Travel to Yangon (October)

Hello,

I am supposed to visit Yangon for several days in mid October and am concerned about the current protests at and near the Schwedagon Pagoda. I see no warnings on the US Embassy website.

Has anyone been to Yangon this week and if so, any suggestions as to whether it is a dangerous situation? I know that things could change a lot between now and several weeks from now...

Thanks,

Adam

Travel to Yangon (October)

No way of knowing which way it will devellop... ask again by the end of this week.

Travel to Yangon (October)

Ivwe got some friends who have just returned. The internet is totally out and the phoines are alos out. There is a curfew in Rangoon and other cities. I wouldnt say it would be much of a place to visit especially as you cant go out at night!!

Cheers

Jamie

My wife and I spent Sunday afternoon October 7th at the Pagoda. Very few tourists especially Westerners. We saw one monk the whole time there. Would suggest you enter with a licensed Burmese Tourist Guide as we did. Greg

My wife and I spent Sunday afternoon October 7th at the Pagoda. Very few tourists especially Westerners. We saw one monk the whole time there. Would suggest you enter with a licensed Burmese Tourist Guide as we did. Greg

Myanmar update

Has anyone recently returned from Myanmar? Would appreciate guidance on whether this is a good time to visit. (Am planning to be there in December. Am wondering if the local planes are flying on schedule, etc.) If anyone has a specific guide to recommend I would appreciate that as well! Many thanks.

Myanmar update

Not recently been, but have been following the situation closely.

Night curfew has now been lifted in Yangon and Mandalay. Flights are not completely as per schedule... presumably due to low demand. Myanmar Airlines International, have reduced their flights due to insurance issues, but are placing customers on code share flights with other airlines. Air Bagan have maintained most of their International flights but cancelled most of the internal ones. Yangon air, Mandalay air and Myanma air (domestic) are flying a more or less normal schedule.

Is it a good time? The 2007 season was expected to be a busy one. It now looks as if many are cancelling their plans due to the uncertainty. I do not think a visitor is going to find the current situation to be much different compared to a visit last year. Just fewer tourist around, I expect. The areas where one can travel and the modes of transport are unchanged. Perhaps more scrutiny of visitors with respect to journalist gaining entry. Visas are being issues as per normal and exchange rates are more or less unchanged.

Myanmar update

Thanks very much for your insight. Really appreciate it.

if you want to stay away from much tourists,that is the good time to travel in Burma,cause hotel and other were discount about situation is think quiet and stable,for peoples seem look poor and unhappy,if you come and visit some will be happy cause they will get job and income.

Hope you will be think to visit in ou country,and welcome you with happy and free

Voyages to Asia tour company

Hi,

Sorry if this is regarded as spam; I thought it was worth noting for anyone considering travel to Myanmar/Burma.

I%26#39;ve emailed various tour companies who operate in Burma recently. I%26#39;ve said to each that I don%26#39;t agree with a policy of isolation and I think tourism can have a very positive effect but that I%26#39;d like to hear how they deal with government organisations there.

While I%26#39;ve received some very compelling arguments in reply I received only this from Voyages to Asia (http://www.voyagestoasia.com/):

';mind your own business';

Which I think demonstrates a remarkable lack of regard for both potential customers and implies callousness toward the victims of the regime there. I think this is noteworthy for any considering travel in the area.

Thanks

Voyages to Asia tour company

Deare Waxy Dan. your comments appear somewhat naive. Obviously there will always be two sides to a dispute. on the reports available to us, anyone would support the view of the protesters but unless there was a contrary view in Burma there wouldnt even be a problem. You have simply encountered someone (ie. ONE )with a contrary view to that of your own. (not everyone welcomes the implied values of an uninformed observer ) I must disagree that such a singular view is noteworthy when considering travel in Burma.

To form a valid opinion at least visit the country for a length of time. If you dont fancy it no one could blame you.

Voyages to Asia tour company

You made a few assumptions there. You don%26#39;t know where I%26#39;ve travelled or not. Neither do you know how informed I am. Also your use of the word %26#39;naive%26#39; appears to be entirely random and based, again, on assumption.

All that you do know is that I have explicitly stated that I do not agree that travellers should avoid Burma. That I contacted some companies who bring money into Burma to ask about their policies. That I received several very positive replies. Lastly that one replied back in an aggressive manner that, to my mind, implies some policies on their part that could easily be criticised.

