Burma Travel Guide
This is a small travel guide that I put together from research I did on the internet and the Thorn Tree for our trip. Things covered include Food, Transport, Lodging, and Off The Beaten Path sites.
Hope you find it useful.
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Highlights
Things to bring. Times and News Magazines. Makeup. Balloons for hill tribes. Comics, Pens, Notepads, SAT and Toefl study books. Other workbooks for english.
Do not bring any $100 US that start with the Serial # CB Plus keep them as clean as possible. No tears or marking on them of any kind. No new bills either.
The best place to exchange money is at the “Bogyoke (Scott) Market” Yangon. You can change money there at almost any jewelry shop.
You are thorough! Ok . . . here you go:
1) Approx. same climate zone, though Mrauk-U can be quite a bit cooler, Sittwe hotter and wetter, Pagan area drier . . . and the closest you’ll get to tropics would be in the south, up against Thailand. You can see some “jungle” in the Chin area, though most of it is secondary growth since they cut a lot. Best jungle I’ve been to is 3 days walk out on the Phonekan Razi trek in Kachin area.
2) Islands. Kyaukphyu only has one place to stay. The other islands you asked about near Sittwe don’t have any place licensed for foreigners. And as I told you, they wouldn’t let us travel around Ramree. There are some small oil wells on Ramree, and a few interesting buddha temples south of Kyaukphyu. There really aren’t any other sights in town.
3) Best “antiquing” is really in Pagan, and mostly old lacquerware, which they may still let you leave the country with. They won’t let you leave with old temple figures or buddhas. There’s a little at crazy prices at Bogoke Aung Sang Market in Yangon . . . and a guy in front on the second floor who sells very nice tribal textiles (on the right side as you look at the front of the market). Augustine’s antiques has some nice stuff in Yangon, but, as I said, you won’t be able to leave with it. Folks who buy Burmese antiques, usually get them from the Thai side at Mae Sot, or from dealers in Chiang Mai and Bangkok.
Shwedagon Pagoda there is an amazing site at about 6:30 PM each evening. There are millions of sparrows living in the grounds surounding the Pagoda and at that time they swarm west (?) to roost somplace, but I know not where. They are like dark clouds moving across the sky and last for 15-20 minutes. Quite a sight.
Mandalay. I can recommend going down to the river and organising one of the boatmen to drop you off directly on the other side and spend a day walking around on the other bank. if you keep heading away from the bank there are some interesting islands in the middle of another part of the river. I dont think anyone ever goes over there and the people are very friendly. There are people with boats everywhere and they are happy to take you for a few kyat.
Even here you will meet a few people who speak some english. It was the best day I had in Mandalay.
Dec 25~26, 2004 <14th waxing day of Nadaw>
Mount Popa Nat Festival
Mt. Popa is believed to be the divine of Nat.
Popa, near Bagan
2005
JANUARY
Jan 3~9, 2005
Ananda Temple Festival
Alm-bowls filled with crops are offered to monks.
Bagan-Ananda Temple
Bahadur Shah Zafar, the last Mughal emperor whose tomb
in Rangoon??? Look into this.
Along the main road there are some great little basic restaurants that serve some excellent whole grilled fish and tomato avocado salads. Check out the locals beach in the morning (not the tourist beach) as they offload the fish using ox carts.
Cities I think will be good
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Mrauk-U
Mindat: Chin tribes, Mt Victoria, North of Mindat are more remote tribe
Kekku: Souther Shan state Pa O people old temples and stupas.
Pyin U Lwin Shopping****
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Kalaw go trekking with Jimmy. He takes medicines and soap to the people in the villages. His English is excellent and he is a fountain of information about the hill people and Myanmar generally. He is clearly liked and respected by the people in the villages
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One excellent daytrip from Kalaw is to visit Pindaya and the villages along the way there. You could do that in conjunction with catching one of the rotating 5 day markets in the area [the villages/towns in the rotation are Kalaw, Aungbang, Pwe La, Pindaya, and Heho but are not specifically in that order though Eddie at the Golden Kalaw Inn could certainly tell you the rotation and which market day is coming up]. The most colorful is Aungbang because it’s a major junction point and you could easily spend half a day there. You can catch a morning pickup/songthaew for 100-200kyats [between 10 and 20cents]. From Aungbang you can also catch songthaews to Pindaya or you could rent a car for the daytrip in Kalaw from your guesthouse or hotel. Pindaya itself is a nice place to relax because there’s a small lake which fronts the town and also a cluster of majestic banyan trees at the base before going up the hill to the buddha caves. The surrounding countryside is very scenic. If you’re into bike touring you can contact Phoo Kyaw or Alex because he’s got some mountain bikes and ride the nearly 30 miles over to Pindaya. The terrain isn’t particularly difficult since there’s no major climbs except for the part between Kalaw and Aungbang 7 miles apart, more gradual hills. Or you could just rent a bike and explore Kalaw up to the military base on the hill to the south. Alex is also a trekking guide and you could arrange an easy hike with him too. YOu can contact him through Tha Zins Restaurant next to the Parami Hotel [on the same block as the Winner Hotel right down from the main Kalaw-Taungyi road] or leave a message at the Parami.
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1) To go to Naga and Chin areas you need a registered tour company to get you a permit AND guide you. It’s generally $65-$80 per day (’cause just the permit itself is $30 per day). Naga New Year’s is around Jan. 14th . . . and you can get a permit. They do do it for themselves, but now wear shorts and t-shirts with their regalia to cover their bodies more. Generally, you can go to other areas near there, but sometimes, not around that time. Up to the whims of the government. And not all areas. Yes, you can buy textiles and crafts (generally, asking your guide to help you) but don’t expect anything ancient or museum quality. There are a few dealers in Yangon, but no “shops” in this remote village-y area.
2) The Chin areas around Mt. Victoria are very interesting, and you can get a permit through a tour agency to go on a guided trek. You can also go on a day trip to the Lay-too Chin SOUTH of Mrauk-U. Also hear reports that this part is not so good.
3) Been to Putao, not yet to Lashio. Putao is a sweet village, but not much to it. If they’ll let you walk the 4 hours to Upper Shadong, that’s interesting, but you may need a “tour” and permit even for that.
4) Small adventures. Ruins mentioned in Lonely Planet outside of Pindaya. Three or four day trek around Kalaw (or from Kalaw to Inle Lake) are great (and pretty easy). Down to Moulmein . . . though it’s not trekking, it’s a very atmospheric tropical town in the south.
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Mrauk-U, while touristed, is still tranquil and amazing, with very little touristed feeling . . . especially Kotataung temple!
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Aungban area, Pinnepin village, PaLaung tribe, cotton weaving in a longhouse
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YANGON
Early morning to Shwedagon - spend the morning there until it gets too hot. Take a taxi, not to your hotel, but to the tomb of Bahadur Shah Jafar, the last Moghul emperor of India - very near the pagoda. Except that I doubt anyone knows where it is. I don;t think LP lists it. Read my article about it in TheArtichoke (link below). Back to the hotel. If you think the day is too stinking hot for further adventures (remember mad dogs and Englishpersons?), go swimming - Palnters Hotel is nearby, and you can swim there.
