Blog - Lucky Treasure Travels & Tours

Myanmar Boarding Pass

2020-09-18T00:00:00+02:00

Myanmar-Thai Border Crossing

There are four land-crossings between Myanmar and Thailand.

Tachileik-Maesai
Myawaddy-Mae Sot
Kawthaung-Ranong
Htee Kee-Phunaron Myanmar-Thai Border Crossing

Myanmar-Thailand Border Checkpoints are allowed to enter for citizens of two countries and citizens of third countries who hold passports and visas and they are permitted to enter/exit via any International Entry/Exit points.

Tourist Visa for citizens from (100) countries and Business Visa for citizens from (52) countries can be applied online e-visa. Myawaddy, Tackileik and KawThaung International Border Checkpoints in Myanmar-Thailand border are allowed to enter with e-visa on (1.9.2016) besides Yangon, Mandalay and Naypyidaw International Airports.

Tachileik-Maesai Border Land Crossing.

Tachileik-Maesai land crossing which connects Myanmar’s town of Tachileik in the Shan State of eastern Myanmar to Maesai district in the far north of Chiang Rai Province, Thailand. Foreign tourists can easily cross the border into Myanmar and you don’t need a visa to cross into Myanmar if you enter back into Thailand on the same day. If you are planning to travel as far as Kyaing Tong, you can travel by road. It is not possible to continue further unless you book a flight.

Myawaddy-Mae Sot Border Land Crossing

Myawaddy-Mae Sot Land Crossing which connects Myanmar’s town of Myawaddy in southeastern Myanmar in Kayin State to Mae Sot in the Thai province of Task. Myawaddy border crossing is the main overland entry point for foreigners wishing to get from Bangkok to Yangon or Thailand to Myanmar in general and vice-versa. Foreign visitors can now enjoy spectacular mountain scenery in the eastern part of Karen State. It is well-connected by bus on the Thai side and onward transportation when in Myanmar is also relatively straight-forward.

Kawthaung-Ranong Border Land Crossing

Kawthaung-Ranong Land Crossing which connects Myanmar’s town of Kawthaung in the southernmost part of Myanmar, in the Tanintharyi Region to Ranong Province in southern Thailand. If you are a beach lover, love to relax at the spectacular beaches and splash some cash at the border casino, Ranon-Kawthoung is the best border crossing from Myanmar to Thailand. This is also the most convenient crossing for people who are continuing to Myanmar from Southern Thailand. The boat crossing between the two countries takes around 20 minutes and there are regular boat services.

Htee Kee-Phunaron

Phunaron, located in Thailand’s province of Kanchanaburi, is a remote town with a border crossing into Myanmar. Crossing to Htee Khee, the nearest major town on the Myanmar side is Dawei, which is around a five-hour drive from the border. This border is most convenient for people who travel to Myanmar directly from Bangkok, Kanchanaburi province and are interested in seeing Dawei, Myeik, Mergui Archipelago and nearby virgin beaches.

Myanmar-Laos Boarding Pass

Myanmar-Laos Friendship Bridge opened in 2015 that connects Kyainglap in eastern Shan state with Xieng Kok in Luang Namtha Province. It is the only bridge crossing the Mekong River to connect the two countries. Now, the border gate between Myanmar and Laos has been upgraded and given international status, according to the Ministry of Labour, Immigration and Population. The ministry has upgraded the Wan Pong checkpoint in Tachilek, Shan State, making it an international border entry point for Myanmar and Laos.

The Wan Pong checkpoint is the seventh international border gate where third-country national travellers with passports and visas can pass through after Myawaddy, Kawthaung, Htee Khee, Tachileik, Tamu and Rikhawdar in Myanmar.

The border agreement will allow citizens of the two countries and third-country national travellers to cross the border between Myanmar and Laos through Wan Pong with the necessary visas or passports.

There are no direct flights between Myanmar and Laos, so third country travellers have to pass Thailand either by air or land to enter Myanmar. Now, travellers who like to travel by land especially FIT travellers can travel to Myanmar without passing through the third country.

Myanmar-India Border Crossing

There are two open border crossings connecting Myanmar and India, Tamu-Moreh Border Checkpoint and Rikhawadar-Zokhawthar Border Checkpoint.

The Tamu-Moreh Border Crossing which connects Myanmar’s town of Tamu to Tengnoupal district of Indian state of Manipur. Travellers are able to get a Visa upon arrival at this border checkpoint and can apply for a visa through the government website then travel with your visa approval document till the border.

