The green line denotes where we have cycled. See our Route page for more detail

We cycled

From: Tamu to Myawaddy
Distance: 1,778.8 kms (1,105 miles)
Ascent: 14, 428 m
No. days: 28 days (including 5 off the bike)

TOTAL distance from the UK: 13,340.4 kms (8289 miles)

See Strava - @readcycleread - for full route details.

We slept

Tent: 10 nights (Wildcamping often in the dark to avoid being found and taken to the police)
Hotel/Guesthouse: 10 nights
Monastery: 5 nights
Invited by a local: 1 night

We saw

Some of the steepest roads on tour, but always accompanied by the smiliest of passers by, grins amplified by the yellow thanaka painted faces. Lots of motorbikes and hardly any cars. The tall gold and white spires of stupas all over the country, dotted throughout farms and hillsides where corn, wheat, rice, peanuts, lentils and watermelon grow.

We ate

Some of the most delicious food we’ve had all tour. Burmese salads are to die for: carrot, tomato, pennywort or seaweed served with a chilli, lime and peanut dressing, sometimes with dried shrimp or fish sauce. There are a lot of fishy dishes. Tea leaf salad became a firm favourite (dried tea leaves served with dried soy beans, garlic and peanuts doused in peanut oil and a squeeze of lime). We unashamedly became addicted to 3in1 coffee - don’t judge us. They go excellently with coconut doughnuts.

The smiliest of smiles in Myanmar