Myanmar Itinerary Please Help?!

Old Dec 10th, 2014, 11:37 AM
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Myanmar Itinerary Please Help?!

Hello,

I've been reading lots of past threads on the forum and they've been so helpful. I wonder can you assist me further by helping me get closer to finalising my itinerary?

I am leaving for Myanmar 31 December and am staying 28 days. I fly in and out of Yangon.

I haven't yet worked out the exact number of days I envisage staying in each place nor the travel between, but here is the rough itinerary I have come up with so far:

Yangon
>
Mawlamyine (arrive via train)
>
Hpa-An
>
Yangon (arrive via train)
>
Sittwe (arrive via plane)
>
Mrauk U (arrive via boat or bus?)
>
Chin Village

After this, I am open to what I do. I am conscious that I have not yet included Bagan/Inle Lake/Bago/Hsipaw in my schedule. Would you say all or some of these places are indispensable? If so, do you have any recommendations of how I might continue my journey from Mrauk U to include these?

I was thinking about making Mandalay my final stop and getting a plane back from there to Yangon, where I'd spend one more day before returning back to England.

Would be really great and helpful to hear your thoughts and advice on this! I am going alone and any reassurance with my itinerary would be great so I could then start to think about and contact places for accommodation.

Also, lastly, having read other threads where agents have been praised, such as Santa Maria and Myanmar Shalom Travels, I wonder whether it would be a good idea for me to contact them for assistance?

Again, your experience and advice would be so appreciated!

Many thanks,

Don
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Old Dec 10th, 2014, 12:07 PM
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IMO, Bagan and Inle are both must-visit places.

You have decided to start by going south, the opposite of what most people do. I assume you know that the trains in Myanmar are both slow and uncomfortable. So any leg of the trip you do by train will take longer than it would to take a bus. I'm wondering if there is route to Sittwe from Mawlamyine as that would be more efficient than passing through Yangon three times.

You cannot go from Sittwe to Mrauk U via road. That area has been closed for years. Personally, I'd skip the Chin Village - a bit of a human zoo experience.

From Sittwe, you will have to fly through Yangon to get to Bagan and Inle.

You are trying to do a more complicated route, so I think it would be worth your while to contact a local agent. Do know that you have left this until VERY late and you may well have trouble with accommodations being there during the highest season.

Good luck to you.
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Old Dec 10th, 2014, 12:11 PM
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PS Part of the problem is that Mrauk U is a bit of a dead end. You'll have to take the boat back to Sittwe and fly from there. Technically, there is a route via road from Mrauk U to Bagan. But it requires permits, a private driver, a four-wheel drive vehicle and several days of travel. Given the ethnic conflicts in the area, I'm not sure if the area is open or not.
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Old Dec 10th, 2014, 12:51 PM
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I would definitely include Bagan and Inle lake.
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Old Dec 10th, 2014, 02:12 PM
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Hey, thank you both for your responses. Yes, it looks like I have left it late - I honestly didn't appreciate accommodation was such a difficult issue in Myanmar and only got my visa/passport through recently.

It sounds like it might be better for me to stick to a well trodden route. Do you know where I can find information about bus routes and booking in Myanmar? Is this what I should contact an agent about or could I arrange it myself independently, do you think?

And lastly, do you think this would be a more suitable itinerary to follow:
Yangon
Inle Lake
Kalaw
Mandalay
Bagan
Mrauk U - Sittwe
Yangon

I really appreciate your help : )

Don
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Old Dec 10th, 2014, 02:13 PM
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PS Mrauk U provided it's accessible as you say, Kathie.
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Old Dec 10th, 2014, 03:21 PM
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My recommendation would be to fly out of Yangon as soon as you arrive, heading to Inle Lake, spend 3 or 4 nights there, so you have at least two full days on the lake, three if you can. Must-see for me were Sankar (pretty much a full day trip) InDien, the lotus weaving workshop.

From there, fly to Mandalay. The things you want to make sure to see in Mandalay are the Mahamuni Buddha, Sagaing, U Bien Bridge. The site of the old palace on Mandalay Hill has been built over by the junta - there is nothing there of the past. You can probably do with three nights (two full days) in Mandalay.

From there to Bagan. I loved Bagan and spent three full days (4 nights) there my first trip. But it depends on your level of interest in Buddhist temples.

From Bagan, fly to Yangon. I don't know if you can transit Yangon and get to Sittwe the same day or not - when I did that was not possible.

