G'day!
Long time lurker, first-time poster.
I have greatly enjoyed browsing flyertalk in my spare time and thought I'd give something back by contributing.
I visited Yangon in April this year.
I rang the Myanmar Embassy in Canberra before I submitted my tourist visa application.
I asked about not having a hotel name to put on my application form too, as I didn't have one booked at the time I submitted my visa app.
The Myanmar embassy said this would not be a problem, as it was not something they even really looked at.
Disclaimer: Could be different for different nationalities etc.
BTW, another poster has said that the OP is not the type to travel not-in-style?
Yes, Burma's facilities are basic. I personally really enjoyed it - it was like living in a different time. I fantasised about living in the time of the British empire as I strolled the dark streets dotted with candlelight (electricity outage and not everyone can afford a generator), admiring the colonial buildings. Then my fantasy was pierced as I slipped on a pothole, scraped my knee and searched in vain for a chemist with adequate supplies.
5-star hotels sometimes....aren't really.
Just because they have built a 5-star hotel in Yangon that doesn't mean the underlying infrastructure (plumbing, electricity etc) will match that of Singapore.
Be prepared for blackouts, sewer blockages, no hot water etc.
Basic toilet and eating facilities throughout, even on-site at major Tourist attractions and the immediate surrounds (Bangkok and Bali this is not).
About the overnight trip to Bagan - if you can sleep on the bus and/or suck it up during the day, you'll be able to sightsee in Bagan, why not.
If time is of the essence, I recommend you do some research on buses in Myanmar. Do they break down? Trains often do. They are literally 100-year-old remnants of the British Empire. The exact same trains and stations as those in India, if you have been there. However, the Indian government has renovated a percentage of the trains and stations. Burma's trains are true relics - wooden floors, no escalators 'n all.
Any queries, please feel free to PM me.
Last edited by adventuroustraveller; May 13, 2015 at 1:58 am