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 Traveller's Tales: Places to go and see in Myanmar
Take a tour of the top places to go in Myanmar. You may read about must see places and activities in the area. Also, you might want to read our
Bagan city guide,
Inle Lake city guide,
Mandalay city guide,
and Yangon(Rangoon) city guide.
Pages (3 of 9):
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| J Kerr |
10 March 2004 |
Stayed at Grand Plaza Parkroyal Yangon - Yangon, Myanmar.
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The Shwe Dagon Pagoda is a must. The Scott Market and Indian Market were interesting and afternoon tea at the Strand Hotel was lovely. As 2 females travelling alone, we felt very comfortable walking around the streets of Yangon and found people to be very friendly and helpful.
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| G Subramaniam (2nd call) |
16 February 2004 |
Stayed at Summit Parkview Hotel - Yangon, Myanmar.
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In Yangon, do not miss out on the Shwedagon Pagoda. Best time to go is in the afternoon so as to get a chance to see the sun go down as the pagoda gets lit up along with the little temples around it.
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| G Subramaniam |
09 February 2004 |
Stayed at Thazin Garden Hotel, Bagan - Bagan, Myanmar.
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In Bagan do not miss out on sunset from the top of one of the temple. A scene to remember for life.
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| E Perlo (2nd call) |
28 January 2004 |
Stayed at Dusit Inya Lake Resort - Yangon, Myanmar.
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Yangoon is a small and interesting city. We loved the Shwedagon Pagoda. Not so easy to find good local food, but some good Chinese food available. took the ferry over the river and did some exploring which had its moments, riding in some very rickety and ancient tuk-tuks, but good fun exploring the local markets.
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| E Norton |
26 January 2004 |
Stayed at Grand Plaza Parkroyal Yangon - Yangon, Myanmar.
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Yangon is a very interesting city, fascinating markets, good buys. Augustines' Antiques has good buys. Green Elephant and Ashoka are good restaurants. Be prepared for very poor communications (telephone and FAX) within Myanmar and very expensive international communications. We were ripped off at the "official" exchange rate booth at the airport just after leaving customs. Try to change most of your money at the hotels or in the markets. Otherwise, officials are for the most part friendly and helpful. Bagan is a must place to visit. We have visited Luang Prabang, Angkor Wat, and Bagan, and found Bagan the most fascinating.
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| E Perlo |
22 January 2004 |
Stayed at Popa Mountain Resort - Mandalay, Myanmar.
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We reached Mt Popa by taxi (about 40 minutes), through interesting countryside, stopping only at a palm plantation to smoke some cheroots and drink the local brews. The kids rode on buffaloes. You can trek in the hills, or horseride, feed the monkeys at the temple or go to the deer reservation.
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| J Loh |
21 January 2004 |
Stayed at Grand Plaza Parkroyal Yangon - Yangon, Myanmar.
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The first must-see is Shwe Dagon Pagoda - huge awesome gilded pagoda built on highland. You need tough soles - you have to walk barefoot (even socks are not allowed!) in the scorching sun on the floor and tiles and when you pause to compose a photo - you will wish you had even thicker skin!
I have learnt to get the locals - whether from the pagoda, or from the market, or from the restaurants, to help me hail taxis and to tell them exactly where I wanted to go and to ask the price (to ensure I don't get fleeced or sent to the wrong destinations).
So with an elderly lady's help at the pagoda, I headed for “must-see” number two - the Bogyoke/ Aung San Market, where I bought a tiny pendant from two very sweet sisters. J's Irrawady Dream - a craft/ souvenir shop cum bistro in a garden setting. It's supposed to be pretty famous, having been featured in home décor publications; even their ads look alluring.
I decided to have a snack at the enchanting garden and was pleasantly surprised they served “French country food and French bread baked in Yangon”. I ordered pumpkin soup and a tomato pie but the soup came with five huge pieces of bread and the pie came with a large salad. Ah, French food, American portion!
If the Burmese have been labelled ‘laid-back’, they should not be equated with tardiness, which is so common among other Asians I have encountered - like Singaporeans, Thais, Indonesians and Malaysians.
