BAGAN TO MANDALAY BY BOAT - A Day on the Irrawaddy River in Myanmar

[@PlanetDoug]

TIME STAMPS: 1:42 Boarding the MGRG Express Boat; 2:30 First Look at the Boat; 12:03 The Boat at Dawn & My Breakfast Box; 16:54 First Cup of Coffee!; 21:25 The Bridge at Pakokku; 25:30 Daylight Tour of the Boat; 33:00 Coffee Number Two; 41:51 Breakfast Time; 45:04 Lunch Time; 46:41 Update-One and a Half Hours till Mandalay; 49:23 The Bridges of Mandalay; 51:18 What I Know About Mandalay; 54:10 Docking at Mandalay Jetty; 56:38 TukTuk to My Hotel; 57:51 Journey's End at the Hotel Boss

[@sheikhhashimi5082]

How much you pay for hotel? How much you pay for boat trip and tuktuk cost?

[@PlanetDoug]

That room cost $11 US per night (16,500 kyat). That price includes a breakfast buffet. The boat trip (Bagan to Mandalay) cost $32 US. And that includes breakfast, lunch, bottled drinking water, coffee, and an afternoon snack. However, you have to arrange your own transportation to the jetty to meet the boat. That's not included. The trip from Mandalay to Bagan (on the same boat) is more expensive. It costs $42 to go in that direction. And that trip includes a guided stop at a local pottery village along the way. The trip is quite a bit faster in that direction because you are going downstream. And I paid 2,000 kyat for the tuktuk ride to my hotel ($1.30 US). That was the first price the driver offered, and I didn't bargain. It seemed fair to me. But I suppose if you like to bargain, you could probably get a lower price. 🙂

[@sheikhhashimi5082]

@@PlanetDoug Thanks for the prompt response, seems to me your humble person🙏🙏🙏

[@dashingmay]

You pronounced the city of "Pokokku" like a local! Burmese words are fairly easy to pronounce if you were to separate the syllables. For example the temple "Dhammayangyi" might seem hard to pronounce at first, but if you divide up the word to "Daman-yan-gee", then it's fairly easy. Enjoy your time in Mandalay!

[@PlanetDoug]

@@sheikhhashimi5082 You're very welcome. I hope the information helps if you end up going to Bagan. By the way, there is another boat going between Mandalay and Bagan operated by a different company. It's called the RV Nmai Kha. I never saw this boat, but I heard it was a good alternative to MGRG. Both companies have websites: mgrgexpress.net/ www.myanmarrivercruises.com/day-cruises/rv-nmai-kha

[@sawwah987]

Although I'm Myanmar citizen, I've never felt that kind of trip feeling like you. Thank you very much for your videos and now I've decided to go around my country by following your ways.

[@รารา-พ4ฦ]

Thanks so much for helping me to take the plasure trip wih U on the big sheep(boat) along the enormous wide Erawadee river .i'd got the miraclr things knowledge from your so benefit English whic i can not only learn listening English from you but had seen beautiful nature of Erawadee river.i am Thai, i love the traditional culture and the authentic atmosphere of Myanmar where still fascinating for people all over the world.May the god bless you have the good trip.Bye bye 🌧️🌾🌎🌅🌌💕🙏

[@abidkhan-bz4fl]

Best video on Myanmar I ever saw

[@abidkhan-bz4fl]

Best video on KZbin

[@rext8949]

What a lovely way to travel. You could almost have a picnic on board with a hamper and a couple of beers, the wind blowing thru your hair.

[@WanderEats]

Wind in your hair with a good cup of coffee in your hands... well yes Doug, life doesn't get better than this for sure. Gotta make this trip in the near future.

[@PlanetDoug]

Well, I was very happy with how the trip turned out. When you look at the Trip Advisor reviews for these boats and that kind of thing, quite a few people complain that the trip was boring, that there was nothing to see, that the food wasn't good, etc. But I guess it all depends on your expectations and how comfortable you are with your own company. I had a marvelous time. Yes, wind in my hair and a cup of coffee. What could be bad? 🙂

[@WanderEats]

@@PlanetDoug how true... reviews can sometimes be deceiving but I am glad you made it to Mandalay safely.

[@thethtoozin5614]

After COVID19 Welcome Back To Myanmar🇲🇲

[@zawkantlant]

How nice, having the boat to all by yourself.

[@PlanetDoug]

Yes, it was a nice surprise. It would have fine if there were other people on the boat. Maybe I could have had some interesting conversations with people from around the world. But it's a special experience to have such a big boat all to myself for ten hours. That doesn't happen very often, does it?

[@easternorient]

Sinatra's 'On the road to Mandalay' keeps singing in my head as I watch you journey to Mandalay!

[@PlanetDoug]

I'd heard about Kipling's poem "Mandalay" my whole life, but before this trip, I'd never actually read it. And I also listened to Sinatra's version on KZbin. It was different from what I expected. I thought it would be classical and intellectual and very academic. But it's actually quite down-to-earth since it is supposed to be a simple soldier remembering his glory days of youth and freedom while stationed in colonial Burma. I've listened to it a few times now.