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Accommodations
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Yangon
Daddys Home 25meters down the street from the White House GH (Do not stay at the White House) Air Con. ‘white house’, shitty place, no windows, the owner is a real fucker, forget about it. Nearby is the ‘daddy’s home’ ( something like this), no windows. But people are nicer.
May Shan Guest House – $20 - not bad, small rooms, helpful staff and good location.
Okinawa GH very close to the sule Pagoda. Nice restaurant.//// In yangon the okinawa guest house is very nice too. a little dark though. but very very friendly, clean and with good breakfast. 12$ for 2
Panorama. $30/night, very convenient to the train station and downtown/Sule Paya area. Very nice staff and good breakfast buffet.
Panorama Hotel, 20 dollars single room is really a bargain, is almost a luxury hotel, cheers, Luis, madrid : Panorama clean efficient and quiet location depite being in the center for 30 USD superior room.
Pyin U Lin II guesthouse (not the No I across the road) if you don’t mind walking up five stories everytime.
It looks “terrible” from the outside - or “cool”, depending on your point of view. It is one of those decaying city blocks from colonial times. And bumese-indian fellow and his sons have an upholstery shop at ground levels sometimes almost blocking the stairways. Two minutes walk to Sule Pagoda, right in the heart of downtown.
Once up the fifth floor you open the door and enter a different place: clean and cool. Decent lobbywith sitting aera and very helpful and friendly staff. Rooms are clean and quiet, bath with electric water heater. Some have windows, some don’t. Around 15 bucks per night. Talk about the price.
Thamada hotel, 20 US for a single room w breakfast, AC and TV. Nice hotel, small and friendly staff, good location. I have forgot the name of the street, Signal something, its on the corner of the Pule Pagoda road, not very far from the Aroma Cafe.
Yuzana garden hotel (30 Usd for a huge room, if you book through a travel agency, you can get it cheaper, probably 25 USD; the hotel has a small swimming pool)
Summit parkview hotel, close to Shwedagon, I booked this hotel
through Internet and it was very cheap (28 USD, while the walk-in rate was 39 USD, and even local travel agents offer this hotel for at least 35 USD), the service (very efficient and friendly), and the excellent buffet breakfast (with a lot of ethnic dishes, including Indian, Chinese and Western), I would recommend it to those who want some luxury… also the hotel has a medium size swimming pool and gym.
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Bagan
Eden hotel in Nuang U is great if you stay in the roof rooms
Golden Express – range of rooms with a range of prices - $18 - $30. We stayed in the most expensive, VERY comfortable. Also good location, and will send and receive emails. Golden Express. $24-30/night. The older woman at the front desk is a very, very helpful person with decent English.
Hotel Thande in Old Bagan. Get your own bungalow right next to the river for $28 a night. A bit steep for Burma but the breakfast, service, and location are great. Bagan: I stayed in Thante hotel, Old Bagan. Booked through Internet, it was 24 USD For a nice room in standard bungalow. It is located on the river bank: the breakfast (also a lot of food) is served right at the river bank, so you can enjoy the VIEW (really amazing!!!). The hotel has a nice swimming pool. Thante hotel has probably the best location in old Bagan, you can easily walk to many temples (I also walked to Myinkaba village, I guess it was less than 30 min).
Bagan Thande (bungalows from 24 USD to 40 USD) depending on view and size. We had the front river one with complementary fruit and 2 bottles of water a day for 36 USD. Best place I have stayed in SE Asia and there is a pool too.
New Park GH was really nice $8 for a clean, big double room, and they have a really nice breakfast.
Yar Kin Tar, very friendly. 8 $ for 2. not very good to hang out though. It is more of a hotel than a guest house.
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Mandalay
AD1 Hotel the backpacker hangout for $3 but it is definitely not clean, it’s next to a seldom visited by very sacred pagoda so it’s very loud (daily chanting)BUT it is practically IN the market so the photography opportunities in the morning are dazzling.
Emerald Land Hotel is an old fashioned hotel, but it’s a bit farther out.
Happy Hotel in Sagaing, about $15 and no great shakes, and no one else will be staying there (but it is the only guesthouse of 5 that’s licensed to take foreigners and the other ones TRULY will not take you), still Sagaing across the river is a magical fairyland filled with nearly 1000 old monasteries and nunneries in grand colonial style set among the gentle hills that step down to the riverbank. (Look for Mojo or Monty, the English speaking pedicab guys . . . don’t worry, they’ll find you!. . . they’ll take you all over Sagaing.) From there you can take a tiny local boat to see ancient Ava for a day by horsecart for $5 . . . for the horsecart, the boat’s just 10 cents.
Mandalay View Hotel – 28-$30 - okay, not best location, but comfortable. They also booked our accommodation in Ngapali, which turned out to be a very good thing. Mandalay View Inn (28 USD) very nice and clean efficient chinese staff! Quiet location, out of the noice of the city center
Nylon hotel on the top floor for $3 per roon including aircon so was rather a good deal
Royal city hotel (note: not royal guesthouse).this is a great place .. around $12 -16 per night
Sabai Phyu . . . about $5, very basic, but very helpful (will book boats, marionettes, etc.), right next to the Myanmar Airways office, walking distance from the night market, and past the Airways office.
Yadanar Su Pon. $20/night. A little out of the way, but situated on a gorgeous lilly pond and offering immediate access to a bustling local neighborhood. They can also arrange rides, laundry, boat tickets, whatever you need.
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INLE LAKE:
Aquarius Hote. They let us in at 3am, didnt charge us for that night, brought snacks and drinks when we got back in the afternoons after a big day (didnt appear on the bill), breakfast of local soups or western included, not only that, when they noticed my friends didnt eat avocado on their breakfast fruit plate, they went and got something else for them, hot water, own laundry facilities, games books and table tennis all there to be used anytime, recommendations of boat drivers who didnt try to rip you off, great source of information for anything and all for only $4US a night!! It was amazing. Aquarius Guest House - $10 – the most basic we stayed in, small room, no a/c, but nice setting, books in English to borrow and helpful owner and GREAT BREAKFAST incl fresh strawberry juice.
Nan-Da-Wun Hotel is cute, wooden, clean with nice balconies. You should be able to bargain them to $18 or 20 and their staff is tremendously helpful.
Four Sisters (of cafe fame) opened their own guesthouse. I hear it’s nice.
There is a new guesthouse down the street going towards the canal from Pyi Guesthouse (famous with backpackers, the first in Nyaungshwe … Pyi’s wonderful and helpful, breakfasts are fun and while Pyi II is spartan, it’s also nice and private, with hot water for $3!) . . . I forget the name, but it’s on the opposite side of the street from Pyi and the entrance looks a bit fancy. I think it’s about $12
Joy Hotel because it fronts a canal which leads to the lake and you get to watch all the produce and goods that the locals boat to Nyuangshwe each morning.
Remember Inn is wonderful. Great food, nice staff, clean rooms, and reasonable prices ($8 for double). The write up in the LP is totally off, I think. Highly recommend this place. and the boat tours they organize are really good.Aroma Indian Food- the second location (other in Bagan) right down on the river- again, wonderful food.
