Kris Crismundo
Myanmar: Loving Yangon
Lower your expectations and be surprised. This is the biggest lesson I’ve learned from my trip to Yangon, Myanmar.
Loving Yangon streets in the morning.
Though I did some research before the trip, I still thought there was nothing else about the city besides the pagodas. I was wrong.
I must admit, I fell in love with Yangon. Its majestic pagodas, gold-plated stupas, the mix of modern buildings and British colonial buildings, the weather, the food, the bars where you can dance or just chill, its people — everything.
In Southeast Asia, your gateways to Yangon could be Thailand (Bangkok and Chiang Mai), Vietnam (Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh), Cambodia (Phnom Penh and Siem Reap), Kuala Lumpur, and Singapore.
Once you arrive at the airport, make sure to exchange your currency for Myanmar kyat.
Buy a local SIM card. You’ll never regret it. There are three telco companies in Myanmar: MPT, Ooredoo, and Telenor. I purchased Ooredoo SIM for 6,500 kyats or less than USD5 with 5GB data package consumable for one month and with call and text bundle. Having a local SIM is very useful for booking Grab, Uber, or other transport network vehicles (TNVs). Grab is more popular in Yangon.
You can reserve your TNV booking once you’re in downtown since there are taxis at a fixed rate at the airport. Before leaving the airport, find the taxi booth inside and book a taxi to your destination. The taxi rate to downtown is 10,000 or 11,000 kyats.
If you want a lavish stay in Yangon, the city has well-known hotel brands such as Shangri-La (hotel info), Novotel, Meliá (hotel info), Pan Pacific (hotel info), and Lotte, among others. Or stay at The Strand, one of the city’s most famous hotels, built in 1901.
But if you want to experience a stay in a century-old building with a clean room, free Burmese breakfast, excellent service, and accommodating staff, book your stay at The SAT Hostel (hostel info) in the center of Chinatown in Yangon.
It’s good to try a place’s public transportation, like the bus or train. But I suggest using Grab when touring Yangon because it’s more reliable, especially if you’re following an itinerary. Second, the rate is fixed. Getting from one tourist spot to another within downtown Yangon will cost you around 2,000 to 5,000 kyats per trip. Lucky for you if you’re not traveling alone, as you can share the expenses.
Pagoda hopping
As they say, you’ve never been to Yangon if you don’t visit the Shwedagon [‘shwe-da-gon] Pagoda.
But before going to Shwedagon Pagoda, visit Botataung [‘bo-ta-tong] Pagoda, which enshrines a sacred hair of the Buddha. This pagoda was built over 2,500 years ago.
The entrance fee for Botataung Pagoda is 6,000 kyats.
After Botataung Pagoda, book your TNV to Sule [‘su-le] Pagoda.
Sule Pagoda is also believed to be over 2,000 years old. It also houses a strand of the Buddha’s hair.
The entrance fee for Sule Pagoda is 4,000 kyats.
Nearby attractions to Sule Pagoda include Maha Bandoola Park, Yangon City Hall, and the red High Court Building, all iconic colonial-era buildings in the city.
If you’ve been to Bangkok’s reclining Buddha, Yangon also has a giant reclining Buddha in Chauk Htat Gyi [‘chok-tat-ji] Pagoda.
Take a break in Kandawgyi [‘kan-doh-ji] Park. There are many restaurants in Kandawgyi Park where you can have lunch and enjoy a good view of Kandawgyi Lake.
Save the best for last — the Shwedagon Pagoda.
It is the most sacred pagoda in Yangon.
Even though pagodas in Yangon almost look the same, each has some features to awe you.
The gold-plated Shwedagon Pagoda is such a majestic sight, and every design in the structures at Shwedagon will show you how truly rich Myanmar is.
The over 2,500-year-old pagoda has a stupa covered with more than 4,500 diamonds — of which the largest is a 72-carat diamond.
The entrance fee for Shwedagon Pagoda is 10,000 kyats.
Dress code: When entering any pagoda, visitors are required to wear trousers or ankle-length skirts and elbow-length sleeves. Visitors are expected to be barefoot when entering all pagodas.
Before my trip, I read that a knee-length skirt or dress was appropriate inside the pagodas, so I wore a knee-length dress during my Yangon trip. However, the length of my dress still didn’t pass the pagoda guards, so I was given a longyi [‘lon-ji] — a cloth widely worn in Myanmar. So, I got different longyis on my pagoda tour in Yangon! Perfect for photo opps!
Nightlife in Yangon
I underestimated Yangon’s nightlife. So I was really surprised when I discovered these places to enjoy the night with great food, a good view of Shwedagon Pagoda, affordable drinks, and where I could dance and have fun, or just chill.
Barbecue night along 19th Street in Yangon’s Chinatown
Sumptuous dinner with Shwedagon Pagoda view in a rooftop bar of Vista Bar at 168 West Shwegondaing Rd.
Dance and drink at 7 Joint Bar & Grill at the corner of 47th Street and Road of Yangon
Chill at the rooftop of Eclipse Bar & Restaurant in Myanmar Plaza
If you’re thinking of visiting Myanmar, you don’t have to hesitate. Go and book that flight!
Follow the Out of Town Travel Blog on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest if you want more travel and food-related updates.
Read:
- Shwezigon Pagoda in Old Bagan Myanmar
- Sunrise at Bagan, Myanmar
- The Magnificent Adventures of Myanmar
- Travel Guide: 15 Fun Things to Do in Yangon, Myanmar
- Travel Tales in Myanmar
- Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon Myanmar
- Ultimate List of the Best Yangon Luxury Hotels
- 10 Reasons Why You Should Visit Myanmar Now
