The food of Myanmar is a little more oily and a little less spicy than what we’re used to in Southeast Asia, and it is is not quite as diverse as foodie neighbours Thailand, China and India, but influences from all three mean there is an eclectic variety of flavour packed food. And while undertaking our #escapers17 adventures we want to try it all.

But, and there is always one of those, our time in Yangon is short and our schedule too tight to pack in all of the amazing things there are to do in Yangon, especially as Raffles and I decide to devote much of our time to face stuffing. We’re nothing if not resourceful and the Yangon streets we are racing about are heaving with makeshift sidewalk stalls selling all kinds of interesting, and mostly unidentifiable, foods. And we are quite prepared to risk indigestion by tasting as many of them as we can… on the run.

Like most of South East Asia, the food of Myanmar is based around a delicate balance of sweet, sour and salty notes and a slavish devotion to fish sauce and funky fermented ngapi (fish or shrimp paste).

Fermentation is quite the thing in Myanmar. Even tea leaves are not immune as, in this country, they are not only downed in a nice cuppa, but fermented and eaten in salad. National favourite Laphet Thoke (pickled tea leaf salad) is mouth-watering, the fermented tea leaves combined with chopped cabbage, dried shrimp, fish sauce, lime, dried garlic and roasted nuts, tomato and chilli to irresistible effect.

We are lucky enough to learn how to recreate the dish during a cooking class challenge at Inle Lake’s The Shan Restaurant and the recipe is one I am keen to share as soon as I track down the best place to buy pickled tea leaves in Australia.

Indeed, there is not much the people of Myanmar won’t attempt to turn into a salad (thoke). But these are not salads as Raffles and I know them (or regularly attempt to dodge). These are crunchy and refreshing with thinly sliced vegetables and loads of piquant green mango tossed in fish sauce, lime juice and topped with everything from nuts to dried prawns. And they are good.

Another extremely popular dish is Myanmar’s breakfast of champions, mohinga, a bowl of thick rice noodles in a soup made with river catfish, thickened with chickpea flour then sprinkled with deep fried fritters, which I slurp down happily every morning.

Teahouses too are a big part of everyday life in Myanmar. They are popular places for people meet to drink, eat and set the world to rights. The tea is steaming hot, milky and oh so sweet, thanks to the wads of condensed milk they dollop into it.

While meat and seafood dishes are abundant, there are plenty of options for vegetarians with many of the street foods we spy appearing to be based around variations of cabbage and bean curd.

Pockets of what appears to be bean curd skin are stuffed with cabbage, vegetables, pickled something or other and nuts, and are ridiculously tasty.

Another popular street snack is Mont Lin Ma Yar (husband and wife snacks), crispy rice pancake creations, which prove irresistible to both mother and son. The tiny savoury cakes are grilled as two individual halves and topped with quail eggs, scallions, or roasted chickpeas, then joined together to make little balls around the same size as Japanese Takoyaki. They are utterly addictive and we grab a bag every time we spot them.

Then there are the bugs!

While we’ve tried loads of them before, with varying degrees of success, Yangon’s insect offerings have Raffles gagging in the gutter.

But a couple of the city’s ubiquitous samosas soon sorts him out.

Much to our excitement, curries are also extremely popular and generally served with buttery paratha flatbread. They tend to be more sour and salty than what we’ve become accustomed to in Asia, but are really quite wonderful.

Craving one of the tamarind-spiked, sour and salty curries from our adventures, Raffles and I have hit the kitchen knock up our own take on Burmese cuisine with this delicious Burmese Pork Curry with Mango Salad. Enjoy!

Burmese Pork Curry with Mango Salad

May 18, 2018

by Aleney de Winter

Category Asia Asian food International Myanmar

Ingredients

• 4cm length of ginger, chopped
• 5 garlic cloves, chopped
• 3 eschalots, chopped
• 1 tsp. ngapi (shrimp paste)
• 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp. dried chilli flakes
• 1 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 kg pork neck, cut into 5cm chunks
• 1 lemongrass stalk, bruised and halved
• 2 tsp. fish sauce, plus extra, to taste
• 500ml chicken stock
• 500ml water
• 1 tbsp. palm sugar
• 2 tbsp. tamarind paste
• Juice of half a lime
• Steamed rice (optional) and lime wedges, to serve
• 1 green mango, peeled, julienned
• 2 eschalots thinly sliced
• 2 long red chillis, seeded, thinly julienned
• ½ cup mint leaves
• ½ cup unsalted toasted peanuts, chopped
• 2 tbsp. fried garlic
• 2 tbsp. lime juice
• 1 tbsp. fish sauce
• 1 tbsp. palm sugar

Instructions

1. In a mortar and pestle pound garlic, ginger, onion and ngapi until it forms a smooth paste.
2. Heat a large skillet on medium-high and add oil.
3. Add paste, chilli, turmeric and stir for one minute.
4. Add tomato paste and stir.
5. Add pork, stirring to coat meat, and cook for about 15 minutes, until pork is browned.
6. Add lemon grass and fish sauce and mix before topping with stock and water.
7. Bring mixture to a boil then reduce and cook, stirring occasionally, for around 1½ hours or until pork is tender.
8. Add palm sugar, tamarind and lime juice to taste and cook, lid off, for another 10 minutes to reduce sauce and serve.
9. For the mango salad mix lime juice, fish sauce and palm sugar thoroughly and set to one side.
10. Combine remaining ingredients in a bowl, reserving fried garlic and nuts, and mix together gently with dressing.
11. Top with dried and nuts garlic and serve with curry and rice.

