Myanmar - Brief Travel Guide & Summary of My 7D6N Travelogue

Flying In Myanmar

Malaysia Airlines only serves a direct route from Kuala Lumpur to Yangon International Airport (RGN) whereas AirAsia is flying into two different airports, Yangon International Airport (two flights daily) and Mandalay International Airport (with a stopover in Don Mueang International Airport of Bangkok). The flight duration from Kuala Lumpur to Yangon takes about 2 hours and 35 minutes. Time difference wise, Myanmar is 1 hour behind Malaysia.

Visa Required For Malaysian

An advance 28-days tourist visa is required before entering into Myanmar. In Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur), visa can be applied at Ever Fine Services (M) Sdn Bhd located in Masjid Jamek LRT Station area (between 7-Eleven and Burger King). Total visa cost  is RM141.80, which included RM110 for visa and RM31.80 for service fee. Remember to bring along two passport photos with white background, a photocopy of valid passport and return ticket for visa application.

For more info about visa application, check out from these two of my favourite Malaysian travel bloggers - Kaki Berangan: Myanmar Visa Application and Supermeng Malaya: Tourist Visa Myanmar Di Kuala Lumpur (blog in Malay language)

Alternatively, you can apply through E-Visa which cost US$50 for a single-entry tourist visa.

Currency Exchange 

Myanmar/Burma's currency is known as Kyat. As it's not commonly found in any Malaysia's local money changer, hence it is advisable be prepared with US dollar. But then, ensure that your USD dollar is extremely clean with no marks, stamps or any ink, undamaged, fresh, crisps and as close to brand new as possible. There are number of times whereby our US dollar were being rejected.

US$1 (approx. to RM3.30) = 978 kyat

Here is the summary of my Myanmar Travelogue covering three different cities - Yangon, Bagan and Inle Lake. 

Day 1: Arrived Yangon and Took Overnight Bus To Bagan
Mingalar Yangon & Shwedagon Pagoda

Shwedagon Pagoda
Opening Hours: 6.30am to 10.00pm
Entrance Fee for Foreigner: US$8 or 8,000 kyat

From Yangon, we took overnight air-conditioner VIP bus to Bagan for 18,000 kyats.

Day 2: Arrived Bagan
Awe-Inspiring & Magical Sunrise View of Bagan


Temples & Pagodas Hopping in Bagan (Part 1)


On the second day, we visited these following:

• Thatbyinnyu Phaya
• Shwezigon Paya
• Gu Byauk Gyi Temple
• Phya That Gyi Pagoda
• Nyaung U Market

Stay: Thiri Marlar Hotel (Currently known as Thurizza Hotel)

Day 3: Bagan
Temples & Pagodas Hopping in Bagan (Part 2)


As for the third day, we went and visited these:

• Soemingyi Pagoda
• Nanpaya Temple
• Manuha Phaya
• MahaBodhi Temple
• Ananda Temple
• Dhammayangyi Temple

How To Get Around Bagan: 

1) Rental of horse chart with a driver cost us 25,000 kyats for a full day (approx. to US$26 or RM100). It's not the ideal way to travel with as it is tends to be slower, shaky, bumpy and uncomfortable with. However, passengers are sheltered away from both sun and rain as Myanmar's weather can be scorching hot.
2) As for rented bikes, it cost us 2,500 kyats each (approx. to US$2.50 or RM10). Don't forget to wear mask as the roads were relatively dusty.

Day 4: From Bagan to Inle Lake 
We bought the 7.30 am bus tickets and the journey from Bagan to Nyaung Shwe of Inle Lake took more than eight hours bus ride. It cost as low as 11,000 kip only (approx. to US$11 or RM45). Overnight bus is available but my friends and I opted the morning one so that we able to enjoy the awesome scenery and landscape.




Stay: Inle Star Motel


Day 5: Inle Lake Boat Tour and Overnight Bus Back To Yangon 
Impressive Inle Lake Boat Tour

We managed to bargain at the agreed price of 25,000 kyats for the six of us on a wooden longtail boat with padded chairs (approx. to US$25 or RM100) and we're requested to pay upfront fee of 5,000 kyats first whereas the remaining can be paid at the end of the trip. Our boat tour started as early as 7 am 

Day 6: Back to Yangon Again 
From Inle Lake to Yangon 

In order to get back to Yangon, we took the overnight bus which depart around 6.30 pm at Nyaungshwe Bus Station. The journey from Inle Lake to Yangon took more than 11 hours and one bus ride cost 22,000 kyats (approx. to US$23 or RM90). The bus journey was extremely one stomach-churning bus ride. My friend who sat next to me keep throwing up throughout the expedition. Therefore, remember to take motion sickness medication before embarking on this long journey.

