Yar Kinn Thar Hotel Bagan – Good Central Hotel with pleasant staff

After being stuck on a train for 24 hours from Bagan we were looking forward to checking in to Yar Kinn Thar Hotel and having a hot shower. Staff were friendly enough when we checked in although their English is limited. We were shown to our room which was OK. Located at the back of the hotel it was a small room but ok for two people. It could do with being touched up as it is a little run down but nothing bad. The ceiling needs re-plastering, and the bathroom smelt a little damp if you had the windows closed all day. The shower is hot but the water pressure comes and goes and we had a problem with it on one occasion with no water running at all.

Breakfast comprises of a plate of fruit (banana and papaya) tea, coffee or juice, toast, jam and omelette or pancakes. Although the pancakes are small. We didn’t try the in house restaurant but we have been assured it is very nice.

Yar Kinn Thar Hotel Bagan is in a great location right near the main restaurants in Nyaung U and close enough that you can walk to the bus stop and cycle to the main temples and pagodas. Although classed as Bagan it is nearer to Nyaung U but within walking distance of the main temples.

The hotel has bikes and e-bikes available for hire 1500k for normal bike per person and 6000k for e-bikes. Rental lasts from dawn till sunset so you can use it to watch the sunset but must return it before 8 o’clock.

Overall an ok hotel, I personally think it’s rates should be a little less however if it was to invest and do some work on the hotel and bring it up to modern day it would be very nice. Also they have wifi but it didn’t work for us…but then again none of the wifi places in Bagan worked!

Stayed February 2014, travelled as a couple

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Mr Charles Guesthouse Hsipaw – Great location, great trekking, poor service

I booked Mr Charles Guesthouse Hsiapw as it came highly recommended by so many travelers who had been to Hsipaw but I’m a bit confused as to why?

Mr Charles Guesthouse is nothing special. It does have a good location in the center of the town and its within short walk of restaurants, shops and train station and local market. The added benefit of also having the trekking company located within the hotel grounds where you can organize all your trekking trips from. Other than that I cant see why people make such a rave about it. Our room was tiny, smelt of sewage and was damp. I didn’t complain because after all we only paid $18 per night.

Another girl we met had booked into Lilys Place and said it was much better. I was unfortunately sick from food poisoning in Hsipaw so having the clinic right next to the hotel was an advantage. We were due to catch the 5.30pm bus to Inle Lake but check out was at noon so we asked the hotel if it was possible to keep the room for longer since I was so sick and needed to rest before the journey. I was a little disappointed that we had to pay a $15 fee for using the room for an additional 4 hours, especially since it was because I was sick.

Out of all the places we stayed in Myanmar Mr Charles Guesthouse was the least welcoming, least helpful and felt like the people didn’t really care much about you. Not like all the great hospitality and welcoming people we had come across in the rest of Myanmar. Treks are pretty good though!

Read more about our stay and our trek in Hsipaw

Stayed as a couple in February 2014

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We stayed two nights at the Lucky Bright Hotel and we had no complaints. Staff are relatively helpful speaking a little English although it appears to be run be two teenagers. Our room was quite big located at the back of the hotel. Bathroom needs a little updating as it was a little shabby looking but everything worked fine and the shower was hot and had good pressure. Breakfast was ok, mixture of fruit, pancakes and omelettes served on the balcony/veranda on the first floor.

They can organize boat tours etc…a full day cost us $20 or 20000Kyats and the boat driver took us where ever we wanted (and where we wanted to avoid read more here). Bike hire is also available although we had a broken bike. They pumped the tire before we left as it was flat and within 10 minutes it was flat again. We had to push it all the way back to the hotel, and they still charged us for it.

They also book the taxi to the airport for 20,000 however next door in the restaurant is cheaper 15,000.

Stayed March 2014, travelled as a couple.

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Let me start with this. Ngapali in Myanmar is one of the most beautiful beaches I have been to. It’s a great place to unwind and relax, take a stroll along the beach and watch the world go by. But I’m not sure I would return to Laguna Lodge. We came for 5 nights to relax and unwind after traveling through Myanmar for two half weeks. We were tired and were in need of total relaxation.

<< You can read more about our trip to Myanmar by clicking here >>

The Pros of Laguna Lodge Ngapali Beach

1. It has a great location. Right in the middle of the long stretch of this white sandy beach.

2. It definitely has a rustic feel to the place. If you want a 5 star hotel experience then find somewhere else.

3. The women at the hotel were very kind, especially the lady who served us breakfast every morning. She knew our order from the second day!

