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

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.

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.

I would definitely include Bagan and Inle lake.

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

PS Mrauk U provided it's accessible as you say, Kathie.

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

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!

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 : )

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

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

If you use a TA I would think they can tel you the times you need to know for internal travel.

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.

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

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

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

Ps just to remind you while considering my itinerary, I will be here between 1 Jan - 29 Jan, so 28 days : )

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.

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

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

I'd never looked into Pyin Oo Lwin so thanks for the recommendation Lancaster Lad. I'll definitely look into more and bear all the above in mind.

And thanks again Kathie for your input. It's reassuring to hear that about the accomodation. Also, from what you say,
Bagan does seem like somewhere id like to stay longer at.

Regards getting from Bagan to Inle Lake, what would you recommend doing - flying in instead; or changing my route; or even missing it out? I guess probably not the latter, but would be good to hear your thoughts.

Many thanks to you all again : )

Silverswimmer, that video is hilarious - I have seen that previously. My gosh, is the whole journey really likely to be that rocky?!! Holy moly, I could laugh for a while at it but maybe not for 9 hours from Taungoo to Mandalay! ; )

I do like train travel a lot, but another reason it appeals to me over bus is because I will be travelling with my guitar in a soft case and am slightly concerned about putting into the hold of a bus. Id rather keep it beside me, if possible. Anyway, again, I'll have to weigh things up and make a call on it some point soon.

Btw, I meant to say, I'm enjoying your photographs, Kathie!

Pyin OO Lwin was not a highlight of our trip. Further on is Hsipaw which we did enjoy. Lots of trekking from there if that is interesting to you.
I had planned on taking a train, but passed after seeing several videos of train travel in Myanmar. Anthony Bourdain did a show on Myanmar and his train trip looked awful. That said I did talk with people who did take the train from Pyin OO to Hsipaw and said it was fine.

You are quite right, silent way, I don't recommend skipping Inle. It is a unique place. I'd recommend flying there. Note that most flights are what we used to call "milk runs" - they stop at each city. For some reason, I'm not remembering exactly the route - Yangon - Inle - Mandalay-Bagan - Yangon, I think. In which case it would make sense for you to go to Inle first from Yangon. I'd save the train trips for shorter segments. (SS, correct me on the flight routes if I've mis-remembered, please)

Also, I think it makes sense to start off your trip with a place that is stunning - and Mandalay is not. As number of people have said, Mandalay is a hard city to love. There are some interesting places to see, but it isn't a "wow" experience like Inle, Bagan sort Mrauk U.

Glad you are enjoying our photos.

Ok, my head is slightly melting, but I feel like I'm getting there - thank you for all your advice so far!

I'm looking at 2 different possible itineraries now for my initial 2/3 weeks in Myanmar. I'm waiting to hear back from the agents I've contacted regards travel before deciding which, but they are:

Itinerary Option 1

Days 1-2 > Yangon
Day 3 > Fly to Heho/bus to Taunggyi for Inle Lake
Day 4-6 > Inle Lake
Day 7-9 > 3 day hike to Kalaw
Day 10 > Kalaw
Day 11 > Train/Bus/Mini-bus to Mandalay
Day 12-14 > Mandalay + possibly Saigang, Monywa or alternative
Day 15 > Shwekeinnery express ferry to Bagan
Day 16-18 > Bagan + maybe Mount Popa
Day 19 > Train/Bus from Nyaung U
Day 20 > Yangon


One question I'd like to ask about this itinerary is:
- is it recommended that I book hike in advance from Inle Lake to Kalaw? And similarly, should I worry about accommodation booked in Kalaw in advance, too?


Itinerary Option 2

Day 1-3 > Yangon
Day 4 > Train to Taungoo (stay overnight)
Day 5 > Train to Mandalay
Day 6-8 > Mandalay + possibly Saigang, Monywa or alternative
Day 9 > Shwekeinnery express ferry to Bagan
Day 10-12 > Bagan + Mt Popa
Day 13 > Bus to Inle Lake
Day 14-17 > Inle Lake
Day 18 > Fly/bus to Yangon

Regards travelling from Bagan to Inle Lake, I found this interesting blog from earlier this year which seems to suggest a bus route is possible (see Day 4): http://www.pommietravels.com/2014/04...ek-in-myanmar/

Would be great again to hear any further thoughts from you guys about this?!! I have contacted several website agencies now, as I've mentioned, to check on what they can help organise with trains/flights. Once I have reassurance on that, I feel I can finally go ahead and book my accommodation and stop worrying!!

