The food at Rupar Mandalar was excellent. I'm sure you could take a taxi into Mandalay to eat elsewhere, but you'll get better food at the Rupar Mandalar. The food in Burma is not a highlight, but the food there was some of the best we had.

Haha. I was worried about whether there would be space available on the overnight cruise. Got an email from Zaw this morning that the one we selected was cancelled because we were the only people to book it! So we will fly to bagan for mandalay instead and it means we have an extra day in one of those places. We'll probably stay an extra day in Mandalay and take a trip to pyin u lwin. Open to other ideas tho we have to book soon.

I should have written in the previous post that the schedule we were working with was 2 nights Mandalay, 1 night cruise, 3 nights bagan, 4 nights inle , 2 nights. Yangon. So without the cruise, we could put that extra night in Mandalay and have 2 full days of sightseeing plus half a day on arrival (for the jade mkt especially, I've been looking at some you tube videos).

Hello FromDC!
I think I might be in Burma the same time you are.
Here's my itinerary
July 8- arrive in Yangon, overnight at the Strand
July9-11-Bagan, taying at Tharabar Gate
July 12-15 Inle Lake, staying at Inle Lake View Resort
July 16- Yangon overnight at the Strand

If our itineraries cross over it would be great to meet!

Deb
Sorry, just saw this before I posted the other MSG. We will overlap at Inle Lake view for 2 nights. Hope we can get together. I have no idea how to do private messages from fodors.

Hi FromDC,

How fun that we will be overlapping! Sounds like Inle Lake is a relatively small hotel so I'm sure we'll find each other. I'm a single parent traveling with my 6'1" 18 year old son. (He's pretty easy to spot in SEA!) If not leave a note for me, Deborah Chusid, at the concierge and we'll meet. Can't wait!

PS...try and work in a stop at Kakku on the way to Inle Lake from the airport. Kathie recommended it and she's given great travel advice over the years. If you had Santa Maria book your trip, just ask them to get you a driver and a guide and let them know you'd like to stop there on the way to Inle lake. Have Fun!

Santa Maria contact info

For sure, Deb, looking forward to getting together. When do you leave for SEA?

We will be arriving in Chiang Mai on June 30th and doing a 1 week volunteer program at Elephant Nature Park. http://www.elephantnaturepark.org/
We did this last year and over the past year we've kept in touch with people and besides that, my son just loved it. I did too. After our volunteer work we fly from Chiang Mai to Yangon on July 8th where we begin our Burma journey at The Strand hotel.
BTW...since we'll be meeting at Inle Lake, what is your real name?

Deb, it will be great to meet you. My "real name" (so funny to think about it that way), is Ivy Broder.