Royal Orchid 30USD nice + delicious food + firendly staff…but bring a mosquito net stayed right on the shores of the lake (much better than Nyaunghswe or what it is called! If you look for peace and quiet) hotel
Shwe Inn Tha Hotel in Kalaw and found her to be so interesting and nice that we decided to stay one night on the lake–literally on the lake in these bungalows on stilts. It was pricey –35-25 double/single but well worth it after the long long journey to Inle. It was so quiet and nice. The bungalows gorgeously appointed. The owner Ann has been working with a plant specialist from Japan. Together they have photographed wild orchids of myanmar and have published so far one of three volumes on the orchids that are slowly being decimated in Myanmar for various reasons
Teakwood Inn (or guest house) we found very nice. They have a variety of rooms from $6 to 25, something to suit your needs. Dearer rooms have good view of gardens and the woman who runs it makes INCREDIBLE Shan food. Plus it’s made of teakwood, so quite cool and airy. There’s also a decent coffee and pancake breakfast. (nice change from fried eggs every where else.)
note: Seems her daughter is running the show now with her mum more in the background. The Shan Chinese lady not only prepares a good Shan dinner, she got $ signs in her eyes as well. She wouldn’t be Chinese, if she wouldn’t have…no? But you don’t have to book anything there if you don’t want, and if you decide to do it is cost will be similar as elsewhere. Just don’t forget to talk about the prices; even for the rooms you can get good discounts.
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Ngapali Beach:
Lan Thar Oo Lodge - $20 - $40, we went for $30. Nice big room, lovely setting, beautiful beach.
Royal motel at the far end of the beach. We had a double with breakfast for $15
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Kalaw:
Winner Hotel - $20 – comfortable and friendly. Stay there so you can trek with Jimmy the guide. I spent 3 days there last year. I highly recommend you the Winner Hotel, friendly staff, delicious breakfast and a huge and beautiful room for just 8-12 $. It is the best deal I had in Myanmar.
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Grace Hotel #1 (#2 is on the main street with cheaper no/bath rooms). Number 1 was pretty nice ($5 with bath but no A/C) with big lawn outside, but a long walk from downtown. Fortunately they rent bikes.
Royal Park View - $30 – nice garden setting, nice rooms and VERY helpful young man on the desk – really good bloke, did lots off haggling for us!
Dahlia GH- really nice and clean and a great breakfast. Its a bit out of town, but its nice to get away from all the traffic and noise. and they have free transport into town.
Anisakhan Water falls were fantastic- at least 5 tiers.
Golden Triangle Cafe- wow! Cinnamon buns, blueberry muffins, pizza, etc etc etc. unreal, and reasonable prices. right on the main road next to the pick-up bus station.
Pyin U Lin II Guesthouse at Mahabandoola Garden St. Clean AC rooms with shower at 10-15US$, albeit most do not have windows (I don’t care about this as I only spend time in my room when it is dark anyway…) Friendly and quiet place, only drawback is that it is on the fifth floor of an old building from the Brisith period, quite some stairs to climb…Doesn’t look like much from the outside, but worth to go up and take a look. Good location as less than 5 minutes to walk to Sule Pagoda.
Queens Park Hotel is recommended by LP and I have stayed there. It runs about $18.00 per night and the rooms are big. It is centrally located and the staff is friendly. This includes breakfast which is not buffet but you can get some eggs and toast and a banana. The restaurant doesn’t have western food but just chinese and if you like that, they will give you plenty to eat. Around the corner about a block away is a CityMart grocery where you can buy western snacks and stuff.
Parkview Summit Hotel. Great swimming pool, good buffet breakfast and western food, friendly staff and email service at $1.00 per email. If you want to change money there is a florist in the hotel that will get it done for you. When I was there in February the exchange rate was about 830 Kyat’s per $1.00.
Yuzanna Garden Hotel which is not in LP. It’s about $30.00 but really a neat hotel with very big rooms and a balcony to sit out on.
Transportation
Car: Should be between U$25-35/day depending upon how many days, how far, how fast, etc. If you head over to the MTT office across the street from the Sule Paya/Pagoda you’re likely to be approached by car/drivers/guides and negotiate a fare. It’s also very likely that the hotel/guesthouse you stay at might also offer these services.
Mrauk-U
Lots of boats for hire in Sittwe. They leave at around 5 a.m. and cost about $25 for the whole boat. These are largish boats, and can easily accommodate 5 or 6 people (for which you will be charged $30), with lots of room to walk around, and stretch out. I know that in a load of four, two were snoozing comfortably stretched out (although on the vinyl sheet covering the deck of the boat) and the other two were ambling around with tons of room to walk and sit.
These boats can be hired through any of the hotels in Sittwe. Some people may even come up to you and ask whether you want a boat.
The temple fee is $5.
Yangoon
I can get around Yangon easily for 500-1000 Kyats per ride.
Taxi prices in Yangoon. A taxi ride within the city costs c. K1,500. To the airport / bus terminal it should be around K3,000.
* Yangoon - Bagan bus. The bus costs K6,100 when booked at White House. It leaves from the bus terminal next to the airport at 3pm
and arrives in Bagan at around 4am. The bus was of good standard (japanese, aircon, reclining seats)
Taxi from city center to Shwedagon are only 900 Kyat.
Transportation to and from Shwedagon Paya in Yangon. LP 191. Taxi may ask 4000k if you want to go from the Shwedagon to Traders Hotel (e.g. for a special dinner). Give a different, less expensive destination nearby! Taxi from White House Hotel on Konzadyn Street in Central Yangon to Shwedagon, 1000k. Bus from bus stand north of Sule Paya, 20k (but I got dropped off somewhere not in sight of an entrance and had to walk through a residential area, asking directions). Daytime pickup truck 50k; 7:15 pm pickup truck 100k. Northbound to Shwedagon, catch the pickup from Theingyi Zei (Market) (on Shwedagon Paya Road between Mahabandoola Road and Anawratha Road), get off about 300m south of the south entrance to Shwedagon (you can’t miss the Paya). I recommend the pickup as it is fast and direct, and Theingyi Zei is within walking distance of central Yangon budget hotels.
Taxi from central Yangon to the northern bus station. Local price 3000k; foreigner price 4000k. Possible to negotiate 3800K or if Myanmar citizen helps, 3300k. Opposite direction from bus station to central Yangon: a “good price” according to citizens is 3000k, probably close to the local price. Note Graphic Guide suggestion that you could get the taxi for 1 USD seems to be unrealistic now, given substantial increases in fuel prices.
Taxi from international airport to downtown. If Daddy’s Home is at the airport, it may offer you a ride downtown in a minivan for 1 USD, with no obligation to stay at the hotel. Otherwise, taxi asking price seems to be 7 USD in kyat for one taxi. At 11:00 am I shared a taxi from airport to downtown with another woman for total 5000k (at 850k / 1 USD that’s 5.88 USD).
a trip from Yangon’s International Airport to central Yangon $2
At the airport, the taxi drivers and touts are accustomed to dealing with foreigners and may get quite aggressive. For example, if you are near their taxi, while they try to bargain with you they may start putting your bags in their taxi. If you say that you want to share a taxi, aggressive touts will ask “how much you want to pay”. If you state a price (don’t!!), they will then look for other people willing to pay enough to total 7 USD for the taxi. Get a group of people together, then look for a taxi (it can be awkward if there aren’t many independent travellers on the same plane.) It is possible that the most aggressive taxi drivers are farther back in line in the taxi rank and are trying to jump the queue. I got the better price - no bargaining - when directed by a man to the taxi that appeared to be first in line.
