I am surprised to say that Myanmar has been my favorite country in Asia that I have visited so far. I was constantly surprised by what cities had to offer and local experiences were so easy to become a part of. My two week trip through Myanmar included Yangon, a trek from Kalaw to Inle Lake, Bagan, Pyin Oo Lwin, and Mandalay.
Yangon
Yangon is a major city in the middle of Myanmar, and a common place to fly into when entering Myanmar (border crossings can be sketchy).
Schwedagon Pagoda
This is the one big must-do in Yangon, a city where there is not a ton to do.
This temple was under construction when I visited, but the area around the pagoda was interesting to explore just because there was so much going on. I highly recommend spending a few hours here!
Admission is 10,000 kyats.
Train around city
If you are looking for a cheap activity in the city, taking the local train is a cool way to see the Yangon city area and spend time with Burmese people. For 200 kyats, you can ride a large four hour loop through the city. This loop was closed when I was in the city, but I took the train for about five stops before walking back.
The train ticket can be bought at a booth on Platform 7 at the main station where the train will pull up.
Day trip to Dala
A day trip to Dala is another way to check out a more rural area near Yangon. For 4,000 kyats, you can take the ferry from Yangon to Dala. I was the only tourist on the ferry, and it was an extremely cool experience.
However, I was wearing shorts, and that was a no-go. While I didn't have any problems, I was the only person in the city with exposed knees. I bought the skirt cloth worn by locals as quickly as possible!
Kalaw
Kalaw is a small town with a fantastic morning market, and well known as the starting point for the three day trek to Inle Lake.
Trek to Inle Lake
The three day trek from Kalaw to Inle was one of my Myanmar highlights. It was affordable and fun, and i highly recommended it!
You can read more details about this excursion here: https://deenawhitwam.wixsite.com/travelblog
Bagan
This archaeologically rich city was a dream come true. Over 2,200 temples populate the old city (admission is 25,000 kyats for five days), and in recent history all of them were open to be explored by tourists to see the sunrise. Unfortunately, every temple is now blocked off to climbing tourists with gates, brick walls, and cement poured down stairs. These changes have resulted in denial of this location becoming a UNESCO world heritage site.
Exploring the Temples
From the Boabed Hostel, you can cross the street and rent ebikes for a full day for $4. I did this every morning!
Using the app maps.me, which doesn't require cell data, you can explore temples to your heart’s content! While exploring, keep your eyes open for great places to enjoy the sunrise in future mornings.
Sunrise
There is no reason for you to miss a sunrise here, ever. Hot air balloons launch every morning with the sunrise, and the sunrise view of temples while 30+ balloons launch into the sky was the highlight of my every day here.
Nap all day if you want, but be on your way to a viewpoint by 5:30am!
Lacquer Workshop
Visiting this workshop was a spur of the moment idea, but I am so glad I went! The purpose of the place is definitely to sell expensive lacquered pieces, but the people working by hand on different pieces of art were fascinating to see.
Fine carving, careful painting, eggshell mosaics, and bamboo creations. Such a cool stop!
Pyin Oo Lwin
I decided to visit this city because I was running out of time and Hsipaw was too far, and it was along the train tracks to allow me to see the Goteik Viaduct. To my surprise this lovely little town had a lot to offer(including Gorge Orwell’s house, which I wasn't able to find).
I took a local bus from Mandalay, which was a great idea. For 2,000 kyats, I rode in the back of a local truck with 13 adults, 6 kids, a conductor hanging off the back, and a motorbike. SUCH a cool experience.
The ride is 1.5 hours long and pickup is here (STAR) at the intersection of 35th & 77th st:
Botanical Gardens
For a 7,500 kyat entrance fee, I was able to park my bike rental (15,000 kyats - expensive) and explore a beautiful garden.
It was a great place to enjoy a stroll, see swans and flower art installments, and have your photo taken with at least 30 tourists if you are a blonde woman.
Anesakhan Waterfall
I drove to this waterfall in my rented scooter early in the morning and began the easy but steep 30 minute hike down to the waterfall. When you arrive, you will be charged 500 kyats for parking (I am sure there is a way out of this).
A young woman will also be waiting to serve as a guide on your way to the waterfall; just say “no guide,” and she will leave you be. It is literally a road to the waterfall, you do not need a guide.
Goteik Viaduct
The highest bridge in Myanmar was built in 1899, and was the largest railway trestle in the world when it was erected. For 1,200 kyats, you can take the train from Pyin Oo Lwin toward Hsipaw to experience this bridge adventur before returning to Mandalay.
The train leaves at 8:20am and you can buy a ticket at about 7:30am. You can also buy the ticket the night before between 3-5pm at the train station.
The train arrives at the Viaduct around 11am, after a brief stop to take photos of the bridge. About 20 minutes after the a Viaduct the train stops at another station, and this is where I disembarked. I took a motorbike taxi to the main road (1,000 kyats, overpaid) and asked him to help me flag down a shared taxi to Mandalay. For 10,000 kyats, I was back in Mandalay dropped off right at my hostel four hours later.
Mandalay
Another major city in Myanmar, this city has about one day’s worth of things to offer. Big cities are not my favorite!
Mya Thein Tan Pagoda
It was somewhat difficult to get to this Pagoda, but completely worth it!
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