[@pumkok]

I always enjoy watching your videos on Myanmar. Keep up the good work. Thank you so much.

[@PlanetDoug]

You're welcome. I'm currently making some plans for other places to visit in Myanmar, so I hope to be able to show a lot more of the country.

[@kenengimaging]

Captain Doug, you forgot your backpack on showing the boat tour😅

[@yananneteoh9818]

You're truly an intrepid traveller! Thanks for sharing the world with us... fascinating world and people. Myammar's open to tourists nowadays. I remember in the 70s-80s perhaps, or even later (?) it was closed to the outside world and one could only get a visa for two weeks in advance and had to fly in. Today, the beautiful country needs more tourists. We need people to have trust in people as a beneficial and harmless force ... you're such a wonderful role model; a 21 century hippie traveller. Thank you for helping Myanmar's opening to travellers. Seems like they've made it special for you too! One good turn deserves another. First time I've seen the Irrawady River; used to learn about it in geography, but it is very wide indeed, more like the sea! Now you can watch the sunrise, and we too. Nice safe trip!

[@PlanetDoug]

I don't currently feel very intrepid. 🙂 In fact, my small adventures in Myanmar were almost too easy. Hotels were so comfortable and arranging transportation was so simple and people were so nice and pleasant that I started to feel a bit guilty. Shouldn't it be more challenging than this? I think if I were true to my online moniker and rode my bicycle in Myanmar, things would have been more challenging. Before I went there, I still had the image in my mind of Myanmar from when it was more closed off. I heard stories of the difficulties people faced and the restrictions that were imposed on foreign visitors. I knew Myanmar had opened up, but I still had the feeling it would be tougher than it turned out to be. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Myanmar to anyone that wanted to visit.

[@learnfrompeople5196]

@@PlanetDoug Hi Doug, even if the travel is not too difficult logistically and such, it is always enjoyable to watch you travel. I am enjoying your travelogue in Sumatra at the moment. Stay safe please on the highway and consider using a motorcycle at least. Best of luck to you and health.

[@chosett]

I served in the Myanmar Navy known as Burma at that time, for 7 years, and was temporarily stationed on a RGB (river gunboat). In December 1966 we went up the Ayeyarwaddy all the way from Yangon to Mandalay which took a week as we stopped at every major town on the river including Bagan. You pronounced Pakkoku correctly, it is a fairly large city in central Myanmar. As to Justin Bieber, sorry to say I am not his fan. Since I am of the older generation, Bryan Adams is much more to my liking. A few years ago, I even visited his birthplace of Kingston, Ontario....lovely little town! You had the history of Mandalay right! For your information, the last King of Burma Thibaw resided in the Royal Palace until he was exiled to India by the British when they occupied Mandalay. Hotel Boss looks very nice indeed, what a bargain for US$11 a night including breakfast!

[@PlanetDoug]

That must have been a fascinating journey back in 1966. I think there are tourist cruise boats today that go all the way from Yangon to Mandalay. But that wouldn't be the same as what you experienced as a young man on a river gunboat. I realized later on just how big Pakkoku was. But you don't see much of it from the river. And I was surprised how little river traffic there was, even close to a large city like Pakkoku. Justin Bieber is not my cup of tea, either. I'm more of a Bryan Adams guy myself. I didn't even know that Kingston was his home town. So you know things about Canada that even I don't know.

[@chosett]

@@PlanetDoug Yes, it certainly was! I'll never forget the sights and sounds of rural life on the banks of the Ayeyarwaddy. The village folk looked quite happy with their simple life-style. People bathing in the river would wave to us and we would wave back at them. One night when I was on guard duty up on the machine gun deck (I can't recall the town as we dropped anchor every night at a major port town) I remember it was a very clear night and I could see the stars shining brightly above. I was in my early 20s back then, full of aspirations and dreams. When we docked at Bagan, I went ashore with several of my buddies. We rented a horse cart and did a short tour of the temples and pagodas. Not a single tourist in sight at that time.

[@selfreflection2117]

Nice boat trip. Good and friendly service there. Staff carry your luggage. As for accomodation, Myanmar has nice rooms with breakfast is good value for money so far.

[@PlanetDoug]

Yes, it was a very nice trip. The service was great. I'm still shy about recording my conversations with people on camera, so I didn't record any of it, but I had nice long chats with the staff on the boat. I think one of the young men was a kind of intern. He seemed to be shadowing the more experienced staff member and picking up tips on how you interact with these strange foreigners that come to ride on their boat. The two of them would sit with me and chat about things in general, and the "intern" spent his spare time studying English so he could get better at his job. The accommodation in Myanmar has been a big surprise for me. I'd always heard that Myanmar was more expensive than other southeast Asian countries and that hotels in particular were costly. But that hasn't been my experience at all. In fact, they seem to be much better value than other places. And the service is extraordinary. I'm more accustomed to the budget hotels in places like the Philippines or Indonesia, and there really isn't any service at all at that price. That's normal for me. So I was astonished when I showed up at even basic places in Myanmar and the staff went far out of their way to make sure my stay was comfortable and that I had everything I needed. The Hotel Boss in Mandalay is a very good example. That room cost $11 US a night, including a nice breakfast. That's a very good value. I couldn't get enough of those soft cotton sheets and nice pillows and thick duvets. And to wake up in the morning and simply stroll to the roof to have a nice breakfast was really nice. It was a life of luxury for me. 🙂

[@mohdk2299]

@@PlanetDoug This kind of comment made me miss your blog. Certainly you leave A LOT of your insight/behind the scene in the videos. Even your UN-updated instagram does provide some of those thing. Would you consider to write again at some point? Perhaps with a new computer, you can do typing while rendering your video. Or your NEO still work for some writing?

