Pagoda trail

Myanmar and its people are opening up to the world, writes Fiona Carruthers.

'What's going on?" a passenger aboard the Orcaella asks, as we sail into Yangon. "I haven't seen a pagoda for hours." Yangon may be comparatively short on pagodas - aside from the magnificent golden Shwedagon Pagoda - compared to Bagan, a city of 2000 pagodas where the clicking of shutter frames and lowing of the odd bullock are virtually the only noises you hear as you stand in awe of them at sunset.

It's just one moment to savour while sailing on a seven-night, eight-day Ayeyarwady Experience cruise from Bagan to Yangon. Our journey, after a flight from Sydney to Singapore and on to Yangon with two nights at the deluxe Savoy Hotel, is aboard the Orcaella, operated by Belmond. Formerly known as Orient Express, the company has been running cruises and hotels in Myanmar for the past 17 years, primarily with their river cruiser, Road to Mandalay, and their boutique property in Yangon, The Governor's Residence.

Last year, the company added Orcaella to its portfolio with a raft of new itineraries. Named after a rare small beakless dolphin that inhabits the large rivers of Myanmar, Orcaella has 25 cabins, each with en suite bathrooms, all opening onto the river, and can accommodate up to 50 guests. There are just four decks, a small swimming pool, a tiny but adequate gym, a gift shop - and a host of lovely art work around the ship (most of it is also for sale). For peace of mind, there's also a doctor on board throughout the cruise.

The said doctor rests assured we are not short of healthy food. Each day during shore excursions, we bump into Orcaella's chef Baan in the local markets, where she explains what is on the menu that night, a woven basket slung over her shoulder, produce spilling out. Her Mohingar Burmese fish soup, made with yellow beans, fish, ginger, lemongrass, turmeric, onion and garlic, is worth the journey alone.

We motor down the river, stopping at one or even two ports a day. Some are bustling towns, others just tiny rural villages. All boast their own special delights such as an ox cart ride to the spectacular Min Hla forts, built in 1860 to keep the British at bay; Myanmar's only bespectacled Buddha at Shwe Myat Mhan Pagoda in Shwe Taung town and a six metre Buddha made of straw lacquer at Salay.

At Zalon, we stop at the busy market where, after inspecting the many spices, vegetables and fruit on offer, I buy six large woven baskets (mainly used to store garlic and onions) for just $US2 ($2.20), along with a red rope ceremonial horse halter for $US10. My rickshaw driver finds my purchases hilarious and ties them tightly to the back of the rickshaw as I bob along next to him, with all my baskets swinging by my side. It's hard to say who laughed harder - the kids running alongside us or the sinewy old driver dressed in his traditional longyi.