Mrauk U is accessible via boat from Sittwe right now. One of the reasons you want to see the Mahamuni
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Old Dec 10th, 2014, 03:25 PM
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oops - posted too soon.

Buddha is that it was taken as war spoils from the Mrau U area. You will also see Angkorian bronzes at the Mahamuni temple that came from Cambodia the same way.

I forgot to factor in Kalaw. Are you wanting to trek or just visit?

I'd contact an agent and see what they can set up for you.

Some people have had success booking directly with the airlines, but if you have an agent book for you they will keep you informed of schedule changes and will rebook you if a flight gets cancelled.

Good luck!
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Old Dec 11th, 2014, 03:27 AM
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Thank you so much for your input, Kathie, that's a big help. I had read about the trekking in Kalaw so I was definitely open to doing that.

I have already contacted Santa Maria Travels and Myanmar Shalom Travels after seeing them referenced on the forum. I'm awaiting replies, but in the meantime if you know any others, please let me know and I'll get in touch with them.

Thanks again and I'll keep you posted with everything : )
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Old Dec 11th, 2014, 06:00 AM
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The Agent that gets the highest satisfaction rating on my list is http://www.onestop-myanmar.com/
Santa Maria and Myanmar Shalom also come out well.
Recent TR's posted on Tripadvisor.Myanmar forum included a couple that flew Bagan/Heho to Thandwe and then caught a flight from there to Sittwe for Mrauk-far easier and quicker than backtracking through Yangon.
Incidentally there is a recent post on there from a US guy who cannot get ANY flights from Yangon to Bagan after 26th December till 4th Jan (or get back) as all booked up-many hotels and GH's the same.
No room at the Inn,again so get booking now.
Also do note that Agents in Myanmar are rushed off their feet,not only with peak season visitors,but also organising the ASEAN Tourism conference for late February so there may be delays in responses so do be specific in what you need.
Best of luck
SS
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Old Dec 11th, 2014, 11:57 AM
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Hi Silverswimmer, thanks for your helpful input : )

Just one question about accommodation, I definitely am aware now that it is peak season when I am travelling, but do you think it is vital to have all my rooms booked for the entire 28 days ahead of arriving in Myanmar?

I am just concerned that it doesn't leave me with much flexibility; and also means a challenge for me sitting here in England trying to pin down exactly what trains/buses/boats I'll be taking between places when there doesn't seem to be that much official info regards timetables etc on the net.

If that's the case, then so be it, but I'd be really grateful to know if it is that severe or if I'll be ok just booking accommodation a few days ahead each time.

Many thanks again in advance for the help : )

Dan
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Old Dec 11th, 2014, 12:34 PM
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If you use a TA I would think they can tel you the times you need to know for internal travel.
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Old Dec 11th, 2014, 12:40 PM
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You will want to book accommodations for your first week at least as you are traveling at the highest of the high season. After that, you can play it by ear, but I do recommend that at the very least, have your next accommodations booked before you leave the last place. Otherwise, you can waste a lot of precious time looking for a place to stay.

You need to book flights ahead of time, not so for buses, boats. The travel agents know the schedules as yestravel says. What is posted by airlines on the web often has little relationship to reality. Other transport like boats and buses cannot be booked on the web. Again, a local agent will be your best source of info on these things.
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Old Dec 11th, 2014, 01:48 PM
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A frequent poster on TA & TT last January tried 10 GH's 3 days before travelling to Inle before he got a bed. Inle (and Ngapali)are exceptional but you should be OK in Mandalay/Yangon/Bagan if you book ahead and also things will quieten down from 10th Jan as many visitors will be on their way home.
SS
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Old Dec 11th, 2014, 11:15 PM
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If you've got 4 weeks available, then the best way to see the country is at ground level.

Have a look at reply #2 on the following thread to get an idea of what we did in Feb/Mar 2010...

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTop...r-Myanmar.html

Also, have you looked at the Seat61 website...

http://www.seat61.com/Burma.htm#.VIqjXdKsVsU
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Old Dec 12th, 2014, 02:49 AM
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My goodness, thank you all so much for your help!

I already feel like I have already learned so much more about the country just in these past few days communicating with you all on here!

Ok, this is super helpful. Kathie, I have started to refine my itinerary for the first 7 days, research transport links and make a shortlist of accommodation. May I ask for feedback on this:

Days 1-3 > Yangon
Day 4 > Train to Taungoo (stay overnight)
Day 5 > Train to Mandalay
Day 6-8 > Mandalay + outlaying attractions
Day 9 > Shwekeinnery express ferry to Bagan
Day 10-12 > Bagan + Mt Popa
Day 13 > Bus to Inle Lake
Day 14-17 > Inle Lake

Do you think this sounds ok? Woud you recommend taking more/less time in certain places? I did find Seat61's website very useful in this, thanks for sharing, Lancaster Lad.