Tags

cooking with kids,

food for kids,

Inle Lake,

kids in the kitchen,

Myanmar,

Recipes,

world food,

Yangon

© 2021 copyright www.boyeatsworld.com.au

Disclosure: While we had to work for it, competing in and completing challenges, Raffles & I were hosted by the fabulous folk at AccorHotels, Scoot Airlines, Tiger Air and Asia Holidays during the incredible Myanmar leg of our #escapers17 adventure. However, all opinions and stuffing of faces is our own.

The post Tasting Yangon and a recipe for Burmese Pork Curry with Mango Salad appeared first on boyeatsworld.

The long boat splutters its way past a fisherman in the soft light of late afternoon before chugging its way down a lush, garden strewn corridor.

We follow the green and blue trail of hydroponic gardens until we reach the jetty of the Novotel Inle Lake Myat Min, where a cacophony of clanging cymbals and drums greets us.

It’s quite the noisy welcome but certainly puts a smile on Raffles’ face and he dances his way off the boat. Within moments we’re in a golf-buggy winding away past blooming frangipani trees through a labyrinth of elevated pathways until we reach our stunning stilted overwater villa, the perfect base for our two day Inle Lake Itinerary.

We’re kinda gobsmacked by the enormity of our luxurious digs and wonder if there has been some kind of mistake. But we’re not going to let on, just in case because this place is all sorts of fabulous! The villa combines just the right balance of Burmese charm with modern comforts and we quickly make ourselves at home.

There’s a separate living and sleeping area, and incredible views of the lush water gardens and surrounding jungle from the private balcony where we gobble up the sweet tapioca treat that’s been left to welcome us.

While I explore further, Raffles prances about like a nutjob under the Mosquito nets that are draped prettily from the ceiling over our beds.

The bathroom is as big as our apartment, with a gorgeous freestanding bath that has my name all over it.

Though I’d be quite happy to settle in for the evening in our plush surrounds, we instead head off to explore the rest of Novotel Inle Lake Myat Min and discover there’s a convenient on-site spa and free bikes to explore the area, both of which I fully intend to take advantage of later in our stay.

But for now we’re enjoying cocktails by the resort’s infinity pool. Well at least I am. Raffles is busy splashing about. I dangle my feet in the water as the sun drops and together we watch the Burmese sky turn to shimmering gold.

After filling up on a fantastic buffet dinner of Asian and international delicacies from the Novotel Inle Lake Myat Min’s restaurant, the clanging of cymbals announces the arrival of musicians, flamboyant costumed dancers and fire twirlers.

Then comes what can only be described as a life–sized yellow Muppet llama. While the shaggy creature intrigues Raffles, I make a mental note to slow down my alcohol intake, for surely I must be imagining it.

Before I take Raffles to bed, we head down to the jetty as the resort has one more surprise in store and, in a trip that has been filled with magical moments, this one proves one of its most beautiful. Together Raffles and I send a giant paper lantern full of wishes into the night sky, just as his father and I did ten years ago, to mark our wedding in Chiang Mai.

That’s right, by chance today marks my 10th wedding anniversary, and though I’m sad Mr Eats World and I are unable to celebrate together today (he is back home with Sugarpuff), it is a happy coincidence that I can repeat the ritual on this exact day, with Raffles as his dad’s proxy. We send a photo to Mr Eats World who sees it as beautifully serendipitous as I do.

After an incredible breakfast we’re back in the boats and heading to the centre of the lake where we are invited to watch a re-enactment of Inle Lake Boat Festival’s famous rowing race where dozens of Intha in traditional Shan dress compete in huge teams.

My boy racer is asked to join in – a privilege normally reserved only for Inle residents.

The twist, he too has to row with his feet. He races with as much heart as the rowers around him, his team winning by a nose. Another first for him to add to his collection of treasured travel memories.

The Novotel Inle Lake Myat Min provides an ideal base for exploring the lake.

After our exciting morning of racing, winding canals lead us past stilted monasteries and into a handicraft village.

where we watch the fibres of the lotus plant being hand pulled and woven into silk scarves and shawls.

We see wood workers crafting boats, and watch blacksmiths forge swords using traditional techniques, Raffles getting in on the act with a mallet.

We potter down bamboo-dammed canals, a little nonplussed when we find ourselves in what can only be described as monk soup!  We’ve obviously interrupted bath time for scores of laughing young monks who are leaping about in the water, their waves and giggling cries of Mingalabar (hello) following us as we pass by.

