What and when to book?

I%26#39;m traveling by myself to Myanmar in June for a few days, arriving on June 15th and leaving on June 26th.

I%26#39;m flying in and out of Yangon and I%26#39;d also like to visit Mandalay and Bagan. I don%26#39;t think I%26#39;ll really have time for more than that, though I%26#39;d like to visit Inle, also.

I know this isn%26#39;t the high season. But my time is relatively limited. I%26#39;m trying to decide how much I need to book in advance or if I should just wait until I%26#39;m there.

At a minimum, I%26#39;d like to book a couple of nights in a hotel in Yangon just so I don%26#39;t have to look when I first get there.

Other than that, can I just wait to book airline tickets and other hotels? Or is it best with my limited time to wait until I%26#39;m there?

I%26#39;m on a sort of mid-range budget. I%26#39;m looking for $20-$30/night for a hotel and I can buy plane tickets (rather than overnight buses). But I%26#39;m not planning on hiring a private car and driver to take me everywhere.

If I book in advance, which agencies might be good to contact? Or if I wait until I%26#39;m there, same question?

Any other advice?

Thanks in advance!

travelgail

What and when to book?

Hi travelgail,

As June is called LOW SEASON in Myanmar for Tourist arrival, you probably need not worry for your flight seats and hotel rooms.

On the other hand, since it%26#39;s low season you should know in advance the schedule as they will not be frequent as it is in HIGH SEASON.

I like to suggest you to contact some other local agents if not bothering. The price may be different in gaining the deal regarding domestic tickets and hotel rates.

However, I can suggest you ';CENTRAL HOTEL'; in Yangon for your budget travel if you do NOT mind about Government owned ones. They deal directly to customers online. Have a try!

Otherwise, you can try to get rooms for Yangon through some agencies to get within your budget for the following suggested hotels.

1) THAMADA hotel (downtown)

2) PANORAMA hotel(downtown)

3) YUZANA hotel (near to SHWEDAGON, famous and must spot in Myanmar)

It is wise to have rooms in Yangon first hand. Otherwise, let me know of an assistance.

Adroit River through Rangoon.

What and when to book?

Hi Adroit River,

Thanks for the warning about frequencies of schedules during the low season. It wouldn%26#39;t be good if I couldn%26#39;t travel somewhere because there isn%26#39;t a plane on the day I was planning!

I would really rather avoid the government hotels, if possible.

I do like your other suggestions for hotels. I don%26#39;t know if it would be better to stay downtown or near Shwedagon. Does anyone have an opinion?

What about which travel agent to contact now to get some bookings? Recommendations?

What do people think about my limited time? Will I have time to see Yangon, Mandalay, and Bagan in 10 days (11 nights)? Would it also be possible to visit Inle? I really don%26#39;t want to rush.

Thanks!

travelgail

1.15/26 June.. Are you arrive/depart on Morning flight or night flight ??Any way , suggest as follow :-

15 June .. Arrive Yangon. Overnight Yangon

16 June .. Yangon

17 June .. Fly to Bagan .Overnight Bagan ..

18 June .. Bagan ..

19 June .. Bagan

20 June .. fly to Mandalay, Overnight Mandalay

21 June .. Mandalay

22 June .. Mandalay

23 June .. Fly to Heho ( Inle Lake), Overnight Inle Lake

24 June .. Inle Lake

25 June .. Fly back to Yangon

26 June .. Depart

11 days is quite sufficient time for you to visit and 3 days each in the place is not rush. some do in 2 days and ofcourse, they have to hire a car to drive around. With 3 days, you may able to use bicycle or horse cart in bagan and so on.

As mention above, Thamada is government hotel and the others two are not. Pre-arrange is always better and if you are not looking for budget hotel, it is better to arrange with travel agent. Usually, walk in to hotel and get the rooms in middle or upper class , the agent rate is cheaper . Check around with travel agent first. These travel agencies are good reputation in country and many more.

Adventure Myanmar , Anada, Asian trails . Columbus ,Dithelm, Exotismo, Indo China , and many. Others members can recomment you base on their trips.

The flight schedule to yangon, bagan, mandalay, Inle they have every day flight and only reduce to instead of two to three times to one or two times only.

Hi mgzaymin!

Thanks for the additional information!

I arrive at 12:50 pm on June 15th and leave at 8:30 am on June 26th (so no sightseeing that day!)

The schedule you suggest looks like it might work. And you are exactly right that I want to have time to get around by horsecart or bicycle instead of needing to hire a driver and rush around all the time.

Anyone else have any reactions to the suggested itinerary?

I did not kow that Thamada was a government hotel, so I am glad to be told that.