I don%26#39;t use travel companies but I know people that do for perfectly good reasons; time, confidence, etc. I believe that most travellers who choose to use a tour operator in such a region would rather select one that operates ethically (for example; only employing local guides) which Voyages to Asia appears not to do.

I do realise that this is my view and others may disagree with it but doesn%26#39;t render it invalid.

garv.... Quote ';To form a valid opinion at least visit the country for a length of time. If you dont fancy it no one could blame you.';..

I noted that you are bailing out.. so what entitles you to lodge an opinion?.. you haven%26#39;t even been there and you obviously haven%26#39;t got a clue what the OP is writing about.

chill boys. just winding you up. dont take yourselves so seriously. mosegriesen ; do you ever do anything but write on travel websites ? get out more , do you good. hope to see you in Burma after xmas . i`ll be working there. ! again .

Only managed, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Burma, Singapore, Thailand (again) Vietnam, France, Switzeland, Check Republic, Germany, Greece, Denmark, Vietnam (again) this year.... you are right.. I really must get out more:-)....

Another example of Voyages to Asia%26#39;s views on the suffering of the people of Burma (see below).

Myself, I wouldn%26#39;t condem anoyone for visiting Burma independently and staying in privately-owned guesthouses, but anyone who travels with a big travel company like Voyages To Asia should note that the money they spend on government-sponsored hotels plays a part in propping up that goverment and that some of the ';tourist attractions'; they visit were built using forced labour.

More from Voyages to Asia:

Hello Liz,

We send about 500 travellers a year to Burma and will continue to do so, we do not care who you are and what you think.

Best regards,

info mailto:info@voyagestoasia.com

I too received a similar derogatory message from this company when making a polite enquiry on their ethical policies and how they ensure that their trips go some way support local communities.

It was - ';Get a Life';

I believe this companies unscrupulous attitude should be publicised. I am not sure if this company are affiliated to ABTA (they are UK based) but mention that they are a member of the American Society of Travel Agents.

Maybe Lonely Planet/ Rough Guide %26amp; newspaper travel supplements would be interested would be interested?

Advice about our itinerary

We are going next month for our visit to Myanmar and have doubts about a part of our itinerary.

We are planned to stay three nights in Yangon and one night in Inle Lake.

Does it make sense? Or would you advice to stay two nights in Inla and two nights in Yangon?

Thank you all

Rivzid

Advice about our itinerary

One night in Inle does not really make sense to me. The day you arrive will not be much good to you and if you are leaving the next day, when are you going to be enjoying the lake and surrounds?

How many days are you in the country in total?

Are you flying into Yangon or Mandalay?

Advice about our itinerary

Thank you Mosegrisen for your reply.

We are two women and we will be in Myanmar total of 11 days.

We will make all the long distances by air ( 4 flights),

Regarding your advice and my feeling we will cut one day in Yangon and stay there about 11/2 days (two nights) and two nights in Inla lake, after the Taugyi Hot Air Ballon festival

I believe that in a time like this inla lake will be much pleasant place to stay then Yangon.

By the way, I have been to Brissbane last May amd enjoyed it there very much/

Hi Rivzid,

I agree with Mosegrisen. One night in Inle Lake is too short a time. I note you have about 11 days in Burma. Unless you are planning to go around to a number of oher places, I would try keep the 3 nights in Yangon also.

Best Wishes,

Khayeethe

Thank you for your kind words about Brisbane:-)

Did you know that th Taunggyi Hot Air Ballon festival is very close to Inle lake? Actually you are likely to be staying at Nyaung Shwe for this event and travelling to the festival from there. (each day), as I very much doubt you will find a hotel any closer to the festival.

Are you planning to also go to Bagan or Mandalay.

I like Yangon very much, but agree that spending more time at or around Inle, the festival, Bagan and or Mandalay is going to give you a better feel for the country and people(s).

Mosegrisen is right. You may have to stay in Nyaung Shwe , gate way of Inle Lake . Usually in Taunggyi , most of the hotels are full with local in that festival and standard of hotels in Nyaung Shwe are better too. Taunggyi is only about 30 minutes away from Nyaung Shwe by private car .

I don%26#39;t know what plan you have and what type of transport you use, but if you arrive Taunggyi and stay one night for festival and next morning , you visit Inle, then one night in Inle is possible too. If you fly back to Yangon by air, then take afternoon or evening flight . So you have one and half day in Inle.