[@PlanetDoug]

@@mohdk2299 I miss my blog as well. A problem with video is how much time it takes. I enjoy making the videos very much, and I love the interaction with you and other people that watch them. It's been a lot of fun and has added a lot to my life since I started doing it. But the time commitment is extreme, and it hasn't left any time for my blog or even for photography and Instagram. My original idea was to focus on video and kind of get that figured out and under control and then slowly work writing and photography back into my daily life. But I've had trouble doing that. And I do miss it. It's long been my habit to wake up first thing in the morning and write for a couple of hours and then start my day. But I've stopped doing that since I started making videos. Now when I wake up, my computer is usually still on and in the middle of uploading a video that will take twenty hours to finish - if it ever finishes. I think it's possible, but I have to become more efficient and perhaps work out a system that lets me write a little bit and shoot video and even take a few pictures once in a while. My poor blog is so neglected. And I do miss my NEO. That lovely machine is in storage right now. But I'm really at the limit for how much gear I can reasonably carry. I'd love to have the NEO with me all the time, but to add that to my full-sized camera, the GoPro, the laptop, and portable hard drives and batteries and chargers and smartphones is too much. But it's really just a time issue as far as writing and video is concerned. I can still write on this laptop even when it is compiling video or uploading. I just have to make sure not to run any other programs, and I have to use a simple Notepad program to keep the memory use to a minimum. Of course, a new computer would help a bit. I'm seriously thinking about picking up a replacement for my baby Dell Inspiron 3000. I need something with more horsepower (and a battery that works). 🙂

[@selfreflection2117]

@@PlanetDoug I read our blogs too. You express your feelings more in your writings and I like your photographs on instagram too. You get more audience / followers with videos I think and you can monetize your channel.

[@boon69gs]

Hi Sir! My name is Boon. I am a Malaysian. I am glad to discover your channel and I am enjoy your videos so much. Thank you so much for bring us to the journey XD

[@PlanetDoug]

Hello, Boon. I'm glad you found my channel and are enjoying the videos.

[@akbarrahimtula9267]

Thank you so much for the lovely boat ride

[@PlanetDoug]

You're welcome. 🙂

[@hanwaisproperty]

As a Myanmar living in North America, i love watching your videos in Myanmar esp this one, seems like a wonderful relaxing travel between cities. I surely will continue watching your videos, most likely outside of Myanmar also.

[@PlanetDoug]

Thank you. I'm planning for a return trip to Myanmar - perhaps starting in early September. If you have any suggestions for places to visit, I'd love to hear them.

[@dondupsherab6508]

So lonely, but how lucky you are " King of Irrawaddy" !

[@PlanetDoug]

Yes, I was lucky to have the whole boat to myself. I don't think that happens very often. 🙂 I was king for a day.

[@hlyan288]

Love to see your video. Thanks for your video. I miss my country . I wish you have a great life where ever you go in the world .

[@PlanetDoug]

Thank you very much. I've noticed that many people from Myanmar actually live and work overseas in other countries. And everyone misses Myanmar very much.

[@chosett]

@@PlanetDoug I have lived/worked in several different countries during the past 40 years and consider myself fortunate to have traveled extensively around the world, including Canada a few years ago. I retired in 2011 and moved to the United States where I am presently living in Florida. However, Myanmar will always be my real home and yes, I miss it very much too!

[@FunCook100]

Looking back, those were some good days.

[@kugelschreiberzusammenbaue3585]

awesome trip

[@WanderEats]

I saw those bucket seats and I thought omg.. this boat is going to go pretty fast... lol! What an experience though Doug.. wow!

[@PlanetDoug]

I wonder if there is a story behind those seats. They don't seem standard issue for a basic riverboat, do they? Perhaps there was a big sale on surplus seats from fast hydroplanes or something. 🙂

[@sairamvavilala1519]

Very nice narration and excellent video.

[@PlanetDoug]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it.

[@jimmyng6852]

I was anticipating another great video from you, and it turned out just as i expected it to be! You simply cannot get any luckier than this Doug - having the whole boat to yourself although my sympathies goes to the operator of the boat.....Well you loose some and you gain some. Compared to your train ride from Yangon to Bagan, this must be heaven on earth. This will be a trip in mind for me should i make anymore trip to Myanmar after the one i am embarking on in 3 weeks time. Yeap, i am looking forward to my trip. Travel safe Doug and i will be keeping you on my radar through your videos.