At In Dein, we explore the forest of stupa thats spreads across the low hill.

We stumble upon a temple restoration in progress. The dust catches the sun as locals labour to restore a vegetation-clad brick 12th century structure by hand, unveiling intricate carvings and giant images of the Buddha.

It is a once in a lifetime moment and launches Raffles into Indiana Jones mode. He leaps about the ruins like a ninja before settling before the fallen head of some ancient magical creature. This is why we travel.

Two women walk by carrying massive bundles on their heads, and a translator tells us that the uncomplaining ladies are about to undertake a two-hour walk home with their heavy loads. Raffles is horrified and sweetly suggests we give them a lift, much to their amusement.

The ladies continue on their way, as do we, a little more in love with Myanmar and its people with every passing day.

Disclosure: While we had to work for it, competing in and completing challenges, Raffles & I were hosted by the fabulous folk at AccorHotels, Novotel Inle Lake Myat Min, Scoot Airlines, Tiger Air and Asia Holidays during the incredible Myanmar leg of our #escapers17 adventure. However, all opinions and foot rowing are our own.

The post Myanmar with kids: Making memories at Novotel Inle Lake Myat Min appeared first on boyeatsworld.

We’re leading a small flotilla of long boats across Inle Lake, the machine gun rat-ta-tat of their engines shattering the silence in this serene water world, almost as much as the squealing “woohoos” coming from Raffles as we rev up and race our way across the freshwater lake.

Strewn with marshes and floating gardens, and skirted by teak stilt-houses and pretty temples, the sprawling freshwater lake in Myanmar’s eastern Shan province is home to around 200,000 people.

Many of whom may be suffering hearing issues following Raffles’ excited bellows.

While Inle Lake itself is jaw dropping, it is the Intha, meaning “lake people” in Burmese, that make the biggest impression. We motor through the lake’s vast openness past fishermen trawling its carp-filled waters, balancing on one leg as they reel in their nets. The Intha fishermen have become the lake’s accidental celebrities, their incredible balance and distinctive one-legged rowing style resulting in them becoming the most popular target of the tourist paparazzi… ourselves included.

When we pass one fisherman, who is rocking some particularly colourful trousers, Raffles announces that they remind him of flamingos, which in turn reminds me that my son is a bit odd. But in his defence, I guess there is a bit of a resemblance.

We chug along its narrow winding canals, through bamboo damns and gates, where locals tend to fruit and vegetables in their hydroponic lake gardens, to harvest, haul and sell at the local markets.

We’re lucky enough to have timed our visit to coincide with Mingalar Market, a busy five-day market in Nyaung Shwe. Here Thanaka-enhanced women hawk their wares of dried fish and sweets, and fry up delicious local treats over giant cauldrons of oil.

We nibble on delectable Mont Lin Ma Yar (husband and wife snacks), crispy rice pancakes stuffed with chives, which are so good we go back for seconds. Raffles noshes on some sticky sweet concoction that resembles poo but tastes, he says, like heaven.

I can’t confirm or deny this, as I’m not going anywhere near the thing. But I can attest for the amazing samosas, which are clearly laced with some kind of addictive chemical as I can’t stopping eating them. Thank goodness for Raffles, who stages an intervention, wrenching the remaining samosas from my hand and stuffing them in his gob.

We continue to out glutton each other until Raffles finds his food fest halted by one of the lovely locals who paints his face fetchingly with Thanaka (an off-white cosmetic paste made from ground bark).

I use the opportunity to stock up on all the fresh and fermented ingredients we need for a hot date we have with a local chef.

We arrive soon after at Nyaung Shwe’s The Shan Restaurant at ViewPoint Lodge. Located near Talk Nan Bridge and Canal, we soak up views of the lake and watch the boats roaring by from the upstairs balcony. We are here to be taught how to use the produce we’ve procured to prepare national dish, Laphet Thoke (pickled tea leaf salad), a mouth-watering concoction of fermented tea leaves combined with chopped cabbage, dried shrimp, fish sauce, lime, dried garlic, roasted nuts, tomato and chilli.

Raffles, being Raffles, turns our cooking lesson into a display of ninja theatrics but actually does a great job chopping and mixing up the ingredients.

We’re both equally enamoured with the salty, sour, spicy, crunchy and thoroughly irresistible end result… and the fact that Raffles has managed to make it through the lesson with all his fingers still attached, despite his flamboyant knife work.

We pile back on to our long boat and head out onto to a wide stretch of Inle Lake for an epic surprise – a once in a lifetime lunch of artfully prepared local cuisine, served in a floating dining room made from a couple of converted wooden rice carrier boats in the centre of the lake.

It’s a little unorthodox but we’re thrilled by our surreal dining quarters and devour luscious local cuisine over a leisurely lunch, beautifully prepared by the talented chefs from The Shan and served to us by their wait staff by boat.

We dive straight into sour and salty curries and an assortment of pickled stuff of indiscriminate origin before we’re served random but delectable things on sticks.