Yangon to Kinpun (for Kyaitktiyo, the Golden Rock) LP 374 says 850k for bus and LP 190 says 400k for minibuses. Now regular buses are 2000k local price, and 2500k or 3000k foreigner price. Two bus companies charge different foreigner prices but I don’t have the company names at hand. Note that for foreigners, the price from Kinpun to Bago and Kinpun to Yangon is the same, so if price matters to you try to get the 2500K bus if you can.
Bus from central Yangon to the airport. Second hand information - 20 k. Catch the bus at (I think - verify)Mahabandoola Road and 26 th St. There is a bit of a walk from the bus stop to the airport.
When you have to leave Yangon, i recommend to buy the bus tkt (private companies) at the bus station (a little bit far from the town, by taxi 45 minutes from the Sule Paya which is the downtown) otherwise you will pay more of the real cost for the commission. For example I went from RGN to Nyaungshwe (INle lake) paying the tkt 6.000 kyat, at the same time a couple of my frieds bought the tkt in an agency paying for it 9.000 kyat.
For the car and driver:
to –> Kinpun, overnight and return - $90
To –> Bagan Intercity bus with Ye Thu Aung Express, 6100k when booked same day at White House Hotel. Probably bus ticket booked directly is 6000k. The bus departs at 3 pm and arrives at about 5 or 6 am. It is a second or third hand Korean/Japanese bus with supportive head rest, unless you take an aisle seat which has no head rest. Before the bus enters the Bagan Archeological Zone, foreigners must alight at the police station and pay for the 10 USD ticket.
To –> Kalaw/Inle bus -U$7.50
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Bagan
Hire bikes for a couple of days, and then a buggy and driver to see the outlying temples, it should cost around $5- $7 for the day. If you’re up to it, rent a bike and just bike around the temples. You can ride for hours and not see another person, cuz it is so easy to go off the beaten path.
Bike Despite what they say it CAN be explored ALL by bike (1.000 to 1.500 Kyat/day) and is the most relaxing way provided you avoid the midday heat.
Horsecarts are negotiable - $7 to $10 sounds good. I rented a bike this time. It was 400 kyat/day without bargaining (about 44 cents). The temples are close to each other, but you want to be a little careful before embarking on ‘direct’ routes between some of them. These direct routes are sand tracks! The only difficulty with the bikes is that you will probably stay in a town about 4 km away from the major sites, and if you go for ’sunset’, you’ll be riding home in the dark. I actually enjoyed this, but I did turn on my flashlight so that people could see me.
P.S. It was also fun to overtake the horse-carts on my bike.
P.P.S. Bring a flashlight. There are lots of temples with interesting frescos, and although someone will usually be lurking around with a flashlight (and then selling you a painting or trinket), it’s nice to have your own so that you can look at your own pace, or look while the vendor is working someone else.
The bikes I rented, outside the Bagan Hotel in Old Bagan, are new and in excellent condition. I asked the vendor about punctures.
Horse cart to Nyaung-U is 1000Kt. Horse cart rented by hour: 1000Kt per hour
Bicycles In contrast, the New Park Hotel in Bagan was adept at adjusting bicycles for foreigners (or at least for me). They had a kit full of tools. Price 400k for one day rental (I forget the weekly price). Around the corner from the New Park, a bicycle shop charged 300k for a day.
To –> Inle Lake Bus. This trip did cost K3,500 and took c. 10h. The bus was not very comfortable (no aircon, no space, seats = wooden
benches wrapped in plastics). The bus trip ends at a junction close to Inle Lake. The last miles must be done by taxi and costs K1,000 a
person if sharing a taxi. The road between Thazi and Inle Lake is currently under construction and is very very dusty.
To –> Inle, if you don’t mind getting up really early in the morning there’s a bus that takes off from Nyuang U for the Inle area around 5:30 in the morning [with pickup service from your guesthouse] which is considerably cheaper, around U$6-7 in ‘99. One option is to find other travellers in Bagan headed for Inle and hire an auto together. This way you’ll also get to add Mt. Popa to the itinerary [a couple hours is all you’ll need for Popa] whereas buses headed for Inle don’t stop at Popa.
The only advantage of stopping in Kalaw first is that there are 3 early morning buses that depart from the conrner of the Parami Hotel in Kalaw for Shwenyaung [the junction to head down to Nyaungshwe/Inle Lake] with it’s final destination of Taungyi. You won’t have any problems getting transport down from Shwenyaung to Nyaungshwe at the junction unless you arrive late in the afternoon. Coming in the opposite destination from Inle to Kalaw is a bit harder to time the songthaews/buses/minibuses but don’t be afraid to just flag down passing vehicles to inquire if they’re headed to Kalaw or points further west, as in Thazi, etc.
To –> Mount Popa daytrip. Shared taxi arranged by New Park Hotel, 15 USD for 3 persons or if more persons, 5 USD per person. Be wary of taxi drivers who say that they get 60 or 70 USD for this trip. Ignore them or show no interest or pretend you speak only latin. Also note, that if you make a deal or a quasi-deal with any taxi driver, no other taxi driver will undercut the first taxi driver. Don’t make any deals or commitments whatsoever until you are willing to pay that price.
For the car and driver:
To –> Mandalay - $60
To –> Mandalay by train. LP 276 price of 9 USD for upper class and 4 USD for ordinary class is still correct, but the train is scheduled to depart at 7 am not 9 am as in LP. The train actually departed at about 7:30 am, which I think was just good luck, and arrived at about 3 pm in central Mandalay. While waiting on the platform I asked an elderly burmese medical doctor, also waiting for the train, what time the train would depart and he replied in his excellent english “Who can say? I think you have made a mistake. You should have taken the bus.” His kind expression and gestures were priceless.
I paid my Nyaung U hotel a 1 USD commission to arrange the ticket, rather than go about 6 km down to the station myself to see if something was available and potentially come back empty handed. I gained an entire afternoon of touristing. In North America I couldn’t get that value for only 1 USD.
Note on this train, there were almost no foreigners (myself and a Japanese man). Upper class had padded seat bottoms and backs (while the Mandalay upper class train had only padded seat bottoms and wooden backs). Ordinary class were wooden slatted high-backed seats. The train travelled very slowly, perhaps 15 km per hour. And it rolled and rocked constantly. I used alot of muscles to stabilize my body and keep upright. Fortunately the seat next to me was unsold so I could fashion a pillow out of my belongings and lie down with my head/neck supported to facilitate sleep. Myanmar citizens use their large travel bags to fashion sleeping beds and the lie next to and overtop of one another (in family groups). I was pretty tired when I reached Mandalay. Ordinary class was overbooked so those passengers crowded into the ends of the upper class train which had a wooden slat seat. They weren’t allowed to take the unsold upper class seat next to me. Let’s just say, people sat on the not so clean floor and anywhere that they could in ordinary class. The train is a great place for people watching. I didn’t use my camera once.