Once I've finished this leg of the trip, I will still have some time left so will consider one or more of the following:

Days 19/21 + > Options range from Ngwe Saung, Pyay, Pathein, Mawlamyine, Golden Rock, Hpa An and Mrauk U

Look forward to hearing your thoughts and thanks again : )

Ps Yestravel, I've just seen the Bourdain clip on YouTube - once again, yikes! Although he does say it is 'awesome' and an 'adventure'- maybe he is just being polite, though! ; )

<<<Day 3 > Fly to Heho/bus to Taunggyi for Inle Lake
Day 4-6 > Inle Lake
Day 7-9 > 3 day hike to Kalaw
Day 10 > Kalaw
Day 11 > Train/Bus/Mini-bus to Mandalay>>>

Fly to Heho, and then go to Kalaw first. It's not that far by road, and the road is quite good.

Do your hike downhill from Kalaw to the Inle area.

By road to Mandalay from Inle will take a full, and long day. There's a train option, haven't got a clue what it's like, but it'll be fun...

http://www.seat61.com/Burma.htm#Yangon or Mandalay to Inle Lake

When you're in Kalaw have a meal at Sam's Restaurant, and if the old man's there have a chat with Sam. His english is perfect and he's a wealth of trekking knowledge.

Note that you don't go to Taunggyi for Inle Lake. It's a city "near" Inle, but from HeHo, you'll just get a taxi to your hotel near the Lake.

If you want to trek, decide what it is you want to get out of your trek. Kalaw to Inle is a very well-trodden path. And if you want to trek that route, do it downhill, Kalaw to Inle rather than Inle to Kalaw. Fly to HeHo, then catch a minibus to Kalaw then trek to Inle. There are plenty of other trekking options, Hsipaw, as yestravel mentioned is another trekking center.

For the last part of your trip, I recommend Mrauk U if you can arrange it.

The hard part right now may be just waiting to hear back from agents....

That's grand, thanks for the advice guys. Ok, so I've got my first 2 nights accomodation booked in Yangon!

Now Id like to book a flight to Heho for day 3. I've seen these flights on Skyscanner - do you think it's ok to book myself or would it be safer to trust an agent? I looked up the airline in question KBZ online and they seem to get good feedback as being reliable?

Once in Heho, I will take a taxi to Kalaw - great advice to hike downhill, thanks!

About Kalaw, I imagine I'll book accomodation there for one night in advance, but in terms of the hike is this something you book before or when you're there? Do you have any recommendations with this? And do they usually last 3 days or does it depend on the route and guide?

Once I've got that sorted, I can book my Inle Lake accomodation and that will be a weight off my mind!

Thanks again for your help, guys, and please if you can let me know your thoughts : )

I would book flights with a local agent.

Treks are all different lengths. depending on where you want to go. The "standard" trek from Kalaw to Inle is three days, but you could choose longer or shorter. And Kalaw isn't the only place to trek... if you are really into trekking, you might prefer to trek somewhere else. Do you have the Lonely Planet guide book? While the info on prices was out of date before it was printed, the other info is excellent.

Skip Mt. Popa while you are in Bagan. It will chew up a whole day driving there and back. I was there a month ago and I wish we had just stayed in Bagan that day. It was a rainy day, so we couldn't see anything from the top. The wetness also made the walkways filthy dirty to walk on in barefeet. Even if it had not been raining, the temple and area is overrun with souvenir sellers, and the temple itself on the top is very tacky. All the shrines are lit with the neon lights. It's very very crowded and full of screaming children. This day was one of the least favorite out of the 11 days we spent in Myanmar.

