Myawaddy 6: Kabaung Lake

The mystery behind the secret lake has been solved. It exists. It is not in some secret military zone. It is a jewel of blue in the otherwise brown and arid Bago Hills. It has a name - Lake Kabaung. How did this place come to my interest? Jimmy Grant noticed it first.

Here's what the start of the road from Taungoo to Pyay (a road I've traversed before) looks like on Google maps. Not much detail, befitting the rural, featureless road that it is.

Look now at the same are on Google Earth

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Wow. What is up with this extensive lake that otherwise isn't recognized? This isn't the first lake I've encountered heree in Myanmar that doesn't exist in  Google Maps.  There be a communication breakdown somewhere along the line. See, it's not that Kabaung Lake is secret or restricted or anything.

Sure, there was a gate, but I could have gone through the village and avoided it.  Kabaung is completely unspoiled. It's a nugget of Yoma Hills that is beautiful, but entirely unvisited. 

This beautiful mountain lake is but a mere 100 miles from Yangon - a few hours by car. Might this be the undeveloped place I build my retirement job of expat guesthouse owner? I may be the first to have made a video of the place. Music by Matisyahu.