Burma - Tour or on your own?
Aug 1st, 2005, 01:24 AM
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Burma - Tour or on your own?
Re: Burma - Tour or on your own?
What do you think of this 8 day, 7 night tour with Gracious Myanmar Travel?
http://www.myanmartravelagent.com/gmt-48.htm
Yangon - 1 nights
Bagan - 2 nights
Mandalay 2 nights
Inle 1 nights
Yangon 1 nights
We are not so interested in temples but more of the people, the local way, markets, etc. Would it be better 1 night Bagan and 2 nights Inle Lake?
Gloriaif: You recommended NyiNyi as a guide and we might be able to retain him. What do you think of the above tour?
P.S. I also tried to contact Santa Maria Travel & tours but with no reply to my e-mail.
I rarely book entire tours.
Not sure what the cost is for the above tour vs. trying to do this myself.
But this trip to Myanmar is only a side trip as part of a long vacation to Bangkok and Vietnam of which we shall travel very slow.
Thank you for your help.
What do you think of this 8 day, 7 night tour with Gracious Myanmar Travel?
http://www.myanmartravelagent.com/gmt-48.htm
Yangon - 1 nights
Bagan - 2 nights
Mandalay 2 nights
Inle 1 nights
Yangon 1 nights
We are not so interested in temples but more of the people, the local way, markets, etc. Would it be better 1 night Bagan and 2 nights Inle Lake?
Gloriaif: You recommended NyiNyi as a guide and we might be able to retain him. What do you think of the above tour?
P.S. I also tried to contact Santa Maria Travel & tours but with no reply to my e-mail.
I rarely book entire tours.
Not sure what the cost is for the above tour vs. trying to do this myself.
But this trip to Myanmar is only a side trip as part of a long vacation to Bangkok and Vietnam of which we shall travel very slow.
Thank you for your help.
Aug 1st, 2005, 04:30 AM
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Based on your interests I would say one full day in Bagan would be enough but how many nights depends on how and when you can get there and out.
Actually if your main interest is people and markets you could actually skip it completely. It's very interesting but with your limited time and specific interests you might be happier spending two nights in Inle and perhaps one day in the Shan state (Pindaya or Heho). That area was definitely the highlight of our trip and if you tell Nyi Nyi your interests you'll spend your time there in people's homes, watching craftsmen, at markets, in off the beaten track villages etc.
I would definitely book it with a guide. If you don't you will not have the ability to get to the villages and markets you want nor will you have the kind of contact with people you want as easily. Travelling with Nyi Nyi is not like being on a tour but more like traveling with a friend who lives in the country you are visiting. You will get much more out of the trip with him than on your own.
Actually if your main interest is people and markets you could actually skip it completely. It's very interesting but with your limited time and specific interests you might be happier spending two nights in Inle and perhaps one day in the Shan state (Pindaya or Heho). That area was definitely the highlight of our trip and if you tell Nyi Nyi your interests you'll spend your time there in people's homes, watching craftsmen, at markets, in off the beaten track villages etc.
I would definitely book it with a guide. If you don't you will not have the ability to get to the villages and markets you want nor will you have the kind of contact with people you want as easily. Travelling with Nyi Nyi is not like being on a tour but more like traveling with a friend who lives in the country you are visiting. You will get much more out of the trip with him than on your own.
Aug 3rd, 2005, 10:24 PM
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hi there,
I dont think You wont find markets are get in touch with the people. They are so curios and open mindend ... If You go with an organisied tour You surely wont. They lead You from one highlight (!) to the next, from one factory to the next souvenir shop. If You take a driver/guide by Your own You can make the route and the pace.
But You onl yhave 8 days ... Remember: Driving from Rangoon to Bagan will take 2 days. Taking a plane (about 90 US ow) will cost You a half day all in all. Bagan - Mandalay nearly one day by car, one full day by boat or bus. Also one day ist Mandalay to Lake Inle.
Bagan for sure is that highlight on culture, the area of Lake Inle of people. I would choose one and perhaps skip Mandalay if not interessted in Temples.
havr fun
Gar
I dont think You wont find markets are get in touch with the people. They are so curios and open mindend ... If You go with an organisied tour You surely wont. They lead You from one highlight (!) to the next, from one factory to the next souvenir shop. If You take a driver/guide by Your own You can make the route and the pace.
But You onl yhave 8 days ... Remember: Driving from Rangoon to Bagan will take 2 days. Taking a plane (about 90 US ow) will cost You a half day all in all. Bagan - Mandalay nearly one day by car, one full day by boat or bus. Also one day ist Mandalay to Lake Inle.
Bagan for sure is that highlight on culture, the area of Lake Inle of people. I would choose one and perhaps skip Mandalay if not interessted in Temples.
havr fun
Gar
Aug 4th, 2005, 05:52 AM
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I would definitely NOT take a group tour to Burma and than includes their cruises unless you only want to talk to other tourists. I would, however, suggest hiring a guide and driver and doing a private tour rather than trying to do it all on your own.
Aug 7th, 2005, 05:42 AM
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Today is your lucky day! I suggest you contact the guide we used in Myanmar. His name is Kyaw and his E Mail address is [email protected]. We toured with him Yangon, Inle Lake, Bagan, and Mandalay. Four flights, one balloon flight (Bagan) and traveled with us on all air plane flights ETC. aLL FOR $2330 FOR TWO.
