Dear fellow-travellers,
had the most wonderful trip ever to Burma last year - did the Yangon-Inle-Mandalay-Bagan-Nagapali route, and loved it all!!! Booked Airasia tickets 7th-28th Jan08 yesterday :-)) Cant wait to get back!
If time permits we might go back to Bagan, but otherwise we were thinking of doing the following:
Yangon (did the usual Schwedagon and Sule Paya last year, Bogyoke market etc) - circle train this year. any other suggestions?
Bago-Kyaikto-Mawlamyine and around-back to Yangon
flight to Sittwe/Mrauk U
Ngapali (had the best time ever, want to go back)
if any time left, we might add a little trip to the Delta region, Pathein or something
does this seem doable in 3 wks exactly considering we'll be flying to Sittwe, but then try to get to Ngapali overland (boat+bus), and bus back to Yangon from ngapali? (did it last year, and survived, even if with dreadlocks in our hair after having jumped up and down in out seats for 17hrs straight :-)
any other suggestion? must-sees?
happy travels,
Mateja
Well, flights sure shave off 90% of the time needed to take a bus/boat or share taxi, freeing up more time for other venues, if the budget permits.
Catch a ferry from Yangon to Dala, hire a guide on a trishaw to take you around for a few bucks, and also I hired a moto w/driver (no foreigners could rent one in Dala), and I went up to Thwende, and saw the pottery factories and regional temples, you can also go here via a boat oneway or round trip.
Quote: "circle train this year. any other suggestions? Bago-Kyaikto-Mawlamyine and around-back to Yangon" - Here is a travelogue that includes most of the places you're interested in: Burma 2007 (also see links to photos at top of page). It was magical.
bun cha
Budget travel basics for Southeast Asia || Budget travel basics for Hong Kong || Asia photos || nothing but HK budget accomodations and related || Asia 2005, 2006, 2007
Personally I would do it like this:
River boat to Pathein, Myaung Mya maybe as stop. Then to Gwa by road via Ngatheingchaung, stay in Kanthaya as well. Onward to Thandwe and taungoo, by boat to Aittwe and themn Mrauk U. Fly back Sittwe thandwe-Yangon and stop at Ngapali.
This can easily keep you busy for 3 weeks.
Do Bago-Kaikthyio, Mawlamyine AND Hpaan (don't miss this...) and maybe Setse and Kyaikami another time as this itself makes a good 10-14days trip...
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