Houminer

I want to book flights from Rangoon to Bagan.
Anyone with recent experience?
Thanks!

shefgab

Lots of domestic airlines fly this route, althugh I don't think any of them have online booking. Google them (check the airport pages on Wikipedia for the correct airlines) then email them to reserve a ticket, or else contact a local travel agent.

The domestic terminal in RGN is very basic, and not very nice. NYU isn't much better.

Domestic flights in Burma are relatively good, with drinks and snacks served even on short flights.

hkskyline

KBZ has. I tried late last year and it was easy to book online.

My flight report : http://www.globalphotos.org/airkbz.htm

Houminer

Thank you!
We have a total of three and a half days in Mynamar. Would you recommend flying and coming back from Bagan on the same day or stay overnight in Bagan?

hkskyline

I did a day trip and got a taxi at the airport for the day (flat rate). I couldn't see the sunset from the temples but I had a short stay as well so opted to stay in Yangon for my entire trip. I covered quite a lot of temples that day so was satisfied with the little I had to give up to make this long day work.

SAT Lawyer

I've flown between RGN and NYU on Air Mandalay, Yangon Airways, and Air Bagan. There's very little to disguish between the three or, as I understand it, Air KBZ, so just go with whichever one offers the more convenient schedule. And feel free to mix and match; two one-ways should be the same price as one round-trip. All else being equal, I'd give Air Mandalay a slight nod, but we're splitting hairs here. Don't be surprised if the flight schedules change between your time of booking and your date of travel, perhaps even dramatically so. All the more reason to utilize the services of a local travel agent so you can be flipped to a different carrier with timings that better suit your needs, if this happens.

Visiting Myanmar is like being in a time warp. To give you a tangible example, we procured our domestic airline tickets through a travel agent who met us at RGN and hand-wrote paper tickets for us on the spot for which we paid in cash. Booking through a local travel agent is probably the best way to go in terms of lining up domestic flights, but don't be surprised if it takes 24 to 48 hours for your e-mails to generate a response. We used Exotic Myanmar Travels and Tours both times to book domestic flights and had no complaints about the assistance provided.

I would recommend overnighting in Bagan instead of opting for a rushed day trip. If you stay overnight, I would highly recommend The Hotel at Tharabar Gate. I would also strongly recommend dining at Starbeam Bistro.

Bagan and its temples are spectacular. Consider lining up a driver/tour guide in advance for the first day, then bike you way around Bagan on your own on day two. From personal experience, I can recommend Minthu as a driver and guide; he can also pick you up at NYU on arrival for a reasonable price if you so desire. Lastly, I'd recommend bringing a travel pack of baby wipes to clean your feet because you'll have to explore the temples barefoot, leaving your shoes outside, and it is very dusty.

livious

As SAT Lawyer mentioned, the domestic airlines are pretty much the same. We flew Air KBZ, Golden Myanmar and Air Bagan. All were relatively the same (quite fine) and were using a rather young fleet of ATR 72s.

For RGN-NYU, we found that Golden Myanmar offered the best prices as of Dec 2014. They were relatively new to the market and likely trying to attract customers. You could book online with the airlines I just mentioned, so I would see no problem booking the cheapest 1 way. The domestic flight schedule changes often, so you might find yourself transferred to another airline. This happened to us twice, although the airline(s) sorted it out without any extra work for us. We experienced much better service in rebooking that what we receive in Europe or the US. There are enough airlines flying the RGN-NYU route that you should not have any problems if things go pear-shaped.

I would also recommend more than 1 night in Bagan. Depending on how adventurous you are, a driver/guide is not needed. The hotels rent out electric scooters that work great for exploring the temples. We did this with our children (10 years old) and had a great time, especially as you can avoid the heavily touristed temples. 1 full day might be enough time to explore the area, but we found more than enough to fill 2 days.

glennaa11

I thought Bagan was spectacular. Doing it as a day trip from RGN seems insane to me. But then again only spending 3.5 days total in country doesn't make much sense to me either. The Balloons Over Bagan dawn flight is amazing if it's running the time you are there.

Goldorak

+1

largeeyes

same day makes for a very, very long day. I would stay the 2 days and explore around Bagan. It has to be one of the most memorable places I have every visited.

wanderlustoz

I flew Air KBZ a few weeks ago. It was easy and I think cost USD 125 one way with a stop in Heho (though there are other flights without a stop in Heho). Though confirmation was an electronic document, boarding passes were hand written. I think one day would be too rushed, but if that's all the time you have...

seavisionburma

Definitely minimum of 1 night stay for Bagan.
Never try to do this same day.
Domestic travel within Myanmar is not a quick point-to-point affair, even without considering the airport transfers.

stephem

Thanks for the insight in this thread, glad I found it. We just booked a short trip to Bagan on Air KBZ and the online booking payment and confirmation all went smoothly. Really surprised how easy that part of it was, assuming the flights themselves may offer up some fun!

stephem

Relaxing in Bagan now, the Air KBZ flight was uneventful and I dare even say efficient. We arrived at the airport in RGN at 9am, were checked in and through to airside by 9:15am, boarding by 9:35am and rolling down the runway at 9:50am to take off. This was scheduled as a 10am flight ;-)
The luggage collection process is priceless in NYU, basically there are a dozen or so guys who carry them into you in a small waiting room. We paid ours $5 to keep carrying them right on outside to our pick up.

kamaaina

One never knows when a scheduled domestic flight will depart. Was there in November 2015 and had flights delayed several hours. Twice I had flights leave a half hour early.