Myanmar - December 2016
Apr 4, 2020, 3:38 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2016
Location: SFO, OAK, SJC
Posts: 242
Myanmar - December 2016
I'm posting an older trip report because I haven't seen much here posted about Myanmar.
This was part of a longer SE Asia trip I took with a few friends back in December 2016. We found open jaw tickets from SFO-KUL and BKK-SFO for ~$500, so we jumped on those and then planned a trip around those entrance/exit points. We ended up with KL, Singapore, Yangon, Bagan, Mandalay, Chiang Mai, and Bangkok. Hope you enjoy these photos.
We flew in to Yangon rather late, arriving around 6-7 PM if memory serves, and being that we were only going to be there for 1 night (we planned on staying in Bagan for a bulk of our time in Myanmar), we hit the ground running and went immediately to Schwedagon Pagoda after dropping off our luggage at our hotel. We made it to the pagoda with about an hour to spare.
Elevator up to Schwedagon Pagoda
The next day was spent exploring the city. The city planners probably did not envision a city with this many cars; this inevitably led to many traffic jams (including on the way into town from the airport the night before).
We opted to mostly walk around the city. First stop, lunch at 999 Shan Noodle Shop. Cheap and delicious.
Sule Pagoda
Bogyoke Market
Then we took the Circular Railway for a few stop before walking back towards Kandawgyi Lake where our hotel was located.
That night, we took an overnight bus from Yangon to Bagan, leaving at 8 PM and arriving at 5 AM. I took a Zzzquil just before we left which turned out to be a bad idea as we stopped at a rest stop (with restrooms and restaurants) at around midnight and no one was allowed to stay onboard. It was a rough hour as I tried to stay awake so as to not miss the bus when it took off again.
Once in Bagan, we were able to drop our luggage off at our hotel and got a tour guide to show us around. After getting a feel of the area, we rented e-bikes and explored on our own. Straight from Wikipedia, "between the 11th and 13th centuries, 4,446 Buddhist temples, pagodas, and monasteries were constructed in the Bagan plains alone, of which the remains of 3,822 temples and pagodas still survive to the present day."
Bagan, unlike Siem Reap, was not overrun with tourists. Traffic was non-existent and only the main roads were paved. There is no "main" temple like Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, but there were temples and pagodas as far as the eye could see.
Using the same tour guide, we also took a half day trip to Mount Popa.
Monkeys on the staircase.
After 4 days of exploring Bagan, we left for Mandalay via a small 12-seat bus. We were only in Mandalay for 2 days and were unable to explore the city as much as I had wished.
U Bein Bridge
Mandalay Palace
Shwenandaw Monastery
Kuthodaw Pagoda, which contains the world's largest book, each page of which is located in one of the white stupas.
This was part of a longer SE Asia trip I took with a few friends back in December 2016. We found open jaw tickets from SFO-KUL and BKK-SFO for ~$500, so we jumped on those and then planned a trip around those entrance/exit points. We ended up with KL, Singapore, Yangon, Bagan, Mandalay, Chiang Mai, and Bangkok. Hope you enjoy these photos.
We flew in to Yangon rather late, arriving around 6-7 PM if memory serves, and being that we were only going to be there for 1 night (we planned on staying in Bagan for a bulk of our time in Myanmar), we hit the ground running and went immediately to Schwedagon Pagoda after dropping off our luggage at our hotel. We made it to the pagoda with about an hour to spare.
Elevator up to Schwedagon Pagoda
The next day was spent exploring the city. The city planners probably did not envision a city with this many cars; this inevitably led to many traffic jams (including on the way into town from the airport the night before).
We opted to mostly walk around the city. First stop, lunch at 999 Shan Noodle Shop. Cheap and delicious.
Sule Pagoda
Bogyoke Market
Then we took the Circular Railway for a few stop before walking back towards Kandawgyi Lake where our hotel was located.
That night, we took an overnight bus from Yangon to Bagan, leaving at 8 PM and arriving at 5 AM. I took a Zzzquil just before we left which turned out to be a bad idea as we stopped at a rest stop (with restrooms and restaurants) at around midnight and no one was allowed to stay onboard. It was a rough hour as I tried to stay awake so as to not miss the bus when it took off again.
Once in Bagan, we were able to drop our luggage off at our hotel and got a tour guide to show us around. After getting a feel of the area, we rented e-bikes and explored on our own. Straight from Wikipedia, "between the 11th and 13th centuries, 4,446 Buddhist temples, pagodas, and monasteries were constructed in the Bagan plains alone, of which the remains of 3,822 temples and pagodas still survive to the present day."
Bagan, unlike Siem Reap, was not overrun with tourists. Traffic was non-existent and only the main roads were paved. There is no "main" temple like Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, but there were temples and pagodas as far as the eye could see.
