Myanmar

[dreamboat1987]

may Myanmar-bound ba dito this November? pasabit naman!

[marts_8]

Parang kulang ka sa time. Based on research lang to ha, but you need at least 10-15 for the bus travel. But kung gusto mo talaga;

Day 1 - 5:30PM Arrival at Yangon
Day 2 - Yangon to Bagan, arrive in the evening in Bagan
Day 3 - Bagan tour (whole day)
Day 3 - Leave Bagan to Yangon in the evening (that is if me evening bus)
Day 4 - Arrival in Yangon in the morning

Conclusion:It's kinda risky knowing that we don't know the bus schedules. It's quite tiring as well. But if budget is not an issue, I've heard there are flights (chartered planes i guess) from Yangon to Bagan. Happy trip, balitaan mo kami.

naku, ito pa naman din sana ang balak ko sked next year. wala sa budget ko domestic ticket to/from Bagan. also, limited din yung time

[EuroAsiaVoyager]

Parang kulang ka sa time. Based on research lang to ha, but you need at least 10-15 for the bus travel. But kung gusto mo talaga;

Day 1 - 5:30PM Arrival at Yangon
Day 2 - Yangon to Bagan, arrive in the evening in Bagan
Day 3 - Bagan tour (whole day)
Day 3 - Leave Bagan to Yangon in the evening (that is if me evening bus)
Day 4 - Arrival in Yangon in the morning

Conclusion:It's kinda risky knowing that we don't know the bus schedules. It's quite tiring as well. But if budget is not an issue, I've heard there are flights (chartered planes i guess) from Yangon to Bagan. Happy trip, balitaan mo kami.

such an itinerary is actually not wortj it. you will see nothing but Bagan. Apart from that, 98% of the long-distance Buses run during the night, leaving Yangon usually between 6-7 p.m.
That way, you could at least see Shwedagon on day 2, then in the afternoon head for the Bus station and arrive in Bagan the next morning. Then you will already have to start touring Bagan full-day, so it will be quite an exhausting trip, certainly no fun.
Return to Yangon: yes, its all evening Buses again, but then again you will be quite exhausted again. most of the Buses are not that nice.
There are many scheduled flights to Bagan (Nyaung U) every day, why u think these are only chartered ? Myanmar has a lot of scheduled domestic flights, though they are very very expensive (and even more expensive if you are a foreigner). Yangon - Nyaung U should be 80-90 $ in the summer season, and 10-15 $ more in winter (high season). the flight takes less than 1 hour (304 miles, compared to for example 351 miles that is MNL-CEB).
I did not browse this Myanmar topic, but probably it has been posted many times that credit cards are entirely useless there, ATMs non-existing and only CRISP Dollar-bills that look like just printed a day before can be exchanged without problems.
Oh, and the fact that the hotel-rates have TRIPLED or even QUADRUPLED within the past 18 months has been mentioned here too hopefully.

[waterwell]

VOA was suspended but according to some news, it was resumed last June 2012
http://www.myanmarvisa.com/latestnew...from-1st-june/


We (my wife and I) were there April last year, and we felt safe. Much as we wanted to do a DIY tour, it was difficult especially in getting domestic plane tickets. So we ended up with the Santa Maria Travel Agency (mailto:santamaria@mptmail.net.mm) who arranged everything for us (airport transfers in Yangon and in Bagan, roundtrip domestic plane tickets to Bagan, 3 days guided tours in an A/C car) - and they billed us US$500, excluding the hotel acommodation (which we did on-line). I wrote a series of blogs about our Myanman trip http://panaylakbay.com/blog/2011/05/...-it-all-bagan/

rickymd, i contacted sta maria travel agency and asked for a sample itinerary (with tours and plane tickets to bagan and mandalay). per person e umabot ng 760 usd. haaay. hindi pa kasama yung hotels dyan. so most likely e flights na lang papatulong ko sa kanila.

[EuroAsiaVoyager]

rickymd, i contacted sta maria travel agency and asked for a sample itinerary (with tours and plane tickets to bagan and mandalay). per person e umabot ng 760 usd. haaay. hindi pa kasama yung hotels dyan. so most likely e flights na lang papatulong ko sa kanila.

Visa on arrival is up and running again, there is even a LINK on the airasia website (just scroll down a little and you will find it).
not sure which countries are eligible for this VOA so pls check it yourself

[blue_blooded21]

such an itinerary is actually not wortj it. you will see nothing but Bagan. Apart from that, 98% of the long-distance Buses run during the night, leaving Yangon usually between 6-7 p.m.
That way, you could at least see Shwedagon on day 2, then in the afternoon head for the Bus station and arrive in Bagan the next morning. Then you will already have to start touring Bagan full-day, so it will be quite an exhausting trip, certainly no fun.
Return to Yangon: yes, its all evening Buses again, but then again you will be quite exhausted again. most of the Buses are not that nice.
There are many scheduled flights to Bagan (Nyaung U) every day, why u think these are only chartered ? Myanmar has a lot of scheduled domestic flights, though they are very very expensive (and even more expensive if you are a foreigner). Yangon - Nyaung U should be 80-90 $ in the summer season, and 10-15 $ more in winter (high season). the flight takes less than 1 hour (304 miles, compared to for example 351 miles that is MNL-CEB).
I did not browse this Myanmar topic, but probably it has been posted many times that credit cards are entirely useless there, ATMs non-existing and only CRISP Dollar-bills that look like just printed a day before can be exchanged without problems.
Oh, and the fact that the hotel-rates have TRIPLED or even QUADRUPLED within the past 18 months has been mentioned here too hopefully.

