One of the most adventurous and genuinely off-the-beaten-track journeys I’ve ever done was travelling through northern Burma from Myitkyina to Mandalay, using a patchwork of river boats, trains and buses. Even by Myanmar standards, this felt remote – slow travel through places that, at the time, had barely registered on the tourism map. As travel becomes increasingly streamlined and predictable, experiences like this are becoming rare. Northern Burma offered something that’s now almost extinct: the feeling of moving through a place on its own terms, rather than on a tourist conveyor belt.
When you include the breathtaking views of the mountains, the chance to see the real local villages along the mighty Irrawaddy River, and the old echoes of the former colonial past, this is a truly a truly Wow travel experience and one that can easily be combined with a 2 weeks itinerary for the highlights of Burma.
I’ve listed more detailed tips below, but three key ones:
1. Is it dangerous? The north, like many other parts of Burma, has seen continued trouble in the the form of various low-level uprisings through to full-blown sustained armed conflict in the three states you’ll be passing through (Kachin, Shan and Sagaing). The danger level varies depending on the latest with the state of the country. As of 2026, it isn’t safe to visit. But things can change quickly.
2. The route can change. The ferry ride from Bhamo and Katha to Mandalay is one that seems to be consistently fine, but the bus / ferry route from Myitkyina to Bhamo seems often to be closed off. Obviously you need to check into this before you set off (I asked locals even in Yangon who were able to answer me very quickly), but even if you get stuck when you arrive you have options of the train from Myitkyina to Katha and exclude Bhamo, or just simply to fly.
3. Enjoy while you can! This part of Burma is still largely untouched by the growing tourism wave that has hit the 4 key tourist destinations in the rest of the country (Yangon, Mandalay, Bagan and Inle Lake). Enjoy it while you can!
Mandalay itself isn’t that attractive as its basically a classically rapidly sprawling Asian city, with all of the noise, concrete and mess that tends to go with this. Also, surprisingly, the Mandalay Palace which you’d think would be the central attraction is also a bit dull.
But, the areas around Mandalay make it very much worth checking out. I’ve listed below some more general tips, but in particular be sure to check out:
Mandalay Hill – when walking around Mandalay, it can feel a bit like one sprawling road after another and the sides of the Palace are LONG so take a while to look around. Instead, if near the Palace, head up Mandalay Hill for great views over the whole city and Palace, and some smaller temples and pagodas on the way up the nice covered stairway.
Mingun Paya – take a short boat ride up river to this rather unusual site. It’s unusual in the sense that 1. It was, at the time, supposed to be the world’s largest stupa. Only “supposed to be”, because the King who sanctioned its construction died with only 1/3rd completed. 2. Now it is basically the world’s largest pile of bricks. 3. It has large crack down its side from an earthquake in 1838. 4. Right next to it is the Mingun Bell which at 90 tonnes has been at various times in history the world’s largest bell. Not enough for you? Its a nice boat trip.
U-Bein Bridge -the world’s longest teak bridge and a route used regularly by the nearby locals and monks. The cool thing is that the water level varied dramatically through the year so, in wet season you see various buildings largely underwater, whereas in dry season you see the buildings from a strangely high bridge.
The Maha Aungmye Bonzan Monastery within the former royal capital of Inwa. The monastery itself is a stunning yellow, but its also fun to get a horse cart / cycle around the overall site.
A road trip up the Queensland coast is one of the classic Australia trips and includes some of the best beach and ocean experiences in the world.
You’ve got 4WDing on Fraser Island, sailing the Whitsunday Islands, diving the Great Barrier Reef, tropical rainforest, giant waterfalls, and a string of beach towns and islands all the way up the coast. Add in the glitzy, hedonistic Gold Coast and the random giant roadside “Big Things”, and it becomes a very varied and very Australian road trip.
One of the best roadtrips in the world and a must for Australia.
In a nutshell:
- Australia’s classic road trip and one of the best in the world
- Fraser Island and sailing in the Whitsundays are the mega wow experiences
- Great for beaches, sailing, diving and warm weather
- Very varied: beaches, rainforest, waterfalls, islands and cities
- Best done as a self-drive trip from Brisbane to Cairns either supercharged in 10 days or more civilised in 3 weeks
- Go in the Australian winter (dry season in the north)
I know there are white sand beaches all all along the Australian East Coast, and, in a country that already prides itself on its beaches, the competition is fierce. Even so, the Whitsunday Islands takes the prize for the most paradisiacal beach setting in the whole country.
The Lonely Planet describes them as “like emeralds scattered on aquamarine velvet” – that goes part of the way to describing the beauty – you also need to throw in the sheer brightness of the whiter-than-white sand, the warm crystal clear waters and the range of corals all around.
Taking a day trip so you can get in amongst the islands and sun yourself on the perfect beaches is a great experience, and one not to be missed on your East Coast adventure.
Top tip – do a multi-day trip to enjoy them outside of the standard day trip would be truly magical. We didn’t and I regret it.
One of the natural highlights in a country already blessed with world class natural scenery, the fiords of Milford Sound and its surrounding forests are simply beautiful and deserve all the accolades. A must on a visit to the South Island
New Zealand’s South Island has some of the most rugged natural beauty of anywhere in the world. World famous sites such as the fjords of Milford Sound, the Frans Joseph and Fox glaciers, and the adrenaline sports of Queenstown. Yet is also super accessible by road and very compact to get around. The combination of these factors makes it one of the most appealing places for a roadtrip, scores the maximum Wow-factor rating and I’ve listed below a great 10 day itinerary to get the best of the island.
