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Grand Escapades’ Budget Guide To Sri Lanka

By on 19. April 2016 in Country Budget Guide, Sri Lanka

A Budget Destination

Fisher Boat, Mirissa, Sri Lanka

Fisher Boat, Mirissa, Sri Lanka

Type Of Travel

This trip was to some extend both “Flashpacking” & “Mid-Range”. Flashpacking because we chose mostly small and cheap but pleasant guesthouses, went to small local restaurant and actually did nothing special but for… The car! Since we only had 10 days in Sri Lanka and wanted to make the most of this very limited amount of time, we rented a car with driver, which was a great comfort but a pricy proposition… So all in all we ended up with a budget at the lower end of the mid-range type of travel. Continue Reading →

The Cultural Triangle

By on 13. April 2016 in Sri Lanka
Seating Buddha, which depicts the Dhyana Mudra, Gal Vihara, near Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka

Seating Buddha, which depicts the Dhyana Mudra, Gal Vihara, near Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka

The 5 historical sites of the Cultural Triangle, some of them 2.300 years old, are definitely worth the 5+ days necessary to discover them. They are the remains of a great civilization that developed an architecture unique in Asia. They were also built at different periods of time and hence display completely different styles and features, making it impossible to recommend one over the other. Simply put, each one should be visited! Continue Reading →

Wildlife Watching In Sri Lanka

By on 12. April 2016 in Sri Lanka
Ceylon Spotted Deer (Axis Axis Ceylonensis), Wilpattu National Park, Sri Lanka

Ceylon Spotted Deer (Axis Axis Ceylonensis), Wilpattu National Park, Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is famous for its excellent wildlife watching opportunities, but with only 10 days at hand, we had to make choices… Wildlife came short! Obviously, Leopard spotting is still easily possible if you have enough time in the National Parks (and there are not that many places where your odds are good), and Asian Elephants are a common sight. Continue Reading →

The 15 Best Markets For Taking Stunning Pictures

By on 11. January 2016 in Bolivia, China, Colombia, Ethiopia, India, Ladakh, Mali, Myanmar, Oman, Senegal, Vietnam

A Personal Selection of Markets in Africa, Asia, the Middle-East and South America

Woman smoking at the 5-Day Market on Inle Lake, Myanmar - The five villages on the shore of Lake Inle take turns, so there is actually a market each day of the week.

Woman smoking at the 5-Day Market on Inle Lake, Myanmar – The five villages on the shore of Lake Inle take turns, so there is actually a market each day of the week.

No matter where I travel, I immensely enjoy visiting markets. Many of them, especially in Africa & in Asia, but also in the Middle East & in South America, are an assault on your senses: colorful and at times disorientating, aromatic or even intoxicating, vibrant and eventually hectic places… But this is where “the real life” can be found, so different from touristic highlights (though some markets have turned extremely popular in the last years, also amongst tour groups…) Continue Reading →

Myanmar – A Selection Of 63 Pictures

By on 16. December 2015 in Asia – Photos, Myanmar, Photo Galleries

Floating over Bagan’s 4.000 temples in a Hot Air Balloon, Bagan, Myanmar

I used every single one of the 28 days the eVisa was allowing me to stay in Myanmar in February 2015 and visited first the Southeast of the country (Golden Rock, Hpa An & Mawlamyine), before heading to the Northeast (Pyin Oo Lwin, train over the Gokteik Viaduct, Hsipaw) and finally discovered during the last two weeks the more popular and touristic part of the country (Mandalay, Bagan, Inle Lake & last but not least Yangon). Continue Reading →

Grand Escapades’ Travel Guide To Myanmar

By on 16. December 2015 in Myanmar

No Longer A Well Kept Secret – But With So Much To Offer!

Fishermen on Inle Lake, Myanmar - Them rowing their boats with one leg contributed to making the lake a legend. This technique allows them to throw / pull their nets with both hands.

Fishermen on Inle Lake, Myanmar

Itinerary And Time Of The Visit

I used every single one of the 28 days the eVisa was allowing me to stay in Myanmar in February 2015 and visited first the Southeast of the country (Golden Rock, Hpa An & Mawlamyine), before heading to the Northeast (Pyin Oo Lwin, train over the Gokteik Viaduct, Hsipaw) and finally discovered during the last two weeks the more popular and touristic part of the country (Mandalay, Bagan, Inle Lake & last but not least Yangon). Continue Reading →

Grand Escapades’ Budget Guide To Myanmar

By on 16. December 2015 in Country Budget Guide, Myanmar

Expensive For Asia

Bagan-103

Hot Air Balloon Flight with Balloons Over Bagan, Bagan, Myanmar

Type Of Travel

I am basically a Flashpacker and this is how I traveled in Myanmar in February 2015. I prefer to stay in hostels or local guesthouses, but (almost) always stay in private rooms with ensuite bathrooms. Longer distance I covered by plane, like Bagan to Inle Lake and Inle Lake to Yangon. Good food is important to me, this can be a food stall, small local restaurants and maybe a cocktail sipped on the roof terrace of an international hotel. And I do not hesitate to “do something special” when justified: in Myanmar it was a tour in a Hot Air Balloon in Bagan, an experience of a lifetime! Continue Reading →