Kagehitokiri

GHM mgmt of strand ended mar 1 2013

peninsula yangon planned >
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/20715317-post620.html

somkiat

I am surprised to note that obviously the Savoy seems to be unknown on FT .

SanDiego1K

We just stayed at the Strand for two nights. We had an acceptable stay but it was not a luxury property. I first heard of the Strand when I began to read travel stories. My imagination was fired by all the properties begun by the Sarkies brothers, from Raflfles in Singapore to E&O in Penang to the Strand in Rangoon. Then there were the decades of near collapse of tourism in Burma, when the Strand was apparently rat infested and near derelict. In 1989, it was restored with the help of Adrian Zechna and others. The property had several hundred rooms. The annex was given over to the Australians and the property in the back was let go. 30 comfortable suites were fashioned out of the remaining core of the building. We had been in the public areas of both the Strand and the Governors Residence two years ago. I chose the Strand based largely on its central location and its history. I subsequently learned that the government owns half of the venture. If I had done my research earlier, I would not have stayed here as I am philosophically opposed to putting money into the army junta.

The Chedi no longer manages the Strand, but it has the same GM as under Chedi, Didier Belmonte. We exchanged some pleasant emails prior to our visit. He kindly upgraded us to an executive suite on the first floor overlooking the front of the hotel. It was a large sprawling space with 15 foot ceilings, but the suite was not divided into separate rooms. Our young and eager butler was quite enthralled with the cold and hot running water in the bathroom. It made me wonder whether his home lacks these amenities. There is a butler desk on each floor, and the butler is ready to do anything asked.

The ground floor of the hotel is open to anyone who wants to come in. There is no private lounge for hotel guests. There is the bar to the right and the cafe to the left, with the foyer a multi functional space. It has desks for staff, a musician playing a stringed instrument, and wicker furniture for those who want to sit or perhaps take tea. There is a larger dining room to the back and a small arcade of shops to the back right. I recommend the shops, particularly the two to the right and left just as you enter this area. Prices are surprisingly close to those in the bazaar, and the products have been carefully selected. I am particularly taken with the various items made of mother of pearl.

Anyone who visits Rangoon should eat at Le Planteur. It is a remarkable gastronomic restaurant started by a Swiss chef two years ago. His Swiss restaurant had a Michelin star, and he has brought that cooking imagination to Burma. They own three 50s era cars, and took us to and from the Strand in one of them.

quitecontrary

Thanks -SD1K - great trip report. I also have always loved the Sarkie hotels and have stayed at all 3 you mention, all before they were refurbished! I loved the Strand - I see from my bill that we stayed in room 205 and had the then famous lobster thermidor for dinner - is it still on the menu? If so I expect the cost has gone up since 1980.
We're currently planning a trip to Burma in either October or early December - I've just been looking at Thai flights to Rangoon. Did you go to Pagan, Lake Inle or Mandalay and if so where did you stay? Last time we were there you could only have a 7 day visa - this time we intend to stay at least 10 days.

Pausanias

I would recommend seeing Burma from a boat on the Irrawaddy - we went in 2006, I think, stayed at the Strand, ate the lobster thermidor (only the two of us in the dining room) and then we got onboard a Pandaw boat. Admittedly this was long before the country started to open up a bit but I guess the experience would still be very similar. Going by boat you get to see some truly remote villages far from the tourist hot-spots. I remember being pretty startled by some of the sights which greeted us - children carving marble, two young men working a sort of pedal-mill that produced gold leaf for the temple, an army of men cutting huge teak logs with handsaws - all this because there isn't (or wasn't) any electricity or power tools. And the armies of women fetching water from the river. The river between Rangoon and Mandalay isn't especially scenic but this was one of the best trips we ever did.

To get there, we flew on Qatar via Doha which gave us a nice stay at the Four Seasons.

SanDiego1K

We traveled to Burma in 2011. We had time for 2 of the 3 destinations you name. I spoke to several friends who had gone. Universally they suggested that Mandalay be the odd man out. Pagan was one of the most special travel experiences I have ever had. It is mesmerizing to see pagodas stretching everywhere in the mist. I had the same feeling that I did on seeing David for the first time - a catch of my breath and almost an inability to breathe. Inle Lake was also something very unique. I wouldn't necessarily recommend where we stayed so I won't dig for their names. We avoided Aureum Palace Hotel, the big hotel in Pagan, because it is owned by a brother of one of the leading generals. At Inle Lake, there are some nice hotels on the shore of the lake with rooms overlooking it. It's lovely to see the one legged rowers taking their boats out.