4. My partner said the seafood he ate at Lilly’s Bar was good and fresh, but they do need to learn how to cook pasta! It was awful…!

5. There is electricity all day regardless of what the guide saying its only from 6pm to 6am.

6. No wi-fi. A con because it allows you to switch off from the world. Its available next door at Amata ($5 per day) We paid for one day but even after our day had expired I could connect so no need to pay. Also found out when searching for wi-fi the hotel does have it but not for guests.

7. We had hot water but not during the day. But to be honest we had it when we needed it.

8. The view from our room was fantastic (Room 12) Upper Beach Front (Picture below)

The Cons of Laguna Lodge Ngapali Beach

1. The place is very run down. It really is a shame as these guys are sitting on a small gold mine, with such a perfect location it really could be something amazing but it really has passed its sell by date. Some serious investment needs to happen here.

2. The grounds of the hotel (garden) really need some work. It’s more like a builder’s yard than a garden. Heaps of stacked wood, stones and sand dunes (maybe they are planning to do some work) but really it’s an eye sore and takes away the natural beauty of the place.

3. The hammocks however lovely they maybe were covered in red fire ants. Some poor soul sat in one and jumped straight out after being covered in them…and they do bite.

4. When we checked in Jochen (the manager) said if there was anything we needed or if anything had broken to let him know and it would be replaced straight away. I wrote to them before our stay with a few concerns and they had told me that many people complain about things without even telling them so they could fix this – and also they have high occupancy year round so fixing certain things can be tricky. This I completely understood and had no problems with. But when we asked for a clothes hanger (since our room was without one and our neighbors all had one) we requested if we could have one in our room. He said he would sort it out in the morning. We never had one for the whole stay which meant we resulted in hanging our towels over our bed and on the balcony…which made our room feel damp and it was very windy so our things kept blowing off the balcony.

5. Everyone that goes to a beach wants to relax on the beach – which means they will need sunbeds…but unfortunately there was not enough beds for everyone in the hotel, most were broken, uncomfortable with no mattresses, and the foam mattresses they had were all torn and moldy so we didn’t want to use them. Sun beds can’t be expensive so an investment in new ones is a must! It also meant every morning there was the battle of sunbeds between guests. It appeared as though all the German guests got up very early in the morning to claim their beds which meant guests that actually wanted a lie in (it is a holiday after all) lost out on beds completely.

6. As I said in the point above it is a holiday and after all the early sun rises in Bagan, early morning bus rides and trains we wanted to be able to sleep in. First two mornings we were awoken by housekeeping in our room at 9 am. After mentioning it to Jochen they did come later for the rest of our stay, however it meant our towels weren’t changed (we had to ask for new ones) and our bed was kind of made every day (sheets were thrown over) but since it was so windy it was covered in sea salt that had blown in and it felt like sleeping in damp itchy linen.

7. Tea and Coffee facilities in the room but no kettle?? We don’t use them in our room so we didn’t ask for one but seemed strange??

8. Some rooms (next to ours) had more furniture than our room on the balcony. We had a bench while it appeared everyone else had chairs and tables (and clothes hangers).

9. Every other resort swept their grounds, raked the sand and looked presentable. I know it’s an “Eco lodge”, but there were cigarette butts everywhere on the beach near the lodge, and sharp sticks and rock in the gardens making it difficult to walk around barefoot.

10. We were picked up from the airport and driven back but at a cost of 7000 Kyats each way. Most other hotel airport shuttles were free and we weren’t expecting this.

I know the lodge funds charity projects and we even donated during our stay. But to be honest, unless they start investing in the hotel it’s not going to get any funding because there will be no guests. It’s such a shame because with a little bit of well-spent money and tidying up of the grounds this place could be heaven. You can see the manager is doing his best. My partner and I are not backpackers nor did we feel the need to stay in a fancy five-star place but we did feel let down by this lodge, despite being reassured before our stay.

<< For information on other hotels in Ngapali and great deals click here >>

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A guide to what not to buy in Myanmar. Avoid scammers and fake souvenirs and spend your precious money on souvenirs that won’t leave you disappointed.

Part of the fun of going abroad to new destinations is bringing back a souvenir to remind you of your trip. I used to buy a souvenir for every member of my family in the past, but it quickly became an expensive exercise and required valuable space in our suitcases. So I began collecting postcards since they were relatively small, lightweight and could be pressed within the pages of my guide book to keep safe until my return home. But like always we always came home with more than we wanted to buy, and we wasted a considerable amount of money on fake souvenirs. Partly because of our ignorance and naiveness and partly because we were hassled into purchases. So here are a few tips on what not to buy in Myanmar.