The Rikhawadar-Zokhawthar Border Crossing which connects Phalan District in Chin State to India’s Champai district in Mizoram. The border agreement will allow citizens of the two countries and third-country travellers to cross the borders between Myanmar and India through the two gates by obtaining Visa and E-visa permit.

Irrawaddy Dolphin Experience in Myanmar

2020-09-16T00:00:00+02:00

Habits and lifestyle

Irrawaddy dolphins feed on fishes, crustaceans, Cephalopoda and fish eggs. They generally hunt in groups of about seven dolphins, encircling their prey to trap and feed on them. They often dive down into the water to search for food and have been known to spit in order to herd fish for feeding.

These dolphins have polygynous mating system, where each male mates with a number of females. Male dolphins compete with each other for their mating rights. There is very scarce information on the reproductive biology of this species. However, they are likely to breed in December-June. Gestation period lasts for about 9 months, though data from two captive births has shown 14 months of gestation. Usually, females yield a single baby with an interval of 2-3 years. During the first seven months of its life, the offspring feeds exclusively on the nutrition from its mother. The calf learns to prey on fish, observing the behavior of its mother as well as other members of the pod. By the age of 6 months, young dolphins begin eating fish, being completely weaned at 2 years old. They are thought to become sexually mature within 7-9 years.

Cooperative fishing

In Myanmar, this amazingly clever and intelligent species has learned to fish in a mutually beneficial way together with cast net fishermen, termed “ Cooperative Fishing” a phenomenon found nowhere else in the world. Irrawaddy dolphins cooperatively fish with fishermen who use catch or throw nets in the Ayeyarwady River in Myanmar. Fishermen let the dolphins know they are ready to fish by tapping the side of their boats. Then, the dolphins swim in smaller and smaller semicircles, herding the fish towards the fishermen. The dolphins often dive deeply just after the net is thrown and create turbulence under the surface around the outside of the net. The dolphins eat the fish whose movements are confused by the sinking net and those that are momentarily trapped around the edges of the lead line or stuck in the mud at the bottom just after the net is pulled up. This tradition is part of Myanmar’s rich natural and cultural heritage and is one of the best examples of a symbiotic relationship between man and nature.

Why are the Irrawaddy dolphins endangered?

The status of the Irrawaddy dolphin has been raised from vulnerable to endangered as its numbers have fallen by half over the past 60 years due to human activities, according to the latest Red List of the threatened species produced by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

The dolphin population of the Ayeyarwaddy River is low and one of the major threats is from electric fishing which can cause electrocution of dolphins while fishermen try to kill fish by using batteries and long metal ports. That fishing method also causes habitat displacement and depletion of fish stocks. Another threat is entanglement in gillnets placed across large sections of the river to catch all passing fish.

Dolphin Tours are designed for best chances of seeing Irrawaddy dolphins and cooperative fishing. If you want sustainability and glamping experience on the Ayeyarwaddy, book our dolphin itineraries to provide you with a better chance of seeing dolphins and a richer interactive experience with local people.

Once you visit, you always help community development and raise awareness to protect dolphins and cooperative fishing.

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Top 10 Myanmar traditional food that you shouldn't miss

2020-08-21T00:00:00+02:00

1. Mohinga

Mohinga is the most popular and famous breakfast in Myanmar. It is served with the crispy fried bean fritters, boiled eggs, onions, the sliced tender core of banana-steam. You can add drops of lime juice, fish sauce, dry chili powder, coriander or beans if you like for your preferable taste. You can also choose boiled eggs ( oe bal ou ), fried fish cake (nga hpe) and fritters (akyaw) with your favourite. Mohinga is not only an essential breakfast for Myanmar people but also taken as a snack throughout the day.

Do you know how much Myanmar people love Mohinga? They can eat all day without other meals and rice.

2. Nan Gyi Thote

Nan Gyi Thote is one of the most popular trademarks of Myanmar breakfast and you shouldn’t miss it. It’s a noodle salad made with thick round rice noodles mixed with flavourful chicken curry. Nan Gyi Thote is often garnished with a slice of boiled egg, onions, coriander, slice of lime and with crispy fritters. The taste of the noodles is a combination of sweet, sour, salty and fresh and you can eat in almost all the local tea shops and even street vendors in the early morning.

