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Trip Report
The Best of Myanmar
Incredible Myanmar in just under 1 month
+ 9
AsiaMyanmar (Burma)25 days / November 2018
Highs & Lows
Sunrise in Bagan! Absolutely spectacular
Not having time to make it down South to the beaches
Itinerary Overview
The two weeks I spent in Myanmar were absolutely breathtaking - I cannot recommend visiting this incredible country more than enough! Having only recently opened up to tourism in comparison to its' Asian neighbours, the country maintains a sentiment of authenticity and feels somewhat untouched by the tourism industry. The Burmese are incredibly kind and welcoming people - if for a second you look lost on the street you will have a crowd of people looking to help you with directions. Not to forget the incredible natural and man-made sites the country has to offer. Most incredible of these is undoubtedly the ancient city of Bagan - a UNESCO declared World Heritage Site situated in the open plains of the countries' interior sprinkled with thousands of ancient Buddhist temples. The country also offers incredible cities, lakes, temples, rivers, jungle, beaches, amongst countless points of appeal, as well as a diverse and flavour-rich cuisine.
(I do write this with full awareness of the current political situation and ongoing advice that the country is currently an unsafe place to travel to - as of Jan 2023).
Yangon Pagodas, bustling streets, busy markets - so many things to feast the eyes on!
Day 1 - Yangon
Although Yangon is often more of a transit city for tourists - I would highly recommend staying for a couple of days to experience the craziness of the countries' largest city and find your feet before launching into Myanmar's more rural attractions. The first thing I did in Yangon was join a free walking tour, which I found great to get my bearings of the city and receive a few fantastic recommendations from a local guide. Afterwards I found myself getting lost for hours in the bustling streets of Yangon, trying delicious street-food and browsing the many shops and street-stands.
Day 2 - Yangon
My second day in Yangon I started the day with the three hour journey on the Yangon Circular Train Line. The train covers over 45km, and takes you from built up residential zones to peaceful country-side. Be sure to get on the train hungry - there is an array of incredible food options sold by vendors who routinely board the train. If three hours sitting on a train sounds like a nightmare, simply get off at whichever stop and hop in a taxi back to the city centre. The afternoon was spent wandering markets, followed by which I visited the Schwedagon Pagoda for sunset.
Day 3 - Yangon to Bagan
The bus from Yangon to Bagan is (over) 9 hours, so be sure to bring snacks and lots to keep you entertained!
Old Bagan Pagodas pagodas pagodas!! (And more pagodas)
Day 4 - Bagan
My first day in Bagan I spent on a tour of the Pagodas via electric scooters, organised by the hostel. I highly recommend touring on the electric scooters as it gets VERY hot at the pagoda site during the day. On the tour we visited the biggest of the temples in the area, and learnt a lot about the history, customs and advice for exploring the site. As a solo traveller the tour was a great way to meet people, sharing an incredible vegetarian dinner that evening with new friends I'd met scooting around the World Heritage Site.
Day 5 - Bagan
Being over 104km^2, there are countless things to explore in the Pagoda zone of Bagan. With the people I'd met on the bike tour, we rented electric scooters for the day and explored the winding roads of the world heritage site. The countless hidden gems of pagodas and food stops made getting off the main tourist path very much worth it - despite the many flat batteries of the electric scooters.
Day 6 - Bagan
I woke up early this morning and road out to the temples with some other people from the hostel to watch the incredible sunrise over the site. Many people take a hot air balloon ride to watch sunrise over the temples, adding to the drama and sheer beauty of the sunrise. The afternoon was spent sipping beers and snacking on traditional Burmese dishes on a boat ride of the Irrawaddy River - another day another incredible sunset! (And sunrise)
Day 7 - Bagan to Hsipaw
I spent the day on the eight hour bus ride connecting Bagan to the mountain village of Hsipaw.
Hsipaw Incredible jungle and natural scenes
Day 8 - 10 Hsipaw
Countless people recommended to me tour guide Mr. Bike - who runs overnight jungle treks for tourists. Consequently I spent three days trekking through the mountainous and luscious jungle surrounding Hsipaw. We stayed in incredible tree-houses that overlooked the mountains, offering incredible sunrises and sunsets to feast our tired eyes. The last day was spent lazing in the sun, tubing down the river back into Hsipaw, where we were able to take part in a cooking class learning how to make Shan Noodles - the local noodle dish of the province. The tour was run by an incredible team of local Burmese guides who taught us so much about Myanmar and Burmese culture - I would recommend Mr Bike and his team in a heartbeat to anyone!
Day 10 - Hsipaw to Nyaungshwe via the Goteik Viaduct
If you have time, the Goteik Viaduct is not to be missed! The 690m viaduct can be seen (and travelled across) by taking the train from Hsipaw in the direction of Pyin Oo Lwin, from where I took a bus to Nyaungshwe. The 2 hour train is very much worth it if you have the time and want to spend a relaxing morning (slowly) travelling through the beautiful landscapes in the Shan State.
Nyaungshwe The incredible scenery around (and within) the famous Inle Lake
Day 11 - 25
In Nyaungshwe I spent two weeks volunteering (English teaching, construciton, maintenance) at Htet Eain Gu Monastery. While most of my time was spent helping at the monastery, I also had the opportunity to explore the local area. Some things that I think should NOT be missed in this beautiful part of the world are;
- Hiring a taxi boat to watch sunrise over the lake
- Taking a boat tour of the floating villages on Inle Lake
- Hiring bicycles, cycling around the lake and visiting local towns
- Wandering through the Nyaungshwe wet market
- Cooking class!!
I also had the fortune of staying at the Monastery during a time of many festivals and public holidays, the most notable of these being the Tazaungdaing Fire-Balloon Festival. The festival sees teams lighting home-made hot air balloons which shoot fireworks out of their base - simultaneously a recipe for madness and an unbelievable site for the eyes.
The volunteering was organised through the platform Workaway - a website I recommend to any traveller!
Day 25/26
Overnight bus back to Yangon to catch a flight out of Myanmar.
Q & A
What would you have changed?
More time!! The south of Myanmar hosts an incredible coastline that I would have loved to explore.Anything go wrong during the trip?
Some of the bus journeys were delayed by many hours - something I did not take into account in terms of checking into hostels (a lot of them don't have 24 hour reception). Fortunately staff were able to let me in but something to be mindful of!Restaurant recommendations?
Any street stall sells incredible food!! But be careful - the Burmese don't take spice lightlyTips you would give a friend?
Get yourself out there and be warm and open to interactions with the people of Myanmar! The Burmese are incredibly lovely people, take the opportunity to speak with them and learn from them.Packing tips?
Dress respectfully - as a woman I made sure I covered my chest and legs. However it could get quite hot so I do recommend light and free-flowing clothing.Transportation Tips?
Buses are generally the best way to get around the country - cheap and reliable!Any surprises?
The cuisine! So manyBooking details?
Booking on location generally is fine - there is normally availability and prices do not change.
Lodging
Shwe Yo Vintage Hostel
Ostello Bello Bagan
Mr Charles Guest House
Workaway - volunteering at Htet Eain Gu Monastery (run by the Mudita Foundation)