Also, I should mention that the Bagan-Mandalay train barely stopped. There was a 3 to 5 minute stop when pre-ordered food in white styrofoam containers was loaded onto the train. The burmese doctor told me that I could get off the train just for a minute to buy water and a snack. Earlier in the train trip, a man took food order from Myanmar citizens, but he seemed not to speak english. The food service was not offered to foreigners. Bring your own snacks. There seemed to be few towns of significance along this train route, in contrast to the Mandalay-Hsipaw train ride where you have opportunities to get food on the train platform.
To –> Kalaw: 52,000 K (through New Heaven Guest House) – they tried to find some other travelers to go on the same day we wanted to go (plenty of room in the van and we would share the cost) but no one wanted to travel the day we desired
To –> Kalaw, Four of us hired a LandRover and driver in Bagan to go to Kalaw last year in April/May. Paid $40 for 4 of us I think. Probably over the odds but was best deal we could get at the time. Others took bus and said it was very bad. The car looked decent but we had two flats on the way and it was pretty bumpy - particularly last part to Kalaw. I’d definitely stop at Kalaw - spent some pleasant days there just relaxing. Stayed at Kalaw Inn (recommend it) who arrange treks though we didn’t do any. Try to see old Brit colonial bungalows and mansions on edge of town - now many are owned by Burmese military as weekend homes. Small place but interesting and good to escape the heat
To –> Yangon Bus is 6000 Kt for both private companies (I forgot their names, but it seems only 2 private companies operate buses on this route). Although the bus ride is almost 15 hours
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Inle Lake -
Boat for a classic one day tour of the lake is 8000 Kyat (can be shared up to 4 persons).
Bycicles 1.500 Kyat / day
Taxi Heho airport to Nyaung Shwe Inle Lake (for Inle Lake boat tours). 12,000k / 15 USD per car, not 6000k as stated in LP 338. If you fly Mandalay-Heho in late afternoon, you might be the only tourist going to Nyaung Shwe so have enough kyat for the taxi ride alone. Also, that late afternoon there was only one taxi at the taxi stand which is about 100m from the airport perimeter and exit. I didn’t quite realize what was happening, but the other passengers going to Taunggyi and who arrived at the taxi stand first (opposite direction from me) had to remove their baggage from the taxi. An airport official then put me in the taxi.
To –> Kalaw by pickups. Depart 7 am-ish from Nyaungshwe, 200k for back seat (not 100K at LP 338 and 340) arriving at the Junction 7:40 am. Wait at Shwenyaung Junction til about 9 am for departure to Kalaw, 1000k for back seat (not in LP) arriving about 10:45 am. SNJ to Kalaw road was really dusty and being repaired. A Myanmar man wearing the traditional longyi shook out piles of dust from the folds of the cloth. I sent my clothes to the hotel laundry service immediately. The front seat was already sold.
To –> Mandalay bus. The bus leaves from the junction at 7pm and arrives in Mandalay at 4am. I think it cost K6,000. The bus was of
good japanese standard.
To –> Mandalay - Bagan
go to Inle first as it is very easy to get a car from Inle Lake to Mandalay and then still take the “express boat” to Pagan. The fast boat by the way is not very fast. You’ll leave early morn and get in about 4 pm to Pagan. But it is pleasant and uncrowded. (The road, while rough, is very interesting though. And you can generally get a price of about $75 a carload to Pagan.)
To –> Bagan Bus the cost was around U$30/35
To –> Yangon Bus from the Inle area to Yangon that you use either your guesthouse or travel agency to book your SEAT on the bus well in advance, not just a ticket but an assigned seat [and not all the way at the back of the bus where the ride is the bumpious]. The Taungyi to Yangon bus hits Kalaw [bus station is across the street from Kalaw’s market, northeast corner] between 9 and 10PM
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Mandalay -
Bicycle rentals in central Mandalay near the Royal Guest House and Nylon Hotel. The one agency I found charged 1000k for a day (newer bikes, he claimed). He started at 800K for a partial day, I offered 700k and we settled on 750k for about 4.5 hours. He had trouble adjusting the height of the seat and broke a bolt in the process, so I had to settle for a different bike that wasn’t quite adjusted to my 5 foot 7 inches height.
Boat transport from Mandalay to Mingun. Tourists no longer take the local ferry. A sign indicates that effective August 4, 2003, due to increased fuel prices, the cost of the return boat trip per person increased from 1000 k to 1500k. Tourists who arrive at the jetty are put in groups of about 10 and loaded onto a series of what appear to be private boats. There is plenty of room on the boat to socialize and take photos, but you don’t get to meet the citizens of Myanmar. Some tourists, armed with this information, arrived at the jetty early and by debating the issue, wore down the boat ticket sellers. The tourists rented their own boat - pointing out that the Burmese language sign contained no restrictions on the number of passengers even though the English language sign said 8 to maximum 15 passengers - and collected 800k per person, enough to rent the entire boat. The boat ticket sellers will likely resist this in the future, as it seems their entire goal is to make more money out of tourists.
Taxi from central Mandalay to Mandalay international airport was 6000k arranged through Nylon Hotel. I noticed that the taxi driver’s business card matched the business card given to me by a travel agency which offered me a taxi for 5000k. I arranged through the hotel because: I wanted to do some “power touristing” during the day and not worry about whether I could get a taxi on time; and I wanted to extend my check out time without paying additional cash. I expected that the hotel would take a commission for the taxi.
To –> Bagan- the boat ride from Mandalay to Bagan was really nice- $16.
For the car and driver:
To –> Kalaw - $75
To –> Pyin o Lwin, The pickup costs 1,000 kyat up and 700 down. The biggest problem is that the place where the pickups leave from is pretty difficult to find. It took us almost an hour. Keep in mind that the last pickup from Pyin Oo Lwin leaves in the afternoon.
To –> Amarapura/Ubein, Amarapura/Ubein to Inwa local pickup, Inwa to Sagaing during the daytime is 100k for each leg of the trip. Sagaing to Mandalay at the end of the day (in daylight) was 100k. Other tourists told me they paid 150k for the pickup after dark (but I was told I would have to take a taxi not a bus after dark)
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Pyin U Lwin:
Most of the time you can get a taxi anywhere for between 1000-1500 Kyat.
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Kalaw
Taxi Kalaw to Heho airport (not in LP). 10,000k/ 12 USD at 7.30 am in fog. Perhaps you can negotiate less (say 8000k), but don’t count on it as the road is in poor condition and the taxi driver is unlikely to get a return fare from the airport as there are many taxis, pickups and buses there in the morning.
Comment on road between Kalaw-Heho Airport-Shwenyaung Junction-Nyangshwe. Most of the road is 1 to 1.5 lanes wide and in poor condition. Parts are being widened or repaired. The early morning fog reduced visibility considerably at times. Also, late in the day, heavy dust sometimes reduced visibility to zero. The Heho - Nyaungshwe taxi driver saved both of our lives by immediately pulling to the side and stopping. If we hadn’t dived off the cliff (missing the curve) we would have been crushed by a huge truck which pierced the thick dust at high speed.
December 2003
To -–> Pindaya –> Inle: $31 with Simon (taxi driver). We were staying at Dream Villa Hotel and the staff called Simon and I negotiated with him directly.
