Myanmar trip report 2012

Old Dec 15th, 2012, 01:59 PM
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Myanmar trip report 2012

Things have changed since the last Lonely Planet was published. I suggest not bothering to purchase it.

We are middle range travelers. We like to stay in smaller, boutique hotels, and spend our money on trinkets rather than on upscale hotels. That being said, my daughter, and 4 other friends set out for a 11 day tour of Myanmar, with a local tour company. We spent a third of what other companies were charging because we don't need to stay at the Strand or Traders. We stayed around the corner though. All places that Santa Maria suggested were clean and the beds comfortable. They even had hairdryers - a novelty item when I travel! We were in Yangon, Mandalay, Bagan, Kalaw and Inle lake. Since the trip was SO inexpensive, we upgraded to the Princess at Inle Lake and did not regret it. What an awesome place.
We brought about $100 in one dollar bills and never used any of them. The airport exchange rate is no different than anywhere else and we changed about $400 dollars there. That lasted about the whole trip. If you exchange $100 bills, you get a better rate. There are still no ATM;s ,except in Yangon, but lots of banks are around to exchange more money if you need to. Every hotel either had internet or the town had an internet cafe. However, sometimes they did not have connectivity or my family did not receive the emails, even though they appeared to go through. And, almost everywhere, there were western style flush toilets and (gasp) toilet paper! This is a big difference from when the Lonely Planet was published and things are changing, literally on a daily basis.
Food is very inexpensive, usually no more than $7-$12.00 for an entree. We stayed at the Mandalay City hotel, which had good food and a lovely pool, which we never got to use as the days were jam packed with activities. Be aware though, that it is right next to a mosque, which loudly announces morning prayer and loudly has chanting in the evening. We stayed at the Bagan Thande Hotel which was awesome, and the Dream Villa Motel in Kalaw, which was very basic ( a back packer hotel for sure) but within walking distance of their restaurant which was very good.
When I do this trip again (yes, I want to go back!) I would stay 3 days in Bagan and at inle lake - we stayed 2 in each place, In Bagan, we were too exhausted to walk into the town and had no time to see the National museum which was right behind the hotel (which is on the river and surprisingly unbuggy). We took the balloon ride and did not regret that either.
I would also stay another day at Inle Lake in order to explore their village and rent bikes for the afternoon. Mt Popa was a fun day and an easy walk up, as the whole place is covered with a canopy and the stairs are all ceramic tile - I expected more of a macchu Picchu kind of situation, but it was actually over built, as far as i am concerned. Watch out for the monkey pee , which is slippery , and the walk is done barefoot.
Make sure your guide takes you to a real lacquer ware factory in Bagan, as the process is amazing. We also bought honey and peanuts along the roadside and learned how to make LePet, a popular snack.
What we liked best about using a local tour company was being able to use local guides, as their knowledge base (in my opinion) far exceeds even the best american guide, as they live the life and know the history from a personal level.
A word of warning for those who are thinking about taking the all day boat ride from Mandalay to Bagan.... it is ALL DAY. 11 hours worth of all day, on rattan seats with no cushions, or downstairs with cushions but diesel fumes and incredible engine noise. Also, at least on our boat, there was only lunch served. No snacks of any kind. It is not like a ride on the Nile, there is not much to see. Better to fly to Bagan and spend your extra 10 hrs there.
I am now the proud owner of ruby earrings, several marionette (marionette show in Mandalay was adorable and very "local"), many "jade" necklaces,seed key rings and bracelets, another silk scarf, and several sand paintings. Everything is made by hand, at the moment, in this country, which makes it all the more special. I will post more if I think of anything else of interest.
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Old Dec 15th, 2012, 02:35 PM
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You need to ask Fodor's editors to tag this as a Trip Report.
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Old Dec 15th, 2012, 05:13 PM
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Nice report! Thanks
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Old Dec 15th, 2012, 07:42 PM
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Thank you for the updates. Good to know about exchanging cash at the airport!

We leave in 3 days...and I cannot believe we're actually, finally going. Just typing that gets my heart racing!
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Old Dec 16th, 2012, 06:25 AM
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I'm glad you enjoyed Burma - a magical place, IMO.
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Old Dec 16th, 2012, 11:03 AM
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and, how do I do that?
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Old Dec 16th, 2012, 11:13 AM
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Great report. Much has changed since we were there.
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Old Dec 25th, 2012, 12:42 PM
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Great report,What was the temperature like on Inle Lake in the night and morning? We will be there Jan 20 for a few days OR
Anyone else know what one should have to wear to stay warm?
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Old Dec 25th, 2012, 02:09 PM
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You will want warm clothing for early mornings on the lake (we were out in the boat at dawn each day). Dress in layers, as it gets warmer as the sun rises higher. We both took windbreaker type jackets along, and layered them over other clothes.

You won't be out in a boat at night, and at the hotel, you will just need something light to keep you warm.
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Old Dec 25th, 2012, 02:22 PM
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Thanks very much Kathie,which hotel did you stay at, on what date,and did they have heaters in the rooms?
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Old Dec 31st, 2012, 01:52 PM
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the Princess hotel , on Inle lake, had a room heater but we did not know that and so froze in the morning our first day there. Got wise the 2nd night and stayed warm. layering will get u through the early morning cold.
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Old Dec 31st, 2012, 02:10 PM
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We stayed at the Inle Lake View - great place!
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Old Jan 1st, 2013, 01:06 AM
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Happy New Year to all!
We are just starting preparations for a trip late this year. Is it possible for me to withdraw money from my account at a bank or can I only exchange US currency for local tender.
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Old Jan 1st, 2013, 07:57 AM
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There have been a couple of reliable reports of people being able to use ATMs in Burma, but I wouldn't count on it. Traditionally, you have to carry in all of the money you might need in US dollars. You will need pristine US dollars to pay for hotels, air tickets and admission fees. The bank money exchanges now also accept Euro and Singapore dollars to exchange for kyat.
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Old Jan 8th, 2013, 03:58 PM
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I exchanged $400 USD at the airport and came home with the equivalent of $25.00 ( this is because I did not know I had this extra money until I arrived home). Trinkets are very cheap there. My biggest expense was at the laquerware factory and at the Aun Sang market in Yangon, where I bought ruby and diamond earrings. The bigger the bills, the better the rate, so it is best to exchange $100 bills at the airport.
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Old Jan 8th, 2013, 04:01 PM
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Oh, I forgot this ..... when we were at Mingun village, a little girl, with a very distressed look on her face, asked if I would exchange her $10.00 USD for Khat. Of course I did without hesitation. The point is tho, when you are in the villages and towns outside of yangon and Mandalay, USD are difficult or impossible for the local trinket sellers to exchangeto usable currency. We dealt only in khat with all vendors. Better rate for us, better currency for them
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Old Jan 8th, 2013, 05:09 PM
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Thanks for emphasizing that, anne. You are so right.
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Old Jan 11th, 2013, 06:26 AM
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annergizer,

Thanks for the nice report

I am planning a side trip to Burma in a few weeks and have a few questions for you if you don't mind.

Did you use VOA?
Which hotel did you stay at in Yagoon?

Thanks
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Old Jan 11th, 2013, 08:19 AM
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DMBT, there is no VOA for Burma. You can get a pre-arranged visa through a travel agent - it takes a minimum of two weeks. But better to get your visa at home before you travel or from the embassy in Bangkok.
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Old Jan 11th, 2013, 03:05 PM
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Kathie,

I thought that was the case but I have recently seen some companies offering the service online.

Have sent out some e-mail inquiries to see what is the latest info.
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