Myanmar is a beautiful country with plenty of spectacular attractions to discover, natural and man-made. One of them is the Gokteik viaduct, a place not many tourists make a point of visiting due to its rather remote location. Well, not remote per se but certainly not on the tourist trail! I love railway bridges and this one seemed far too good to even contemplate skipping so I had to add it to the itinerary.
Built by the British in 1901, it stands at over 100 metres high over a deep gorge. To reach it you need to take the Lashio-bound morning train from a small town called Pyin U Lwin. The ride is quite uneventful until you get to the viaduct and the train slows down for the crossing, making the experience even more exhilarating – or terrifying, depending on how you look at it. Needless to say this one is best avoided by vertigo sufferers!