To –> Pindaya –> Inle would be 30.000 kyat but my trekking guide managed to find a driver who charged me only $20.
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Kyaitktiyo
Note about Kyaitktiyo, important pilgrimage site. I could not get a ticket out of Kinpun on a Sunday. All buses - even the extra buses which run on Sunday - were fully booked by pilgrims. It is possible that pilgrims book the return ticket in advance; pilgrims didn’t have nearly as much baggage on this trip as on other intercity buses. If you cannot stay an additional day in Kinpun, consider booking your return ticket in advance.
Pickups from Kinpun to base of Kyaiktiyo are 400k up and 300k down, instead of 350k each way as stated in LP 373. At night an inside seat going down is 600k.
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Shopping
Yongoon
Aung Sun (formerly Scott) market in Yangon is fun and good for souvenir shopping.
Theingyi Zei Market which starts half a block south of Scott/Bogyoke market and continues another full block south to Mahabandoola St. Thengyi Zei market on the other side across the street and a block ahead is very amazing , enter it . People are very friendly and it has really everything and everything cheaper than anywhere else in Myanmar, much textiles and other stuff from china, but we bought also typical India stuff from an Indian, hundreds of small shops.
The Zeigyo market wasn’t that good (for us anyway, Some people loved it) The rotating market mentioned (5 day markets of either Kalaw, Aungbang, Heho, Pindaya, and/or Pwe La which surpasses the rotating markets around Inle Lake which caters to the tourists). The Scott street market (Close the the other one above. Both is Yangon) was fun and has loads of stuff. The covered market in Old Bagan is good too.
Cottage-style, in houses and temples, some sandalwood carving is done around Yangon. Painting is practiced all over.
Pyin U Lwin
You will need some Kyat’s as many things are cheap and paying less then a dollar won’t work.
Good Shopping Must Go.
(pronounced Pee-oo-loo-win): Four hours NE of Mandalay by Hilux pickup. Kenny’s Tribal Artifacts (on a side street behind the mosque) had lots of cool tribal art to take home. I bought three necklaces for about $20 that look like they could be in a museum. This place had some of the best relic shopping I’ve come across in 25 years of travel.
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Kalaw
I’ll also second Kalaw and it’s a great base for hitting the rotating 5 day market with Aungbang being one of the best. Pindaya is also relatively nearby and be gotten there and back via public transport [songthaews] if you get an early start. Recommend dinner at Tha Zins Restaurant [across from the Parami Hotel which incidentally is cheaper than the Winner, ie U$5 with hot water and good views on the 3rd floor].
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Mandalay
Is the epicenter (crafts) with bronze casting, marble carving, gold-leaf making, 50-heddle silk weaving, kalaga tapestry making, metal “umbrella tops” hti making, marionettes and wood carving. Kyauk-U is a tiny (mostly black and gold) lacquer village. Pagan is famous for lacquer, and does some basket work. Pathein is famous for umbrellas. Some lacquer is made around Kentung.
There are tribal textiles — the most interesting being mostly Chin and Karen. Pakkoku is famous for geometric blankets (and like Meiktela) longyi factories.
Also a nice choice, markets are near the clocktower…
Sittwe
They make the famous Rakhine longyis (like sarongs).
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Bagan
Shopping: many things in Bagan area are much cheaper and the variety is much better than in Yangon Bogyoke Market. A small lacquer table in Bagan is only 10 USD, while in Yangon it’s 20!
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Food
Pyin U Lwin
Family Restaurant around the corner from Kenny’s Tribal Artifacts, one of the best food deals in Asia. I ordered Chapatti and chicken curry for 1000Kt ($1.10) In addition to the chicken I was served a plate of fresh veggies, crispy tortilla things, several other vegetable curries and chutneys, rice, soup, tea and a tamarind (?) drink. Everything was delicious and the curries were continuously refilled until I finished the chapattis.
Go out for breakfast and try “mohinga”at least once.
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Yangon
The Aung Thu Kar –crowded and noisy, but great food for 2 for $5 total. For something flasher and more expensive try the Green
Elephant – really good Thai Food.
Mr. Guitar: Good place to have dinner with live music/Burmese band/western music. The owner is an artist, he also has his small gallery there. Famous hang-out place for the Burmese and the expats, not many tourists know this place.
The Green Elephant(not sure about the address but you can ask the taxi driver–I think it is on Pyay Rd.) Sandy’s (next to Kandawkyi Palce hotel): These 2 restaurants serve Good Burmese food. Well-trained staff. The Green Elephant is more beautiful than the sandy’s–it is in a colonial house–nicely decorated
J’s Irrawaddy Dream – If you are craving something European and have money to spend, expensive but lovely shop, restaurant with baguettes, quiche, French food and SALAD!
J’s Bistro&Bar: have a coffee or tea there. Nice little french coffeeshop with the upscale handicrafts
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Bagan
Aroma Indian Restaurant in Nyaung U – don’t be tempted by imitators!Aroma Indian Food- Great, great, great. highly recommned it.
try the place next to the Golden Express, esp the BBQ place – grilled meat, and fish on a stick!
San Kabar on the mainstreet had a really nice italian dish called marianna or something like that. On the weekends, they have private schooling for the kids during the day. so darn cute. I finally found a place to unload the pens I was packing for weeks.
Saraba II near the gate of Old Bagan very good food.
There are little stalls outside of the main city (about a 5 - 7 minute drive) - a woman owns and runs one of them and the food is fantastic and there are very few tourists, it’s mostly local
Great Burmese place for grilled skewers of everything (look for the large beer sign).
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Kalaw
The Everest Nepali Restaurant is as good as the book says, and about $7.50 for 2 with beer. The Four Sisters is flasher, but very good, and has interesting Shan dishes.
Tha Zins Restaurant, an inconspicuous family run small place across from the Parami Hotel if you decide to visit Kalaw. Far superior quality food and less expensive than the ‘herd mentality’ of packers who flock to the Nepalese Rest just because it’s in the lp guidebook. Suggest taking the local buses over the train because the buses are faster and cheaper
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Inle Lake
Golden Kite and its sister restaurant (I cant remember the name) serve excellent pasta, which is great after rice and noodles every day.
Mr Cook, near the Aquarius does very good pizza!
The Pancake King is King indeed, lovely crepes and fresh juices. Shan Dinner at the Aquarius is extremely good, and free for guests on their last night!
Aroma marvelous small Indian restaurant . . . the owner’s like an Indian Peter Sellers with wild eyebrows and wilder enthusiasm . . .I believe it’s called Aroma, it’s right next to the small glittery golden pagoda at the start of the bridge over the canal (across from Big Drum rest. which I wouldn’t recommend except for a drink on the rooftop)
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Ngapali
seafood heaven.
Best Friend is best food. A big seafood meal for 2 with much beer is about $5. There is also a little café on the beach at the Bayview which is pricey – pay only in $US – pizza $5 - but delicious.
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Mandalay
Marie Min (is in Burma LP). Good food.
Pakkoku Daw Ma Lay If you dare to eat authentic Burmese, we all loved Pakkoku Daw Ma Lay restaurant near the newly built train station.