Thank you for suggesting the travel agencies. If possible, I would like to use an agency based in Myanmar. I recognize some of the names as being international agencies. Anyone know which, if any, are locally-based?

If anyone else has suggestions for travel agencies, I would be happy to hear those also.

Any other thoughts or comments?

Thanks again,

travelgail

I think people insight the Land here in the forum are cautious about self advertisement regarding travel agencies.

However I would suggest you the 10 travel agencies (all locals and running in the track currently) and to whom all I know. Lol. There are some agencies left over though. Believe it or not, there are over 700 registered agencies. Majority of them do not work. HuH..

1) Myanmar polestar (esp. Japanese market)

Contact: pst-md@myanmar.com.mm

2) 7 Days Tour(Bike tour specialist)

Contact: info@7daystour.com

3) Gracious Myanmar Travel (esp. German)

Contact: GMT@mptmail.net.mm

4) Good News Travel (esp. FIT travelers from Europe %26amp; England and America)

Contact: good-news@mptmail.net.mm

5) KST (unknown)

Contact: ksuthway@yangon.net.mm

6) Peace House Travel (sp. FIT travelers from Europe %26amp; England and America)

Contact: info@peacehousetravel.com

7) Shan Yoma (esp. Russian, Dutch and some Europeans)

Contact: shanyoma@mptmail.net.mm

8) Taw Win Travel (esp. Europe market)

Contact: tawwin@mptmail.net.mm

9) Y %26amp; A Travel (esp. America and unknown)

Contact: YNA@mptmail.net.mm

10) Golden Express (balloon tour specialist)

Contact: geh@myanmar.com.mm

a confession: I might be wrong about their specialist area because situation changes always.

Or you have something if you don%26#39;t mind the mass mails arrival to your inbox, you can go and send inquiries through Myanmar web portal *(relying on travel agents). Your inquiry will go through the site and distributed to hundred agents. So they will reply you in different *(somewhat same) ways. The site I%26#39;m talking to you is myanmars.net/myanmar-travel/tour.information…

Speaking of program suggested here, If you do not want to rush, Lake Inle should be out listed. Instead, you should go to Monywa nearby Mandalay. Pakokku near Bagan; something like that.

Cheers. Hook your luck!!!

I stayed at the Central Hotel in Yangon in January 08 and was very happy with the facilities provided and central location. I notice that one of the responses above mentions that Central Hotel is governemnt owned. This comes as a surprise to me as I did not realise this when I booked and I was keen to avoid governemt-owned hotels. The guidebook I used indicated it wasn%26#39;t governemt owned.

Can anyone let me know where it is possible to access an authoritatve list of government owned/run hotels please?

I used Radiant Travel %26amp; Tours to book this hotel and was very happy with the service provided.

Have used Tour Mandalay (locally owned) and Asian Trails in the past and would happily recommend both.

Would also confirm the itinerary recommended by mgz-it is a ';first timers'; package that could be put together by any Agent and the Airline schedules are built around it.

Austromyrtus,

If you want to know, I can able to let you know most of them since it is not too many too. Anyway if you interested, some of these are Government own but most of them rent to local private company and run by individual.

Yangon

1. Inya Lake

2. Thamada

3. Yuzana Garden ( Yuzana Garden Hotel and Yuzana Hotel is same group but Yuzana Hotel is own by local)

4. Central Hotel

5. Strand ( lease to Singapore Company)

6. Kandawgyi Palace Hotel ( lease to Thai Company)

Mandalay

1. Inwa Hotel

2. Mandalay Swan ( lease to Singapore Company)

3. I forget the name one near Mandalay Swan , now operated by local.

Taunggyi ,

1. Taunggyi Hotel

Monywa

2. Monywa Hotel

Golden Rock

1. Kyaik Hto Hotel

Ngapali Beach

1. Ngapali Beach Hotel

Bagan

1.Bagan Thiripyitsaya Sakura

Keng Tong

1. Keng Tong Hotel

Myaukoo

1. Myauk Oo Hotel

Sittwe

1. Sittwe hotel

Taungoo

1. Myanmar Thiri Hotel

Kalaw

1. Kalaw Hotel

Mgz.

Great info on hotels.

I wonder how many more are owned by the General%26#39;s families??

And airlines??

Geoff

Hi Adroit River, Austromyrtus, and silverswimmer. Thanks for the information on travel agencies. I%26#39;ll look into contacting some of them.

Mgzaymin, thank very much for the list of government-owned hotels. I%26#39;ll keep them in mind.

Unfortunately, right now my Myanmar trip planning is on hold. See this thread:

tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g294190-i9408-k193…

for the explanation.

(If I didn%26#39;t post the link correctly, sorry.)

travelgail