3. Tea Leaf Salad (La Phat Thoke)

Tea Leaf Salad (La Phat Thoke) is a traditional Myanmar food which is a kind of salad made from tea leaves and mixed with shredded small cabbage, sliced tomatoes, nuts and peas, sliced filets, spicy pepper and garlic. The texture of the salad is unique, the taste is a combination of soft, bitter, sour and also spicy. Burmese people have Tea Leaf Salad just a snack, an appetizer or paired with a plate of rice as a meal. You can try it in restaurants as well as streetside stalls. Once you try it, you will understand why Burmese people love it.

4. Burmese Tempura (Akyaw Sone)

Burmese Tempura (Akyaw Sone) is essential for Burmese’s people breakfast and favourite of all and love to enjoy with steamed rice. Sometimes burmese people enjoy Akyaw Sone just as a snack. Burmese Tempura includes a variety of things which are deep fried like onion, potato, peas, bananas, shrimp and so on. Burmese Tempura (Akyaw Sone) cannot be perfect without its sauce. Enjoy Burmese Tempura street food with a cup of plain tea just like a local when you are in Myanmar.

5. Myanmar staple food rice and curry

It will not be complete when talking about Myanmar traditional food without mentioning Myanmar staple food rice and curry. Rice is the Myanmar staple food and a typical Myanmar meal includes a plate of steam-rice as the main dish and accompanying dishes with different curries of fish, chicken or pork, salad, a bowl of light soup and a curried sauce of pickle fish (ngapi yay). Burmese people always eat with the right hand of the fingers and dishes are provided with serving spoons to be handled with the left hand. After the meal, Burmese people eat pickled tea leaves, green tea and palm sugar as a dessert. If you truly want to experience Myanmar local life, you shouldn’t miss it.

6. Shan Noodle

It will not be complete when talking about Myanmar traditional food without mentioning Shan Noodle. It is one of the most famous foods in Myanmar. You can have Shan Noodles either as a soup or as a salad. The thick and round rice noodles are prepared with marinated chicken or pork, juicy tomatoes, garnished with toasted sesame or garlic oil. Most Myanmar people like it and commonly eat it as breakfast, lunch or a kind of snack.

7. Shan Style Rice

Shan rice or Nga Htamin is originally a traditional food of the Shan ethnic group but it is popular throughout Myanmar. It is the most typical Myanmar food, rice mixed with tomato, potato and fish kneaded into round balls, then topped with crisp fried onion, garlic, tamarind sauce, coriander.

8. Coconut Noodle

If you are a big fan of coconut milk based soups, you shouldn’t miss coconut noodles when you are visiting Myanmar. Coconut Noodle is Burmese noodle dish which consists of wheat noodles with creamy spiced chicken coconut broth. And you can garnished with fritters, hard-boiled egg and choose your favourite with lime, chillies or fish sauce. The flavors will be wonderful with creamy coconut chicken noodle soup.

9. Si Htamin ( Yellow Sticky Rice)

Myanmar people have the habit of consuming relishes and savory snacks. In the early morning, Myanmar people usually have warm or hot snacks as their breakfast. Si Htamin ( Yellow Sticky Rice) is one of the popular local breakfast items. Si Htamin is made of glutinous rice cooked with turmeric, salt, onions and served with roasted sesame seeds, boiled yellow peas and garnished with freshly grated coconut, salted fish. Enjoy this simple breakfast with a cup of coffee or burmese tea.

10. Tea shop and snack

Burmese people have the habit of having breakfast at the tea shop and sitting in teahouses during their leisure time for business meetings, hanging out with friends, discussing politics, and reading newspapers. Tea shops are the most populated and frequented places in Yangon. In the morning, the tea shops are busy and most Myanmar people enjoy their breakfast before going to the office. Burmese cups of tea usually combine black tea leaves and condensed milk. And also try samosa, ei kyar kway, pa lar tar and nan pyar. If you want to exchange culture, you should go to a tea shop in the early morning.

Thanakhar (Burmese Traditional Make-up)

2020-08-21T00:00:00+02:00

What is Thanakha?

Thanakha is a unique traditional makeup and essential of Burmese people for their daily life. Thanakha is derived from the finely ground bark of the Thanakha tree. Burmese people grind the tree bark against a flat and wet circular smooth stone then put the paste on the face and make the circle on the cheek. Thanakha paste has slightly yellowish color with the little silky texture and the pleasant smell of tree bark. Burmese people have been wearing Thanaka on their faces every day throughout the country for many centuries.

