Myanmar air news

On 3^rd November, Austrian-based Lauda Air began offering charter flights to Yangon from Vienna.

Myanmar Airways International (MAI) has increased its flights to Singapore from three times weekly to five times a week, and also to Bangkok from nine times weekly to ten times a week. MAI is planning to offer services to India in February 2004. MAI will also fly twice a week to and from Yangon and Hong Kong starting from December 2004.

Thai Airways International began offering services to and from Chiang Mai and Yangon on 30^th November four times a week, on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

Phuket Air’s direct flights to and from Mandalay and Bangkok have been suspended for the tourist season due to lack of demand.

Thailand-based PB Airline resumed its three weekly flight services to and from Bagan and Bangkok on 27^th October.

Air Mandalay is planning to operate a service to and from Monywa (MWA) and Mandalay, which will commence on 3^rd December 2003. The flying time from Mandalay to Monywa (MWA) will be about 30 minutes and from Yangon it will be about 1 hour and 40 minutes. The airline will begin using ATR-72 aircraft to transport passengers in the near future. The new aircraft can carry up to 70 passengers, whereas the ATR-42 aircraft that were used can only carry up to 40 guests.

By ferry and river boat

The Shwe Kainayi ferry, which operates between Mandalay and Bagan, will now run three times a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The company’s slower boats will operate on Wednesdays and Sundays, while no ferries will be operating at all on Mondays and Fridays.

In October 2003, the RV Soe Moe Aung began offering twice-daily river cruises to and from Mingun and Mandalay. The boat offers an air-conditioned lounge, an open-air deck and a mini-bar.

The Salone Festival

Salone boats along the beach

From 14^th to 17^th February, visit the Makyone Galet Village on the Bocho Island of the Mergui Archipelago for the Salone Festival, where you will witness traditional and spiritual dances, diving competitions and a fascinating way of life. A two day festival will also be held on 14^th and 15^th February on Palau Bada Island, and will feature rowing competitions, folk singing and a traditional Salone feast. The Salone people, or sea gypsies, live nomadic sea lives for seven months of the year, living off their ingenuity and the resources of the ocean.

EXO PICKS: A picnic lunch in the bamboo forest

In Dien is a small village near Inle Lake that is home to hundreds of ancient stupas, temple ruins, natural bamboo forest and the Pao’h ethnic minority group. It is the perfect place for you and 200 of your friends to enjoy breathtaking views and a picnic lunch at an open air restaurant where everything is made out of the bamboos covering the forest, including the seats and plates. After you dine on a buffet lunch of tomato soup, barbecued chicken, pork, fish and prawn, beef curry and fresh fruits catered by Ann’s Restaurant, engage the Pao’h in some traditional games, go exploring among the forest vegetation or enjoy a nice cup of coffee or tea as you sit along the banks of a nearby river, enjoying the nature that Myanmar has to offer. Please contact myanmar@exotissimo.com for more information.