottery kiln you can walk in

Epilogue

After such a great journey we headed back to Dala, where near the pier one can find many small restaurants and food stalls - definitely worth checking out if you are after more exotic things to eat.

Near the small village we saw a wedding procession led by an elephant, numerous buffalo carts, horse carts, horses and people walking, it looked like the whole village was there! Despite all the noise and my surprise I managed to snap a photo of the newlyweds.

A wedding procession in Dala

The ferry took us back to Yangon, a pleasant and relaxing finale of the day.

Yangon

Dala - a glimpse into rural life in Myanmar

Dala - a glimpse into rural life in Myanmar

Shwe Sayan Pagoda

Fishermans village

Engyi Bridge

Lotus lake

Small local market

Bamboo village

Mahar Thin Gyan Buddha Image

Local market

Clock-tower roundabout

ChuChu shop

Aung Taw Mu Big Buddha Statue

Orphanage/school

Dala scams

Drivers

Official tourist guides

Rice for the poor

Destinations

Comments

The Drug Elimination Museum in Yangon

The Drug Elimination Museum in Yangon

Destinations

Tags

Gallery

Comments

Twantay - a day trip from Yangon and what are these snakes doing in the temple?

Twantay - a day trip from Yangon and what are these snakes doing in the temple?

Snake Temple

Shwe San Daw Pagoda

Market

Clayware

Epilogue

Destinations

Comments