My husband and I have just spent 9 lovely days in Myanmar. The weather was excellent whilst we were there (we were told the best time of the year to visit was from December to February). The people were friendly and hospitable, prices were inexpensive, internal flights that we took (Air Mandalay and Yangon Airways, all turbo-prop ATR72) were on-time and comfortable. A fair degree of English was spoken, and we got by without difficulty. The things we enjoyed most of all were the temples at Bagan, Lake Inle and its local market (NOT the floating market for tourists)and generally feeling safe as tourists in Myanmar at the places we visited.
Here is a brief report on our trip (11-19 January 2009):
11th Jan (Sunday)
We flew out of Hong Kong on Singapore Airlines at 8am and arrived in Singapore at 11:50am. At 2:20pm we boarded SilkAir and arrived at Yangon at around 4pm. At the airport there is a counter where we paid US$7 for a taxi to our hotel – Traders Hotel.
Prior to our arrival in Yangon, we had booked all our hotels and domestic flights via an agent in Yangon – Radiant Tours. This company was very efficient and helpful and I had exchanged emails with them planning our itinerary, booking our hotels and purchasing our domestic flights in advance.
A gentleman from Radiant Tours met us in the lobby of the Traders Hotel and handed us our vouchers for our hotels and domestic flights. All in good order.
Traders Hotel is in a very central location, within 2 minutes’ walk to Bogyoke (Scotts) Market, and a short stroll from the Sule Pagoda. After checking in, we walked to the nearby Central Hotel to exchange our US dollars into Kyats (exchange rate 1USD=1000K). We asked the cashier at the Central Hotel to recommend us a good local restaurant, and he recommended a one nearby called Daw Saw Yee (175-177, 29th Upper Street). This was just a few minutes’ stroll away and we made our way there meandering amongst local vendors and hawkers. On the way, we also purchased a SIM card which cost USD20 and was valid for 2 weeks. The shop where we purchased our SIM card is called Global Digital Electronic Sales %26amp; Service Centre (No. 181 Anawrahta Road, Kyauktada Township, Yangon). The people in the shop were very friendly, and had me test the SIM card first before accepting payment.
There was a man in the Daw Saw Yee restaurant on 29th Street who could speak some English. This was definitely not a touristy place, and there were many locals dining there. The place and utensils were clean. Dishes were pre-cooked and diners came in front of a buffet style spread and indicated which items they wanted. For 10,000K the two of us feasted on three meat dishes and three veggie ones. Soup, rice and raw green salad were complimentary. The eel curry was particulary good, as were the lobster balls.
12th Jan (Monday)
Had to get up at 4am to take an Air Mandalay flight to Bagan which departed at 6am. Taxi fare to the airport was 6500K. The Traders Hotel packed us a simple breakfast which we consumed at the airport whist waiting for our flight.
Arrived in Bagan at 7:10am. The flight was good, and tea, coffee and pastries were served. There were only 28 passengers on the plane (an ATR72). In the airport, we were required to pay USD10 each as the “Admission fee” to Bagan. This is a one-off fee levied by the Department of Archaeology.
We took a taxi to our hotel - Hotel @ Tharabar Gate (USD80 per night, breakfast included). Taxi fare was 6000K. The hotel is situated near the Ananda Temple. Ananda Temple is known as the finest, largest, best preserved and most revered of the Bagan temples. Apparently we arrived to experience the annual Ananda Temple festival which is held for 3 weeks (so we were told). The festival falls on the full moon between December and January and during this festival many devotees come from far and wide to the temple (some camp in its vicinity) and make offerings to the Buddhist monks. We heard chanting that went on day and night during the two days that we spent there. There were lots of temporary stalls and street vendors in the vicinity.
Lunch was at the Sarabha II (which was recommended by Lonely Planet 2005). This was a HUGE disappointment. The “Traditional Myanmar chicken curry” had four tiny pieces of meat (and bone) floating in a watery substance, the “Thai Stir Fried Pork with chilli and hot basil” was absolutely not authentic and did not have much flavor, and worst of all was the “Thai Chicken Omelette with onion, green chili and fish sauce” – there were no onions or green chilies in the omelette and there was only a tiny bit of white minced meat inside the omelette. The “Fried Assorted Green Vegetables” had a strong starchy base. The total meal (with 2 bottles of water) cost 16000K. I guess the price was OK, but the quality of the food was really mediocre.