SOUVENIRS IN YANGON

Like many tourists that visit Yangon most will head to the Bogyoke Aung San Market, a bazaar of stalls and shops selling everything from chickpea snacks, to hats, wooden bowls, custom made clothing and shoes to jewels and gold.

We were lucky enough to have our very own personal guides, our dear friend MoMo and TunTun who also hosted us in Yangon. They took us to the market twice, once at the beginning of the trip and once at the end. One thing that surprised me was the mass amounts of jewels that were being sold. If you didn’t already know Myanmar is famous for its Burmese Rubies and Sapphires and tourists that have a little bit of cash often look for bargain jewels to take home.

But our dear MoMo warned us that many of the vendors sell glass not rubies and many a tourist fall into the same traps day after day. While I don’t generalize here (I am sure there are some genuine dealers), tourists who wish to purchase jewels need to be extremely vary of what they are purchasing. If it sounds too good to be true it probably is. Always make sure you have a certified jewel and certificate a) to make sure it is real and b) in case you are asked or stopped at customs.

We asked MoMo where the best place to buy genuine jewels was. While I wanted a jewel to take back with me I wanted to make sure it wasn’t mined through slave labor jewel like so many of the jewels that come from Mogok are. I also didn’t want to be scammed so she arranged for a certified jeweler to come to the house and we had a custom made ring made. Apparently, this service is widely available through request and it ensures that your stones are genuine and mined responsibly.

This is the ring I had made from a certified jeweler in Yangon. Customized to your own budget and personality

The best thing to buy at Bogyoke Aung San Market is Longyi’s! You can buy them from as little at 1000 Kyats ($1) and they are one of the best things to wear in Myanmar. They are light weight, dry quickly and they are the traditional wear in Myanmar. We were complimented on wearing them everywhere we went as most tourists don’t wear them.

Souvenirs in Bagan 

This is us in Bagan, and I’m fashioning the traditional Longyi purchased at Bogyoke Market Yangon

Bagan is probably the most popular places for tourists in the entire country of Myanmar and the local people know it! At every popular temple, you will find vendors selling longyi’s, postcards, wind-chimes, lacquer-wear and the famous sand paintings. I am 100% aware that most of these people selling items are probably poor and the items they sell is their only income. I do not condone the purchasing of souvenirs here, I only wish to enlighten you with what you are actually buying.

Each vendor we met and spoke with told us that everything on their stalls was hand made by their family and that if they didn’t sell anything they would go hungry. This is probably true. But what aroused my suspicions was that every stall not only sold the same souvenirs, but they were all exactly the same.

One girl around the age of 16 was kind enough to show us around one temple. She explained its history and the meanings of the frescoes and her English was impeccable. We had a good rapport with her so when she took us to her stall I politely asked why everything looks the same and why everyone in the entire city sells the same things? She didn’t really have an answer. This worried me a little. We glanced over her stall and saw nothing we liked but felt almost pressured to buy something as a thank you for her guide around the temple (a local trick they try with every tourist). We settled on a tattoo pen which while traditional was definitely made for tourists. Useless souvenir number one. The only joy we took from it was that we probably fed a small child or family somewhere that day.

Monkey bronze head of the tattoo pen

We were also conned into buying two pieces of jade jewelry at The Shwezigon Pagoda. The vendors kindly took our shoes off us when we entered the temple and said they would look after them for us. We stupidly thought they were being nice, only to be blackmailed into buying something from their stall in exchange for our shoes back. Useless souvenirs two and three.

One other souvenir item that caught our eye in Bagan was the sand paintings that were being sold almost everywhere we went. Again we were a bit skeptical. We decided would love a beautiful painting in our living room so we stopped and chatted to two young men selling them. He explained that each painting takes him 3 days and he doesn’t use acrylic paint only natural colors from the earth, so red was sandstone, green was crushed herbs and white was limestone etc…
He convinced us so much that the painting was genuine that we almost brought useless souvenir number four. But we hesitated and decided that we would look around in town to compare prices as the young man told us one of his paintings would set us back almost 100,000 Kyats (Almost 70 EURO).