Raffles only comes up for air long enough to take a visit to the floating commode! Yep, that’s right they’ve thought of everything here and there’s even a boat discreetly hovering who chugs across to collect anyone who needs to answer nature’s call. Raffles, in his usual charming way, dubs the boat the Poo Patrol.

After he returns from his bathroom adventures, we inhale crispy and light prawn studded vegetable fritters and wallow in plates of mango pudding.

Stuffed and sated, we return to our long boats to chug along the lake through bamboo-dammed canals and lush gardens.

We meander up a narrow corridor of hydroponic gardens until the clanging of drumming and cymbals announces we’ve reached our hotel, the Novotel Inle Lake Myat Min, where we follow the green and blue trail of hydroponic gardens until we reach the jetty of the Novotel Inle Lake Myat Min, and the next part of our adventure awaits.

MYANMAR WITH KIDS  – NEED TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

When to visit
November to February is the best popular time to travel with little rain and less humidity.
Language
Burmese
Currency
Burmese Kyat
Power
The standard voltage is 230 V and the frequency is 50 Hz. Several power sockets styles are used so our recommendation is to take an all in one international power adapter
Visa & Passport Requirements
Visas for Myanmar are required by Australian, US, EU, British & Canadian Nationals. You will require a passport with 6 months validity and can apply for a 28 day eVisa online but must enter at Myanmar at Yangon, Nay Pyi Taw or Mandalay international airports or at Tachileik, Myawaddy or Kawthaung land border checkpoints.
Health
Mosquito borne diseases are a risk in Myanmar. When travelling with children prevention is best so apply child-safe insect repellent (with no more 20% DEET) at regular intervals and make sure they are dressed in long but light clothing at all times. While there are no essential vaccinations for travellers to Myanmar, we suggest visiting your family GP at least six weeks before travel for up to date advice on immunisations.
Food Safety
Avoid tap water, raw foods and food stalls with dubious hygiene standards, and avoid tummy bugs by following our safe eating mantra of “cook it, peel it or forget it.

Disclosure: While we had to work for it, competing in and completing challenges, Raffles & I were hosted by the fabulous folk at AccorHotels, Scoot Airlines, Tiger Air and Asia Holidays during the incredible Myanmar leg of our #escapers17 adventure. However, all opinions, snack gobbling and ninja chefery are our own.

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What does drinking wine whilst fully-clothed in a swimming pool, Justin Timberlake and being blindfolded in a sprawling presidential suite have to do with visiting Yangon?

It’s a long story. You see, it’s not everyday you jet into to a city with 22 of your newest friends and your nine-year old kid, ready for nothing more than a shower and a little time out in your luxurious 5-star hotel room when, instead, you’re accosted by the gyrating moves of the hotel staff… who appear to have more than a little sunshine in their pockets and just want to dance, dance, dance.

But that is exactly what happens as we arrive at the funky and fabulous Novotel Yangon Max, to be greeted by the fabulous flash mobbing staff and an infectiously happy soundtrack of disposable Justin Timberlake pop.

I can also assure that it’s not everyday that this card-carrying rock chick busts out the moves to a pop song that’s best known for its starring role in a kid’s movie about neon-haired Trolls, but what can I say? I really “can’t stop the feeling” after an epic welcome like this.

But, as usual, I digress. Raffles and I boogie our way to our room, which is spacious, modern and bathed in seductively warm earthy tones.

We scoff the deconstructed sticky rice and mango dessert that has been left to greet us.

But there’s not time for much else as we have been beckoned to the Presidential Suite for an audience with the #Escapers17 organisers, a couple of blindfolds and a hot date with a bucket of something fruity.

Yep, it’s a blind tasting challenge.

And though I can immediately pick the taste of the bucket of peeled and slimy snake fruit we’re dipping our fingers into, I’m buggered if I can remember its name. So instead of winning a point for the team, I soak up the atmosphere of the exclusive suite with its private bar, office space, enormous lounge and decorous chandeliers. When I stumble into its luxurious bathroom, complete with spa overlooking the city, I wonder if there’s anyway I can trade up from my superior room that’s located literally right next door.

That would be a no! Instead Raffles and I dash back to our own room, quickly tidy up and head upstairs to Le Cellier Wine Bar for pre-dinner drinks and more #escapers17 shenanigans on a balcony overlooking the city and the glorious glow of Shwedagon Temple.

Then its down to the hotel’s splendid Pool Deck and Bar for a fantastic barbecue dinner and a selection of tasty beverages.

I, however, am in sensible mummy mode, so avoid the tasty beverages and refuse to allow my son to swim alone or unsupervised in the resort’s massive swimming pool.

That is until more dancing staff members turn up to perform another musical number, only this time they’re dancing barefoot in the shallow end of the pool. With my boy sulking quietly in a beanbag over my refusal to allow him to swim in the deep end alone (because apparently it’s totally selfish of me to not want him to drown) and somewhat inspired by the flashy and splashy dancers, I find myself in said pool, fully clothed and extremely sober. Because damned if I’m going to stop the kid having a good time.

