Experiences in Rangoon/ Burma
 

I'm thinking of taking a 3 day side trip to Rangoon from BKK. ( I am aware of the politics and am working with a human rights organization to support people there to offset my visit). i would be pleased to know of any recent travel experiences, if people booked a trip through a TA or went alone, etc. I do not have enough time to go to the countryside and temple area (Bagan), so comments on what to do in 3 days - if it's worth it etc. - are most welcome. many thanks. Tom

Burma worthwhile, Rangoon isn't
 

Only thing worth seeing in Rangoon is Shwedagon Pagoda, which is excellent. Fly to Bagan and Heho. (Mandalay is only so-so.)

Burma is astonishly cheap, yet most visitors are europeans paying $200/day for package tours. Decent hotels run $20/day, restaurant meals $5, everything else on equivalent scale.

To organize logistics on a tight schedule, use a Rangoon travel agent (I can't remember name of one I used last year, but they are on the web.) There are packages ex Bangkok, but I found them no bargain.

No problems w/ independent travel.

Is it possible to get to Bagan from BKK on a three day trip? i think it is not but hopefully it is possible cuz it's where i'd like to go. Is it a flight or overland?

Burma travel agent
 

HI, here is a post I put in the Asia travel section. If you need Hotels or travel planning, Ms. Marilyn is orginaly from Rangoon and can help you put a great 3 day trip together.
She doesn't try to sell you anything so you have to ask.

Get further help by mentioning you saw the referral on Flyer Talk:
here is the post:
Grreat Travel agent in BKK

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We had the pleasure of meeting a great travel agent in BKK. Not only was she not pushy or trying to upsell us, she gave us great advice and more importantly she got us some real deals in Phuket, Yangon, BKK and Laos.
She gave us a 24 hour phone number to call her for problems which we had in Phuket. We had a room reserved through her and the air con didn't work the next room they gave us the same problem and they wouldn't fix it or move us again. A quick call to her at 9 Pm that night she checked us out of the HOtel and into a better 4 star hotel with everything at no extra charge.
In Burma, she booked 2 hotels for us to go and look at first and when we dicided which hotel we wanted we phoned up her Burma office and they arranged our room for us at a 30% discount below what we could get ourself.
In bangkok I needed 1 extra night and I went into the First Hotel and the best rate I could get was 1800 BHT, she got the same hotel for 1000 BHT.
If you're looking for a good travel agent in Asia I can recommend her:

Ms Mu AYE Marilyn
Managing Director
Dado International
66-2251-6365 ext 2086
email: [email protected]

Here's a past trip report (not mine):
Yangon, Mynamar
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=182439

The Shwedagon is nice but it pales in comparison to what you will see in Bagan. Try to get to Bagan. What you are proposing is like going to Phnom Pehn and skipping Angkor Wat! If timing is the issue, find more time :) When you get to Bagan, hire a car and driver to take you around. It is very reasonable. And get an early start, so you can see the sunrise from one of the temples.

To get to Bagan is best to fly from Rangoon, or can you go some other way? Without much time, which is the best way from BKK?