[@PlanetDoug]

I think boats in general are a fantastic (if not the best) way to experience many countries. There's something special about sitting on a boat whether it is crossing an ocean or going along a river. Bangladesh is a very good example of that. You could spend weeks taking those incredible ferries from city to city on the many rivers. I don't know how many other opportunities there are for taking boats in Myanmar. I think I saw something online about boats that go all the way from Yangon to Mandalay. And I recently read a long and interesting blog post about a trip by boat from a city in the far north down to Mandalay. Good luck with planning your upcoming trip.

[@jimmyng6852]

@@PlanetDoug Comparatively, from my observation river boats in Bangladesh and the one you just went on are entirely two different kettle of fish. While the ones in Myanmar seemed clean, courteous crew and strictly observing set maritime safety requirements, I can't say the same for those in Bangladesh which appear to be overcrowded, rusted and unsafe for travelling. I just cannot imagine the crew ever serving you such a sumptuous breakfast and lunch on board the boat in Bangladesh.

[@komyoedesign]

Dear Doug, I am so happy for you too, even myself after living very long time in the States when I get back to the my motherland country same exactly happened to me quite very much enjoy :) But only difference is except I can speck Burmese because of I am originally Burmese :) I am glad that you've enjoyed the river trip to Mandalay :) Please stay safe & take good cares in Mae Sot as well..! I am always watching all of your latest updated the You-Tube videos :) Thank You Doug..!

[@Joe-hz6uc]

I like your video

[@PlanetDoug]

Thanks!

[@EatNukeTV]

45:28 that's nice. Ayam masak kicap that's what we called it in malay, or chicken cooked with soy sauce. Makes me wanna go to Myanmar.

[@PlanetDoug]

It was a good meal. I was surprised when it showed up because it seemed to come straight from the kitchen. I was expecting a kind of boxed lunch, so my hot chicken lunch was great. I have no idea what the vegetables were. I should have asked someone, but for some reason I didn't. The veggies were tasty, too.

[@fernandomofreita79]

Have a pleasant and safe boat trip to Mandalay Mr. Douglas.

[@PlanetDoug]

Thank you.

[@chacolay]

Great reporting. Boat trip is on my list, not the train for sure. Thanks

[@ewengillies9826]

Doug's private cruise. How wonderful was that ... treated like royalty ... fed on Michelin Star foods ... great crew service. I think you were a bit apprehensive about the trip but it was an awesome journey for you. Definitely a must do in my book even in busier times. Incredible rooms at very low cost. Your vlogs are like doc is always interesting informative and educational. Fantastic to be able to follow your journies and adventures. Thanks for your efforts to entertain us. Bushyboy Oz.

[@PlanetDoug]

I was a bit apprehensive beforehand partially because I read quite a few negative reviews online. People complained about being bored and how the trip wasn't worth the money, etc. And for me, $32 is quite a bit of money to spend just to go from one city to another. I think a luxury bus with all the trimmings (including hotel pick-up) costs about $5 and gets you to Mandalay faster. And taking the train would be a much more interesting experience in terms of being immersed in the local culture and seeing more local life. So I wondered if the boat was the best way to go. But things worked out very well. The boat didn't feel super-touristy or anything. It felt natural and local and quirky and interesting. I was never bored. The river wasn't teeming with life, but there was always something new and interesting around the next bend. And the food and coffee seemed great to me. And it dropped me off right at a jetty in the center of Mandalay just a short distance from my awesome hotel. I thought it was well-worth the money.

[@tak714]

i am a citizen to Myanmar and trust me even i havent done such traveling across Myanmar. It is such a good vlog from you and i send my thanks and best wishes to you for future visits across Myanmar.

[@LL-og5df]

Congratulations 🎉 4000 subs

[@malcolmwar977]

Welcome to India, the tuk tuk is made in India. It's called an Auto here in India:-)

[@AayJayRockez]

Greetings from Kitchener, I have a special place for Burma. I'm now planning my trip as I see your vlogs.

[@PlanetDoug]

I think it's a good time to visit. It's opening up to the outside world and there are now nice places to stay and it's fairly easy to get a tourist visa, and ATMs work with international cards. So it is becoming more convenient. But it is still not spoiled by too much tourism. It has a wonderful atmosphere. It might feel a bit different in the high season when more people visit, I don't know. But in the low season, it can feel wonderfully empty - such as me having this entire boat to myself. 🙂

[@rajeshkumaradityavlogsv6599]

Wow what a experience,amazing

[@DenisePoh]

Great you enjoyed your moments in the boat ride! Safe journey. I’d never get a chance to take a boat ride but at least I’m grateful to ride with you mentally ! Thanks with a grateful heart.

[@SakuraBurma]

Thank you for uploading the enjoyable video. Quite humorous too.

[@PlanetDoug]

You're welcome. I'm glad you enjoyed it. By the way, Blue is a beautiful dog. Do you take Blue with you when you visit Myanmar, or does Blue stay home in Australia?

[@MigrationJourneyMM]

I was looking for a vlog about train ride from Yangon to Bagan and I stumbled on your video. Then, I got here. In both trips, you didn't have a chance to meet and chat with fellow tourists. Without vlogging, It must have ben quite boring. Hope you will meet some travellers on your next trip. I enjoyed your videos.

