Myanmar as we dreamed it (page 5 of 5)

It was such a pleasure reading your post. The details about the sites you visited will be incredibly helpful for planning our next trip to Myanmar. Your photos are stunning! Thanks so much for taking the time to share your experience.

It was a real pleasure reading your post. The information about the sites you visited will be incredibly helpful for planning our upcoming trip to Burma. Your photos are stunning! Thanks for taking the time to share your experience.

Hi Denise, thanks for your kind words. Have a wonderful trip yourselves!

Hello Fabhyène, Your travel journal delighted us. We’d love to visit this country too. We’re two retirees, and your way of traveling matches exactly what we’re looking for. Could you share the name of the tour operator (TO) and the budget we should plan for? Did you book the hotels yourself, or was that handled by the TO? We don’t need luxury—just cleanliness and hot water!...... We’d really appreciate a response. Thanks.

We loved your travel journal. We’d like to visit this country too. We’re two retirees, and your way of traveling matches what we’re looking for. Could you share the name of the tour operator and the budget we should plan for? Did you book the hotels yourselves, or did the tour operator handle that? We don’t need luxury—just cleanliness and hot water!......

Hi Martine, Thanks for your kind words. I’ll send you a private message with details about the local agency, the budget, and how it was organized. Best regards, Fabienne

As someone before me said, a successful travel journal is one that transports us back as if we were still there.

What a pleasure to see all these photos. We went in the summer, so during the humid season, and without too many tourists.

I recognize quite a few places you visited, some unknown to me, and others you probably didn’t have time to see, but the atmosphere in your photos brings them all back to me.

One thing you didn’t mention, which was very special to me, is the fact that Burmese people live in the pagodas. They have picnics there, children take their naps, teenagers play. All of this in calm and joy. Religion is such a big part of their lives that they spend a lot of time there—not just praying. It’s so different from churches where you only go for mass or to pray. And while I sometimes felt out of place visiting certain cathedrals, like I was disturbing the worshippers, I never felt that way there.

The other point is the photos. You mentioned always asking for permission. We never had a single refusal. And we were asked countless times to pose with Burmese people in photos—sometimes with the whole family, from the newborn to the grandmother—always with lots of thanks for agreeing. Our guide explained that for many, even though TV is everywhere now, foreigners are still something incredible. When they return to their village and show these photos, it becomes a big event for days because they’ve spent time with a foreigner. Maybe the fact that we were tall (one friend was 1.96m) and blond with blue eyes added to the magic for them, but we were never a day without being asked. But as always in Burma, it was all with smiles, laughter, and kindness. This country really stole my heart.

Thanks for your travel journal—it brought it all back to me.

Hi Fabienne,

Gorgeous photo report—nothing but positive vibes in your comments!

I’m interested in all your great hotel, guide, and restaurant tips for: Mandalay Bagan Kalaw Ngapali

Thanks so much, and warm regards, Two retirees from Bigorre heading to BURMA for the first 10 days of October

Hi Fabienne,

Thank you for your wonderful travel journal.

We’re currently planning our trip to Myanmar next February.

You organized your trip with the help of a local agency. Were you happy with their services? How much of your trip did you plan in advance (domestic flights and other transport, hotels, guides, etc.)?

Thanks in advance for your valuable tips!

François

Hello, This journal is to share with you—and to relive—the pleasure of our trip to Myanmar in January and February this year. 6 stops: - the economic capital, Yangon, - the ethnic groups in the east around Kengtong, - Inle Lake, - Mandalay, - Bagan, - the Golden Rock and Bago. A trip for two, but organized with a local agency. Flight with Vietnam Airlines (Paris/Ho Chi Minh City/Yangon on the way out, Yangon/Hanoi/Paris on the way back).

First stop: Yangon

At last, we arrive! That moment of excitement and impatience we all know when we land in a country we don’t know but have been dreaming about for a while. Butterflies in our stomachs—not just from the long flight! It’s noon, everything goes smoothly (baggage, immigration, currency exchange, pre-booked taxi, ride to Yangon), and by 2:30 PM, we’re checking into our hotel. Sure, we’re tired from the journey, but eager to explore the city and power through until evening to beat the jet lag. We’re driven by To-Wen. Traffic is pretty heavy, but strangely, no motorbikes or scooters... To-Wen explains that two-wheelers have been banned in Yangon for several years because they’d become too numerous and caused many injuries and deaths. To make up for it, a very developed public transport system has been put in place. Yangon, or Rangoon, isn’t Myanmar’s administrative capital. The official capital was moved to Naypyidaw in 2005 by government decision—some say to distance themselves from potential popular uprisings. Whatever the reason, it cost a fortune, and almost no one followed (only civil servants, who were forced to go), not even foreign embassies. This ghost capital makes all the Burmese we spoke to laugh. Yangon remains the economic, cultural, and diplomatic capital, and it’s the most populous city (4.5 million people).