Hello,

We spent 3 weeks in Burma last December and had a wonderful time. We started the trip in Rangoon then travelled to Inle Lake, Mandalay and Bagan before finishing the trip in Rangoon.

I can%26#39;t imagine only one night at Inle Lake. By the time you fly from Rangoon to Heho airport then take a taxi to your hotel that takes about 1 1/2 hours you will arrive in the afternoon. The boats don%26#39;t go out in the evening so you%26#39;d have only a few hours on the lake. To see the sites on the lake you really need at least one full day and two nights and preferrably 3.

Rangoon is interesting but if I had to choose I would definately spend the time at Inle. Inle Lake is a beautiful place and I%26#39;m sure you%26#39;ll have a great time. Good luck and happy travels,

Kat

Thanks to you all for your good advices.

Since we booked our trip a long time ago we managed to have a hotel in Taungi (The Taungyi hotel) which according to the local travel agent is a very good one.

We will stay there for two nights because we want to stay the Full Moon Nights.

Then we will drive to Inle Lake for two nights (according to your advices.)/

By the way Kat,after reading your post about The Rupar mandala rResort I will ask my change our agent to change our hotel in Mandaly from Mandaly Hill Resort to this one.

Thank you all again ,I just hope that everything will be quite there.

I am the one ,you can look in your ';';Latmetayel';';if I know the date,I can tell you the market day and ballon day and some where festivals around the Burma.

11 days by flight,that is good travel in short time.

Yangon just stay arrivalday(Depend on morning flight),stay one day before leaving to BKK.

and others days,you chose it,but Inle lake and ballon festival,you should stay 3 days in Nyaung shwe,(Inle lake).

and other places,you should go Bagan for 2 nights.

and mandalay,stay 2 days cause of the near by the places.

this is example for your trip.

Day(1)arrival in YGN and stay one night.

Day(2)to Bagan,morning flight,and stay ...BGN

Day(3)Bagan and near ,may be Mt popa.stay BGN

Day(4)BGN to MDL.go around Amayapura,and U paing bridge.and Inn wa,(AVA),sagaing,and stay MDL,

Day(5)Go by boat to Mingon,for half day and get back after noon and go around the MDL sight seeing and stay there.

Day(6)Flight to Heho(airport of Inle lake),take taxi to pindaya cave and proceed to Inle lake,that day you do not have the time to go to Inlake around stay Nyaung shwe,

Day(7)Inle lake area by boat,

Day(8),to go to kekku pagodas and Taung gyi for ballon,fes.and get back to Nyaung shwe,

Day(9)at evening flight back to Yangon and go sight seeing in YGN,stay YGN.

Day(10)near around or day trip to Bago,and may be other side of the YGN river and go visit to twin tway,potery side.and back to YGN.

Day(11) leave to BKK,

I hope yiu can think about it what I suggest,

happy and free

and welcome to Burma

Hi Moonloveshoreinburma

Thank you so much for all your suggessions.

Our itinerary is almost the same as you suggested.

I just hope that everything will be stable and quiet and we will be able to enjoy our trip/

I will post my reaction when I will be back.

Thanks to all of you and ENJOY LIFE!!!

Just a comment about the ruparmandalarresort.. Sure does look great.... with a price tag to match:-(

If you are looking for something special, without the big price tag... Check out this one:

http://www.hotelredcanal.com/

Is it safe or not to travel to myanmar ?

Dear Readers

Hi!My name is Mary and from Kuala Lumpur,Malaysia and i need advice in regards to my Travel to Myanmar In November.since the protest incidents in august .I am really worried to Travel alone..

If anyone could share their ex perience recently and tips ,i really would appreciate it. This is my first time as a traveler .. How is the airport envinronment? the luggage area . How is the process done .I am really scared after reading abt the protest ..

Thank You.%26amp;Best Regards

Mary William

Is it safe or not to travel to myanmar ?

Dear Mary,

Some time , actually not some time, most of the time , media make big so they get attention from the people. They just show where and when is high light.

Nothing to be scare. Myanmar is back to normal and curfew is lifted . Airport is small and procedure is no much difference with any other international but you may see more friendly people .

I am sure , your trip will be pleasant and at the end , you may wonder that what you see and what you know from news is different.

Is it safe or not to travel to myanmar ?