[@pushpanathannn]

TCC, I like your very +ve attitude always about your commentary....you are very appreciative man I have come across ..keep up the good work for the world travellers..Thanking you from Australia..

[@PlanetDoug]

Thanks! I appreciate it.

[@aungkaung9812]

firstly, I am just interested in your trip to Myanmar, and i wanna know next or new videos of you. now I become a subscriber of your channel. After covid, I'll wait for your new videos.

[@RexPhalange]

The first person that pops in my head when I heard Canada is Céline Dion la magnifique, so no worries - there's a yin and a yang for everything haha.

[@PlanetDoug]

Yes, we're lucky to have Celine Dion. She doesn't come with any great scandals or embarrassing lifestyle choices that I'm aware of. I guess I didn't record that part of the conversation, but I did mention Celine Dion to those young men on the boat as another example of perhaps a famous Canadian singer. But they didn't recognize the name. They were all about Justin Bieber. 🙂

[@mayzinwinnaing2530]

Wow!! you're so lucky It seems like your own :D

[@ssarasary]

I enjoyed your vilog very much, thank you for sharing

[@PlanetDoug]

Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed it. Hopefully, you'll enjoy the next one, too. In the next video, I visit Mingun near Mandalay.

[@trivacker]

Did anyone have info if this ferry still operating today? I'm planning from Mandalay to Bagan.

[@yetunkyaw6625]

It was so amazing boat trip to Myingyan(my father's village) from Mandalay and I really miss that time with my dad that you probably reminds me of. By the way nice video.

[@PlanetDoug]

I looked for your father's village on Google Maps, and I think I found it. I guess I passed nearby it on this boat. So, you took a boat from Mandalay to Myingyan? Did you have to take several different boats or could you go directly? It must have been a different type of boat than my tourist boat, right?

[@kaungko7393]

Great video and have a safe trip. Hope you travel again to Myanmar and explore other parts of the country :)

[@PlanetDoug]

I hope to. I am putting together list of places to go, and it is getting longer and longer. 🙂

[@Lachmangyawaly]

Nice !

[@namkhamged]

Luckily, there is one building of the palace survived when they moved that palace to Inn Wa. The design and craftsmanship on the building is astounding. Now that building is served as a monastery and maintained by monks. The name is Bagaya Monastry.

[@PlanetDoug]

Yes, I read about Bagaya Monastery. It's located near the two bridges in Mandalay, isn't it? The boat went right past that area. I'd like to visit that area.

[@arty2k]

I'll bet that trip would have been overwhelmingly exciting if you had a good storm. Those race car seats would definitely save the passengers from unnecessary bathing.

[@PlanetDoug]

Who knows? That might be why they have seats like this. If the boat was really rocking hard from side to side (like my train), at least these seats would keep you firmly in place. All they need is a five-point harness system, and you could go Formula One racing with these.

[@tatianagomez2989]

thanks for show us how the view is. I was in Laos from Huay Xai to Luang Prabang, nothing compares whit this tríp. The trip un Laos is betwen mountains, jungle and smals towns, very much better. finaly I Will do this way in bus, thank you

[@boswellpaulraj9725]

Travelling time on both direction?

[@PlanetDoug]

I had this experience a long time ago, so I don't remember the exact times offhand. I do remember that it was significantly faster in one direction as opposed to the other, since you could be going with the current or against it. But it was basically a full day trip in either direction. You leave early in the morning and arrive in the afternoon.

[@Grace-pp3dw]

26 Praise the Lord. God bless you 86. Thank you. Hallelujah.91.

[@i-will-get-you-there]

great!!

[@KKH_htut]

Ok, you are simply travelling from location A to location B by a boat on a river but your videos are much more interesting/ entertaining than James Bond movies! if there's 1 hr duration of action movie vs your travel video, I'd happily choose 2nd one. Its all about your appreciative attitude, good vibe & interesting narration. Take care & Cheers! :)

[@PlanetDoug]

That's a pretty great compliment. Thank you.

[@simonrobin3276]

I rly enjoy ur vlogs in Myanmar because I’m from Myanmar but I’ve been living in Malaysia , Penang for 8 years , u should travel to Penang , Malaysia , it’s one of the top tourist cities in the world

[@PlanetDoug]

I've actually been to Penang in the past, but that was before I started making videos. I'm hoping (still hoping) to go on a bike ride around around Malaysia, and that trip might take me through Penang.

[@simonrobin3276]

The Cycling Canadian u can take a bus from kL to Penang , it’s only about 40-50 Rm

[@linlinsoe5732]

So beautiful guy

[@travelvideos]

view is so great. what kind of travel kettle you have?

