For those of us marooned in Yangon since the beginning of the pandemic, there is an exciting new option for a weekend excursion that brings you out on the waters and into green farmland in minutes.
Stuck in situ since March, I jumped at the opportunity to take an overnight cruise on the Twante Canal with new boating company Moken Cruises. The itinerary promised an excursion on land around Twante town, which I’d done before, but I’d never had an overnight stay on the canal–or any canal for that matter–and I was intrigued.
On Saturday morning at 10am, we stepped off Chan Mar Yay Jetty at the bottom of Pansodan Street into the cool, stylish interior of the Moken Treasure. The boat, 33 metres long and 7 metres wide, can accommodate up to 13 passengers and 10 crew. The interior is surprisingly roomy and tastefully finished.
Our cabin, a Standard Suite, was spacious and bright with a comfortable seating area and a double and single bed in bunk style. We shared a toilet-shower with female guests from other rooms, which was a bit tricky when we all came back sweaty and dusty from our excursion.
Back on deck, the bow (front deck) offered the best breeze and views while the stern (rear deck) had shade and dining tables. The oversized beanbags there called us to relax on them with a cocktail in hand but we declined…for the moment.
The Moken Treasure soon diverged off the Yangon River onto the peaceful Twante Canal, a wide, 35-kilometre waterway built in 1881 under British rule for the transport of teak and other booty from the Irrawaddy River to Yangon for export.
We had the right amount of time while cruising to Twante to frolic around the boat, taking in the delights of our nautical home-for-a-day, snapping photos and then relaxing to watch agricultural scenes on the canal banks. We were utterly delighted by the change of scenery, fresh air and perfect skies above.
Shortly after midday, we stepped off our luxurious vessel onto the rough-and-ready Twante Jetty and into waiting tuk-tuks. We zipped through the town centre and were soon passing rolling paddy fields and rubber plantations. We breathed the fresh monsoon air deep into our lungs.
By the time we got to Kyaikthale village, a little-known community-based tourism project, it was 1pm and we dove into our village-style lunch of chicken and potato curry, watercress and lentil soup. Following lunch, the village didn’t offer much more than to witness live basket weaving and a walk through the underwhelming garden, though it was another photo opportunity our shipmates couldn’t miss.
Next up was the 1,000-Buddha pagoda complex. The rows of identical statues are picturesque, though the surprisingly hot afternoon sun kept us in the shaded pavilion without motivation to explore further.
Back in the tuk tuks, we were then whisked to Twante’s famous Snake Temple, also known as Baung Daw Gyoke Paya. The temple is set in the middle of a pretty, lotus-dotted lake into which pilgrims dump buckets of rainbow-coloured cereal to fat fish waiting below the surface. Inside the temple, languorous pythons are everywhere—among the Buddha statues, in the real tree’s fake branches, and between window frames. There’s one kept under a rug by an enterprising photographer in case you want your picture taken with a living, scaly scarf too.
The last stop on the excursion was at a pottery workshop. Twante is where much of lower Myanmar’s earthenware is spun and fired in small, family-run workshops built of tinder-like grass and bamboo. We spent a few minutes observing pot making, peeked in a kiln and were on our way.
We got back to our boat around 5pm, satisfied with our romp on land and more than ready for air conditioning and cold showers. The boat cruised back in the direction of Yangon and dropped anchor at a secluded point on the canal. Then came the best part of the day: boat spotting and relaxing with sundowners, a spectacular monsoon sunset and a barbeque dinner (cruise tickets include one hour of free-flow beer or house wine).
We tucked into the buffet breakfast next morning while the Yangon skyline drew closer. Reflecting on the trip, we agreed it was extremely well organised, running seamlessly from activity to activity. From reusable water bottles to refreshing welcome drinks and wet towels, the crew provided everything we needed before we even realised we needed it. Our guide San San Shwe was a wealth of knowledge and the crew were so professional we couldn’t have guessed it was only the second cruise of its kind.
Moken Treasure was originally planned to be docking in Myeik city and taking guests on four-day island hopping cruises in the Myeik Archipelago starting from March this year. Due to Covid-19 travel restrictions, it was instead brought to Yangon to offer more localised cruise options. Fun new itineraries are announced regularly on the Moken Cruises Facebook page and are worth watching out for.