KI-NRT

As SD1K said, Mandalay is the one to skip if you need to pass on one of the places. Us - we passed on Inle Lake since we'd already done enough lake/floating/overwater village excursions in places like Tonle Sap, Lake Atitlan, Lake Titicaca, Iquitos and Brunei. After Bagan, we hopped on board The Road To Mandalay ship, which was quite nice.

The Hotel @ Tharabar Gate is an excellent property in Bagan. It has the best location (right in front of the entry into Old Bagan's main sites) and the Junior Suites are very spacious. PM me if you'd like pics of the hotel as well as Bagan in general.

A few suggestions on activities: Spend one day on a horse cart touring Bagan (PM me for recommendations on a horse cart driver - the one we got was an excellent photographer and knew the exact places to take the best photos. He also doubled as a guide, and was able to tell us various stories about ancient Bagan - truly fascinating.) The second morning, get up early and get on a hot air balloon (Balloons over Bagan is the most reputable operator there). After breakfast, take a horse cart to tour some of the local villages as well as a local market or two. After lunch, rent a bicycle and explore without a guide. We played soccer with the village children and were even invited into several homes, and were even invited to dine with some of the sweet local families. A truly magical experience.

Btw, we stayed at The Governor's Residence on the way in and The Strand on the last day of our Myanmar stay. While The Strand might be considered "historic", we found it to be cold and lacking in much charm. It was also quite run down. The Governor's Residence, by comparison, was much warmer and intimate, and the use of teak wood everywhere added to its charm. Be advised, however, that rooms on the ground floor lack privacy. People walking around the inner courtyard have a bird's eye view into your room unless you keep the shades lowered the entire time. I recommend you get a Junior Suite room on the 2nd floor.

Mickidon

I agree that, with time constraints, Mandalay is the stop to eliminate. We found that the combination of Yangon, Bagan and Inle made for a nicely balanced trip. We stayed at Inle Princess Resort and found it more rustic than anticipated but beautifully sited. The Aureum Palace in Bagan built a tower that actually rises above the various temples - it got my blood boiling every time we passed it. Power corrupts, indeed.

Balloons over Bagan is a great way to get an overview of the area. It doesn't operate year round, however. If taking photographs is important to you, be sure to avoid the side where the camera is mounted....otherwise, you will have a wire in many of your shots.

We were wildly disappointed in The Strand, but loved Governor's Residence.

tarheelbill92

Andrew Harper informed me that the Governor's Residence might close down in Jan 2014 for some level of renovations--sorely needed according to some. As a result, we have to stay at the Strand since there are apparently few reservations being taken by the Governor's Residence at that time (Jan 15-18, 2014). GHM stopped managing the Strand but the new management team has been very responsive to our requests for information and updates, so I'm optimistic. It's Burma, so we don't expect the same level of 5 star accommodation as in other Asian capitals.

more4less

O I agree with your post but I consider that if you travel to the country you should also visit Mandalay and its surroundings.
Back in July 2007 we stayed in the same hotels you mentioned but we did love The Strand.

worldiswide

We did a trip to Burma almost 10 years ago when it was not in the high demand as it is now. We did orient express road to mandalay boat for 4 days from Mandalay to bagan with an add on to Inle Lake. Each place was special unique and not to be missed for what probably is a once Ina lifetime type of trip. Mandalay has some interesting history and we went to a nunnery and assisted in a morning ritual of feeding the monks both of which we would not have missed. Bagan is clearly a stunning visual experience. Don't shortchange yourselves for a couple of days and try to fit in as much as you can. We stayed at the governors residence and had dinner at the strand. We were the only ones there at the time. Neighborhood by the governors palace is much nicer. The road to Mandalay boat aw completely rebuilt after the cyclone a few years ago. It's a great destination. Schwedagon pagoda is one of the most fantastic experiences. Go as the sun is setting over the gold dome. It's awesome.

stimpy

Only one person slightly injured. See http://www.france24.com/en/20131015-...rangoon-yangon

TRAVELSIG

I heard about this earlier today- too bad to learn about this.

kokonutz

Just left Myanmar yesterday. I highly recommend the Shanghai-la over any hotel in Yangon. I reviewed it and several other 'luxury' hotels and activities in Myanmar (Thande in Bagan, balloons over Bagan, Sedona in Mandalay, Bay of Bengal resort in Ngwe Saung) on trip advisor. Search user kokonutzFT. Happy to answer any questions.

worldiswide

We are looking at returning later this year to do a river cruise in the north. What makes you recommend shangrI LA. . Location, service, price?