(Air Asia canceling a flight of mine has really got my ducks out of their row.)
I was going to spend two nights in Yangon before heading up to Nyaungshwe where I will be staying while attending the Balloon Festival in Taunggyi. With my rescheduled flight, I might skip Yangon completely and connect straight up to Heho, which would not give me a chance to change money in Yangon. Is the rate in an outlying place like Nyaungshwe going to be a lot lower? Will everything I buy with kyat cost me more than folks who had money changed in Yangon.
I have to weigh the costs of an international phone call from the US to Air Asia in Malaysia to re-reschedule my flight (how long might I be on hold???,) against a bad(?) exchange rate and the thought of a travel day that consists of two flights, several taxi rides, an hour long ride in a truck to Taunggyi, all the while acclimating to a strange new land, then trying to enjoy myself at a late night festival. (Do they sell Red Bull-style drinks in Myanmar?) I think I am talking myself into making that expensive phone call to Malaysia.
Montyman! If I skipped the festival on the evening of the 19th, would I be kicking myself later? Is each night unique? I had planned on attending the 19th, 20th and the 21st.
I'd say live with a slightly lower exchange rate in Nuangshwe. It's peanuts really ... just a few dollars when you think about it!
I heard lots of bad stories about money changing in Yangon. Especially from people who tried to change all the money for their entire trip. You can change some in Nuangshwe (smiling moon gave me 1280 when Yangon was 1300 - 1320), some in Bagan (by the big Pagoda in New Bagan .. can't remeber the name of the town but you know where I mean ... I was happy with 1240 here), Mandalay (Seven Diamond travel gave me 1280).
The flight to Heho was fun ... it went via Mandalay. Watch out for the "maitenance" at Mandalay. Not to be missed!
Taunggyi is a huge town, and has major banks, the remnants of the gem market and a main market that is bigger than anything I have ever seen in SE Asia....I am sure you can easily exchange money there, lots of Chinese cafes too....they are good places to exchange as well.
Also, I am sure around Inle Lake somewhere, you can exchange money...the Rememberance Inn offered it though limited to $200 per person.
I'm with HelenIAM on this. Considering the amount you're probably spending on round trip air fare to Burma, the ten or twenty dollar difference from not changing money in Rangoon seems hardly worth thinking about. The ten twenty bucks starts making a difference if one is traveling around Asia for a long time and on a tight budget - then it can mean a few more hotel nights in Chiang Mai. if you don't fall in that category, I'd go for the best trip and let the dollars take care of themselves.
Just saw your post further down. Seems to me that if you're in BKK on the 16th anyway, you should be able to talk your way onto the Air Asia flight on that day. I doubt if they're flying full and they did cancel the flight. They probably booked you on the later flight because they don't know when you're getting into BKK.
Burner the air asia flight gets in around 9am get $5 taxi to Sule pagoda [$3 if you walk across the rd and have breakfast at the small market there, do the same when you check in on return flight, ie check in walk out across rd have breakfast and go through passport control. OK as taxi goes into sule pagoda book afternoon bus direct to Taungyii or Schweaung this will leave around 230pm and they have minibus servisce to connect you, with the new bus station around 17kms out of town.
Next to sule pagoda the guys there will change all your money and give you time for breakfast and a ley peye at the cafe opposite Mahandaboolah and garden hotel, make sure you check your deal as they use sleight of hand, they are very apologetic for their mistake if caught out Ha! Ha! take them into the little chai place nr Okinawa to count carefully your money. is it aound 1,450 chats to $US at moment? so after breakfast walk around Sule pagoda and up road past Traders and into railway station car park for overnight bus to Inle.[Schweaung or Taungyii] next to garden Hotel is tourist office pop in there for free maps Inle Bagan Mandalay etc you will pay for them anywhere else have fun wish I was there as well
I also think the best nights are the two nights before the full moon skip the last night of the festival
which I believe is the 21st to 23rd the 24th is full moon prizegiving,
dates of festival
if you leave with Yangon overnight bus to Taugyyi on 20th, you can spend afternoon and whole evening till 3am then get pick up back to Naungschwe and book in GH in morning.
If i can sell my Berlingo van this weekend Ill be there with you if not then, have to wait till I do
watch out for pickpockets at the site take only enough Kyat for a few beers and journey home to Inle, cling to it and your camera, a group of smiling spectators will group around you pushing against you as one empties your pockets without you feeling athing! maybe leave luggage and valuables safely somewhere first.
Thanks Monty for the tips and the link to the festival dates. Knowing these dates makes my rescheduled flight work out fine after all, I think.
Re: Pickpockets. I always have a zippered pocket on my trousers. I use a safety pin to attach the zipper pull to the trouser fabric, making picking my pocket near impossible. I will have a tight hand on my camera, which is attached to the camera case around my shoulders.
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