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Feb 2, 2013. A well-laid war in Myanmar. CHIANG MAI - After heaping praise for the past year on Myanmar's supposed new democratic direction, the international community has grappled for a coherent and credible response to the military's recent ferocious offensive against the insurgent Kachin Independence Army (KIA). Barrage of firepower in Myanmar's decades-long civil war between government forces and various ethnic resistance armies. In stumping for Thein Sein, the Brussels-based International Crisis Gr...

ontheroadasia.com

On The Road Asia : Thailand: Nakhon Si Thammarat, Khanom

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Thailand: Nakhon Si Thammarat. The reason we left at 6am is evident in the photos below, not another soul in the place, not even the park staff to collect their inflated farang entrance fees, so we went straight in and jumped into the first pool for a refreshing swim. I then had a chance to climb up a few of the tiers and play around with the shutter settings. The clouds rolled in late in the afternoon, shrouding the peaks to the west and readying for the 4pm downpour. Some wild weather came in that nigh...

ontheroadasia.com

On The Road Asia : Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

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Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Air Asia had no direct flights from KK to Bangkok so instead of wasting a day at the hellish KLIA2 for the transfer we stayed in the city for a couple of nights. For anyone that hasn't been to KL the airport is 70km away from the city so be prepared for a long ride in! We stayed at the Citrus Hotel which unbeknown to me was in the Indian sector . which meant a lot of curry! I last visited KL in 1998. Today it is a full on commercial tourist night market selling everything from Mot...

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On The Road Asia : Bagan, Myanmar

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It was time to leave Mandalay and the ‘express’ ten hour ferry down river to Bagan pulls out at 7am sharp. One of the plusses of travelling in the off season is that you’re not swamped with bus tourists and Lonely Planet toting backpackers, the boat was at less than 30% capacity, however they were all young couples and Lonely Planet toting backpackers, the journey down the Ayeyarwaddy was pleasant if uneventful. To follow » Inle Lake. The boat to Bagan. The boat to Bagan. The boat to Bagan. Thailand: Chi...

ontheroadasia.com

On The Road Asia : Railway to Mandalay, Myanmar

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The Rail to Mandalay. I’m not even going to mention the water-less toilet except the words bouncing, box, hole and floor. Anything more than a number one wasn’t possible for 15 hours and even having a pee was a feat of acrobatic balance and marksmanship. Passing through the military capital of Naypyidaw reveals huge seemingly empty housing estates, runway-like eight lane highways with no traffic on, going nowhere, and the cleanest (and quietest) station in the country. To follow » Around Mandalay. Thaila...

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On The Road Asia : Phnom Penh, Cambodia

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Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Leaving the airport I start to notice the differences since my last trip to Cambodia in the late 90s. It doesn’t actually start to get going until 10pm and goes on until daylight. Bars and restaurants can open 24 hours here, there are no alcohol restrictions, no stupid music laws, no cigarette censorship, no packs of police pointing flashlights, it is a far cry from Thailand and a million miles away from the the sleepy darkened streets of downtown Yangon. A walk down to the river fr...

ontheroadasia.com

On The Road Asia : Shwedagon Pagoda, Circular Railway, Crocodile Farm, Yangon, Myanmar, Burma

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Shwedagon Pagoda, Yangon, Myanmar. The weather looks favourable today so I’m taking a walk to Shwedagon Pagoda, one of Southeast Asia’s most impressive monuments to religion. It is around 3km from my digs, so I venture through the Indian quarter first to reach the approach road which belies the sheer size of the stupa, it is still over a kilometer away but towers tantalizingly close. To follow » Around Yangon. Shwedagon Pagoda, Yangon. Shwedagon Pagoda, Yangon. Shwedagon Pagoda, Yangon. Shwedagon Pagoda,...

ontheroadasia.com

On The Road Asia : Dala Township, Yangon, Myanmar

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Dala Township, Yangon, Myanmar. A short ferry ride takes me across the Yangon River and into the Dala Township which was virtually destroyed by cyclone Nargis in 2008. Today it is the poorest part of Yangon and home to 2 million people, many of which live in simple wooden shacks perched over squalid waterways and ever-growing piles of rubbish. To follow » Shwedagon Pagoda. The ferry ride to Dala. The ferry ride to Dala. The ferry ride to Dala. The ferry ride to Dala. The ferry ride to Dala. Dala Township...

ontheroadasia.com

On The Road Asia : Kampot and Kep, Cambodia

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Kampot and Kep, Cambodia. I’d met up with some old friends based in Phnom Penh and since we were all heading in the same direction it made sense to hire a minivan for $70 to take us to Kampot for a break from the mayhem and nightlife. Once out of the gridlocked city we started motoring on roads that were far better than I’d expected, I was already looking forward to getting on to two wheels. It was time to explore the surrounding countryside so I hired a dirt bike for a few bucks and hit the road. My...

ontheroadasia.com

On The Road Asia : Pyin Oo Lwin, Shan State, Myanmar

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Pyin Oo Lwin, Shan State. A National Landmarks Garden offered an almost kitsch display of the highlights of each state; naturally most of them were pagodas or temples re-created and scaled down. The immaculately kept flowerbeds and gardens were the highlight for me and a good hour was spent ambling through this park, until the adjacent amusement park shattered the serenity with full bore Burmese punk rock. To follow » Bagan. Riding into the Shan hills. National Landmarks Garden, Pyin Oo Lwin. Botanical G...