Thanks for the info! Expensive flights indeed.

[ice_breaker1800]

may Myanmar-bound ba dito this November? pasabit naman!

Hi nov 14 to 18 ako nasa Myanmar... If ever parehas tayo ng date sabay na lang tau para makatipid

[Darkcloud001]

AirAsia just opened a route to Mandalay via Bangkok! May sale ngayon for that

[dreamboat1987]

Hi nov 14 to 18 ako nasa Myanmar... If ever parehas tayo ng date sabay na lang tau para makatipid

yay! yangon-bagan ba iti mo? are u coming from KL? ang mamahal ng mga accomodations na nakikita ko online.

[EuroAsiaVoyager]

Mingalarbar !

now that Air Asia flies into Mandalay, travellers have another good option.
While there are many things to see and do while you are based in Mandalay, it would be a sin to miss Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon. I have been to virtually every remote corner of South-East-Asia, but Shwedagon must be the most impressive man-made thing I have seen. it just leaves you speechless somehow.
So what you can do is: Fly into Mandalay, do your sightseeing there, then the last day of your stay, take a domestic flight (expensive! - if you are on a budget and have no problem to sleep on a Bus, take an overnight Bus which will usually arrive at Yangon Bus Station - North of the Center - between 5 or 6 a.m. Now the big challenge: where to store your luggage for the day. Honestly, I still don't have a solution for that. I have no idea if Mingaladon airport now has a "left luggage counter". Which would be very convenient, as the airport is less than 3 miles away from the main Bus Station in the Northern outskirts. I will ask my travel-agent friend in Yangon next time I see him on GTALK.
So, then if you somehow got rid of your luggage, you could tour Shwedagon during daytime, and then take the late afternoon flight of Air Asia back to BKK.
by the way, MAIAIR (Myanmar International Airways) will soon introduce BKK - MDL flights as well, and I am sure an open-jaw-fare BKK - MDL and return RGN - BKK will be made available.
They can be cheaper than AirAsia, as long as you didn't book very very early in advance with AirAsia, or during a Super-Promotion.

Just one thing needs to be mentioned: As soon as the first AirAsia flight arrives in MDL, you will see Mandalay Hotels double and triple their rates as well, same as the Yangon Hotels did.

I am happy I went there in 2010 and 2011 when it was still really remote and natural, but already somehow opening up. The people are so lovely.
Not sure if I will be able to remember this country in 5 years from now, o many things will have changed - but while I liked the laid-back pace of Myanmar, I am happy for its people who finally will have a chance for a better life (and I don't mean only personal freedom, but rather the most basic things a human being needs in life..... Cleand drinking water, electricity, basic medical care and so on.....).

But if you haven't been there yet, go as fast as you can.

[tofi]

hi everyone!

regarding sa Yangon, tumingin ako sa map at medyo magkakalapit naman yung mga sights. malalakad ba yung Shwedagon doon sa Sule Paya/Yangon City Hall area?

at tungkol sa cab, magkano usually range ng taxi around the city? minimum amount or maximum amount may idea kayo?
thanks a lot!

[ice_breaker1800]

yay! yangon-bagan ba iti mo? are u coming from KL? ang mamahal ng mga accomodations na nakikita ko online.

Yeap KL ako manggagaling... yangon -bagan itin ko wala pa akong na reresearch tinatamad pa ako sana magkasabay dates natin para share na lang tau accommodation at transpo May tickets kana ba?

[Alex465]

may Myanmar-bound ba dito this November? pasabit naman!

Ako balak ko around Nov 5 onwards for 3-4 days.

[dreamboat1987]

wala pa akong tickets pero plan ko mga 1st to 2nd week of november. ang mamahal na talaga ng accomodation kaya kelangan may ka-share.

Alex465, may tix ka na? via bangkok or KL?

[waterwell]

oo nga, ang mamahal ng accommodation sa myanmar! waaah!

[waterwell]

wala pa akong tickets pero plan ko mga 1st to 2nd week of november. ang mamahal na talaga ng accomodation kaya kelangan may ka-share.

Alex465, may tix ka na? via bangkok or KL?

Hi nov 14 to 18 ako nasa Myanmar... If ever parehas tayo ng date sabay na lang tau para makatipid

guys, tuloy ba kayo sa myanmar this november? paano kayo nag-book ng flights from yangon to bagan? and san kayo mag-stay? hehe

[ice_breaker1800]

Yeap tuloy ako... Mag bubus lang ako from Yangon to Bagan... Nagreserve ako from a fellow couchsurfer na based sa Myanmar para sa bus ticket ko

Sa accommodation naman Golden Myanmar ako nag pabook ang weird nga lang *** unang query ko nag email nung confirm ko *** date ng arrival ko hinde na nagreply hahahaha... di ko alam kung confirm na yung booking ko sa kanila pero ang sabi magkakalapit lang daw yugn mga guesthouses dun kaya carry lang... Mahirap lang sa immigration palabas ng ng clark kasi hahanapan nnaman ako ng hotel reservation haayzzz hassle talga ng immigration ng pinasssssss.....

[waterwell]

^^ thanks ice_breaker1800! i tried sending you a message pero puno na daw ang inbox mo, hehe. nag-inquire ako sa travel agency for our domestic flights kaso no reply so malamang mag-bus na lang kami. please post your itinerary para may magayahan ako, LOL

[wirehead]

it's official. i'll be in myanmar from march 1 to 6 2013. may pwedeng sumabay?

excited na kong magplan

[marts_8]

rickydmd -- saan po pala kayo tumira sa Yangon?