Dear Mary,

Here are a couple of thoughts about safety where you are about to travel. I was in Burma at the time of the 1988 uprising and never felt threatened. One should always be alert to danger but my experience over decades of travel in totalitarian countries is that if you avoid areas of street demonstrations you are quite safe, in fact as a foreigner safer than in many democracies where particularly today outside terrorism is a threat. From all I read about the latest clashes it would seem that the opposition has gone underground and it is unlikely they will resurface as soon as next month when you are there. I don%26#39;t know your itinerary but other than Yangon and Mandalay I doubt that the recent troubles were even noticeable to travellers, say at Inle Lake and Bagan. So my advice is go for it! Myanmar is a land unlike any you are likely to see in your future travels - to paraphrase Rudyard Kipling.

Hello Mary,

From my recent contact with Burma by phone, things have settled down. The Shwe Dagon Pagoda and the Sule Pagoda have been reopened. I would agree with the others that as a tourist/foreigner, you will be safe. In fact the people respect the tourists/foreigners and would go out of their way to guide you from harms way if necessary.

When I was last there in January, the new international terminal is being completed and recently, my friends have returned and said the new terminal is impressive (considering what there was previously). Upon arrival you queue at the tourist/foreigners%26#39; desk. Upon completion of formalities you walk straight to the baggage area which, in fact you could actually see as you queue at the immigration desk.

Clearing the immigration and customs, you may find a crowd of people waiting for their guests. If you have someone, such as transport from the hotel, to meet you he/she will be amongst there, usually with a board with your name on it. Otherwise you may get offers for taxi and help to carry your luggage. Just firmly and politely decline if you don%26#39;t want their assistance and keep your luggage with you. You shouldn%26#39;t expect any problem. I dont know what your plans are, so this is in general terms.

Outside Rangoon (Yangon), Bagan, Ngapali or Ngwe Saung and probably Inle, Taungyi have been trouble free, so if you are going there, there should be no problem.

Khayeethe

xp

Inle Hotel ?

Hi mosegrisen and others

I wanted to stay at the Inle Princess and tharabar gate in Bagan, but am being told by several agents that they are booked out. The hotels that were offered were the Thiripyitsaya Sakura River View Hotel (River Front Suit) and tThande River Side Hotel (Deluxe Garden View Room.

In Inle Lake, there is the Inle Lake View

Resort with Junior Suit Room.

I have read people%26#39;s Tripadvior comments on these hotels .... and am not crazy about any of them.

Does anyone have any other suggestions? I want luxury hotels .... but I think I am up a creek.

Thanks

Bette

Inle Hotel ?

:I want luxury hotels .... but I think I am up a creek.';

in a barb wire canoo and no paddle:-) so sorry!

Guess your problem is that Myanmar is neigher for speed nor for comfort at the moment....

Not sure how to help you.... Perhaps just get the best rooms you can and enjoy the luxory and comfort somewhere else.. You are not going to find it in Bagan or Inle....

But frankly.. I have serious doubts about your travel agents... First about the paper ticket.. and now about hotels not being available.. are you certain that they actually know what they are doing?

Inle Hotel ?

Well, I am working with two different travel agents, and that%26#39;s what they are telling me........

On 3 visits to Bagan, the last this past Jan., I have been very satisfied with the Thiripyitsaya, particularly with the units facing the river. It doesn%26#39;t measure up to the Governor%26#39;s Residence in Yangon or the Inle Princess but otherwise it is a comfortable hotel with good service and attractive grounds.

Hi,

We stayed at the Inle Lake View hotel and found it great. Dinners were of very high quality.

I would definitly go back again.

Have a nice trip,

Have stayed a couple of times at the Thiripyisaya (once over New Year) and was more than happy , especially with the lay out , the pool and the view.

Hi Bette

Given the situation in Burma you may have changed your plans, but I have only just read your posting.

We stayed in the Paradise B Hotel on Lake Inle last year and can highly recommend.

We arranged our travel through Columbus Travels. Not sure if you can contact them now, but here are their details.

Columbus Travels

Yangon

columbus@mptmail.net.mm

www.travelmyanmar.com

or

Pacific Asia Travel Co

Bangkok

franco@pacificasiatravel.com

Most of the luxury hotels Myanmar are owned by friends/associates/relatives of the military junta that has just imprisoned 1,000 monks without trial.

If you want to sleep soundly, I%26#39;d reccomend that you stay in a small privately-owned guesthouse.