Though Raffles is overjoyed at my juvenile antics, and leaps in with me (which is the desired effect) it is around this point I realise that I am failing spectacularly at sensible adulting, so I grab a glass of wine and forget about the whole sobriety thing. And let me tell you, nothing shouts class like a fully clothed, middle-aged mother of two knocking back a glass (or five) of Sauv Blanc in a hotel swimming pool while her nine-year old, who should have been in bed hours earlier, shoots her repeatedly in the face with a giant water pistol.

Before parental outrage ensues, Raffles and I were accompanied in the pool by colleagues of the completely sober variety and Raff’s safety was my priority at all times.

But enough about my ridiculousness, and back to the fantastically modern Novotel Yangon Max, which opened in 2014 and still rocks that glorious “new car” smell. Something which is a breath of fresh, and extremely sophisticated, air after a day of exploring the fabulously crumbling colonial city of Yangon (which I’ve written about here) and its busy streets packed with ramshackle food stalls manned by vendors rocking betel nut stained grins (which you can read more about here).

Along with that fabulous pool, the facility-packed five-star hotel offers a spa, fitness centre and tennis courts, four other bars and a stunning well-stocked wine cellar (which almost completely absolves me of any blame for any in-pool imbibing because seriously, who can resist?)

There are also three restaurants, serving international, Chinese and French cuisine. The hotel’s buffet breakfast is nothing short of brilliant and, along with a huge selection of Chinese and western favourites, boasts a mohinga station where the hot and sour fish noodle soup, a local breakfast favourite, is prepared fresh to order.

The steamy soup is a delicious start to the day and, incidentally, a fab hangover cure should you ever find yourself accidentally drinking up a storm fully-clothed in a hotel pool.

But what about kids, you ask? Turns out the Novotel Yangon Max love them as much as they love breaking out in dance. There is a kids’ club, a playroom, video game zone (as well games in room), foosball and children’s menus. And, for those travelling with littlies, cots, baby baths and babysitting on request. In fact, there’s really nothing for families not to love about the place.

Especially it’s heart. Though I know we are hopelessly devoted to Accor Hotels, and their dedication to social and environmental projects, it never ceases to amaze us just how deep each individual hotel digs in to support its local community.

At the Novotel Yangon Max, we were thrilled to discover that the staff volunteers their time to reprocess the hotel’s left over soap. So, instead of all that little-used hotel soap ending up as landfill, the discarded soap is washed, sanitised with non-toxic food grade chemicals, jazzed up with natural fragrances like citrus, flower petals, chamomile or lemongrass, and repressed by hand in an eco-friendly cold press.

The recycled soaps are then distributed to those in need in the local community, along with some basic hygiene training.

A cute hand made stuffed toy left at the end of Raffles bed also introduces us to the work Novotel Yangon Max and Solidarity Accor are doing in supporting local NGO, FXB International, to empower underprivileged young Burmese women with basic education, vocational training and income-generating skills.

The soap and the toy both lead to questions and incredible dialogues with an empathetic Raffles, who through our travels and programs like these is becoming increasingly aware of the importance of not only caring for the environment but in supporting the communities that we travel to in practical and sustainable ways.

And he is actively working to do something about it, cancelling his own birthday party on our return and requesting that instead I donate the cost, on his behalf, to children in need.

Meaning that his adulting-challenged mother might just be getting this parenting malarkey right after all.

Disclosure: Raffles & I were hosted by the fabulous folk at AccorHotels, Novotel Yangon Max, Scoot Airlines, Tiger Air and Asia Holidays during this incredible leg of our #escapers17 adventure. However, all object foolishness and opinions are our own.

The post Myanmar with kids: Parenting 101 at Novotel Yangon Max appeared first on boyeatsworld.

Raffles and I have just completed our first ever take-no-prisoners, one-of-a-kind mother and son adventure, exploring the best of Myanmar, a fascinating country with so much to see and experience, it had been on my holiday hit list for years.

Of course, given our extraordinarily itchy feet, and the fact that we’re both a little mad, we couldn’t just head off for a quiet weekend pour deux in a cosy hotel close by. Nope, instead my little action man and I took six flights in six days across Asia, complete with 5am starts and ridiculous o’clock finishes, to compete in Escapers 17, an Amazing Race for influencers.

Now when I say it was a mother and son adventure, I should probably point out that while we did leave Mr Eats World and Sugarpuff at home this time, we weren’t really alone. And by not alone, I mean we were actually joined by 23 of our newest BFF’s, a camera crew, and our gorgeous hosts from AccorHotels, Scoot Airlines, Tiger Air and Asia Holidays on the rapid race across Myanmar and Singapore.

But that’s just a technicality; it was time for my boy and I to try travelling as a dynamic duo, bonding over amazing experiences we’ll remember forever. Well, things he’ll remember forever due to the amount of wine I consumed. But I’m sure he’ll be happy to fill in any blanks for me. I jest! I remember it all, even the bit where I may or may not have accidentally taken my nine-year old son clubbing, but we’ll not go into that here because Raffles and I made a pact that what happens in Myanmar, stays in Myanmar.