Sand Paintings in Bagan. Photo Credit to The Working Traveller

So later that night we took a walk after dinner and visited a few sand painting shops located in Nyaung U. To our surprise almost all of the artists gave us a different story of how the paintings were made, all having different materials, all claiming to of painted them themselves and all claiming their method of painting was the traditional way and all other paintings were fake. So regardless of whether any of them we actually telling the truth we decided against purchasing a painting as we didn’t feel confident enough that we were purchasing a hand painted authentic sand painting because after all, we wanted an original painting that had been painted with care and done traditionally but since we couldn’t tell the difference between acrylics, sand or factory-made etc we came back empty handed. So be aware when picking your painting of you decide to purchase one and shop around before buying as we saw a massive difference in price for pictures that looked identical.

Souvenirs in Mandalay

We decided enough was enough with souvenirs by the time we got to Mandalay. We barely had enough room in our backpacks as it was so we firmly agreed to buy nothing else. However, during our trip to Mingun, I bought a hand fan because I was so hot for $1. Useless souvenir number four (it was ruined by the time we got home from being squished but useful at the time!). But none-the-less, it was useful at the time!

When you disembark your boat you are swarmed with people trying to sell you things and we also found at two of the places in Mingun young children approach you asking you to buy something small because they were hungry. It does pull at your heart strings a little and we saw plenty of people buying the small things they were selling as we approached the temple so we didn’t feel so bad when we said no thank you. Heartless maybe, but over 1 week into our Myanmar trip, we really began to feel like walking money bags.

Souvenirs in Hsipaw

Hsipaw was one the only place we didn’t see mass amounts of souvenirs being sold or stalls. The market was purely for the locals and while they sold the normal hats, longyis and bags there wasn’t any of the normal tat that we saw everywhere else. We also weren’t bothered by anyone here either, in fact we probably enjoyed walking around Hsipaw more because we weren’t hassled. Yet we thought since Hsipaw doesn’t get anywhere near the number of visitors as Yangon, Bagan or Mandalay there would be a heavier presence of people trying to make money from the tourists that were there, but this wasn’t the case.

Souvenirs in Inle Lake

Inle Lake was another Bagan, everywhere you looked or turned there was someone trying to sell you something. Our first encounter in Nyaungshwe Market was a good one. We casually walked around the market where they sold souvenirs (although it was another local market) but we weren’t asked to stop and look at their stalls or followed around by children. We were simply allowed to walk around at our leisure, people smiled, children played and it was an enjoyable experience.

When we took the day trip out to the lake it was a completely different story. Our first stop was to the floating but not floating market. It was a stop I wasn’t keen on doing but our boat driver insisted on it. From the moment we stepped off the boat we were bombarded with vendors asking us to “please stop please look”. There were loads of jewelry stands selling silverware and we were told that there was a silver jeweler on the lake too which was an optional stop we decided not to take, so we imagined most of the items made came from there.

We walked around slowly, it was quite hectic mostly because most of the boats headed to the market first so it was very busy. We noticed again how everything looked the same, the bracelets all looked identical and while we were walking around I decided it was a small item so I would buy myself one as I can’t imagine they would be very much. Something as small as a bracelet would be maybe $1 in Vietnam. So I approached a stall and found one I liked and asked the lady how much? She proceeded to pull out a chart with numbers on in increments of 500 Kyats. She said to point to the price we deemed reasonable so I pointed to 2000. She looked at me and began to laugh. “These beads they are real stone not fake, you pay 10000 ($10)”, at which point I began to laugh and said no thank you and handed back the bracelet “OK OK 8000!”. This was still far too much for a bracelet so I began to walk away. “OK final offer 6000!” To which point I thought OK it didn’t seem unreasonable for a silver bracelet with red stone beads and the tiny elephants were kind of cute so I accepted. She placed it in a small bag and we were on our way.

We walked barely 5 meters, I turned around and the lady was making another successful sale on her stall. As I stood the lady next to me was haggling with another vendor and I looked and saw she was buying almost exactly the same bracelet as I had just purchased. Only as I began listening she had just closed the deal for 2000! So my haggling skills must have been super bad or I was taken for a ride! So I walked away slightly angry and slightly frustrated that I had bought another souvenir that I didn’t need and for more than I should of. Useless souvenir number five.

To make things worse after a couple of days of wear I noticed that the beads weren’t stone at all put painted plastic as the coating began to wear away and the silver began to turn gray and leave a green mark on my skin.  We also purchased useless souvenir number six here too! A “silver” bangle that turned out to be nothing more than tin! *Facepalms herself!*

This is the bracelet which you can clearly see is plastic beads, not stone!