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Misc. Prices Temples, Common Items
Bottle of soft drink is about $0.50, a coke is about $1, and a beer is about $1.25- $1.50
Bowl of vanilla ice cream 150k. Bowl of chocolate ice cream 180k. Nylon Icecream Bar near Nylon Hotel (no relation) and Royal Guest House.
Bowl of sliced plain avocado (not on menu), plain, 300k.
2003 900K –> 1$ Food at restaurants 100-500 K Noodle soup 30 K Pancake 100-300 K Tea / coffee 20-40 K Snacks (tea shop) 5-20 K Bottle drinking water (1/2 l) 35-50 K Softdrinks (Star Cola, Crusher, Fantasy orange) 40 K Lime juice, sugar cane juice 50 K Myanamr Beer bottle (0,6 l) 280 K Myanmar draught beer glass (0,3 l) 90 K Toilet paper 35 K Ice cream 25+ K T-shirt 500 K Postcard 15 K Pickup ride (inner city) 5-20 K Trishaw ride 50-300 K
Postcard stamps are 30k each (about 0.035 USD). But I mailed my stuff from Bangkok because I’d heard mixed reports as to whether postcards would be delivered and I really, really wanted them to be delivered. A citizen in Kalaw recommended that I not mail anything from Kalaw because “things get lost”. Also mail delivery time between Kalaw and Yangon was one week. I still put the Myanmar stamps on my postcards, for souvenirs.
6 ounce cup of Chinese tea at Heho airport cafe, 200k. And no filter so difficult to drink without getting tea leaves in your mouth. Compare with price of thermos of chinese tea at teahouse in Nyaungshwe, 50k, while I wrote in my diary and consumed no other products at the teahouse
A liter of water-~10-20cents
Inexpensive meal at a street stall–30-60cents
Full meal at Tha Zins Restaurant in Kalaw-800kyats or less than U$1
Wooden marionette/puppet either from the Moutache Brothers in central Mandalay or the Marionette Puppet Show across the street from the Sedona Hotel-U$5/small, U$10/big and U$10+ per larger ones.
Bike rental from a guesthouse in Nyuang U–either FREE or about U$1/day
Lightweight fleece in Hsipaw–U$7 [and that’s without bargaining!]
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Yangon
Yangon Mahabandoola Garden, a park just southeast of Sule Paya. No longer 5k. New fee is 10 k citizens, 50 k foreigners. A citizen told me that the government tried unsuccessfully to collect 1 USD from foreigners.
Shwedagon - $5
People’s Park $2
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Bagan
Bagan Archaeological zone - $10
Bike hire in Bagan - $1.50 per day
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Inle Lake
Boat on Inle Lake $7.50
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Kalaw
Kalaw overnight trek with guide and food - $7 per day.
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Pyin U Lwin/Maymyo
Strawberry fruit wine just south of Pyin U Lwin/Maymyo.
Strawberries from a fruit stall/stand along the side of the road–small-100kyat, large 200kyat.
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Other
If you go overland from Pagan to Yangon, it’s quite easy to stop in lovely Pyay with a lot of ancient history and a great market.
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Kyaukme Near Hsipaw
There is one guesthouse and when we were signing-in there was only other traveller…ever in the first and only book. This town is on the way to Hsipaw (probably only an hour and half away), but the difference is amazing. The people here only speak “Shan” and the lady at the chemist needed someone who could translate Burmese as opposed to english. The hotel was newly renovated for those travellers to arrive (if only they came). The guesthouse is clean and beautiful (Ayone Guesthouse). To find the guesthouse turn left at the Lux sign on the main street as you walk over the trainline towards the market. This place is pretty special. There is a morning market that starts at 3am and an afternoon market that starts at 3pm. If you walk out of the town to the west you will find yourself in a small village. Here we sat watching the Myanmar female hockey team playing in the the SAE Games with the deaf village head-man. There is a man called Sai-Saw. He will probably find you like he found us, but he was the only person we met in Kyaukme that spoke english. We’ve never met anyone who has been to this town. The town only opened up to foriengers last year.
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Hiking:
4) Not now. The route,especially Inle TO Kalaw is miraculously untouristed! An absolute delight. One friend said it was like Guatemala in the 70s. You stay at monasteries. There is fear of the military, but not on a daily basis. Tourists are not associated with military at all. The rural and poor Pa-O are simply mesmerized and a little afraid of the foreigner. Sing a song and learn a few words of Pa-O. Besides, this is Shan turf and the Shan, while they’ve negotiated a peace with the government, have their own army (which was the only one vehicle we saw on our trek).
5) Best bet about the lake is to ask Nyi Nyi, because, frankly, you’re not “allowed” to stay in some little villages and it would be awkward to do so without a local/translator. The least touristed area is if you boat from Nyaungshwe in the direction of Kaungdine, but veer off to the right about halfway across. That shore is very untouristed, but their are no guesthouses or hotels. Don’t forget, Burma is not on the “overland” circuit like the rest of SE Asia, you have to fly in. And, fortunately, now that means it’s not nearly as touristed. Having said that, however, Nyaungshwe and the Inle Lake area are becoming quite touristed. Nyaungshwe now has Italian pasta restaurants (and a marvelous Indian one called Aroma) as well as the lassi, banana pancake fare.
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Monastery visit: Near Hpa-An
Tharmanya monastry near Hpa-An. One of the most famous monks of Burma, Sa Yar Daw, gives rice donations and it’s possible to spend the night there as a guest.
Anyone who likes meeting Myanmar people and is interesting in helping out with English classes for Myanmar people in their early 20s is invited to the Ze Gone Monastery in Meiktila.
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Monastery teach english
Meiktila is on the road from Yangon to Mandalay, 4 hours south of Mandalay by bus. It is a charming town set around 2 lakes, with some interesting pagodas. The population is 148,000 but it feels much smaller, as downtown is self-contained. There are almost no tourists and the locals are especially friendly.
The students have a good English vocabulary but their pronunciation is poor, as they have almost no opportunity to practise with native English speakers. Anyone who speaks good English will be a boon to them.
We ended up spending a week there, because their hospitality was so extraordinary, taking us everywhere and keeping us company all the time - this helps them to practise English. We had the privilege of being invited into a number of homes for meals. The students and their friends insist on paying for everything, as their code of hospitality is very generous - the best way to return the favor is to bring some books with you (dictionaries, how to learn English books, simple novels).
The classes are operated by a monk, U Dam Ma Tha Ra, who has asked us to send other foreigners to his classes. The English classes operate for an hour from 9 am, 3 pm and 4 pm. It is OK to attend for as little or as much as you like.
The location is beside the market (zei), which is near the clocktower - but beware of the wrong location of the clocktower in the Lonely Planet guide. It is a 10 minute walk from the Honey Hotel, which is the best place to stay - central and waterfront.
Email me on chrismichael60@hotmail.com if you would like more information, eg details on how to find the classroom
I had first wanted to visit Meiktila after reading in a World War II book about this town with two lakes, elegant buildings, a tall golden pagoda, views of Mt Popa, a river, cliffs and hills; the Japanese used it as an oasis for convalescing soldiers. The guidebook treated it as a transit town, but I was curious. Then I heard that it was also a place where several travellers had had fun visiting English classes of young adults and meeting the locals.