So what exactly is #escapers17? It’s five days of epic challenges, competition, collaboration and crazy fun with teams of travel influencers from Japan, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Korea, China, Hong Kong, Australia, Malaysia, Myanmar and Singapore.

How does a nine-year old boy fit in? Well, he’s not just any nine-year old boy (I state with utter bias). As Accor’s littlest Welcome TV host, an experienced public speaker and a travel influencer in his own right, the organisers felt he would be able to hold his own amongst his older peers, so he and I were invited along as, wait for it, the “Intruder Team” (enter dramatic music here).

Once we were revealed, on a plane to Myanmar (formerly Burma), Raffles and I were warmly welcomed into the fold by our absolutely delightful competitors who not only embraced and befriended my little man, but looked out for him. For that alone I think they too are all rock stars. A special shout out to the lovely Nicole from Bitten By the Travel Bug, who kept an eye on my boy in the pool at an evening event before I ended up jumping in to join them… fully clothed with a wine in one hand. Did I type that out loud? Whoops, gotta remember that pact.

Anyway, here’s how day one went down…

A little Escaper takes on Yangon

Our first day of challenges started with us saying minglebar (hello) to Yangon (formerly Rangoon), a city of seven million people and Myanmar’s economic and cultural centre. It’s a fascinating city, which, due to decades of isolationist military rule, patchy electricity and restricted communications, appears to be almost stuck in time.

The city is liberally littered with crumbling colonial buildings, glowing golden pagodas, chaotic markets and rusted old railways. And curiously, for an Asian city, there’s not a motorcycle in sight – they were banned from the city in 2003.

Though its architectural heritage has not been overtaken by overdevelopment or ugly urban sprawl, the city, which really only opened up to tourism a few years ago, is forging a new path forward, as we discover amongst the delightful modern artworks at the River Gallery, our starting point.

We set off on our first set of challenges, to find four Yangon landmarks, with only a rough map, some vague clues and the serenely smiling, Pyit-Taing-Taung (or Karl as Raffles prefers to call him) for company.

The knockabout egg-shaped doll is one of Myanmar’s traditional toys whose name translates to “that which rights itself when knocked down”. PTT, or Karl, is a lovely reminder to pick one self up and persevere no matter how tough things get.

Luckily things aren’t too tough today and he accompanies us on a visit to the General Post Office building where we are quickly distracted by platters of delicious snacks made from indiscriminate ingredients.

We have no idea what we’re ordering but that’s never stopped us before, so we dig in anyway! We scurry, and by scurry I mean walk as slowly as possible, along a side street filled with vendors touting fragrant treats.

We sample deliciously sour and salty curries and soups with buttery paratha flatbread served by smiling street vendors.

Then we spy some not-quite-so-delectable offal and bugs, and of course have to stop and try those too. But we both agree that once is enough, or maybe even too many times, for the crunchy bugs

Next we make the pilgrimage to see the towering twin spires of St Mary’s Catholic Cathedral.

We tick off the Independence Monument in Maha Bandula Park before stopping at Sule Pagoda, a Burmese stupa that serves as a roundabout and the centre of the city grid. The ancient Pagoda served as a rallying point during several pro-democracy demonstrations and bore the brunt of the brutal reaction by the Burmese government.

But on our visit, it is a place of pure peace, where Raffles finds his birth day shrine and makes offerings to the Buddha. Raffles was born on a Monday and he is informed by a local teacher that those born on a Monday are said to have a good memory and a love of travel. True that!

Somehow we find our way to Bogyoke Aung San (Scott) Market, with its 2000 stalls of locally made jewellery, gold, art, fabrics and handicrafts, to meet up with the other teams.

Here we nix shopping to make time for a sweet, strong and steamy Burmese tea (chock full of condensed milk) with the locals. Then we follow the rest of the #Escapers17 crew to the next stop, the Yangon Circular Train, the local commuter rail network that serves the Yangon metropolitan area.

This rattly train provides an amazing chance for us to mingle with the lovely locals – who prefer the train, in all its hard wooden-benched and rusty-roofed glory, to getting stuck in the fierce traffic snarls that are inescapable in the city – and to enjoy a glimpse into their lives.

A smiling family invites my golden haired boy to sit with them, which he does, but only after hanging out of the unsealed windows to soak up the sights outside.

We alight for the walk to the People’s Park and our next challenge! Raffles is nervous when he sees an enormous rollercoaster – he’s not a fan and he’s still a little nauseous from the bugs. But we keep walking and find that there are much bigger surprises in store.

We’re joining the circus!

Shwe Daung Circus is home to a multi-talented team of European, African and South American performers, along with a couple of talented pooches (one of whom looks uncannily like Raffles).

But instead of watching their amazing antics, we’re expected to put on the show. Yikes. I look at the trapeze in fear, knowing my core muscles are missing in action, but Raffles races to be first up on the swing.