Stay: Myint Myat Guest House

Day 7: Goodbye Myanmar 


And the following are the details of travel expenses breakdown my friends and I spent throughout our 7 days and 6 nights in Myanmar. As for the group, there are six of us. For this time around, I excluded my return airfares from Kota Kinabalu to Kuala Lumpur cause I want to keep track and mainly focus on Myanmar spending. 

PARTICULARS	NOTE	AMOUNT
		Per Group	Per Pax	RM
Air Fares KL-Yangon-KL via AirAsia Add: Luggage allowance Hotel Thiri Marlar Hotel, Bagan (2 nights) Inle Star Motel, Inle Lake (1 night) Myint Myat Guest House, Yangon (1 night) Transportation VIP bus Yangon to Bagan Public bus Bagan to Inle Lake VIP bus Inle Lake to Yangon Taxi around Yangon & to airport Admission Fee Shwedagon Pagoda, Yangon Inle Zone Entrance Fee Ground Tour Half day tour around Yangon Bagan – Mini Van Bagan – Horse cart & bicycle Boat tour in Inle Lake Foods & Beverages Foods & Beverages Others Tourist Visa Souvenirs, postcards & stamps Tips	1 2 2 2 3	- - US$350 - - - - - 24,000 kyats - - US$66 50,000 kyats 32,500 kyats 25,000 kyats - - - -	- - - - - 18,000 kyats 11,000 kyats 22,000 kyats - US$8 US$10 - - - - 49,770 kyats - 52,500 kyats US$7	138 44 193 90 82 61 37 74 13 26 33 36 28 18 14 168 142 177 23
		TOTAL:		1,397

Exchange Rate:
US$1 = RM3.30
US$1 = 978 kyats

Note:
1. 20kg baggage allowance shared among 4 of us.
2. For more details, you can check out here.
3. Souvenirs including T-shirts, painting, postcards, stamps, fridge magnets and lacquerwear.

If you plan to buy lacquerwear, it is advisable to buy in Bagan cause it's cheaper.

With this blogspot, I am officially completed my travelogue of the majestic and prestigious "Golden Land". 

Mystical Myanmar (2014) Day 3: Temples & Pagodas Hopping In Bagan (Part 2)

Previous Post: Day 2 in Bagan - Temples & Pagodas Hopping (Part 1)

Date Visited: 11th January 2014

Not just one but we spent completely two days solely for temples and pagoda hopping around this home to the largest and densest concentration of more than 2,000 Buddhist temples, pagodas, stupas and monasteries. Instead of charter a whole van like we did yesterday, my friends and I decided to rent a horse cart with driver and few bikes as there were two in our group who didn't know how ride a bike. 

So now let's me continue the second part of temples and pagoda we visited on the second day in Bagan:

Soemingyi Pagoda

Somewhere in the middle of New Bagan, Soemingyi Monastery is one of the few brick-built monasteries on the Bagan plain - most were built of wood and unfortunately didn't survive. This ruined complex consists of a main hall, surrounded by a lobby to the East, a chapel to the West and small cells to the North and South. The chapel is a small, square, 2 storey-building with a door opening on the east side, connecting it with the central hall by a passage.

Nanpaya Temple


According to the legend, Nanpaya Temple is said to have been used as prison although with limited of evidence. There is also another legend saying that this shrine was originally Hindu. Nanpaya is in fact Bagan's first cave shrine features interesting arches over the windows. It is made of sandstone masonry block facings integrated over a brick core and consists of perforated stone winows which are typical of earlier Bagan architecture.

Manuha Phaya

Situated not far away from Nanpaya Temple, Manuha Phaya was named upon the King who built this. King Manuha built himself this two-storey square white temple and through it conveyed a melancholy message. The three Buddha images are uncomfortably large for their enclosure, thus illustrating his captivity and mental stress. The facial expressions of the two seated images are grim.

Before we continue with the rest of sightseeing, we had Chinese cuisines for our lunch break as recommended by the horse chart driver.



MahaBodhi Temple

Just off the main road of Old Bagan, MahaBodhi Temple is a replica of the temple of the same name at Bodhagaya in India's Bihar state, the site where the Buddha achieved enlightment. The Bagan version is typical of India's Gupta Period and it's quite different from the other standard bell-shaped Burmese temples. With its notable pyramidal spire, it was the first ever temple in which a large number of seated Buddha figures were places in exterior niches.