Benefit of the Thanakha

Thanakha is a natural cosmetic that you can only see in Myanmar. Thanaka bark is highly antioxidant, vitamin E and absorbs UV rays which protect our skin against free radicals and polluted air. It’s also protected from the sun, lightening of the skin. When you put Thanakha on your face, you will feel very cool on your skin. Burmese people wear Thanakha during the day for sun protection and after taking a bath or wash face at night to cleanse, nourish and calm the skins with its rich and natural ingredients. Thanakha can also prevent oiliness, spots, acne and keeps the skin smooth. Myanmar people use Thanakha daily from the kids to smooth their faces when they grow up. In the village, the farmer and women wear Thanakha on the face and also arms and legs to protect the sunlight for the whole day when they go to the farm.

When you travel Bagan, you will see adorned children with Thanakha who will ask you to try to wear Thanakha with traditional decorative makeup like a leaf or circle.

Don’t miss to put the Thanakha on your pretty cheeks when you travel in Myanmar.

Sustainable Travel Myanmar: How to be a responsible Tourist

2020-01-13T00:00:00+02:00

What is Sustainable Tourism?

Sustainable Tourism was defined by the UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) in 1988: “Sustainable Tourism meets the needs of present tourists and host regions while protecting and enhancing opportunity for the future. It is envisaged as leading to management of all resources in such a way that economic, social and aesthetic needs can be fulfilled while maintaining cultural integrity, essential ecological processes, biological diversity and life support systems.”

Our planet gave us beautiful places, full of ancient treasures and the ultimate value of attraction. We are sharing such a beautiful world and we also must preserve the world to still beauty. Travelling became a popular way to spend one’s holidays to relax and explore new things. Travelling has numerous positive impacts on tourism and can also have a negative impact. So we need to avoid or minimize the negative impacts of tourism to become more sustainable.

10 ways to travel in sustainable

You may live sustainable at home but how about when you travel? We have wasted the beautiful nature of the attitude of irresponsible traveller. However, we can work towards more sustainable travel. The more we choose a sustainable way of travel, the more our world becomes better and greener. Here are some tips for travel in a sustainable way,

Choose the best sustainable ways of Transportation

Transport is responsible for the largest environmental impact of your entire holiday. Transport is mostly based on fossil fuels and burning fossil fuels contributes to climate change by the emission of carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases. Nowadays, we are suffering from climate change that an increase of average temperature, melting of glaciers and polar ice and sea-level rise day by day.

You need to take a variety of transportation when you travel. But choose the best sustainable transportation. However, taking the train or bus is the more sustainable option than flying or driving a car but it depends on your route.

Take direct flights wherever possible

Consider direct flights wherever possible. Short flights are not able to follow the shortest route to reach their destination. During the flight take-off and landing that create the highest carbon emissions. That’s why you should choose a direct flight and avoid changes or stop-overs wherever possible.

Fly with environmental class

Always choose economy class rather than business class or first class which means you have more space per passenger. The more you take the space the more occupancy levels of their planes and this can have double the carbon footprint. So take the economy class that is better for the environment and also your budget.

Stay long vacation

One longer journey is better for the environment than several short trips to distant destinations. Instead of visiting short city by flight, just take one long journey. Travel fewer places and spending more time in each.

Use the most sustainable form of transport when you are at your destination

Use green transportation wherever you go to reduce carbon footprint. You can walk or take the bike and use public transportation to get around near sightseeing with your location. That will you experience a deeper sense of excitement and that will decrease your carbon footprint and also you can save money.

Accommodation

The accommodation type is a key element in the tourists’ holiday selection: hotels, apartments, cottages, campsites. When you choose the accommodation for your vacation, you should consider the hotel’s sustainability initiatives and find out the hotel which has a recycling program, use local food and sourced materials.

Take responsibility everywhere you go

Hotel use a higher amount of energy, so when you leave the room, always remember to turn off all lights, Television and Aircon. Take shorter showers, avoid tap running when you shampoo or brush your teeth.

Say no plastic wherever you go

Plastic bottles and bags will take hundreds of years to break down. Bring your own reusable bag and use reusable water bottles.

Support local economy

Spend your money in local accommodation, restaurants, cafes and locally made crafts and souvenirs. Locally made crafts and souvenirs are not always cheaper but you will get the experience of meeting with locals, feel like local people and you already contributed to the local economy by purchasing them.

Visit Community Based Tourism

Community tourism will involve you being hosted by a local in their home as they go about their day-to-day lives. That offers you the opportunity to fully experience the culture of the community, to learn different traditions, connect with local people and completely immerse yourself in a new culture and into local life. That also brings opportunities for both social and economic growth in regions.