We came for one or two days, but stayed for a week. We had a room lakeside. I could lie in bed and just tilt my head to watch the sun rise above the lake. Unfortunately it is not permitted to swim or boat in the lake.
I went for a stroll the first morning before breakfast and met a middle aged guy on a motorbike who asked where I was going and then offered to take me around all the pagodas in town, then to meet his friends, and it would have kept on all day except I had my friend waiting for me back at the hotel. This set the pattern for the whole visit.
We found the English classes, by accident, as we were wandering around the lakefront and through the street, walked into a pagoda to look at the glass mosaics and were asked by a young woman to “come this way”. Next thing we were in a classroom, the very one where a consignment of our books had been delivered several days beforehand by friends.
The monk teaching the class almost immediately handed the class over to me to teach, and left the room. The students were keen just to hear a native English-speaker talk, so anything I said would have been OK. This town had at most half a dozen westerners in it at any one time, even during peak season, so they have little chance to practise their English with ‘foreign experts’.
The male students befriended us after the class, inviting us to go to a teahouse with them and then accompanying us everywhere for the rest of our time in the town. The female students sat separately in class and disappeared straight after; the gender roles are too strict for them to socialise with we two males.
Our friends introduced us to fried vegetables with a chilli and tamarind dip; Shan noodles; pancakes with vegetables and/or quail eggs; a number of very interesting and beautiful pagodas and monasteries; Myanmar movies (let’s just say that they are different, kissing on screen is taboo, and it is quite an experience having an interpreter explaining in each ear at the same time); Myanmar karaoke; the pagoda in the lake and the wishing bowls rotating in the water beside it.
They insisted on paying for everything, much to our embarrassment, because we were visitors and therefore they were responsible for us, despite our far greater income (the average income in Myanmar is about USD 1 per day and they are students).
Some of my favorite moments when travelling are being invited to a family home for dinner, where one can see how people live and what food they eat at home, which is often different to restaurant food. Meiktila capped all previous experiences, by offering us a wedding and 4 home visits in one day!
The groom was the brother of someone we had met. It was a morning affair in a hall, without any religious ceremony, where guests dropped in as they pleased, met the family, gave their present (we were allowed to contribute), drank tea and ate cakes, and left when they were ready. Every guest was given a cigarette as they left. The anti-smoking campaign hasn’t reached Myanmar, and most people cannot afford to buy a whole packet, so this is a sensible gift. The bridal party wore beautiful Myanmar clothes, but the guests didn’t seem to dress differently for the occasion.
That evening we were dinked on our friends’ bicycles to their families for dinner, one course in each home. It had been planned between the families so that each provided different food, a number of dishes at each home, probably far more than they usually eat. We were the only ones eating; they preferred to watch and to cajole us into eating more. The food was excellent: fried vegetables with the chilli and tamarind dip, rice pikelets with peanuts inset, fried eggs, mandarin pieces, fried rice, soup, a giant rice cracker, etc. At every stop, we were joined by family members and neighbours to observe; it was probably the first time that a foreigner had visited their streets. We were offered betel nut to chew, but passed — it’s not my taste.
It was wonderful to meet their families and see their homes. I gave a little speech in each home complimenting the students on their English skills and generosity to us; the students translated it to their parents, showing just how talented they are. We have been invited back to the homes when next in Meiktila; one of the fathers said he would be disappointed if he heard we had come back and not visited his house.
We did come back to Meiktila later in the trip, and saw some of the families again. We also had another special meal, this time a lunch in a monastery with a group of our student friends and a young monk who also wanted to practise his English.
The map is very inaccurate, as it locates the clocktower in the wrong position.
One unusual pagoda in Meiktila is called the Japanese pagoda by our friends, because it was funded by Japanese to commemorate their war dead in this area and has both Japanese and Myanmar design. It sits beside the main bridge, with two good teahouses beneath it.
The Ze Gone Monastery would like travellers to visit its English classes. Anyone who likes meeting Myanmar people and is interesting in helping out with English classes for Myanmar people in their early 20s would enjoy it.
Meiktila is on the road from Yangon to Mandalay, 4 hours south of Mandalay by bus. It is a charming town set around 2 lakes, with some interesting pagodas. The population is 148,000 but it feels much smaller, as downtown is self-contained. There are almost no tourists and the locals are especially friendly.
The students have a good English vocabulary but their pronunciation is poor, as they have almost no opportunity to practise with native English speakers. Anyone who speaks good English will be a boon to them.
We ended up spending a week there, because their hospitality was so extraordinary, taking us everywhere and keeping us company all the time - this helps them to practise English. We had the privilege of being invited into a number of homes for meals. The students and their friends insist on paying for everything, as their code of hospitality is very generous - the best way to return the favor is to bring some books with you (dictionaries, how to learn English books, simple novels).
The classes are operated by a monk, U Dam Ma Tha Ra, who has asked us to send other foreigners to his classes. The English classes operate for an hour from 9 am, 3 pm and 4 pm., each day except Mondays (Buddha’s day). It is OK to attend for as little or as much as you like.
The location is beside the market (zei), which is near the clocktower - but beware of the wrong location of the clocktower in the Lonely Planet guide. It is a 10 minute walk from the Honey Hotel, which is the best place to stay - central and waterfront.
No need to make contact before you arrive.
Directions to find the class from Honey Hotel:
• walk out of the hotel and turn left when you reach the street
• turn right at the first intersection
• continue until you reach a T-intersection (3 or 4 blocks, past a number of good eateries)
• turn left and continue until you reach a main road (1 or 2 blocks)
• turn right and continue past the street leading into the market until you reach a high red arch on the right hand side of the road. This is the entrance to the monastery. Take off your footwear and walk in - they will find you and take you from there.
• if you reach the clock tower, you have gone too far - turn back.
I found the students keen and charming, with good vocab, fair grammar and poor pronunciation. As I am not a qualified teacher, I thought I could help most on pronunciation. Their main difficulties appear to be L, W, consonants at the ends of words, not pronouncing S at the end of words, D and T sounding the same. With grammar, they have trouble with tenses, e.g. ‘my father die’, and frequently omit the participles ‘the’ and ‘a’.
The standard of the students varies considerably, as some have been learning English for a year, while others have just begun. They love feedback. The females sit separately from the males and are unlikely to talk unless the teacher seeks their comments.
The monk, whom the students call the master, likes to hand the class over to the foreigner as soon as you arrive (I assume he only does this if he thinks you are up to it).
It is OK to turn up at the school for part or whole of a class. When we felt like the social part without the tiring duty of teaching, we would arrive just before the end of a class, then go off with our friends.
It would also be useful to take along things written in English as samples for them to read, eg a magazine or newspaper (they will not have seen anything like it).
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Changing Money:::
There is a guest house on Sule Paya rd on the left had side going north. ABout 20m up from the Mosque. The owner goes to singapore every now and again and can change travellers cheques there. Managed to get 6% but was difficult without as it was usually only possible if you were staying there
I found a place called comet tours (behind the hitatchi tower, north of sule paya, in downtown Yangon) which will change travvelers cheques (30 US commision for every 100 changed and the’ll also arrange for use of visa cards - 8% commision - but you have to stay one night at a plush hotel to do so (45 US