Ananda Temple

One of the popular temple in Bagan, Ananda temple is considered to be one of the most surviving masterpiece of the Mon architecture. It is also know as the finest, holiest, largest, best preserved and most revered among all the Bagan temples. This is absolutely one of the temples shouldn't be missed by any visitors when one in this ancient city. 

Dhammayangyi Temple

The largest and widest temple in Bagan, Dhammayangyi Temple is presumed to build by a wicked King who assassinated his own father and elder brother and in order to atone his sins, he decided to build this. Apart well-known for its intriguing history, this pyramidal temple is popular among the visitors for its incredibly fine brickwork. The temple's interior is bricked up for unknown reasons, thus only four porches and the outer corridors are accessible with each contains a seated Buddha image.

This is how we ended our tour in Bagan 

How To Get Around Bagan
1) Rental of horse chart with a driver cost us 25,000 kyats for a full day (approx. to US$26 or RM85). It's not the ideal way to travel with as it is tends to be slower, shaky, bumpy and uncomfortable with. However, passengers are sheltered away from both sun and rain as Myanmar's weather can be scorching hot.
2) As for rented bikes, it cost us 2,500 kyats each (approx. to US$2.50 or RM8). Don't forget to wear mask as the roads were relatively dusty.

On the other note, here is the Myanmar version of DreamWorks logo 

[Credit To: Myanmar Travel, Bagan: Ancient City of Myanmar]

Mystical Myanmar (2014) Day 2: Temples & Pagodas Hopping In Bagan (Part I)

Date Visited: 10th January 2014

Immediately after we done with gazing at mesmerising and awe-inspiring sunrise view of Bagan with the layer of mist and hot balloons flying over abundant of small and medium temples, we then proceeded with temples and monastery hopping before we could eventually check-in into our hotel. We chartered a mini van that can accommodate 6 of us perfectly and we agreed with the charge of 50,000 kyats (approx. to US$51 or RM168) for the full whole day.

Thatbyinnyu Phaya

We started off with Thatbyinnyu Phaya, a famous old temple situated in Old Bagan. The uniqueness of this temple is that it has a square base shaped, surrounded by diminishing terraces, rimmed with spires. It has two primary storeys, with the seated Buddha image placed on the second storey.

To know more about Thatbyinnyu Phaya, you can check here. 

Shwezigon Paya

Plated with completely shining and bright gold, the Shwezigon Pagoda is one of the most significant religious buildings in Myanmar. It is believed to be the first ever pagoda built in the Burmese style. Somehow, somewhere I felt that this pagoda looks very similar to Shwedagon Pagoda, the one located in Yangon which also completely plated with impressive gold. 

Gu Byauk Gyi Temple

Gu Byauk Gyi Temple is a Buddhist temple built in the south of Bagan, nearby Myinkaba Village. It is notable for contains a wide array of well-preserved frescoes on its interior walls, the oldest original paintings to be found in Bagan. In order to protect these frescoes, one is not allowed to take any photos inside the temple. It was pretty dark inside the temple to view all these old paintings and hence, it is advisable to bring torchlight but I believe nowadays most of our smartphones have built in torchlight function. But because we were not accompanied by any good guide for more detailed of these paintings, we went out early and seem like we're more interested with the paintings outside which sold by street artists. 

Phya That Gyi Pagoda

In Phya That Gyi Pagoda, it offers the most spectacular sunset views in Bagan as it allows visitors access to the roof for 360 degree views. Once again before we could literally climb up, we need to remove our shoe and socks before we struggle to get through the narrow and steep staircases. 

To be frank, some of these temples and pagodas were so identical and indistinguishable and we're completely having hard time to identify each and every of them. Some without any clear signboard stated the name of them and even we found, it was in their own Burmese language. Let's take example for the photo as below, just when I thought it was Dhammayangyi Temple, turned out it wasn't. Tried to browse through Google but up to now, I unable to find the name of this temple. 

If anyone of you know the name of this temple, kindly please share with me. Thanks!

Besides the temples, pagodas and monasteries as above, we also requested the driver to bring us to Nyaung U Market, a bustling local market in order for us to exchange more of their local kyats. Not just this an ideal place to hunt all Myanmar local goods, ranging from traditional longyi to rattan items and tea leaves, but this is excellence occasion for photoshooting and take a glimpse on how these busy native people perform selling and buying activities in early morning. 

Left: Traditional Longyi is the wrap-around skirts worn by the Burmese ladies.
Right: Lacquerware is popular and cheap to buy in Bagan