Leo bought useless souvenir number seven at the cigar factory on the lake. While I still count it as useless it was a good experience for him, as he sat and watched them being made and apparently they are quite good.

Souvenirs in Ngapali

By the time we reached the beach we had truly learned our lesson. My haggling skills needed to dramatically improve and our judgment on what was real or fake needed to improve too. So when we saw a stall on the beach selling cheap pearls we ran a mile. We asked at our hotel whether they were real and he even said probably not. As I said if the price is too good to be true it probably is!

You can find some amazing souvenirs in Myanmar so do not be discouraged to buy them. While some are manufactured and are not genuine items the purchasing of souvenirs do help out the locals. This post is just to warn you of what you are purchasing so you aren’t left disappointed.

The post What Not to Buy in Myanmar appeared first on The Wandering Wanderluster.

When we were in our initial planning stage of our trip to Myanmar we read many a horror story of travellers experiences of train travel in Myanmar and many strongly suggested taking overnight buses instead. But I have to disagree. Any traveller who wants to experience real Myanmar needs to take at least one train journey. It is a great opportunity to get a insight into remote village life, see some of the country’s most scenic views and it is a rare opportunity to mix with the local people.

We found that most of the travellers we met in Myanmar travelled around the country by bus. While we also used overnight buses, the trains in Myanmar offer upper class and overnight sleeper cabins, which gave us a more enjoyable journey – albeit being a bumpier ride than any other train I have ever been on!

With any mode of transport there are always downsides and benefits to both but this was our experience. I hope this article helps you to decide what is best for you and to point out some of the misconceptions some travellers have with train travel vs buses in Myanmar.

DEPARTURE BOARDS/TRAIN TIMES CAN BE FOUND HERE:

MANDALAY TO LASHIO VIA HSIPAW 
YANGON TO BAGAN
YANGON TO MANDALAY VIA BAGO & NAYPYITPAW
YANGON TO PYAY
YANGON TO DAWEI PORT VIA BAGO & GOLDEN ROCK

FARES CLICK HERE

Train Journeys are LONG and Unreliable! 

No doubt about it! For those with precious time I wouldn’t recommend using trains. While both train journeys we took left promptly on time, both had delays and this is very common.

Our train from Yangon to Bagan was scheduled to be around 16 hours however we encountered a severe delay during the night which meant we would arrive 6 half hours late. In the end we were on the train for a full 24 hours! We were informed it was because a train in front had derailed. Our train journey from Mandalay to Hsipaw was scheduled to be 12 hours when it took 14 due to relaying of the tracks in front of our train…! *sighs*

This is where buses have an advantage as we departed and arrived as scheduled with each bus that we took. We had no problems and no delays and in fact we arrived early on one occasion! 

Check out our video – An Insight Into Myanmar Train Journeys for a real insider view!

Trains are uncomfortable

This all depends on what class you have booked yourself into. Most trains have a three class system with sleeper trains having additional classes for cabins. We used both the Upper Class on our journey from Mandalay to Hsipaw and an Upper Class Sleeper from Yangon to Bagan.

Ordinary class: these are simple wooden seats, extremely uncomfortable for long journeys and they are usually very crowded. Available on all trains.

First class: usually wooden seats with cushioned bottoms. Only available on certain trains.

Upper Class Train From Mandalay to Hsipaw

Upper class: these are “comfortable” (in comparison to the wooden benches) and are somewhat large seats. However be prepared for lack of cleaning and upkeep, broken seats and no air conditioning (ie no fan working)  Available on all trains. TOP TIP: For popular routes it’s a good idea to book two days ahead as Upper Class is often full of tourists.

Standard sleeper: four-berth and two-berth lockable compartments, with bedclothes provided. Washbasin and toilets at the end of each sleeper carriage. Available on Yangon to Mandalay, Yangon to Bagan, and Mandalay to Myitkyina routes. (If your lucky like us you get a whole cabin to yourself!). TOP TIP: Bring a fleece or jumper as night time can get chilly and the windows have no glass in them only tin shutters. You’ll be lucky if your door locks and bring luggage that will be able to fit underneath your bunk as there is limited space in the cabin.

Sleeper Train Cabin Yangon to Bagan

Special sleeper: self-contained compartments (maximum four people), with privacy (separate entrance, toilet, sitting and sleeping areas) but no access to the rest of the train. Water and fresh bedclothes provided. Usually only available on Yangon to Mandalay route.