Hello,

Firstly I%26#39;d recommend you do NOT stay at the Thiripyitsaya Sakura River View Hotel in Bagan. I got food poisoning there, found the

staff rude and incompetent and the rooms to be in bad repair especially seeing it was the most expensive hotel we stayed at in Burma. We found it to be a real dissappointment %26amp; would not stay there again. We would definately choose the Bagan Hotel if we went back to Bagan. It was lovely, the food was good %26amp; the staff were really friendly and it had a great atmosphere about it.

We stayed the Inle Lake View Hotel and were very pleased with the room, the service in general and the food was amazing! We particuarly enjoyed the french pastries at breakfast, just delicious!

It was a very pretty, pleasant place and I would highly recommend it!

The most impressive hotel we stayed at in Burma was in Mandalay. We asked our travel agent in Rangoon to stay somewhere other than the large western hotels such as the Sedona. We asked him if we could stay in more of a boutique type of hotel in Mandalay and he suggested the Rupar Manadalar which is situated just out of the center of Mandaly. It was an amazing place and our stay there was definately one of the highlights of our trip. The rooms were gorgeous, the staff incredibly attentive, the food was the best in Burma by a long shot and they have a huge pool and a beautiful spa. This hotel only recently opened the hotel rooms to western tourists but they have been operating several restaurants for a number of years. We spent Christmas there and had a terrific time.

It was an amazing experience and I could not recommend it strongly enough!

Check out the website: www.RuparmandalarResort.com

Happy travels

Kat

Blink makes a very good point.

As much as I loved the luxury hotels in Burma I agree that most of these hotels are owned by friends/associates/family of the junta. We tried to stay at places that were independantly owned but the reality is that anyone owning a luxury (or regular) hotel in Burma would have to be highly connected %26amp; in good favor with the generals.

We were very torn whether we should travel in Burma at all but we decided to travel as mindfully as possible. We tried to give our business to family run restauarants and shops, hired local taxi drivers as guides, used a local travel agent, visited and made donations to nunneries and monastaries, completely avoided the sights where they used forced labour such as the Mandalay Palace.

But I don%26#39;t think you can travel in Burma and not give at least some of your money to the junta. Airlines, hotels, ferries, entrance fees to tourist sites etc can not be completely avoided.

Luxury hotels and the travel industry in general in Burma does employ a fair amount of regular Burmese people. Boycotting Burma and/or these hotels will hurt the people because they will lose their jobs if toursits don%26#39;t come. The Burmese people we met really wanted us there, they valued their jobs and really wanted to learn and have a chance at life. They do not want to be isolated.

Just some thoughts, Kat

gloss

Myanmar 2007

“This is Burma, and it will be quite unlike any land you know” - Rudyard Kipling

A few observations on my latest visit to Myanmar:

1. Air travel within the country has dramatically improved. In the ‘80s the only airline was government run and you were lucky if you had a complete seat belt; often there was only one strap. Safety record was terrible and parts would be cannibalized from one plane to keep another running. Once in Bagan I was stuck (pleasantly) for a few days because there were no parts left to cannibalize for the next leg of the flight to Mandalay. It’s all very different now with new planes and service as good as the other Southeast Asian airlines. And the timetables are no longer guesswork.

2. Hotels are vastly improved since earlier trips and a few now rank with the best in the region. All hotels used to be run by the government and throughout the country the daily rate was $ 29. When you arrived at an airport you would be assigned a hotel so there was no advance booking. The 3 reserved for foreigners in Rangoon (now Yangon) were the Strand, Thamada (across from the train station) and Inya Lake. I stayed at all three and none was better than another. In the years before World War II the Strand was one of Asia’s grand hotels in a class with the Cathay in Shanghai and Raffles in Singapore. Now again beautifully restored the rooms (actually suites) at the Strand are $450 and up. For much less I stayed at the Governor’s Residence, also 5-star with top quality service and food.

3. The temples at Bagan remain awesome and rival Cambodia’s Angkor Wat. However Angkor now has roughly 1.3 million visitors yearly, up almost 30% from my last visit in 2005. For those who enjoy temple ruins go to Bagan before it’s too late. A couple of hundred visitors spread over 3,000 temples means plenty of space to enjoy this magnificent setting. On all my trips I’ve stayed at the Thiripsyitsaya hotel on the banks of the Irrarwady River and it remains a favorite - now run as a joint venture with the Japanese Sakura chain.

