Memorable. Exotic. Touching. Emotional. Cultural rich.
In my life I had different experiences. Still remember 1990s with the fall of the Soviet Union, how we had lessons at school without life and same plain food we had to eat every evening in my family, what my father artisan architect went through to feed the family... and then many years of hard work to find oneself living in Japan and be able to travel anywhere in the world... even isolated and exotic Myanmar.
We traveled 40+countries already, lots of travels in Asia for secluded beaches getaways - in Thailand, Bali. Myanmar was on the list for a long time..
And finally this year, for starting a new decade in 2020, we got a chance to spend 3 days in Mandalay. I picked up Pro Niti Travel as our trusted partner for planning our experiences and showing us the best cultural heritage and artisans places in Mandalay. I’m a big fan of craft/design/art and had 2 big goals for this trip 1) to create photo collection of locals/local life since I’m working on my Asia travels photo book 2) see artisans as much as possible. Pro Niti travel offered us customized tour that meet all our wants and needs!
My personal highlights of this trip:
1) Sagaing Hill, amazing artist Min Aung (OMG, he sells fantastic artworks for $1-$2), sitting on top Soon Oo Pon Nya Shin Pagoda, and Aung Myae OO Monastic Education School, established by a Buddhist monk, Venerable Vilasa
2) Aung Nan Tapestry workshop and King Galon Gold Leaf Workshop
3) Buddha Image Craving workshop
4) Stone carving workshop
5) Shwenandaw Monastery, all teak monastery originally part of the Royal Palace. IMPRESSIVE!
Special thanks to:
— Ms. Tianna Thadar Myat Noe, Pro Niti travel consultant, our project manager rockstar who delivered not only exceptional customer service to us, but also was super friendly and helpful, always in touch with me on WhatsApp for any questions I had.
— Ms. Nilar Tin, our fantastic guide, who showed us local life, told history and went extra mile always to create our memorable experiences. Super professional and friendly, knowledgeable and simply a very nice person!
More stories on IG sayurians. Thank you Pro Niti Travel team for great trip!