What did we see? First, we discovered the Sule Pagoda, a funny "roundabout pagoda" since it’s right in the middle of a busy intersection! Circular, its outer wall houses many tiny shops. Then comes the magic—outside, the street is chaotic, but inside, it’s peaceful. You leave the noisy roundabout and suddenly find yourself in another world... flowers and fruit on the altars, the scent of jasmine mixed with incense... Actually, this pagoda is very old—it’s said to have been founded in 230 BC to house a hair of the Buddha. But it was in the 15th century that the great zedi (a slender stupa) on top reached its current height of 44 meters (see photos). It’s a symbolic place in the fight for democracy, as it was the rallying point for monk protests in 2007.



Next to the Sule Pagoda is Independence Park, which borders the colonial district (very run-down).



Then we had our first wow moment: the stunning Shwedagon Pagoda (see photos). It’s Myanmar’s most sacred Buddhist sanctuary, drawing crowds of devotees. Its stupa rises to 99 meters, surrounded by dozens of temples and zedis... It’s been over 1,500 years since successive rulers began embellishing and expanding it.



Believers gather in the many halls and circle the great golden stupa. Here, we first encounter the incredible "quiet fervor" of the Burmese. A kind, open religiosity that doesn’t make us feel like intruders or nuisances—instead, it makes us want to understand their faith better.



If you go, make sure to be there in the late afternoon: the low rays of the setting sun bathe the site in gold and orange. The zedis glow... and everything becomes surreal.





The sun sets early, so we head back to the hotel around 6:30 PM. Luckily, it has a rooftop with an amazing view of Yangon by night. We settle in to sip our first vacation cocktail. In the foreground, the shadow of Kandawgyi Lake, and in the background, the illuminated Shwedagon Pagoda, which serves as a landmark for the whole city. (See photo.)

Tomorrow, we’re flying to Kengtong. We’ll be back in Yangon at the end of our trip to explore more.

Now, off to bed by 10 PM for a restful night to adjust to Myanmar time...

Next post: Kengtong and meeting the local ethnic groups.

Hi François, It’s possible to book everything yourself, but I’ll admit that for this kind of country, I prefer using a local agency. Plus, neither my husband nor I enjoy wasting time on the ground dealing with unexpected issues. For some, that’s part of the travel experience, and I get that, but personally, I feel more at ease when all the logistics are sorted.

We were fully satisfied with the agency’s services. Everything was perfect, and if anything had gone wrong, we could’ve contacted them 24/7.

We had 4 domestic flights, which increased the cost, but it saved us time and allowed us to visit almost all four corners of the country in just under 3 weeks. At each stop, we had an English-speaking driver and their vehicle (so a private boat at Inle Lake). We didn’t hire a guide (we read paper guides and look up a lot of info online), except for our 2-day trek in Kengtung in the Golden Triangle. The hotels, of course, included breakfast. The agency also booked additional transport (like the boat from Mandalay to Mingun, the horse carriage in Inwa, and the ferry to get there).

We handled the rest on the spot: lunches, dinners, and site entrance fees.

Oh, we also booked a hot-air balloon ride over Bagan through the agency (book ahead of arrival because prices go up if you wait until the last minute).

Best regards, Fabienne

Hi Fabienne,

Thank you so much for your very detailed reply. We think a bit like you do. We’d prefer not to spend too much time organizing things on the spot. We might lose a bit of spontaneity, but at the same time, we gain more availability. Like you, we prefer traveling by plane, as we’re not big fans of overnight bus rides.

Since you were really happy with your local agency, I’ll go ahead and ask for their contact details. Thanks in advance!

We’ll have 26 days there. We’d like to alternate between visiting major sites and monuments and getting off the beaten path to connect with the local population. So, we’ve put together a rough draft of our trip: - Yangon: 1 night - Nyaung Shwe: 3 nights - Trekking in the mountains near Inle Lake (3 nights) - Mandalay, including Amarapura, Mingun, and Inwa (3 nights) - Trekking in Kengtung (2 days, 3 nights) - Bagan/Nyaung U (visit to Mount Popa) (3 nights)

For the rest of the trip, we’re considering two options: **Option 1 (southern Myanmar, not yet very popular):** - Yangon: 1 night - Road trip to southern Myanmar: Bago (1 night) - Golden Rock (1 night) - Hpa-An (2 nights) - Mawlamyine, including Bilu Island (2 nights) - Dawei (2 nights) - Yangon: 1 night

**Option 2:** - Trekking in Mindat/Kanpetlet and surrounding areas (Mount Victoria) (3 nights) - Bagan: 1 night - Ngapali Beach: 3 nights - Yangon: 2 nights, with a day trip to Bago and possibly Golden Rock

Do you have any suggestions for this itinerary? Thank you so much for sharing your experiences and impressions with us.

