First entry of my Burma trip can be read here.
One of my favourite places to visit when I was in Burma was Heho, the gateway to the famous Inle Lake. From Yangon, I was supposed to take a non-stop flight to Heho, but the flight was cancelled about two weeks before my visit to Burma.
So my awesome travel agent Annie from Compliance Success Travel & Tours immediately informed me and changed my flight to a direct one, which stopped at two locations before reaching Heho.
Upon arrival, I was welcomed and pleasantly surprised by the chilly weather at Heho – it must have been just slightly above 20 degree Celsius, and the wind was blowing strong. It was rather cloudy but didn’t rain.
It was only when I was about to leave Heho on the second day that I found out the place is actually sitting some 3,800 feet above the sea level!
I shall talk about the hotel that was arranged to me first. Well… MY JAW DROPPED, when I arrived at the Golden Empress Hotel situated in the humble town of Nyaung Shwe – about 45 minutes away from Heho:
I had no idea what I did to deserve such fantastic treatment, but I had never expected anything like this from my tour. It was so nice of Annie to have arranged me this fantabulous hotel!
I don’t generally fancy the commercial, modern-looking types of hotels; something to the likes of the Golden Empress Hotel explains my taste perfectly and is good to make me go hoo-ha.
My room could accommodate 3 persons with one big bed and another small bed, but then there was just me monopolising the big one, and of course the whole room! There was no air-con available because apparently Heho/Nyaung Shwe is known for its cool weather.
The dining hall where breakfast would be served:
During my stay in Burma, most meals I had in hotels and restaurants were served in a big portion – sometimes to the extent that I couldn’t finish the food and would feel guilty about it.
Below was my breakfast at the Golden Empress Hotel:
The staff at the Golden Empress Hotel were also super hospitable – they would greet me with a smile every time I came back or bumped into one of them.
I remember being escorted to my own hotel room on the first day upon arrival while they helped carry my backpack. I was a little uneasy about letting especially the female workers carry my heavy backpack, and politely told them I could do it on my own, but they were very professional and insisted on carrying it for me.
Alright, abrupt end of the hotel story to focus on the main highlight in the town of Nyaung Shwe – the Shwe Yan Pyay Pagoda.
I didn’t get to photograph the exterior of the pagoda but here are some views from the inside:
Continue reading Setting Foot in Burma: Living like a King in Heho (Inle Lake)