Who's heard of Chin-Lone?

Ok, so who’s heard of Chin-Lone? Not many of you we suspect.

Chin-Lone – or Cane Ball is an extraordinary mixture of performance and sport that has been played in Myanmar for over 1500 years. Teams of six players form a circle of about six meters with one player in the centre of the circle. They then attempt to pass a ball made of rattan to each other using only their knees, heads and various parts of their feet until the ball hits the ground.

By now you must be intrigued and want more! That being the case, we have the perfect solution for you. Starting on 5th July 2011 and continuing for almost a month, the annual Chin-Lone festival at the Mahamuni Pagoda in Mandalay is the place to be.

Mandalay is a beautiful place to visit even without the added attraction of the festival. The city was once a royal city and home to King Thibaw, the last king of Myanmar and there is still much evidence of its royal history. Although the fabulous palace was burned to the ground in the 1940’s, the massive walls, part of the gates and the surrounding moat, remain today.

During the festival more than six thousand players from Myanmar are joined by players from around the world. The action continues throughout the day and late into the night with twenty-six daily events meaning that over a thousand separate performances can be seen in the course of the festival. The games are played to the musical accompaniment of a traditional Myanmar orchestra to help the players ‘get into the zone’.

Nothing in Myanmar is far from a connection with the Buddhist religion and Chin-Lone is no exception. The more advanced players will become intensely focused as the game progresses and ultimately achieve an almost meditative state. The game is focussed around teamwork, friendship and mutual support, promoting both physical and emotional well being.

In addition to the team game there is also a solo version – usually performed by women – which leans more towards performance than sport.

So, now your appetites are whetted, come to experience this amazing festival for yourselves. Get a deeper insight into Myanmar culture and, as the festival occurs during the Myanmar Low Season, benefit from the fabulous money saving deals on offer.

Bringing in the New Year Myanmar Style

To say that the last New Year’s celebration in Myanmar was gigantic would be an understatement. In the Burmese language the yearly celebration is called “Thingyan” and it revolves around water and water related activities. It is a wet and wild affair, most everyone stays soaked throughout the course of the festivities; so dress appropriately! Aside from being a holiday that coincides with the end of the school year, the Myanmar New Year is also one of the most important holidays in Burma. In the first four days usually the youngsters venture out with buckets and water guns ready to splash everyone who is passing by.

And the best thing about it? Anyone can join in the yearly celebration which is slated for April 13th through the16th in 2012. If you’re planning on taking a trip to Yangon there’s no better time to visit than on Thingyan Eve. That way, you can tour the city, join in the festivities and purvey the surroundings. It’s common for travelers to join in the celebration, but be forewarned; the party will become ‘unhinged’ sometime during the 2nd day. The water used is meant to wash the sins and bad deeds from the previous year away. There’s only one thing you can do in situations like this, bring your own water gun along and join in.

Another interesting location to visit during this time is Ngwe Saung Beach, which will be also in full “water war” mode (but maybe a little less wild). But this particular area is also a nice place to stretch out and relax.

Once you’ve had your fill of the beach atmosphere it’s time to return to Yangon. By that time, the festivities should be slightly waning, compared to the frenzy of the previous days. The last day of the celebration is reserved for religious devotionals: the locals make their way to temples in order to atone. What area is popular to visit? Shwedagon Pagoda is a hot spot; many devout Buddhists come here. The New Year’s Day activities at Shwedagon are very enlightening and spiritual; perfect for a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience. For additional information about the area, trips and booking opportunities check out our sample program.

Air Kanbawza officially launches

Air Kanbawza, Myanmar’s newest domestic airline officially launched their services on April 2nd serving two routes:

• Yangon-Nyaung Oo (Bagan) – Mandalay – Heho
• Yangon – Myeik

These first two routes are scheduled daily. The Yangon-Nyaung Oo-Mandalay-Heho route will cater mainly to tourists; while the Yangon-Myeik service flight links the capital to the Mergui Archipelago.

The carrier has also released a statement stating that other domestic destinations would be added soon, serving such locations as Tachileik, Kengtung, Myitkyina, Sittwe, Thandwe, Pathein, Lashio, Putao, Kawthoung, Dawei, Mawlamyine and Kalay. They also plan to introduce a reliable online reservation system very soon and sign a commercial agreement with MAI to offer domestic ticket bookings through foreign travel agents. Under the proposed agreement, passengers could buy domestic tickets through MAI agents or Air KBZ agents.

The airline office is located in Yangon in the same building as MAI on Strand Road as well as branch offices positioned in Nyaung Oo, Mandalay, Heho and Taunggyi. Air Kanbawza currently employs two ATR72-500 aircraft and plan to add another two aircraft to their fleet later on this year. Including Air Kanbawza, Myanmar has four private airlines which fly daily domestic routes — Air Mandalay, Air Bagan and Asian Wings. Air Kanbawza is the second carrier to launch services this year, following Asian Wings Airways which launched its’ services on 27th January 2011.