François

Hi François, It makes me want to go back!!! A few reactions after reading the post below:

Bonjour Fabienne

So we’ve put together a first draft of our trip: - Yangon 1 night - Nyaung Shwe 3 nights - Trekking in the mountains near the India Lake (3 nights) - Mandalay including Amarapura, Mingun, and Inwa (3 nights) - Trekking in Kentung (2 days, 3 nights) - Bagan/Nyaung U (visit to Mount Popa) (3 nights)

For the rest of the trip, we’re considering two options: Option 1 (a southern route not yet very popular): - Yangon (1 night) - Road trip to southern Myanmar: Bago (1 night) - Golden Rock (1 night) - Hpa An (2 nights) - Mwalamyine including Bilu Island (2 nights) - Dawei (2 nights) - Yangon (1 night)

Option 2: - Trekking in Mindat/Kanpalet and surrounding areas (Mt. Victoria) (3 nights) - Bagan 1 night - Ngapali Beach 3 nights - Yangon (2 nights) with a day trip to Bago and possibly Golden Rock

Would you have any suggestions for this itinerary? Thank you so much for sharing your experiences and impressions with us.

François

In your draft itinerary, are the steps listed chronologically? If so, I’d suggest placing the Bagan/Mount Popa stop either just before or just after Mandalay.

For the remaining days: We really enjoyed Golden Rock—it’s a very popular spot—but in that case, I think it’s best to spend the night there to soak up the evening atmosphere (if you don’t stay overnight, you’ll have to take the last bus back at 6 PM).

I can’t give you my opinion on the other places since I haven’t been there, but if I had to choose, I like your Option 1 for exploring the south.

Best regards,

Hello, I read your entire travel journal. Everything has already been covered in the previous exchanges. Really, what beautiful photos and what great organization... Thank you for everything. We’ll be heading to Myanmar in early January and staying for 2 weeks. We’ve already booked 2 domestic flights (Bagan-Heho and Heho-Yangon) and our hotels (on Agoda and Booking), but we’re still unsure about the ground services once we’re there. On that note, we’d love to get the contact details of the local tour operator you used—it seems like you booked everything with them before even leaving. Thanks in advance. Bernard B.

hi Bernard Thanks for the kind words ;-)

I’ll reply via private message. Best regards

Hello, Thank you, Fabienne, for your reply. Actually, after reading your post (driver without a guide, photo of Inle Resort Hotel, perfect organization...), I assumed it was the agency I had already contacted. I’m convinced it’s a very reliable agency, very responsive, and with an excellent knowledge of the country. However, as I mentioned to you, we’ve just decided to book our hotels directly (which means less financial commitment with nearly two months to go before our trip, and the ability to modify these bookings without fees up to a few days before departure, plus more freedom in choosing locations and prices). As for the two domestic flights, also booked directly through the airlines’ websites, this gave us the flexibility to choose our schedules. I’ll definitely keep your option of a driver without a guide in mind. We’ll discuss this with our hotels or with some drivers whose contact details are shared on VF. Indeed, we don’t feel the need for a guide at every site. Reading our various "paper" guides should be enough and will also give us more freedom. I also agree with your choice of planning the entire trip before departure—this avoids too much time wasted on the ground (though I admit this approach might have its own appeal for others). You stayed at Inle Resort Hotel on the east shore of the lake. It’s a beautiful place. However, isn’t it a bit isolated in the evenings? Were you required to have all your evening meals there? I read that boat traffic on the lake is banned at night (though somewhere you mentioned sailing at night?). Thank you again for all the beautiful photos and the comments that go with them. We’ll be following your lead for many places (except for the Golden Rock, where we currently don’t plan to go—it takes a lot of time, and the tourist exploitation there bothers us a bit). Have a great day. Bernard B.

Good evening, Actually, the Inle Resort is really suited for staying in at night, which worked well for us since we wanted that "chill-out" time. But if you'd like to go out a bit or try different restaurants (and cheaper than the hotel), it's better to stay at a hotel in Nyaung Shwe. On the other hand, that does mean a longer trip to the lake for excursions—it’s up to you depending on what you're after! Have a great time! Fabienne