4. Along with Bagan no one should miss Inle Lake, a large body of water which at dawn or dusk can seem truly a mirage. There are 17 island villages built on stilts, each specializing in a trade like silk weaving, pottery or silver and also here farmers grow flowers, fruits and vegetables in incredibly fertile lake soil. Inle Lake is also famous for its boatmen who propel their boats by standing on one leg and wrapping the other around the oar. This is a magical place without crowds (yet) and my choice to stay is the Inle Lake Princess hotel built on a series of canals that are part of the lake. This region is also wine country and the reds are surprisingly good.

5. A final reason I return to Myanmar is to visit the awesome Shwedagon Pagoda in the heart of Yangon. This is a great golden dome or stupa rising 300 or so feet built at least 2500 years ago as a religious shrine. It consists of a series of platforms or pavilions filled with statues, temples and smaller stupa. It has been described accurately as “quiet and contemplative, or colorful and raucous”. It is a center of everyday life in the city unlike so many monuments that attract primarily tourists. The only change I noticed in 18 years is laser beams have replaced twinkling lights around the dozens of religious symbols. Anyplace else the Schwedagon would cry out Las Vegas but in Yangon it is pure magic. Be sure to visit in the evening when the lighting against the gold of the stupa is at its best.

With the exception of Vientiane, Laos the capital cities of Southeast Asia are having a building boom. But Yangon still with extensive parks and gardens lags well behind Hanoi and Phnom Penh in development. If the country intrigues you and you are somewhat adventurous this is probably the time to follow in Kipling’s footsteps and be surprised at what you find.

‘

Myanmar 2007

Thanks for your info. I am intending to travel to Myanmar in a couple of weeks. I only have a week - where would you recommend I go. I assume both Yangon and Bagan - however is Mandalay also worthwhile?

cheers

Myanmar 2007

Yes, I would recommend Mandalay as my 4th choice after Yangon, Bagan and Inle Lake but my only visit to the city was 25 years ago. I think it has become more commercial as trade with China has expanded so I suspect it is not as laid back as earlier. This year my plane from Bagan to Inle Lake stopped at Mandalay and if you can arrange a similar flight you could overnight in Mandalay before going on to the lake. If you have 7 nights total you might think of 2 in Yangon (perhaps going and coming), 2 each at Bagan and Inle Lake and 1 for Mandalay.

I have fond memories of Phnom Penh, strolling along the Mekong and enjoying the museum. Now I hear there%26#39;s a building boom taking place. So good you will see Myanmar before it%26#39;s too late!

All very nice for you BUT what about ';the lady'; still banged up after all these years...why not listen to her advice to STAY AWAY ...she IS the democratically elected leader after all..

Thanks for your extremely thoughtful impressions. Did you get to Mandalay? If so, was it worthwhile? Despite recent events, I am planning a trip to Myanmar in December and am torn between Inle and Mandalay. (Don%26#39;t have time for both.)

stugletKent, please do not mix with politic. Only a few dollars go to government and meantime, the people are suffer between both side. It is not easy for the people with empty stomach , waiting for democracy. A lot of people in Myanmar need tourist dollars for their life to continue.

leloir,

Mandalay is center of culture and Inle is with beautiful science and wonderful way of Inle people life . Both wroth while.

A very poignant reminder of the reality, by mgzaymin%26#39;s entry.

Khayeethe.

We travelled in Burma for three weeks and visited most of the major sites such as Rangoon, Inle Lake, Mandalay and Bagan. We loved each and every one of these places and found that each had its own special charm.

Mandalay was definately one of the most amazing places we visited in Burma and perhaps we could say the week we spent here over Christmas was the highlight of the whole trip. Shopping in Mandalay, visiting the Mahamuni Paya, Amarapura %26amp; the U Bein Bridge, Saigang%26#39;s monastaries, Minguin%26#39;s Paya, Inwa and U Bein Bridge was the most incredible experience.

If I was to return to Burma I would definately make Mandalay a priority. I would highly recommend it!

Happy travels!

Kat

It has been about 5 years since I was in Myanmar. My wife and I had gotten to the top of a temple in Mandalay. We were admiring the peaceful view when our guide was approached my a few young men who asked him if they could practice their English with us. The first question, to my American wife: ';Why are you so fat? Don%26#39;t you take exercise?';

Perhaps 3 of the skinny young men put together would have equalled one of us. Everyone else in Myarmar were very polite and respectful, exactly what we were expecting.