[@PlanetDoug]

It isn't really a special travel kettle. I bought it at a department store in Indonesia one day. It is made of plastic, so it is very light. And it has no buttons or controls of any kind. It just has a simple coil inside that heats up the water. You just plug it in and it boils. I normally wouldn't carry a kettle. They're too heavy. But this plastic one is very light and convenient. Unfortunately, it doesn't have a brand name or anything. I actually have a couple of pictures of my first one: thecyclingcanadian.smugmug.com/Indonesia/Tanjungbalai-Siantar/Samsung-Galaxy-J7/Photos/Gallery-01/i-fLBzhtS/A thecyclingcanadian.smugmug.com/Indonesia/Tanjungbalai-Siantar/Samsung-Galaxy-J7/Photos/Gallery-01/i-C6Ww6vS/A That one actually melted one day when I forgot to unplug it. And I bought a new one. The new one is pink but exactly the same. 😀

[@KKH_htut]

The Cycling Canadian Dear Mr.Doug, may I suggest one thing, if possible, not to use plastic kettle as it’s plastic chemical can be dissolved in boiled water when heat up. It’s not good for health in Long term. I think so. If it is cheaper, more likely that cheap materials used & it’s prone to have negative impact on consumers in Long run.

[@natureenthusiast660]

How much did you pay to that luggage carrier?

[@PlanetDoug]

If I remember right, I don't think I paid him anything. It just seemed to be a service that was offered, and no one was expecting a tip. I could be wrong about that, but that was how it seemed at the time.

[@tanittaareewong5878]

May I ask you what time of the year you took this boat?

[@kenengimaging]

Captain Doug! 😅

[@joe53214]

thanks sir, i m ready to cruise with the king. hit the like and go!! forgot to tell you I am the knight

[@nyils2]

he mean 100 is maximun...but alot of risk..50 is better safe and drive speed..bcoz river at summer low water level...

[@mohdk2299]

Eating delicious food stimulates your appetite, not because you're hungry 😁. In previous comments, someone said 1080p24 is better for GoPro in low light. Do you try that one?

[@PlanetDoug]

No, I didn't try that. I was shooting in 1080p60. I kind of forgot that the GoPro can't really shoot in dark conditions. Maybe 24p would be a bit better, but my guess is it still wouldn't work that well. The GoPro just isn't designed for low light use - and it was practically pitch black on the boat. I should have used my regular camera in the early morning when it was so dark. But I just didn't think of it.

[@cyrus-ak1655]

do u have any plan to visit bangladesh again? like other cities (barisal) of bangladesh

[@PlanetDoug]

I'd really like to, to be honest. If I did return to Bangladesh, I would definitely go to Barisal. I most enjoyed the giant ferry boats on the rivers, and I'd love to take one from Dhaka to Barisal. I wanted to do that on my last visit, but it didn't work out. Maybe next time.

[@cyrus-ak1655]

@@PlanetDoug waiting for your trip..

[@bloison]

I travel to Myanmar very frequently and its so strange seeing tuk tuks in this video. I've only been in southern Myanmar and have never seen a tuk tuk, even in the larger cities like Mawlamyine.

[@PlanetDoug]

I don't know when tuk-tuks showed up in Mandalay, but they are there now. Maybe they've been in Mandalay for a long time. I guess they've been banned in Yangon for a while. Not sure about Mawlamyine. I haven't been there yet.

[@johnmaclaim1]

are you alone on this boat ...that 's great ..

[@PlanetDoug]

Yes, I was the only passenger on the boat that day. It was the low season, and there weren't many tourists in Bagan. It was a fun experience.

[@johnmaclaim1]

@@PlanetDoug look like you have rent the whole boat ....good idea :)

[@leekaihing4462]

hi sir, i from malaysia and i come across your channel this morning and i love your video. i have been to myanmar on my first trip back in 2008 . it was a business trip dealing with myanmar minister of energy. we first arrived at yangon . stay i night and the next morning we fly south to dawei. we are being accompany by a agent engage by the main contractor and a official from moe. you are lucky to able to travel freely and get to enjoy the whole boat to yourself. i remember back then we have to wait 3 days for our return flight to yangon. we spent 3 days in dawei doing nothing except to get drunk

[@heinkoko1497]

Ok The irrawaddy river is your domain now. xd xd

[@PlanetDoug]

At least for a day. I was the king of the river for a day. 🙂

[@danielristohhutapea]

im from indonesia.. sumatra island tobe precise.. and first thing come up to my mind when i hear canada is...somehow... ALASKA...man i love alaska so much LOL....and also... The raptors.... congrats for the champhionship..much love from indonesia

[@PlanetDoug]

Thank you. Is "Tobe" the same as Lake Toba? I spent some time there. It's a beautiful part of Sumatra. I'm not very interested in basketball, but even I watched the highlights of the final games as the Raptors won the NBA championship. It's interesting, though, that I think only one player on the Raptors is actually from Canada. Most are from the United States. But Canadians love them anyway and are proud of them. 🙂 And Alaska is actually part of the United States as well. The Canadian version of Alaska is just as wild and just as beautiful, though. That's the Yukon, which sits right beside Alaska way up north.