Just to give a different perspective on Mt Popa -- Mt. Popa was certainly not a highlight of Bagan, but I enjoyed it. We left in the morning and were back shortly after lunch time. We made a couple stops on the way out. Perhaps what made it more interesting for us was that we had an excellent guide who talked about the areas we drove thru to get there as well as talking about Myanmar in general. I didn't find the area more overrun with vendors then other places we visited -- not the temples in Bagan, but throughout Myanmar. It was not crowded and certainly no kids screaming.
Hope you get everything pulled togethr and have a great trip!

The alternative to booking with an Agent (although more expensive) is to book airtickets online with your CC and get etickets.These, amongst others, are bookable online and their time schedules will help you plan.
http://www.airkbz.com/
http://www.airbagan.com/
http://asianwingsair.com/
There are reviews/comments on the TA forum which indicate the new system is working well
SS

Air KBZ was perfectly fine. For most of the flights, you cannot get your seat assignments. They load from the rear of the plane, so most people grab seats toward the back. We booked our flights through Santa Maria.

I'll be posting more detailed information on my trip soon, but I agree with yestravel. We enjoyed our trip to Mt. Popa, but it's one of those places that it's the journey, not the destination, so it depends on how much time you have. Due to the heat and health issues, we did not walk up to the top but we had great views from the bottom, as well as from the beautiful Mt. Popa resort.

Thank you all again for your input, I'm making really good progress thanks to all your help!

Kathie, I got LP now and the hiking info was very informative, thanks!

Internet wiz, Susie San and Yes Travel, really useful to hear the range of thoughts on Mount Popa! To be honest, I haven't done much research yet on it but am still open to going while in Bagan - I think I'll play it by ear for the time being ; )

And really, really useful to hear about the plane situation, thanks Silverswimmer. Can you tell me what CC stands for?

The thing that's holding me back from booking my accomodation in Kalaw, and afterwards, Inle Lake is paranoia that my plane might be cancelled and I can't get up the country as planned. I don't quite see how agent improves the situation - if the plane is cancelled last minute, surely I'm in the same boat as id be had I booked it myself? I know I'm probably missing something...

I'm wondering whether I should just plan to take the bus instead towards Kalaw, rather than plane to Heho. I know I'll miss the comfort and speed factor, but I'm thinking going the bus route might allow me to plan ahead easier than the ambiguity of the plane situation. I don't know if anyone has any thoughts on this? I have done research on google, but I'm still wavering!

Once again, I appreciate all your continued input and look forward to hearing from you! Thanks : )

I'm not sure what you think the ambiguity of the plane situation is. As SS says, you can book yourself on any of these airlines with your credit card (CC). It will cost a bit more than booking via an agent. One of the advantages of booking with an agent is that is there is a cancellation, the agent will automatically re-book you and notify you of the change. If you book directly with the airline, you would have to rebook yourself, and likely deal with getting a refund from the airline. An agent can take care of all of that.

Let me say that it sin't often that flights get cancelled, so I wouldn't refrain from making firm arrangements for fear of a flight cancellation.

You can certainly take a bus if you prefer. But buses are subject to the same problems as any other form of transport. I've read many accounts of people being on a bus that breaks down, waiting for the driver to fix the vehicle or waiting for a part to arrive. Travel is always subject to various glitches. Because of the poor infrastructure, travel in Burma is subject to more glitches.

Ahh by ambiguity I meant the potential for flights to be cancelled/postponed/redirected up until the last moment that I read about somewhere online earlier. I just wondered, without good internet connection and phone reception, how you'd even get notification of this - but I guess an agent would telephone the guesthouse you're staying at, right?

That's interesting to hear about the buses, thanks. I'm still waiting to get replies back from several agents so I'll wait and see what they say before making my decision on what mode of transport to take. Bus would seem easier to arrange quickly and while over there, but plane would be preferable for comfort and speed of transit. We'll see anyway - keep u posted if anything more comes up!

Thanks : )

Yes, your agent knows where you are and can phone your hotel/guesthouse.

A recent poster from the US reported that all flights from Yangon to Heho/Bagan were fully booked from 26th Dec through 6th Jan and was scrambling to get an overnight bus so pull your finger out and get booking!
I did a check on the 4 eticket/online booking sites and can confirm this.
SS

Thank you all again for your replies - things are coming together slowly but surely : )

Glad to hear it.