Thank you Kathie and Cheryl for a wonderful report and pictures!

Hi Kathie,

Your wonderful trip report has inspired my partner and I to deviate from our annual Thailand trip. We are planning a return to our favorite Bangkok and Koh Samui, June 2012. We have now decided to add 9-10 nights at the beginning of our trip for Burma. I've been following your trips on the Thailand Board for years, and like/agree with your minimizing the amount of locations, so one gets a chance to actually savor time in each locale (vs. spending too much time transferring from one place to another). Okay, here's my question for you--- if this was your 1st trip to Burma and you had 9-10 nights, knowing what you know now... where would you go, and for how many nights? (We'll be transiting from/to Bangkok).

Thanks in advance,

David

Ps. I sent a message to Santa Maria Travel earlier this week. I mentioned that I had been following your wonderful trip report. ZAW responded back to me this morning with add'l questions about our needs, and was "very pleased that I knew who you were, and they enjoyed working with Kathie and Cheryl".

I'm so glad you enjoyed my report, David. You might find the report from my first trip to Burma to be useful www.fodors.com/community/asia/burma-at-last.cfm

If I had 9-10 nights for a first trip, I'd make Bagan and Inle my priorities, and add in a short stay in Yangon, much as we did on our first trip. I'd want four nights at Inle - one full day for Sankar, one day for visiting places on the northern part of the lake , and a day trip to Kakku. I'd also want at least four nights for Bagan - three full days of temples. That would leave you one or two nights for Yangon.

Zaw has been a pleasure to work with.

If you have more questions, I'm glad to help.

Oh, yes, if you go to Cheryl's website www.marlandc.com you'll see a link for photos for our 2009 trip as well as for this year's trip.

Tell Cheryl great pictures as we have come to expect. I see so many change from our visit so many years ago. Yet, other things remain the same. Thanks for sharing the pictures and you great report.

Kathie I have been quietly reading along but have been busy with work & getting ready for our next trip that I ahve not had time to really write anything! Your report is great & bought back great memories from our Nov 2010 trip. Certainly sounds like there were more tourists there this year. So glad that you enjoyed MU & thought it was worth the effort to get there. We loved it. I agree that the horse carts in Awa are totally uncomfortable. I was a little worried as we went there before Bagan & I was second guessing whethere we would survive 3 1/2 days in a horse cart. Fortunately Min Thu (& other Bagan carts) are a lot more comfortable being a different design. Also totally enjoyed your photos. I dare not tell you how many photos we took at Ubien! Thanks again for bringing back wonderful memories.

Jules, I'm so glad you enjoyed my report.

Cheryl has done a great job with the pictures as usual, I especially like the ones of U-Bein bridge.

Brings back so many details of my trip that I'd forgotten.

Thanks, Femi, I will convey your comments to Cheryl.

What a treasure this report and Cheryl's photos are. I also appreciate the reading list, most of which titles I haven't read yet. Thank you, Kathie.

Looking forward to the release of "The Lady" here in Boston in mid-February. I wonder if any Fodorites have seen it yet?...

Do consider Yangon native, Ye Naung, as a guide, who is bright, knowledgeable, lively, sensitive, seasoned, flexible - certainly the best guide we have ever had. We spent nearly two weeks in Burma in March, 2009, traversing the country, participating in festivals and enjoying the people and their beautiful country and history. [email protected]

Thank you for your trip report. I've been following the forum for a little while since I was thinking of going to Burma again. I last went there in 2000 & only visited Yangon & Bago. This time, I will be going with my family to Yangon, Bagan & Inle Lake mid-June. Through your glowing 'referee report', I have contacted Min Thu to be our guide in Bagan which he has replied that he would be happy to do it! Look like we may be staying at Tharabar Gate in Bagan but Inle Lake accommodation is still up for grabs. I am getting really excited about this trip & a big thank you to you & all the Fodorites for sharing their advices & travel report.

I'm glad my report was helpful to you. I'm sure you'll like Min Thu. Have a wonderful trip!

For more info about Inle, you might want to read my 2009 report www.fodors.com/community/asia/burma-at-last.cfm

I highly recommend the Inle Lake View Hotel.

Somehow, I couldn't connect to that link and wasn't able to read that report. :(. I am going to book Inle Lake View Resort as per your recommendation! What type of room did you book? I'm thinking of Deluxe upper corner. I'm staying at The Strand in Yangon. I am so looking forward to the trip! Thanks very much to all your advice throughout the forum. It is very valuable to travelers.

I am off to plan my other connecting trip - can't decide between Krabi, Samui or Phuket! Indecision and 2 weeks to go.

You might try the link again - I just tried it and it worked. Otherwise, click on my name and go to my list of trip reports.

We had a Junior suite at Inle Lake View.

This time of year, Koh Samui will have better weather than Krabi or Phuket.

Thanks, Kathie. Everything seems to be in order - just waiting for my domestic flight details.

Just a quick question - is it possible to hire a car/driver for 1/2 day? As I am not arranging my trip through a travel agent, I am finding it difficult to do that. I was told it costs $48 to hire car/driver for 1/2 day & it costs $80 to hire that through The Strand!

You can easily hire a car and driver for how ever long (or short) a time you want. In Yangon, I wouldn't arrange it through the hotel, but ask a taxi driver. If you get a good driver from the airport and the car is mostly intact, ask him for a half day price.

We didn't hire a car and driver in Yangon, but just took taxis from place to place. That worked very well for us.

Kathie, this comment is a few months late but having just started to plan our next big trip for 2013, I found and read both of your trip reports recently.
I appreciate your detailed and enjoyable accounts. Your knowledge and enthusiasm for the country really comes through in your writing and they are a pleasure to read.
Based on your experience with Santa Maria, I decided to email them and will hopefully hear back from them soon.
Thank you for sharing your insights and (Cheryl’s) Beautiful photos.

Thanks and good luck to you. Burma is a wonderful destination.

Thank you!

Hallo Kathy,
Have been reading and enjoying your reports on Myanmar. We will be going in February. Could you please restate the email address of your wonderful driver in Bagan. would like to check if he is still available;
Thanks Richard