The buses range in standard. We experienced the local bus from Bagan to Mandalay which was OK. They provide you with a bottle of water and a rubbish bag which acts as a sick bag as the roads can get bumpy. They also cram you in like sardines. While all the seats were full they pull out plastic stools and people sat on those in the tiny aisle making a very uncomfortable 6 hour journey. Not all buses have toilets on (benefit of the train!) and make toilet breaks every 2 or 3 hours. Don’t expect the toilets to be western one or have toilet roll. The overnight buses have a terrible problem with air conditioning so they are extremely cold. If your lucky you’ll get a blanket and a neck pillow but I only saw them on premium services. We were also cramped in the overnight bus with boxes under our chairs and feet (so we couldn’t rest our legs for the entire journey). God only knows why they didn’t put the 300 odd boxes in the underneath baggage compartment!

Buses are cheaper than trains

This is true. Trains were more expensive than the buses with ticket ranging from $2 – $40 for overnight sleeper cabins. Buses ranged from $5 from Bagan to Mandalay to $18 for a premium overnight coach from Hsipaw to Inle Lake. It really depends on what your preferences are and your budget. We preferred to take the train so we had the option to walk around, get off the train at scheduled stops, use the toilet when we wanted and be able to lie down/have our own space. But if your on a budget and short on time, buses are probably your best option.

The Toilet Issue

In a perfect world everywhere would have clean western toilets that flushed and had toilet paper. No such luck in Myanmar. This is what we heard most traveller dreaded the most on trains but in all honesty it wasn’t as bad as you think it might be!

A roll of toilet paper will be your best friend so carry it with you everywhere. The toilets on the train were better than I had expected (compared to Vietnam they were like royal toilets!). Whilst they got a bit nasty towards the end of the 24 hour journey they stayed relatively clean. Be aware, when you flush, your business goes straight on to the track so don’t look down! Oh and hold on…the train ride is bumpy so be ready for take off….#justsayin

Bus toilets aren’t much better! Bus toilets smell to high heaven and that is if your lucky enough to have on on board. Otherwise be prepared to use the toilets in remote villages which sometimes are just a hole in the ground and a pan of water beside you (and at night no electricity) Remember I told you to bring toilet paper? Bring a torch too….you’re going to want to know what your stepping in…!

Will we starve?

Most savy travellers pack a few snacks in their backpack for the long bus and train journeys. While I don’t discourage it I wouldn’t panic if you happen to forget or run out of supplies. At each stop our bus made there was an opportunity to buy snacks and on the Bagan to Mandalay route we even had time to stop and eat at the restaurant.

On the overnight sleeper train from Yangon to Bagan we had our own waiter who gave us the menu and checked on us frequently to see if we needed anything. Hot meals are available on the sleeper trains as well as breakfast and a variety of drinks. And they are reasonably priced too with not much to no difference than shop and restaurant prices.

TOP TIP: You pay your train bill towards the end of your journey to save you pulling out money every time you order.

My important tips and advice about train travel in Myanmar

1. Tickets are almost all paid in US $Dollars
2. Tickets can be purchased a few days in advance. You will need your passport and it can take time for the Ticketmaster to complete all the bureaucratic stuff before he hands over your ticket. So make sure you leave your self plenty of time to purchase a ticket if your buying it on the day.
3. Trains have no air conditioning or heating so dress accordingly. Always carry a fleece or jumper with you just in case (especially on sleeper trains)
4. If your sharing a cabin be aware of your belongings. Goes for normal train classes too.
5. Booking early (especially for sleepers) is advised especially during peak seasons and festival times.
6. In Yangon, Mandalay and major tourist destinations they have English Departure Boards so its easy to read and know what time your train departs/arrives. No so easy if your travelling off the beaten track.

The post Train Travel vs Buses in Myanmar/Burma appeared first on The Wandering Wanderluster.

I didn’t want to include all the costs of the restaurants we went to while in Ngapali Beach in my normal posts because I would be there forever. This was the only place our food budget sky rocketed as it was the most expensive place to eat in the whole country so make sure you save enough cash for your stay here. I will also try to include a small description of the places we ate in and which ones I recommend!

