24 hours in Yangon

Myanmar is the last frontier for tourists and business travelers alike, at least in this part of the region. However, there is limited information available (unlike cities such as Bangkok) and so, its quite 'mysterious' to many people. I was always asked 'what is there to do in Myanmar/ Yangon?' To me, its home. Its not somewhere I go to tour. So when I had to think on my feet about places to go and food to eat, my advice wouldn't have been very coherent or helpful.  After taking my time to think of recommendations, here is the packed itinerary if you just have 24 hours in Yangon!

Given the limited time and notorious traffic jam in Yangon, I tried to reduce travelling time by focusing on attractions which are located close together.  Downtown Yangon is made up of 6 townships (Latha, Lanmadaw, Pabedan, Kyauktada, Botahtaung, Pazundaung) and the road layout follows a grid pattern. So it should be quite easy to navigate your way around.

When it comes to choosing some places and rejecting others, I had to strike a balance between history, architecture, religious places, nature, shopping and of course, food! Being the former British colonial capital, Yangon has the most number of colonial buildings in Southeast Asia.  Since time has effectively stood still for so many decades, my colleague mentioned that he felt as if he had stepped through a time machine when he visited Myanmar. It is possible to walk the entire stretch of road without finding any modern day buildings. Instead, you would be inside the larger-than-life museum with rows of colonial era buildings. Sure, they are deteriorate and worn down. However, they are exhibits which you could never find elsewhere. So such sights would be the main highlights of my itinerary.  Based on your own preference, you may choose to spend more time in some places while forgoing other places. I hope you experience something new, something different!

Bon Voyage!

xoxo

Miss N

Mr & Missy in Myanmar - Day 8 to 11 - 26 to 29 Dec 2013

Day 8

We reached Aung Mingalar Bus Terminal pretty early around 6+ am and took a cab home. Air-conditioned cab cost us around 8,000 Kyats? 

After we unpacked, showered and had breakfast at home, we decided to go for Thai full body massage to give our tired bodies a treat.  Remember to give them a call to make reservations though. Our appointment was for 11 am but my mom dropped us off early and so we decided to pass time by enjoying Patbingsu at Lotteria!!! Yes, there is Lotteria in Yangon! The effect of Hallyu / Korean wave huh? 

Patbingsu 팥빙수 - a popular Korean summer snack of shaved ice with red bean and other toppings

Nope, not a Korean star but my fav local celebrity - Sai Sai

Mr & Missy in Myanmar - Day 6 & 7 - 24 & 25 Dec 2013

After a gruesome bus journey, we finally made it to the town of Kyaukse at 4 am. Famous for its Kyaukse Elephant Dance, this is the hometown of Missy's father. 

We would spend the next 2 days here witnessing a traditional Burmese Buddhist procession called the Ah-hlu. The Ah-hlu basically is a celebration that is held for a family when they donate generously to the local Buddhist monastery. Missy's youngest uncle had recently donated and held the Ah-hlu procession also to send his sons to become monks at the monastery. This is a traditional rite of passage for all Burmese Buddhists boys to show their coming of age. They typically spend a minimum of 3 days at a monastery to follow and learn from the monks. For me, it was truly an honour to be able to witness such a procession as I have never seen anything close to that before.

 Young girls take part in the procession too! Ear piercing ceremony is the rite of passage for girls.

Mr & Missy in Myanmar - Day 5 - 23 Dec 2013

As we started the 5th day of our tour, first stop was the iconic Htam Sam cave, located 19 km east of Taunggyi (1-hour drive away from Taunggyi). Believed to be one of the longest caves in Myanmar, Htam Sam is found in Hopong Pa-O self-administered area.  From the entrance, it did not seem like there was going to be much to see inside but the moment we stepped in, we were taken aback by its natural beauty inside. Never, ever judge a book by its cover. 

Limestone and natural rock formations littered the place and were truly a sight to behold. They reminded us of icicles, just in the form of rocks. Also, further down in the cave, various Buddha images were scattered around and at the end of the path was a small waterfall. 

Discovered only recently, this cave currently does not have the popularity of Pindaya Cave but surely in time as more people come to know about this, it will be a new tourist hot-spot.

Mr & Missy in Myanmar - Day 4 - 22 Dec 2013

We were ready and packed our bags by 7:30 am and headed to breakfast.  The previous night, we had arranged with the boatman to fetch us at 8 am. Our plan was to have breakfast, check-out from hotel but leave our bags at the lobby, go around Inle Lake, collect our luggage from hotel and go back to Nyaung Shwe Jetty.

At the beautiful Royal Inle Resort / Inle Palace Resort

Mr & Missy in Myanmar - Day 3 - 21 Dec 2013

On such a cold day (definitely below 10C), enjoying the warmth of cocoon between the thick blanket and a bed, further comforted by the heater, was just a bliss.  We had a hard time getting out of bed. But we forced ourselves to get ready and pack our stuff due to the long day of sightseeing ahead. By 8:30 am, we were enjoying breakfast on the balcony, overlooking the Shan mountain range. Due to the cold weather, we could fully appreciate the warm sun light without breaking any sweat. But our food turned cold sooo fast! So we had no choice but to eat as fast as possible.  By 9 am, we had checked out and loaded our luggage onto the van, ready to head out.

Mr & Missy in Myanmar - Day 2 - 20 Dec 2013

Our day 2 was extremely tiring.  We reached Kalaw around 5 am and alighted in front of New Shine Hotel, which is situated along the expressway.  Our tour agency "Golden Express" arranged 2 rooms for 5 of us to rest till 730 am.  As soon as we stepped out of the air-conditioned bus, we were shivering! It was so freaking cold, definitely lower than 10C. It is thus not surprising that Kalaw was one of the hilly retreats for British officials during the hot summer months [during the colonial era]. 

New Shine Hotel, where we rested for a few hours

Mr & Missy in Myanmar - Day 1 - 19 Dec 2013

Nothing much happened on Day 1.

We left Singapore with an afternoon flight and landed in Yangon around 3 pm local time (after a 3-hour journey).  I don't really like taking early morning flights since I have this phobia of missing my flight if I can't wake up hehe :D