Within a few minutes he is strapped into a harness and dangling upside down with a beaming grin. He learns jumping forward rolls, backwards rolls and cartwheels before we both take on the tightrope. Balance I do have! Turns out, as I’d always expected, we’re both a pair of circus freaks and my clever little clown declares this one of the most fun moments of our travels, ever!

But Yangon has one more shimmering surprise still awaiting us…

Shwedagon Pagoda is Myanmar’s oldest and most sacred sites… as well as its blingiest. The massive golden Pagoda is perched atop of Singuttara Hill and dominates the Yangon skyline.

The complex is said to be covered in a staggering 6-tonnes of gold, and its main stupa alone is topped with more than 4,531 sparkling diamonds, including one coming in at a cracking 76-carats.

It is surrounded by shrines, crouching elephants, lions, serpents and ogres protecting what is the Pagoda’s greatest treasure: sacred relics of the Gautama Buddha. The stupa is solid, but Raffles prefers the legend that has unstoppable flying swords protecting the interior from unwelcome intruders.

Ribbons of monks are making their pilgrimage to the sacred site when we visit, but curiously some seem more interested in my golden-haired boy, and are lining up to snap selfies with him on their snazzy smartphones. It’s a sight that is as surreal as the dazzling temple itself.

As darkness falls, and Raffles escapes selfie duties, we help light some of the 9,000 oil lamps encircling the stupa.

Devotees of the Buddha kneel and chant in a haze of burning incense and the glow of flickering firelight, a scene that is so exquisite it casts something of an enchantment over us, making it hard to leave.

But leave we must for our evening’s accommodation, the warm, welcoming and ultra modern ibis Styles Yangon Stadium. Our rooms are more spacious than I am expecting and have everything we need for a comfortable stay. The hotel facilities are excellent and include a café deli, gym and the fabulous open air 369 restaurant and bar which offers stunning views over Yangon, great cocktails and fantastic food.

Raffles stuffs himself silly with enormous oversized juicy prawns and a rainbow of different mocktails before we decide its time to dive into our comfy beds to catch a few z’s before tomorrow’s 5am start and another day of incredible challenges and adventures, #escapers17 style.

MYANMAR WITH KIDS  – NEED TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

When to visit
November to February is the best popular time to travel with little rain and less humidity.
Language
Burmese
Currency
Burmese Kyat
Power
The standard voltage is 230 V and the frequency is 50 Hz. Several power sockets styles are used so our recommendation is to take an all in one international power adapter
Visa & Passport Requirements
Visas for Myanmar are required by Australian, US, EU, British & Canadian Nationals. You will require a passport with 6 months validity and can apply for a 28 day eVisa online but must enter at Myanmar at Yangon, Nay Pyi Taw or Mandalay international airports or at Tachileik, Myawaddy or Kawthaung land border checkpoints.
Health
Mosquito borne diseases are a risk in Myanmar. When travelling with children prevention is best so apply child-safe insect repellent (with no more 20% DEET) at regular intervals and make sure they are dressed in long but light clothing at all times. While there are no essential vaccinations for travellers to Myanmar, we suggest visiting your family GP at least six weeks before travel for up to date advice on immunisations.
Food Safety
Avoid tap water, raw foods and food stalls with dubious hygiene standards, and avoid tummy bugs by following our safe eating mantra of “cook it, peel it or forget it.

Disclosure: While we had to work for it, competing in and completing challenges, Raffles & I were hosted by the fabulous folk at AccorHotels, Scoot Airlines, Tiger Air and Asia Holidays during the incredible Myanmar leg of our #escapers17 adventure. However, all opinions, general face stuffing and silliness is our own.

The post Myanmar with kids: Temples, trains and the flying trapeze in Yangon appeared first on boyeatsworld.

Travel has proven an amazing way of introducing our children to a range of new and exciting foods. But so many travellers, especially those with kids, refuse to bypass fast food chain burgers and the limp pizza at the hotel buffet to wrap their lips around the local cuisine.

Sometimes it’s due to a fear of flavour but more often its due to an often misplaced fear of food poisoning. But why travel at all if you aren’t prepared to truly experience a destination? The first thing Raffles and I do when we arrive in a new city is head straight for the nearest street food vendor. We both consider it an integral part of the travel experience because it fast tracks our understanding of a country’s cultural identity.

Indeed, one of Raffles favourite recent travel experiences was taking on Phuket Old Town’s Walking Street Night Market, and his body weight, in weird and wonderful Thai treats with Migrationology‘s street food superhero, Mark Weins.

Of course we take precautions. We’d never take an uneducated risk on our children’s health. We avoid tap water, raw foods and stalls with dubious hygiene standards, and our street food mantra is “cook it, peel it or forget it.”

To be honest, sometimes street food can be a safer option for kids, because you can see and smell exactly what you’re feeding them. While there are still no guarantees of avoiding illness, that’s true of any meal prepared outside your own kitchen.

But not all street stalls are created equal. Here are our 12 top tips for a safe street food experience with kids.