[@danielristohhutapea]

@@PlanetDoug ya toba lake is beautiful.. and also theres direct flight now from kuala lumpur to the province where the lake is located.the lake is actually a sleeping volcanic mountain if im not mistaken.. and yes canda has a very beautiful view.. a country with beautiful county side view.. in fact if i get to choose where im going to spend my retirement day.. ill choose canda or thailand...:) by the way , because of watching your videos , now im changing my next trip destination to myanmar..and ill be staying and lil yangon hostel..and probably ill be travelling to mandalay to hahahah..ive been watching your video since you start your journey with train to bagan ( i love backpacking travelling with train)..and since then ive frequently check on ur youtube channel just to see wether ne video has been uploaded or not. so.. yeah.. please upload tons of videos soon if you dont mind doug... one more thing.. is it possible to travel from alaska ... to canada..and to USA through land trip by driving a camper van ??thanks doug..all the best for you..:)

[@PlanetDoug]

Yes, you can easily travel overland from Alaska into Canada and then back into the USA with a camper van. Of course, you have to have the right visa and that sort of thing and the documents for the camper van. But as long as you have that, there is nothing to stop you from doing that. Way up north in Alaska and the Yukon, you might encounter some rough patches of road and have some encounters with giant logging trucks roaring past, but it would be nothing that any modern vehicle couldn't handle. And soon, you'd find yourself on smooth, wide highways. Traveling around Canada and the US by camper van is a very popular pastime for Canadians and Americans. Of course, you have to take weather and the seasons into account when you are considering Alaska and the Yukon and the Rocky Mountains. Winter is no joke up there. Unless you really know what you are doing and really want to experience true snow and ice, you're probably better off planning your trip for summer and fall. Have you ever seen the TV show Ice Road Truckers? That can give you some idea of what the roads in the far north can be like in the winter.

[@danielristohhutapea]

@@PlanetDoug yes.. the view is fascinating .. i really love canda..by the way.. does canada have something like US Route 50 the "loneliest road" in nevada US view? i really love spending so much time on the street like US 50 Route..

[@PlanetDoug]

Well, Canada is a very large country with a very small population. So a lot of the roads - particularly in the north - feel quite wild and empty. In fact, a lot of the highways might feel like Route 50, except that Canada doesn't really have any desert landscapes like you'd find in the United States in Nevada. Instead, you'd be passing through forests, mountains, lakes, and tundra. And in the prairie provinces, you'd be passing through endless flat fields of wheat and corn. The more densely populated areas, such as around the big cities in southern Ontario, would feel more urban with more people. But once you go north in any province, you'll soon have entire roads to yourself.

[@rogermartin5221]

Mandalay, last kingdom of myanmar Founded in 1857 By King Mindon Last King Thibaw

[@PlanetDoug]

King Mindon in particular has come up a lot in my recent reading about the history of Myanmar. He seems to have been a very popular king and has been credited with a lot of progressive achievements and modernization of the country. And King Thibaw was his son, right? I remember reading that he was exiled to India after the British annexed Upper Burma. I'm not sure what happened to him after that. Have to do some more reading. 🙂

[@rogermartin5221]

Yes it is he and his brother want to make Myanmar as Agricultural country to Mechanical country

[@melinabrunet1575]

Hello Douglas, it was a pleasure keeping you company on this boat trip. We will be on KL on 1st and 2nd of August. I will send you my email address through the contact form of your blog. Ping me if you can find a moment for a lunch or diner with a bunch of strangers. Warning note: we are travelling with kids but most of the time they do not bite. 😀

[@PlanetDoug]

That sounds great. I'm looking forward to it, kids and all. 🙂 I've sort of been neglecting my blog for a while, but I will keep an eye on it and I will get in touch by email.

[@PlanetDoug]

By the way, I did find your message, and I replied by email. I wasn't able to reply directly to your message (the website is a bit glitchy at the moment). I had to send a fresh email (if that makes any sense), so it might end up in your spam filter or something like that. Hopefully it found its way and you'll see it.

[@zawhtut232]

What kinds of flag they posted .

[@PlanetDoug]

Are you asking about the flag behind me in the thumbnail? The one on the back of the boat? That is the national flag of Myanmar. It's kind of a new flag for the country because it was officially adopted in 2010. If I have this straight, the yellow stripe represents solidarity, the green stripe represents peace, tranquility, and lush greenery, and the red stripe represents courage and decisiveness. And the white star stands for unity of the country.

[@rebeccatrue4873]

Title should be "Hijacking MGRG Boat By The Cycling Candian" instead :-) :-).....

[@PlanetDoug]

I know. I should work on my KZbin titles and make them more exciting: "Canadian Hijacker Takes Over Boat in Myanmar." 🙂 I had a train car all to myself and a boat all to myself. Now I need an empty plane to complete the set.

[@user-ep4mz9ob1c]

44:20 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yandabo

[@rocketgaming95]

I little freak about boats. Because i can"t swim 😂

[@TheBurmeseDude]

"Burmese VIP treatments for you, the whole train car and now the whole boat, Mr. Justin Bieber. I thought you'd be shorter."

[@PlanetDoug]

Now, I just need to stumble across a completely empty plane, and I'll have completed the set.

[@chinthomas6854]

Those seats look like race cars' 😂😂

[@travellingthailand5139]

Thanks for taking the trouble to make this and other videos about Burma and sharing with us. Clear explanation in simple English is what I like most. Any plan to visit Bangkok , let me know then. Check out my FB at "" Michael Tin Hla "" . Continued pleasant journey Sir.