After Inle Lake, I haven't figured out yet but it seems like one option would be to return to Yangon and from there either move onto one or more of the following: Ngwe Saung, Pyay, Mawlamyine, Golden Rock, Hpa An. I would love to try to make it to Mrauk U, but I don't know him simple that would be.

If I can ask two 2 further questions that have occurred to me whilst looking up accommodation:

1/ The affordable options I've seen in Bagan all seem to be in New Bagan - do you think this is ok for being close-ish to where things are?

2/ Similarly, the affordable shelter options I see in Ina Lake all say Northern Ina Lake - would this be a suitable area to stay, do you think?

Silverswimmer, thanks for the TA recommendations - I will be getting in contact with them today!

And Becki thanks for your input, I will look up those links.

If you guys could help me with the above questions and your thoughts on this initial itinerary, I'd be really grateful - thanks so much again!!!

Dan
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Old Dec 12th, 2014, 02:51 AM
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Ps just to remind you while considering my itinerary, I will be here between 1 Jan - 29 Jan, so 28 days : )
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Old Dec 12th, 2014, 03:04 AM
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A couple of nights in Pwin oo Lwin (or beyond). You can reach it by train from Mandalay (see Seat61).

Getting a bus from Bagan to Inle might be very challenging.
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Old Dec 12th, 2014, 07:25 AM
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This is an ok start to your planning. You have plenty of time in Mandalay, probably more than you need. Read other's experiences on the train to decide if you want to start your trip with a very long, very uncomfortable train ride.

The most affordable options in Bagan do tend to be in New Bagan, which is less convenient to the largest numbers of temples than old Bagan is. I don't know your level of interest in Buddhist temples but you have three days in the Bagan area. If you go to Mt Popa, you will have just two days to explore some of the thousands of temples in the Bagan area. If you have only a passing interest in the temples, that may be plenty for you. If you are really interested, it won't be enough time. Also, people are divided between those who felt Mt. Pope was a fabulous experience and those who found it to be a boring and uncomfortable time suck. Mt Popa is considered to be the home of Nats (animist spirits). You have to climb the mountain barefoot and there are hundreds of resident monkeys.

LL is right, getting a bus to Inle form Bagan may not be possible. You will need to fly or to hire a car and river - and it is an all day drive. Most of the roads in the country are in truly terrible condition, having had no improvements sine the colonial days. Two exceptions: The highway from Yangon to Mandalay has been improved and the highway from Mandalay to Pyin U Lwin has been improved. North Inle Lake is fine. You want to spend all day out on the lake in any case, one full day at Sankar, if possible, so where you are located on the lake isn't as important as getting out on the lake (and letting the boatman know exactly where you want to go so you don't just get a tour of the "workshops" (shopping opportunities.

You need to do as much reading as possible to gauge your own interest in various places. For instance, I was very interested in visiting Pwin U Lwin mostly for the botanical gardens but also t get a sense of the colonial atmosphere. Frankly, it was a disappointment. It has become the home to many generals, who are pulling down the old colonial houses and building McMansions, and it is the home to military academies, so the town is packed with soldiers. Even going to the market there were soldiers everywhere. For me that detracted from the experience. While I enjoyed the gardens, they didn't have much in terms of the unique indigenous plants I was looking for.

If you have the time to get to Mrauk U, it is an amazing experience. It gets relatively few visitors. The temples there are so different from the temples elsewhere - they are built like fortresses to protect the Buddha images inside.

I have two trip reports here, from 2009 and 2011 that may be helpful in terms of the sights. (Click on my name, then go to the trip reports section) The money and political issues have changed since then. Also, it may help to take a look at our photos from both trips at www.marlandc.com
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Old Dec 12th, 2014, 12:02 PM
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Just my personal input on train travel in Myanmar
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azCAptygZi4
and
Pwin U Lwin was historically a British hill station and garrison town and the tradition continued after 1948 and the Myanmar OTC is still there-hence Kathie's comment on all the uniforms around. No different from Sandhurst or Quantico, VA or West Point.
There are still many Gurkha s there,decedents of the original British/Indian Army personnel, as there are in the other hill stations.
SS
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