The Burmese are very punctual too, if not early. From car pick up, to hotel transport to airport on my departure, to my guide to Bago, 80 km from Yangon. In fact, the guide was 35 minutes early for my tour and I had to rush through my shower to meet him! It turned out that he had wanted me to arrive at the Kyetkhawai Monastery in good time to see the daily procession of monks going for their 10.30 am lunch.
It was a good two-hour bumpy drive and when we arrived, I had to walk barefoot from the road where I alighted to the monastery - dirt, heat, and all... It did not help that I needed the toilet and was led to one wet and slimy squat style one... still barefoot.... While waiting for the procession to start my guide decided to take me to the backyard to “see a lovely river and take a picture. Don't worry - we can wash our feet when we return to the monastery,” he said.
The gong sounded and scores of monks in orderly lines shuffled past in their maroon robe and bowl slung across their shoulder. They filed past two huge metal receptacles from which a monk on duty at each receptacle dished out rice into each monk's bowl.
Then they entered into the dining hall. Lunch was a Spartan affair of rice, boiled cauliflower and vegetable soup. Their first meal of the day had been 6 am and this was their second, and last. At a separate table the principal of the monastery - the chief monk - had a lavish lunch - meat, an uncountable assortment of dishes to go with the rice and even sweets to go after that. At other tables, where the teacher-monks ate, it was still lavish but perhaps less elaborate with more “countable” dishes.
I suppose it is also the same in any country where you have a melange of the poor, the rich and the super rich. The rich locals get to saunter into Feel Myanmar Restaurant to savour local cuisine - even for breakfast.
The hotel concierge recommended Feel when I asked about a place for local cuisine for dinner. Ever so considerate and not wanting me to venture out too far, he suggested either Feel or Sandy, rather than the more famous Green Elephant.
I could understand his concern. Even though I have been reading about how safe the country is, no one wants to be in the middle of a lonely road when there is a blackout, which, according to my tour guide, happens frequently. In fact he was out with a friend the previous night without a torch and the total blackout caused his friend to fall into a hole or ditch.
It was a bit of a surprise when I arrived at the restaurant. It resembled more like a dining hall with a nasi padang stall! I was greeted warmly and led to the stall to select the many pre-cooked dishes. They didn't look terribly Burmese and very much similar to what you can find at foodcourts back home.
Nevertheless, it surely must mean something - for both local and tourists alike to frequent the place! My meal of rice, three vegetable dishes, complimentary condiments, appetisers, desserts and tea totalled less than USD 2.
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| A Lee |
12 January 2004 |
Stayed at Traders Hotel Yangon - Yangon, Myanmar.
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The hotel was centrally located, so we could walk to most places. Used the internet facility across the street from Traders Hotel. The outdoor market was also within walking distance. Without being able to use credit cards, or officially change money, a daily concern was making sure we had enough small denominations to pay for meals, taxis and entrance fees. People are very handsome and wonderfully unselfconscious -- both men and women walk around the city streets in traditional dress with yellow cream from tree bark on their cheeks to protect against the sun. Shoes are removed before entering shops or homes and tea is served to customers. I agree with other reviewers that sunset at the Schwedegon pagoda is magical.
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| P Verdnik |
01 December 2003 |
Stayed at Grand Plaza Parkroyal Yangon - Yangon, Myanmar.
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MUST-SEE PLACES IN YANGON: Shwedagon Pagoda, The Strand Hotel, Bogyoke Aung Sang Market. MUST-SEE PLACES IN MYANMAR: Inle Lake, Bagan, Mandalay. Recommended restaurant: "Dolphin Seafood Restaurant" (at the Royal Lake - in front of the aquarium - very good food, friendly staff, nice athmosphere and live music every night from 8 pm).
Getting around: TAXI (average 1000 kyats for a ride). Travel agent: Adventure Myanmar, Botahtaung Condominium - 6th floor, phone: (95-1) 203500.
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| A Pollak |
25 November 2003 |
Stayed at Golden Island Cottages 1 - Inle Lake, Myanmar.
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We rented a boat and the driver showed us the most important sights around the lake-the jumping cat monastery, a silver smith, an umbrella manufactory and a silk manufactory.
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