Using the same tour guide, we also took a half day trip to Mount Popa.
Monkeys on the staircase.
After 4 days of exploring Bagan, we left for Mandalay via a small 12-seat bus. We were only in Mandalay for 2 days and were unable to explore the city as much as I had wished.
U Bein Bridge
Mandalay Palace
Shwenandaw Monastery
Kuthodaw Pagoda, which contains the world's largest book, each page of which is located in one of the white stupas.
Last edited by calbear2005; Apr 4, 2020 at 4:30 pm Reason: typos
Apr 6, 2020, 10:49 am
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2016
Location: SFO, OAK, SJC
Posts: 242
I'm going to post more photos of my time in Bagan because just 3 of the Bagan plains do not do it justice. If anyone wants more information and really great footage of the area, I would suggest watching the series premiere of the late Anthony Bourdain's "Parts Unknown."
Manuha Temple
Pagoda under re-construction.
Gawdawpalin Temple
Thatbyinnyu Temple (repost), the tallest temple in Bagan.
Shwesandaw Pagoda (repost), which gets super crowded at sunrise, so if you prefer not to jostle for position (and have this temple in the picture instead of taking a picture from it), pick any of the surrounding temples to take photos from.
Panoramic shots taken from the top of Shwesandaw Pagoda.
Ananda Temple, restored after an earthquake in 1975, had its spire re-gilded in 1990, and is frequently cleaned.
Htilominlo Temple
Thitsarwadi Temple
For sunset, we went to some random off-the-path temple. You basically have free access to any temple or pagoda that doesn't have a gate blocking its entrance. Just take off your shoes (watch out for bat guano from the bats hanging from the ceiling of the temple corridors) and just make your way to the top, either via stairs in the inside or on the outside. And FYI, since you'll be taking your shoes off to enter and climb any temple or pagoda, I'd recommend wearing sandals as it just makes it easier.
At sunrise, we selected a pagoda across from Shwesandaw Pagoda. Bring a headlamp with you as you'll probably be climbing up the stars up the outside of the pagoda in the dark and the they tend to be steep. After my friends and I situated ourselves, some other tourist above us knocked a brick loose and it landed about a foot away from a friend; my advice is to try to pick a spot with no one above you.
Two random pagodas.
Manuha Temple
Pagoda under re-construction.
Gawdawpalin Temple
Thatbyinnyu Temple (repost), the tallest temple in Bagan.
Shwesandaw Pagoda (repost), which gets super crowded at sunrise, so if you prefer not to jostle for position (and have this temple in the picture instead of taking a picture from it), pick any of the surrounding temples to take photos from.
Panoramic shots taken from the top of Shwesandaw Pagoda.
Ananda Temple, restored after an earthquake in 1975, had its spire re-gilded in 1990, and is frequently cleaned.
Htilominlo Temple
Thitsarwadi Temple
For sunset, we went to some random off-the-path temple. You basically have free access to any temple or pagoda that doesn't have a gate blocking its entrance. Just take off your shoes (watch out for bat guano from the bats hanging from the ceiling of the temple corridors) and just make your way to the top, either via stairs in the inside or on the outside. And FYI, since you'll be taking your shoes off to enter and climb any temple or pagoda, I'd recommend wearing sandals as it just makes it easier.
At sunrise, we selected a pagoda across from Shwesandaw Pagoda. Bring a headlamp with you as you'll probably be climbing up the stars up the outside of the pagoda in the dark and the they tend to be steep. After my friends and I situated ourselves, some other tourist above us knocked a brick loose and it landed about a foot away from a friend; my advice is to try to pick a spot with no one above you.
Two random pagodas.
Last edited by calbear2005; Dec 6, 2020 at 1:35 pm Reason: typos and added information
Apr 11, 2020, 7:44 pm
#5
Join Date: Aug 2002
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Fantastic photos. Thanks for sharing, calbear2005! Your trip report has only reinforced my desire to visit next year once all these travel restrictions are lifted!
-FlyerBeek
-FlyerBeek
Apr 14, 2020, 6:24 pm
#6
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Australia
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Posts: 47
Thanks for the trip report, looks amazing.
I currently have a trip booked over Christmas, but I'm starting to wonder if we'll be able to travel by then...
I currently have a trip booked over Christmas, but I'm starting to wonder if we'll be able to travel by then...
Apr 14, 2020, 10:22 pm
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2016
Location: SFO, OAK, SJC
Posts: 242
I have a family wedding in Hawaii in November (nothing booked yet) and then I plan to do a quick RTW trip with just 3-4 destinations. It's all up the air until restrictions are lifted. But without a vaccine or treatment, I'm also worried about the virus resurfacing.