On Wed, Aug 28, 2013 at 9:21 AM, Charles Haynes <[email protected]> wrote:
> I'm leaving for Myanmar in three days, are there any silklisters in Myanmar > that would like to meet? > I was in Myanmar earlier this year. Photos from my trip: http://www.flickr.com/photos/thaths/sets/72157634459216225/ > Alternatively, are there any silklisters about things to see or do while in > Myanmar? Our basic plan is to land in Yangon, spend a very small amount of > time there, then make our way overland to the Inle Lake area and then to > Bagan. Am hoping to take the "slow train" for some of the journey, and > busses and boats for other parts. > General * Have hotel reservations. At a minimum for the first few days of your stay in Myanmar. Medium- and high-end hotels are very heavily booked. If possible, have reservations for your whole trip before you go. But if that doesn't work, check into your first hotel and ask for their help in finding you reservations for the rest of your trip. * Myanmar is expensive compared to Thailand/Cambodia/Laos Yangon: * Definitely try the food and beer on 19th street in Yangon * In terms of beer, my favorite was Dagon draft * Try the spirulina beer if you can find it (I tried it in someplace near Mandalay) Inle Lake: * IMO, this is overrated and crowded with tourists. I completely skipped it. YMMV. Bagan: * Stay in Nyaung U or Old Bagan * Rent a horsecart or taxi to take you to sunrise (they know the few remaining temples where you can clamber on top of the temples. Most temple towers are closed these days) and show you the lay of the land * Rent a bicycle for another 2 days and look around the temples at your own pace * My favorite temples were: Shwezigon Paya, Ananda Pahto, Upali Thein, Sulamani Paya Slow trains: * Except for a long boat trip and a couple of bus rides, I almost exclusively went by trains. * There are two beautiful, memorable slow train journeys (both into the Shan hills) in Burma: * Mandalay -> Pyin Oo Lwin -> Lashio<http://www.seat61.com/Burma.htm#Mandalay - Pyin Oo Lwin> * Thazi -> Kalaw <http://www.seat61.com/Burma.htm#Yangon or Mandalay to Inle Lake> * Among the two, the Thazi->Kalaw line is less crowded (and more scenic, IMO) * If you arrived in Thazi from Yangon (or Mandalay), you may have to end up spending the night in Thazi. The train from Thazi to Kalaw departs at 6 am in the morning. There are only a couple of hotels in Thazi (one of them run by the military) and they are both not very good. > Haven't decided if we should go to Mandalay or not, and am not entirely > sure I want to stick so closely to the main popular tourist route. > Sadly, half the country is still closed to tourists (through travel restrictions or expense). There isn't that much outside of the Yangon->Bagan->Mandalay->Inle Lake circuit. One thing you could do is go South East of Yangon towards Mawlamyine. Mrauk-U would be great to visit, but is closed to tourists at the moment. Thaths -- Homer: Hey, what does this job pay? Carl: Nuthin'. Homer: D'oh! Carl: Unless you're crooked. Homer: Woo-hoo!
