Backpacking Myanmar

[bucs]

Hi all,

I will be backpacking in Myanmar March next year. I know this maybe a little bit early but I just want to guided as I will be travelling alone. I will spend 7 days in total there.

Will be arriving in Yangon late afternoon stay the night and spend extra 1 day there to visit shwedagon pagoda.

Then I'll take an overnight bus to Bagan; Spend 3 days 2 nights.

Then bus to Mandalay 2 days 1 night. Visit Mingun and Amarpura.

I particularly want to know where I can stay in Yangon, Bagan and Mandalay. I'm looking at spending $25 to $35 a night for a decent room. Any recommendations?

Also where would be the best sites for sunrise and sunsets shoots in Bagan? as I will be spending most of my time there.

Will be bringing my x100, Olympus XA, and Spotmatic with 50mm Takumar

Thanks in advance!

 

[ktmrider]

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I just returned from SE Asia renting a motorcycle in Laos for a couple weeks. I rented it from www.remoteasia.com. You might drop them an email as they guide trips all over Asia(not just motorcycle trips).

The owner is a misplaced Texan. We talked about Myanmar and his comment was hotel rooms are going for $150 and up as the government is purposely keeping them in short supply as to boost prices.

Hope this helps.

 

[Leica All Day]

Hi Nathaniel...... I just saw your PM.....I will send you some info in a PM.....as far as hotel rooms go for.... I know decent rooms for around 20 USD a night.....the price quoted above (150 USD) are for business people who are staying in big hotels, but I know some really nice/charming/authentic guest houses that are a pleasure to stay in.....also, I should mention, I don't stay in hotels rooms in Myanmar and watch TV and chill out, I just use hotels to shower, sleep and use the bathroom......but I know some nice places with very good locations for around 20 USD......I'll send you a PM soon......I should also mention, things are changing so fast there, who knows what the situation will be like in March......the tensions between the Rohingya and the local Buddhist population is quite intense now, hopefully things change soon....

cheers, michael

 

[Mablo]

The bus from Yangon to Bagan leaves from outside Yangon. I don't remember the name of the place but you need to hire a taxi to get there. Try not to place your backpack in the luggage compartment of the bus. I had mine there and when the bus had to cross a largish river on the road my backpack looked like a large blob of mud when arriving to Bagan. You can also take a small ferry from Bagan to Mandalay. The journey on the river is really nice and scenic.

 

[Leica All Day]

The bus from Yangon to Bagan leaves from outside Yangon. I don't remember the name of the place but you need to hire a taxi to get there. Try not to place your backpack in the luggage compartment of the bus. I had mine there and when the bus had to cross a largish river on the road my backpack looked like a large blob of mud when arriving to Bagan. You can also take a small ferry from Bagan to Mandalay. The journey on the river is really nice and scenic.

Good info Mablo, but now they have a bus that leaves from the Yangon train station (located downtown) to take you to Bagan.....that said, I have never taken it but I know it exists...... the tip that you gave on not putting your backpack on the bottom of the bus is a great tip.... I never put stuff under the bus......and to be honest, I usually just carry a small backpack and my Domke bag which I always have next to me on the buses/trains.....but, things are changing so fast there, who knows what it will be like when Nathaniel (bucs) goes there.... I'll be there in 6 weeks so I will try to keep you guys updated on the changes....all I can say is, I went to a town about 4 months ago that has just opened up to tourism after banning tourists for 60 + years, and it was one of the best trips that I have had there....that said, it was rough in the sense of hotels and transportation, but once I arrived there, it was without a doubt, the most special place that I have ever been to in that country thus far.....
cheers, michael

 

[bucs]

Would you recommend riding the circular train in yangon?

Seeing that i've nothing to do during midday. I could probably take the circular train to avoid the heat.

Btw i'm not picky with rooms; i just need a decent place to sleep in at night and shower to take a bath. I've emailed some places and i found shared rooms for $18 a night. So far i've been having difficulty finding a place to stay in bagan and mandalay.

For the bus, do i need to book in advance? Does it still take 9 to 10 hours for the trip going from yangon to bagan?

Thanks for the tips!