Top tips for safe street food

1. Up and at ‘em

Wake up! We all love a holiday sleep in but all the cool cats know that the best local markets start at the crack of dawn. So set the alarm and head out for an early breakfast to ensure you get your teeth into some of the freshest and best street food treats of the day.

2. Shop like a local

If you’re after the real thing when shopping for street eats then avoid ordering tacos in Taiwan or burgers in Bangkok. Choose local dishes cooked to local perfection. Markets packed with western tourists usually serve up sub-standard and inauthentic eats, so go where the locals are and eat what they eat.

3. Follow the leader

For the best food in town just stalk the locals. If they’re lining up for a particular vendor and the food turnover is high, then form a conga line behind them because it’s most likely going to lead you to a fresh and fabulous meal! On the flipside, if a vendor has no local customers, you have to ask yourself why? Regardless of the answer, in my quest for a vom free holiday, I follow the local lead.

4. Behind closed doors

E.coli doesn’t discriminate. The malicious bastard is just as likely to be found hanging with his pals salmonella, listeria and typhoid in a sit-down restaurant where you can’t see the kitchen, the hygiene standards, or the produce you’re about to eat, as he is doing backstroke in the salad dressing at a street side stall.

5. Keeping up appearances

Whether your dining at a restaurant or on street foods, if the store looks dirty and the sous chef is a rodent just move along, there’s nothing to eat here.

6. Keep it clean

Is the vendor using gloves and tongs? If yes, there’s a good chance they understand the importance of food hygiene. Or do they have one finger up their nose and another scratching their arse? We’ll pass. 

7. On the nose

Take the sniff test. If the place smells like a toilet, then there is a good chance you are going to end up bent over one.

8. Hot to not trot

The best bet for avoiding vom-inducing bacteria is to choose foods that are thoroughly cooked and are still hot.

9. Dodge that salad

It’s best to avoid anything raw, including fruits and vegetables. Salads may have been rinsed with unsafe water and fruit that has been pre-peeled and cut may have been exposed to all kinds of icky bugs, dust and dirt, and may well be hosting a bacteria bacchanal. Stick to unopened fruit like papaya, mango or bananas and peel it yourself (after you’ve cleaned your hands).

10. Bottle it

Speaking of water, never drink water that’s not bottled and always use a straw so you’re not drinking from a can that’s been sitting in ice made from undiluted typhoid. We pack our own paper straws (the plastic ones are a hideous environmental hazard) for just such occasions.

11. Clean up your own act

It’s not always the food that makes people sick, it’s the germs you’re packing on your own hands. Especially kids who struggle to keep their hands off everything! Just like we would at home, we make the kids wash their hands before they put their fingers anywhere near their food or mouths. As an added precaution, we also use a splash of hand sanitiser before and after each meal.

12. BYO utensils

Though we used to be a little more nonchalant, with kids in tow we have to take more precautions. We carry our own reusable cutlery for the kids because the plastic cutlery stocked at street vendors isn’t always the cleanest. And its bad for the environment. Paranoid? Perhaps. Have my kids ever had food poisoning? Never.

 SO WHAT SHOULD YOU DO IF YOUR KIDS DO GET TRAVELLER’ DIARRHOEA?

You may know it as Delhi Belly, The Hershey squirts, Bali Belly, Peru Poo, Burrito Bowels or the ever so politely British, holiday tummy.  Regardless of your preferred euphemism, a case of traveller’s diarrhoea is shit. And no matter how cautious you are, getting it can come down to nothing more than bad luck.

The good news is that it is usually a self-limiting condition that clears up after a few days. And while adults can keep things “contained”, so to speak, with over the counter medication like Imodium, things get more complicated with kids’ as, in Australia, Imodium is not recommended for anyone under the age of 12.

Unfortunately, kids under 12 are also more prone to dehydration. So what to do?

1. Oral hydration is essential and the last thing you want is your child to end up on a drip in hospital, so it is vital to replace the fluids and salts that they lose.

2. Don’t leave home without plenty of oral rehydration powder, and ensure the kids take little sips of fluid as frequently as possible. Isotonic drinks like Gatorade and Pocari Sweat can also help and, if you are in the tropics, fresh coconuts (cut in front of you) contain water that is sterile and safe to consume.

3. Breastfeeding is the best way to reduce the risk of foodborne and waterborne illness, and to rehydrate babies who are at even higher risk from dehydration.

5. Avoid juices and dairy products except for plain natural yoghurt as its natural probiotics can help fight the bacteria.

5. Ginger or peppermint candies and fresh (weak) chamomile and peppermint tea can help settle nausea.

6. If your child is hungry, let them eat but stick to bland foods. Bananas, plain rice, porridge, clear soup and soy based milk products have essential nutrients that can help fight infection.

7. Administer some kid-friendly probiotics packed with live (good) bacteria that can aid the digestive system.

8. Rest. Don’t overdo things.

9. If symptoms persist, or your child is becoming seriously dehydrated, seek immediate medical advice.

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