NOTE ALL PRICES ARE IN KYATS

LAGUNA LODGE

Our first beach meal we had was in our beach lodge. Laguna Lodge has a small beach front bar called “Lillys Bar”. We ate here twice for lunch as we didn’t feel like leaving our little spot on those days! This was what we consumed…

Squid BBQ = 5000 (apparently it was very nice and fresh)
Tomato Pasta = 3000 (Pasta is not their strong point – if you like charcoal cooked pasta with too much garlic be my guest!)
Tigger Prawns BBQ = 8000 (there were quite a few!)
Pancake = 2000 (was an overpriced pancake!)

Beverages
Lime Soda = 2000
Mojito = 2000
Coke x 2 = 4000
Watermelon Juice = 2000
Coffee x 3 = 3000
Myanmar Beer = 3000

ZAW 2
Our first night we didn’t know where was best to eat (I had put away the LP Bible so I could decide for myself!) Our hotel recommended Zaw 2. It was an ok restaurant the food was all fresh and the fish curry was nice.

Soya Bean Fish Curry = 6500
Fried Vegetables = 1500
Myanmar Beer = 2000
Mandalay Beer = 1800
Coke = 2000

MOONLIGHT
Another restaurant on the main strip and another pleasant setting. Service was rather good here and they were happy to suggest something for you on the menu too.

Fisherman’s Curry = 4500 (Mixed Fish Curry)
Vegetable Curry = 2000 (Quite nice but nothing out of the ordinary)
Steamed Rice x 2 = FREE
Pineapple Juice = 1000
Myanmar Beer = 2000

They also gave us two free flame grilled banana deserts (they pour rum over the banana and set light to it) and a plate of fruit.

NGAPALI BAR

We went for a walk along the beach as we had spotted some bars on the beach itself. We stopped at Ngapali Beach Bar. Unfortunately they only had seafood on the menu so I just enjoyed a nice cold fresh juice instead.

Squid = 3000
Myanmar Beer = 2000
Pineapple Juice = 1000
Orange Juice = 1000 (Made from the tiny honey oranges so its very sweet!)

PLEASANT VIEW ISLET

During our walk on the beach we also stopped and booked a table for the evenings dinner at the Pleasant View Islet. While the menu is rather expensive we thought we would splash out a little bit and enjoy a nice meal and watch the sunset (around 6pm). The atmosphere was very nice and the sunset was rather nice too!

Calamari = 4000
Chicken Salad = 6000
Mixed Seafood = 7000
Home-made Potatoes = 2000
Myanmar Beer = 2500
Mandalay Rum = 500
Mojito = 4000
Strawberry Shake = 3000 (Was like a milkshake)

AMATA RESORT

Our rather western need for WiFi and contact with the outside world meant we were forced to pay $5 for the use of Amata’s Internet. It was only next door so we went there to use its facilities and we rather stupidly had lunch here. It was the most expensive meal we had during our entire trip all for the sake of WiFi and a western food mix….totally NOT WORTH IT!

Red Berry Soda = 4800
Myanmar Beer = 4800
Cheese Burger = 8800 (OK it came with fries but was nothing special)
Some Thai Dish with Rice = 7800
Single Espresso = 3800!! (For a small coffee! And they served it cold and it took them half an hour to bring it!)

PS: Turns out once you have paid for the WiFi once it appeared as though you could still use it…my iPad stayed connected to it for the rest of our stay. Sshhhh!

TWO BROTHERS

In our opinion this was the best restaurant we ate in. The service was nice the staff were kind and the food was delicious and was good value. It was busy every night. It was so nice we went back twice. (So below it two days of meals, one lunch an one dinner….just in case you thought we were being piggy!) We saw a rat here twice running across the top of the walls but I doubt this effects their hygiene as it all looked very clean so I wouldn’t be put off by it. I would say 100% of the restaurants we had eaten it would of had rats….just we didn’t see them!!

Mixed Grilled Seafood = 7000
King Prawns = 5000
Sweet and Sour Chicken Balls = 4000
Can of Sunkiss Soda = 1200
Myanmar Beer x 2 = 4000

Mandalay Crab = 6000
Chicken Salad = 3000
Squid Curry = 3500
Potatoes = 1500
Coke = 1200
Large Bottle of Water = 500
Myanmar Beer = 2000
Lime Juice = 1000

We also had our final dinner at the Pleasant View Islet again with some people we had met on the beach. They informed us of another good restaurant called the Green Umbrella Ngapali Beach which might be worth checking out. Unfortunately we ran out of time and didn’t get to dine there but we had heard all good things about it!

