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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 (6 of 9):
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| J Lockhart |
08 January 2003 |
Stayed at Sedona Hotel Mandalay - Mandalay, Myanmar.
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Mandalay is worth spending two days. Visit Mingun by scenic boat trip. Visit Inwa as well. The other "highlights" are not that interesting.
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| J Lockhart |
06 January 2003 |
Stayed at Bagan Hotel River View - Bagan, Myanmar.
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Bagan is a wonderful place to visit. Visit now before it becomes overrun with tourists. You can hire a bike and visit the sights. A visit to nearby Mt Popa is also worthwhile - although more for the trip into the countryside than Mt Popa itself. I recommend eating the Bagan Hotel.
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| P Berezowsky |
04 January 2003 |
Stayed at Mandalay Swan Hotel - Mandalay, Myanmar.
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Mandalay is a must as home base for daily excursions to e.g. Mingun. Saggain is no must if you manage to go to Pagan and you have to choose between the two.
Marie Min, vegetarian restaurant, is a great place for food and lassi, to meet other travellers and to talk to Tommy, Marie's brother. Toe Toe also a great place to eat Myanmar Food.
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| J Lockhart |
03 January 2003 |
Stayed at Savoy Hotel Yangon - Yangon, Myanmar.
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Only need to spend a day or so in Yangon. See the Shwedagon Pagoda, and visit the house in which Suu Kyi grew up. The Scott market is also worth a visit. Le Planteur restaurant gets a very high recommendation. Quite expensive, but delicious food (French).
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| J Lim |
18 December 2002 |
Stayed at Summit Parkview Hotel - Yangon, Myanmar.
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Yangon's really easy to get around - taxi's are cheap (400 - 1500 kyats) The current rate is US$1 to 1000 kyats. I would recommend staying away from the downtown area which is very dusty with very heavy traffic (the only reason for visiting is to go to the Aung San Bogyoke market for souvenirs - I would recommend buying your lacquer in Bagan where most of the lacquer is produced - there is a workshop's whose pieces are in the British Museum. You get what you pay for - quality medium size lacquer is from $30 upwards. Having said that I bought lots of cheaper "horsehair" bowls as presents ($1 each) - which look like gloss painted over Coke bottle bottoms - just don't show friends your museum quality pieces - there is a very noticeable difference if you "display" a good piece next to the Aung San market pieces!
If you don't stay at the Pansea - go for dinner as a treat - reserve a garden table by the tortoise pond - you won't regret it, the garden is stunning lit up at night, marvellous service (the food is OK, not great, but it's the "ambience" that counts here!) - have your coffee on their veranda overlooking the koi and swimming pool ($70 for two persons).
The food at 50th Street Bar is OK too - NZ lamb, steaks, delicious passion fruit sorbet - gloomy atmosphere ($30-40 for 2 persons). Very good value dinner buffets at Summitt ($7), disappointing buffet at Traders. Tea at Strand OK.
Stay at the Summitt for good value, great view of the Schwedagon. Traders is comfortable, clean and what you would expect from the Shangari La Group. Kandawagi Palace is peaceful, very beautiful and established gardens, right by the lake - if you want to sit by the pool (infinity style on several levels) or a relaxing day reading, would recommend this hotel - lots of quiet shady spots (rooms not as modern as Traders).
In Bagan, there are 4 hotels in Old Bagan - where the temples are - stay here and not in new town. Stayed at a new hotel - Theraba Gate, an elegant hotel, comfortable room with private terrace with teak loungers - can recommend this ($59)- right opposite the Ananada temple - also convenient for the only Chinese restaurant in town (next door).
Get a horse cart for going round the temples - and don't forget to do an hour at night - wrap up warm, it was a magical experience - because there are no cars and not much electricity - the sky is very clear, dark blue, full moon, bright stars, temples silhouetted, crickets - one of my best memories of the holiday. Day trip to Mt Popa from here $20 - try to stay for the sunset.
In Mandalay, stayed at the Sedona - OK. Go up Mandalay Hill in a truck but walk down - chat to the students to find out about life in Burma on your way down. Good dinners at BB Bar - highly recommended ($8 for two - wonderful grilled prawns). Make a day trip to Migun. Don't miss the old monastery in Mandalay that used to be part of the palace - it's wooden with marvellous carvings - and not a "disco" Buddha in sight (the ones with Christmas lights). Take 3 wheel taxis - they're cheap - distances are vast - forget walking!
At Lake Inle stayed at Lakeview - comfortable hotel (boutique style). Unfortunately this is the only hotel where the prices on the menu exclude taxes. Full day boat hire $15, half day $10. Had lunch at Golden Cottages - it's built on stilts with traditional woven walls (ie you can see gaps), if you stay here, I imagine you can feel a little bit "marooned." Visit the jumping cat monastery - it is a beautiful peaceful building. Eat lots of strawberries while at Lake Inle - they are the little ones that explode with flavour that you can't get in Europe anymore.
Burma's a wonderful country, really friendly people, golden light, clear starry nights and wonderful value. Enjoy yourself, have a great holiday - and make some time to linger - and give in to the temptation to chase sunsets - cheesy - but Burma is really a "golden" land - and the combination of golden stupas in golden light - just give in and enjoy. My best sunsets are (not in order): Mt Popa, Mandalay Hill, U Bein Bridge (Mandalay), Old Bagan from the river and from a temple top (your cart driver will know of a stupa that you can climb up).
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| S Jemmett-page |
05 December 2002 |
Stayed at Savoy Hotel Yangon - Yangon, Myanmar.
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Some fabulous sights (Shwedagon Pagoda at sunrise is unforgettable) but be prepared for your plans not to work out as you expect. Somehow the Burmese always seem to inject an element of the unexpected.
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| B Beiser |
06 November 2002 |
Stayed at Kandawgyi Palace Hotel - Yangon, Myanmar.
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We enjoyed our trip to Myanmar very much.
Places visited: Golden Rock, Bagan, Mandalay and surroundings, Inle Lake, Ngapali Beach, Yangon.
Restaurants: restaurants in Kandawagyi, Green Elephant.
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| C Kruczynski |
09 October 2002 |
Stayed at Kandawgyi Palace Hotel - Yangon, Myanmar.
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2 days can be filled with visits to breathtaking Shwedagon Paya and the city center with market. Taxis from Kandawgyi Palace Hotel to both 1-2 US$.
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| S Bray |
07 October 2002 |
Stayed at Mandalay Swan Hotel - Mandalay, Myanmar.
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Visitors should see Mandalay Hill, Royal Palace and if possible take a half-day trip to Mingun temple. Regular service departs ferry pier early in the morning and returns about lunch time. It is possible to hire a private boat which gives better flexibility and also ensures your money goes to a local person, rather than a government-owned operator.
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| J Baile |
30 September 2002 |
Stayed at Dusit Inya Lake Resort - Yangon, Myanmar.
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Yangon, Mandalay (Novotel - very good), Bagan (Thiripyitsaya - excellent). All done independently. Don't miss Bagan!
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