Myanmar is a fragile state ruled by a military regime, yet also a place with amazing hospitality and delicious food. To go or not to is a hard decision. What we can tell you is the military grip was palpable in Mandalay, the former royal capital, where the word “CRUSH” was written on the palace wall, a warning against dissidence.
We booked our trip before the international press first reported on the persecution of the Rohingya people, but by now it’s well known and documented. Upon arriving, we realized that most of our dollars would be going to the military, including what we paid for visas, tourist taxes, and hotels.
For example, of the 25,000 kyat tourist tax to the Bagan Archeological Zone, only 2 percent goes towards the preservation of the city’s ancient pagodas. I’m fairly sure the 10,000 kyat entrance fee to the Palace in Mandalay also goes to the military, along with the $50 eVisa to enter the country.
If you decide to go, just try to support small and local businesses as much as possible. There was one night when we looked out the window of our hotel and saw a woman kneeling to set up a small grill on the sidewalk. She was selling corn on the cob and she had her child with her. We had just eaten dinner, but after watching for a while and not seeing any business, Aaron ran across the street and bought an ear of corn from her. He tried to pay double, but she was so honest she kept giving him his change back. These are the interactions that have stayed with us from Myanmar.
We spent a total of $1041 for our trip to Myanmar, or $74 per person per day.
Roundtrip Flights from Bangkok DMK to Mandalay MDL on Air Asia – $141
- A shuttle from the airport to our hotel was 4000 kyat per person, and a taxi back to the airport cost 15,000 kyat.
Cash Exchange at Airport – $150
- Bring mint US bills to Myanmar – no folds, creases, or signs of wear. All the hotels and currency exchange offices were super picky and rejected our “damaged” bills.
- We paid for all food, taxis, buses, one ebike rental, bottled water, and admission tickets in cash.
Hotels – $545
- Foreigners are not allowed to stay in Airbnbs or homestays.
- Bagan King Hotel – Our favorite hotel in Myanmar. Excellent management, beautiful details, and great location next to the palace. The staff was so welcoming and attentive. $232.94 for our first 3 nights.
- Amazing Bagan Resort – Our favorite breakfast buffet in Myanmar. Located in Nyaung-U, just next door to Old Bagan. The hotel rents ebikes and provides free road bikes, which I took out 2 mornings in a row for sunrise. $259.52 for the next 3 nights.
- The Home Hotel – Pretty basic but clean and spacious. Not close to the sites but we just needed a room before our flight the next day. $52.50 for our last night.
Mandalay
- Palace – A 1990’s replica of the last royal palace, which was bombed in WWII by Allied forces in order to destroy a Japanese presence inside. The moat and outer walls are quite beautiful and a nice place to run around, but inside it’s mostly military grounds. Foreigners are only allowed to enter the rebuilt palace buildings, which were not very informative. Admission tickets were 10,000 kyat each, which we paid in cash.
- Sanda Muni Pagoda and Kuthodaw Pagoda – We walked right in, though I think our Palace ticket covered these pagodas had we been asked.
- Zay Cho Market – If you want to see a buzzing local market, this is for you. Beware of the flies though. They’re attracted by the dried fish.
Boat from Mandalay to Bagan – $104 on Viator
We took a river cruise up the Irrawaddy River, gently plowing through opaque mist into the sunrise. It wasn’t the fastest or cheapest way to go, but it might be the most enjoyable. We met interesting fellow travelers, included a Singaporean couple who had been to Myanmar 25 years ago. I can only imagine what it must be like to revisit a place 25 years later.
The trip included a midday visit to a local hat making village, where little kids showed us how to weave straw hats. Afterwards we had a delicious lunch on board and relaxed on the sundeck before arriving in Bagan at sunset.
Bagan
- Archeological Zone Pass – Carry these little cards with you at all times! 25,000 kyat each. Better to pay in Myanmar kyats than USD.
- Bulethi Pagoda – There are two pagodas here you can climb up, one for sunrise and the other for sunset. Get there at least half an hour before sunrise to secure a spot. It gets pretty crowded now that Shwe San Daw, the sunset pagoda, is closed for renovation.
- Shwegu Gyi Phaya – A popular temple for panoramic views. There’s a narrow interior staircase and quite a lot of standing room at the top.
- Law Ka Ou Shaung – Climbing was off limits, but the inside of the temple was one of our favorites as it seemed well kept, quiet, and not commercial like some of the bigger ones.
- The tourist footprint in Bagan has run down many of the temples, especially the ones you can climb. Some are roped off, but we saw tourists disobeying the “no climbing” signs. We decided to heed the signs as they’re meant to protect these thousand year old pagodas.
- Electric bike rental – Many small businesses rent ebikes cheaper than hotels. We rented one from this restaurant for 3000 kyats for a half day.
Bus from Bagan to Mandalay
- Our hotel arranged a door to door minibus for us for 9000 kyat per person, paid in cash. The journey took about 5 hours with one rest stop.
Restaurants
- Mingalabar Restaurant in Mandalay – The food here is so amazing! One of the top 5 meals of our life. We ate here 3 times in one week. The complimentary lentil soup, side dishes, raw vegetable platter, and crunchy dessert snacks are an incredible value. We spent around $5 the first two times, went all out on our last night and only spent $10. We would come back to Mandalay just to eat here!
- Bibo Restaurant in Bagan – A quiet little restaurant with really tasty farmer’s curry and tomato peanut sauce salad.
- Harmony BBQ in Bagan – An outdoor restaurant with a grill up front. We were mildly obsessed with the grilled okra.
- We really wanted to eat at Tharabar Three Myanmar Curry, highly recommended by everyone in Bagan, but it closes early. We got there at 4pm and they were finished. Go for lunch if you get the chance! It’s right behind Ananda Temple.