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During all of our travels,  we can never remember seeing such unforgettable sunsets as we did in Myanmar. During our three weeks, we were both completely overwhelmed by the staggering beauty of the country which was only enhanced once the sun began to set. In fact, our entire trip was almost defined by sunsets and sunrises. In every place, we visited we made sure we were both either awake to see sunrises or in prime positions to see the sunset.

I have seen some pretty amazing sunsets in my lifetime. We saw some incredible sunsets in Scotland’s highlands but Myanmar’s dusty terrains made the reds, yellows, and oranges more vivid than I had ever seen before.  The stunning locations in which we saw these heavenly sunsets are precious moments which will forever be printed in our minds.

Watching the sunset over the ancient temples of Bagan was by far our highlight of the trip. Cliche as it may be, we saw the sunset twice here in two different locations. The first evening we headed to the famous “tourist” temple and the second evening we ventured out much further to Pya-tha-da Pagoda. 

Of course everyone knows of the famous sunset at U Bein Bridge in Mandalay. In fact during the initial stages of planning our trip this was the only destination I knew about in Burma due to its iconic sunset photos of this ancient teak wood bridge. So since we were in Mandalay we made it an essential stop on our tour of the city. However spectacular the sunset was with its deep colors the atmosphere is somewhat ruined by the mass coaches and buses that arrive one hour before hand. The serenity and uniqueness is almost completely lost which is a deep deep shame….

As for the sunsets in Inle Lake this was something completely unexpected. Our only regret is that we didn’t spend enough time there. We took our bicycles and rode off down a long country road for over an hour to reach our prime sunset spot. Set high up on the hills is Red Mountains Estate…a wine haven in the most unexpected location and infact the sunset here was one of the most enjoyable. Only a handful of tourists sipping on glasses of wine. And the most amazing thing…..no one spoke which made this surreal experience even more enjoyable. I think everyone was just in awe.

The post Sunsets of Burma appeared first on The Wandering Wanderluster.

Many people before we decided to travel to Myanmar had told us stories of their trips to Mount Popa. Many relayed how hot and smelly it would be, some told tales of their possessions being stolen from their bags by one the many hundreds of monkeys on the mountain, while others complained of the disgusting state of the floors. I’ll be honest, it didn’t sound too convincing.

It wasn’t until we reached Myanmar and relayed our plans to our hosts and friends in Yangon that their faces lit up when we mentioned our desire to visit Mount Popa. It is after all one of the many pilgrimage sites for Buddhists and Burmese in the country, if not the world.

Our friends began to tell us that Burmese and Buddhists believe the mountain to be home to the Great Nats ( a diverse groups of spirits like guardian angels). It is also an honor and a privilege to visit the mount and pay tribute to the legendary nats and thousands of people make the journey to pray for good luck and fortune.

We told them how many had people had told us about the gross factors including the monkey poop and the rubbish. So we asked them for their advice…and our friend’s reply was priceless!

“Like the film with Morgan Freeman…sometimes you have to crawl through poop to come out clean on the other side!”

So indeed we did. Taking a day trip from Bagan, we trekked up the 777 steps through monkey excrement in 40 degree weather and reached the top of this sacred mountain.

Not only did I feel a few pounds lighter when I got to the top, I also felt enlightened. Not in a religious Buddhist way, and not even as a sense of achievement. I looked down at the floor to my feet. They were black with dust, monkey urine had made its way into the middle of my toes and dried up monkey poop encrusted my heels. I looked out over the vast green plain covered in haze and thought to myself how my dear friend TunTun was right.

It wasn’t even about the mountain, it wasn’t even about the monkey poop. What I realized was, sometimes in life you get dealt bad cards. Much like the monkey poop and urine on the floor. It isn’t pleasant to walk on, and if you’re not careful you’ll slip and land your ass on the floor. But you’ve got to keep moving through it. Climb your 777 steps and sooner or later you’ll reach the top of your mountain and enjoy your own breath-taking views.

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One of the questions I get asked the most about my journey through Myanmar is “How are the trains?”. While overnight bus coaches seem to be the most popular choice of transport for its cost and reliability, there is still a charm and a real sense of the golden age of travel by taking the train in Myanmar. While the trains are certainly longer, more expensive and “bumpier” (a understatement) its still a fun way to travel across the country. If you have no time restrictions and no set or strict itinerary, I urge you….take the leap and take the train for an authentic and unforgettable experience.

I hope this short video will give you a small insight into what to expect from a Myanmar train Journey. If you’d like more information on train travel in Myanmar check out my post

Train Travel Vs Buses in Myanmar/Burma

This journey is from Yangon – Bagan

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