Mogok

The bureaucrats do everything to keep foreigner off the area.

When visiting Myanmar a trip to Mogok would be interesting is almost impossible since the authorities try everything to keep foreigners out from the mines tract because they are very scared of smuggling ruby gemstones. 

But this is as usual with authorities a totally wrong guess because the smuggler are the local people working there which cant be controlled because they are far too many and this as somehow a real wilderness.

Mined rubies from Mong Hsu

Rough rubies from Mogok

Fresh from the Mogok mines

Ruby and sapphire gemstones

The smuggling trails to Thailand are working, very similar as with jade to China, the city is not far off from the Thai border to the west. Travel there is by taking the river ship upstream from Mandalay and exit at the Irrawaddy jetty for the mine tracts. 



From there it needs a taxi or other vehicle, the problems are the roads, they are real bad. That works in a similar way for a Mong Hsu Tour, that is the second ruby mining district in the country. This mines are also west of Mandalay but a bit to the south close to the Thai border.