[@PlanetDoug]

You're welcome. I don't have any plans to visit Bangkok in the near future, but you never know. It might happen. 🙂

[@sheikhhashimi5082]

Charter boat

[@PlanetDoug]

Yes, it was practically a private charter boat. I don't think that will ever happen to me again. 😀

[@sheikhhashimi5082]

@@PlanetDoug Ofcourse you did pay cost huge amounts of money too.

[@ato7984]

Visit India...

[@terastarship2]

sand mining

[@PlanetDoug]

I think you're right. In Mandalay, I saw them mining sand right on the shore of the river. And that made me think that these boats were doing the same thing.

[@vania5247]

Un pratriotic Myanmar...look at flag of Myanmar behind u....poor condition and no body to replace .....to new one

[@PlanetDoug]

The condition of the flag kind of surprised me, too. My sense is that the people of Myanmar are VERY proud of their country. And this was one of the first trips of the season for this boat. You'd think they'd start the new season with a fresh new flag. I guess this was a detail that they overlooked this year as they got the boat ready. But it looked like the motor was well-maintained, the boat was in good condition, and there were plenty of lifejackets. And if I had to choose between a reliable motor and a new flag, I'd go for the motor. 🙂 Who knows? Maybe a kind tourist will read your comment on this video and present the staff of the boat with a bright new flag when they take a trip on this boat.

[@KKH_htut]

This flag is introduced to use by military government start from 2010 without getting people votes. Most of people in mm don’t like this flag including me. Anyway, may be they keep new one @front part of boat. Behind one will get dirty again no matter how many times they change due to engine smoke. 💨

[@PlanetDoug]

@@KKH_htut That's interesting, what you said about people not liking this new flag design. I remember that I was surprised when I first saw the flag. I wasn't sure why. But then I realized that the colors and the overall design actually made me think of an African flag. It seemed African to me, and not a particularly Asian choice of colors. And what you said about the flag at the back of the boat is quite true. I hadn't thought about that, but a new flag would almost certainly get very dirty very quickly because of the engine exhaust. They'd probably end up spending a fortune on replacing the flag far too often if they tried to keep it new and clean.

[@KKH_htut]

The Cycling Canadian Yes, really. People do not like that flag. Indeed it looks like African too. The reason why people do not like it is that the government we didn’t vote for, chose the flag design we didn’t like. In fact, all the things in country are decided one sided which is pure broke of democracy. Our genius military government even changed the country name from Burma to Myanmar in 1989, of cos without people’s will as well. Civilians are like drunken step-father’s children who are being bullied/suppressed in every way possible. Until now 25% of parliament seats are being shamelessly seated by military puppets (without people votes again). Never heard of a country in this world where military involving in management of country in this far. Of cos if military guys are brilliant in management & not corrupt, they are always welcome to cooperate but it’s not their specialty & they have screwed up the country since 1962. Yet until now they haven’t given up on worsening it. Sorry if I commenting in many politic ways , it’s just a travel fun sharing video. But, just some knowledge sharing to you regarding history of why people don’t like this flag or may be you were already aware of some country politic background beforehand too.. Cheers ! ;)

[@htin08]

@@PlanetDoug The three colours was think up during British ruled by some pioneer pro independent thinkers. It was officially used by Japanease backed Burmese government in 1943. Many young Burmese don't know the history. They thought the flag was the three colours was chosen by military.

[@sheikhhashimi5082]

Burmese don't know how to run country and business too if you compare with Thailand and others south east Asia countries

[@htetaunglinn8217]

our country is communists before 2014 under military dictatorship.we got real democracy at 2014 , it's been 4 years ..if you compare with Thailand or others south east Asia.

[@EatNukeTV]

@@htetaunglinn8217 you are right. Your country is beautiful anyhow

[@KKH_htut]

It’s not that they don’t know how to run country & business but it just that they don’t have leader who knows how to put right people in right place to run country. I’d say 80% of current leaders in Myanmar are not qualified to become one.

[@pakeng100]

I don't see you tipping people who helped you and carry your heavy bag. It's not their job but helped you. At least you tip them out of courtesy. You are so cheap.

[@PlanetDoug]

From what I experienced, Myanmar doesn't really have a tipping tradition or culture. I could be wrong, but in every hotel or even basic hostel that I stayed in, the staff insisted on carrying my bag for me. They had plenty of staff, and they were so eager to provide good service that no matter how much I insisted that I could carry my own bag, they would grab it and take it to my room, or they'd come out of the hotel and get my bag from the tuktuk and bring it in. And based on what I saw, no one was expecting a tip for that. It was just part of the service of the hotel. The odd thing is that I'm actually much more comfortable carrying my own bag. And I usually stay in low budget hotels where it's just assumed that you carry your own bag. Most people have backpacks anyway, and they carry them on their backs as they go into the hotel. On this trip, I just happened to have a duffel bag instead of a backpack, and it was such a surprise to me when hotel staff kept picking it up and carrying it for me. I'd be perfectly fine with tipping them if it was expected or the local custom, but it didn't seem to be.

[@gameman2936]

I live in Myanmar and in many places in Mon state it is rude to tip they dont like it.