After lunch, we hired the services of a horse-cart (7000K for half a day) and headed toward the Myinkaba area. Here we visited the Gubyaukgyi Temple, the Manuha Paya and the Nan Paya. We also visited a lacquer workshop and store called the Golden Cuckoo (Myin Ka Par Village) which had the good quality stuff in the back and the cheaper wares in the front. We discovered that the quality of the lacquer goods here were much better than the cheaper versions sold elsewhere in Bagan.
Watched the sunset at the Shwesandaw Temple. Climbed up to the spacious top terrace (there are 5 terraces) to find many tourists (and people from Myanmar) there with cameras. From the top terrace one has a magnificent view of the surrounding plains and the very many temples dotted around.
Returned to the Tharabar hotel for dinner by the pool. The food here was very good. Although expensive by local standards (USD52 for two, a la carte), we felt it was worth it because of its quality and the service. The Sauteed Prawns “Kogala” was especially nice, tossed in butter with garlic, black pepper , grated coconut and with a touch of chili.
13th Jan (Tuesday)
After a long night’s rest and a leisurely breakfast, we set off. We hired a taxi through a very attractive lady at the reception named Zar Zar, (who spoke good English and was very helpful) and requested (and got) a driver with goodEnglish. Cost of hire for a day was 30,000K.
Half an hour later we were at Nyaung U market. This is a colourful and vibrant local market with stalls selling lots of food products, wares and souvenirs as well. After that, we visited Shwezigon Paya and the Tha Gyar Pone Paya (recommended by driver and not listed in Lonely Planet). These two temples are in the Nyaung U area. We then made our way to the Htilominlo Temple before lunch in the restaurant at the Sakura Hotel, a hotel with nice outdoor grounds.
Lunch was quite good. The menu was fairly extensive, ranging from items like wraps (USD7-9), fried rice (USD7), mixed green salad (USD7), to roasted French duck (USD16), grilled chicken (USD12), and a fair range of desserts such as Myanmar steamed banana in coconut milk (USD3) and chocolate cappuccino cheesecake (USD5). The chilled Gaspacho Duo (USD7) was good, as was mixed salad and the banana dessert.
After lunch, we visited 2 temples in the Central Plain area – the Dhammayangyi Temple and the Sulamani Temple. We then visited temples in the Old Bagan area – the Mahabodhi Temple, the Shwegugyi Temple, the Thatbyinnyu Temple and the Gawdawpalin Temple.
Dinner at the Tharabar Hotel Restaurant. Did not disappoint.
(End of Part One)
Trip Report to Myanmar - Part 1
Really interesting detailed report - looking forward to further postings.
Trip Report to Myanmar - Part 1
Thanks a lot and looking forward to see other part.
As I%26#39;ll leave to myanmar in the next 20 days I found your travelogue really interesting and useful!!!
Did you have any problems using the local SIM card around the country? Even can you tell me something about overseas calling rates?
Thanks!!!
Giuseppe
http://www.appuntidiviaggi.net
Giuseppe, generally speaking, I had very little problem with the SIM. I used it to make outgoing calls whilst I was in Yangon, Bagan and Mandalay. There were of course instances where I was unsuccessful when making such calls (e.g. whilst in the hotel room in the Traders Hotel - but on this instance the problem was solved when I went and made the call standing next to an open window in the lift lobby), and instances where no coverage existed (e.g. in the plains whilst visiting temples in Bagan). However, by and large, I managed to make outgoing calls overseas and local calls as well.
My family members did say it was not always easy to get calls through (i.e. incoming calls from overseas whilst in Myanmar). But they eventually did establish contact.
Oh, and by the way, the charge for making outgoing overseas calls was USD1.5 per minute. Incoming calls were much cheaper. There were 2 kinds of SIM cards for sale: one was USD20 - with a validity period of 2 weeks; the other was USD 40 with a validity period of 4 weeks.
thanks very much, even I read your other post in the forum
Best regards!!!
The food sounds really expensive! I%26#39;m sure locals don%26#39;t pay anything close to what tourists pay! Tired of the usual rip off!
Do you have a contact detail for Radiant Tour?
sevenBangkok, their email address is
sales@radiant.com.mm
or
radianttour@gmail.com
The lady who arranged my trip is called Sandar.
Her telephone number is 95.1.706117
Good luck and enjoy your trip to Myanmar!!
Hi BooFit, Thanks for all your information. My daughter and 3 more (20 year old) young women are planning a trip to Rangoon in May. They plan to help at an orphanage. Are there safety concerns for 4 young women traveling to Myanmar for 3 weeks? Any precautions they should take?
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