We have traveled the world and this was our best trip. If you would like to contact us our E Mail address is [email protected].
Good luck! Gloriaann
We have traveled the world and this was our best trip. If you would like to contact us our E Mail address is [email protected].
Good luck! Gloriaann
Aug 7th, 2005, 09:45 AM
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gloria---isn't kyan the best....we just loved him....does he have the same older toyota sedan?? do you think that he has access to a large car that would hold four people?? i should e mail him and ask...4 of us may go again next year...
bob
bob
Aug 22nd, 2005, 10:26 PM
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rhkkmk: What did you do for 5 days in Yangon?
We are now researching whether just to go to Rangon for 5 days or go to Rangon 1 night and Inle Lake area 3 nights and back to Rangon for 1 or 2 nights.
We are trying to figure out if it is worth the extra cost to go to Inle Lake.
This Myanmar trip in only a part of our one month trip to Bangkok and one month trip to Vietnam.
Thank you for all the recommendations above. Any further recommendations?
We are now researching whether just to go to Rangon for 5 days or go to Rangon 1 night and Inle Lake area 3 nights and back to Rangon for 1 or 2 nights.
We are trying to figure out if it is worth the extra cost to go to Inle Lake.
This Myanmar trip in only a part of our one month trip to Bangkok and one month trip to Vietnam.
Thank you for all the recommendations above. Any further recommendations?
Aug 23rd, 2005, 06:37 PM
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we hired the driver for the entire time we were there....he took us to the main temple on our first day...that killed the AM....he took us to good restaurants....he took us to shopping places we knew of and ones he knew of...
we did other sights in yangon...
two days he took us outside the city to see other areas....
we had a list of places to visit in yangon so we gave it to him....we worked through them in 5 days...we went to a wonderful art gallery one afternoon---original art is very reasonable in myanmar...
we found 5 days to be just right....we were busy but not crazy the whole time...
we did other sights in yangon...
two days he took us outside the city to see other areas....
we had a list of places to visit in yangon so we gave it to him....we worked through them in 5 days...we went to a wonderful art gallery one afternoon---original art is very reasonable in myanmar...
we found 5 days to be just right....we were busy but not crazy the whole time...
Jun 28th, 2006, 02:46 AM
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We have just arranged a trip with Santa Maria with private guide. Like others we are not so interested in running from historic sight to historic sight but more in seeing villages, markets, active monasteries, etc. They seem very responsive to our interests and have been highly recommended by others on this board. The guide will travel with us on planes to each location. We have always travelled completely independently and although it will be great to have a guide who really knows each area and can take us to places we might not otherwise have seen, we also like some private time. For example, will we feel obligated to include the guide with us for dinner? It may be awkward to ask the guide for a restaurant recommendation and then not include him. Also, we often like to just wander, or spend time browsing shopping. To those who have travelled with a guide like this, how do you handle these things to insure that you have time on your own without being rude to the guide?
Jun 28th, 2006, 03:08 AM
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The first time I went to Burma with a private guide was in 1990 and our meals were included. We asked to have it done that way because we were going to be there for a month and we didn't want to have to carry around a lot of cash. I'm sure we paid 200% more for meals doing it that way because food is very cheap. In any event Nyi Nyi ate with us everywhere except when we decided to eat at the hotel (we could eat whereever we wanted). It turned out the reason for that was that money-- the tour company (out of the money we paid) paid for his meals but not at hotels which were more expensive. We then paid extra for him to eat with us and invited him because we felt it would be a treat. In one instance he said that local burmese would be uncomfortable and unwelcome at a particularly expensive restaurant. When we heard that we simply changed where we ate.
Last year when we went we always invited him and in several instances invited family members or friends. We also invited the driver every time but he only accepted a couple of times.
Your tour price probably includes meals for the guide and driver but you should check. We asked if ours did the first time because we wanted to make sure it did or we felt we should tip more at the end.
However most important is the relationship you establish with your guide. If it will be a chore for him and you to eat together and you all welcome a break, don't invite him. On the other hand, if he becomes your friend then you certainly will want to. You also need to think about the driver. If you eat with the guide it may mean that the driver is eating alone -- on the other hand there may be a group of drivers/guides eating together. In other words, be sensitive and play it by ear. You'll do the right thing I'm sure.
Last year when we went we always invited him and in several instances invited family members or friends. We also invited the driver every time but he only accepted a couple of times.
Your tour price probably includes meals for the guide and driver but you should check. We asked if ours did the first time because we wanted to make sure it did or we felt we should tip more at the end.
However most important is the relationship you establish with your guide. If it will be a chore for him and you to eat together and you all welcome a break, don't invite him. On the other hand, if he becomes your friend then you certainly will want to. You also need to think about the driver. If you eat with the guide it may mean that the driver is eating alone -- on the other hand there may be a group of drivers/guides eating together. In other words, be sensitive and play it by ear. You'll do the right thing I'm sure.
Jun 28th, 2006, 06:49 PM
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Thanks, Gloria. Other than breakfast meals are not included, so I don't know how it will work. I'll check with the agency. But no matter how much we like the guide we will want private time, and time to just meander & experience things on our own, so just not sure how this will work put. We'll have to be sensitive to the guide & driver but hope they will also be sensitive to us. I really will have to clarify with the travel agency I think.
