Dear travellers,
given the positive replies to my last threat not to hesitate and go, I am looking forward so much to start my trip. All day I have sit over my rough travel itinary and came up with the following:
Date Weekday No. Place and Activity
24. Nov 07 Sat 1 Düsseldorf ----- Take Off 19:15, Düsseldorf - Munich - Bangkok - Rangoon
25. Nov 07 Sun 2 Rangoon ----- Arrival 19:00
26. Nov 07 Mon 3 Rangoon ----- City Sight Seeing Shwedagon Pagoda, Sule Pagoda --> evening bus to Bago (2.5h)
27. Nov 07 Tue 4 Bago ----- Bago, large Buddha statues, Snake Monastery --> night taxi to Kyaiktiko (2-3h)
28. Nov 07 Wed 5 Kyaiktiko ----- Golden Rock
29. Nov 07 Thu 6 Bago ----- back to Bago (2-3h), day in Bago, evening bus to Kalaw (Inle Lake) - 12h
30. Nov 07 Fri 7 Kalaw ----- day in Kalaw, arrangement of 3 day hike to Inle lake, relay
01. Dez 07 Sat 8 Trek to Inle Lake ----- Trekking from Kalaw to Inle (60km)
02. Dez 07 Sun 9 Trek to Inle Lake ----- Trekking
03. Dez 07 Mon 10 Trek to Inle Lake ----- Trekking
04. Dez 07 Tue 11 Inle Lake ----- Nyaungshwe stay, boat tour around the lake or bycicle trip, taxi to Bagan (8-10h)
05. Dez 07 Wed 12 Bagan ----- Exploring Bagan (also Ballon flight 45min)
06. Dez 07 Thu 13 Bagan ----- Exploring Bagan,
07. Dez 07 Fri 14 Bagan ----- Exploring Bagan
08. Dez 07 Sat 15 Mandalay ----- Day on boat to Mandalay, 12h
09. Dez 07 Sun 16 Mandalay ----- sightseeing in Mandalay, up to Mandalay hill
10. Dez 07 Mon 17 Mandalay ----- Day trip to Mingun
11. Dez 07 Tue 18 Mandalay ----- Day trip by taxi to Amarapura, Sagaing (and Inwa) --> evening flight to Thandwe/
12. Dez 07 Wed 19 Ngapali ----- relax and chill
13. Dez 07 Thu 20 Ngapali ----- relax and whole day dive trip
14. Dez 07 Fri 21 Ngapali ----- relax, beach and dive --> evening flight to Rangoon or next morning or take the 18h bus
15. Dez 07 Sat 22 Rangoon ----- Shopping in Bogyoke Aun Sang Street Market
16. Dez 07 Sun 23 Rangoon ----- Departure 09:00, Arrival Düsseldorf 21:15
What do you think about it? Is it doable within 3 weeks? Do I have forgotten anything more impressive, that I should include and what things should I rather leave out for some reason? Is there anybody, who is around there at these places more or less the same times to catch up(low possibility that a friend will join in, but more probable I will be on my own)? Any advice on which budget guest house to go to in the various places to get together with other backpackers?
Of course, I know that this itenary looks fairly stressful - but while not being a person, who just ticks off things from a list, I just love getting as many different experiences and sights in my short holidays... and the wilder and rougher the bus ride, the more I enjoy it actually (however I do not consider myself a masochist ;-).
Looking forward so much to any advice, suggestion, comment...
As a little "thank you" for your support here is my most preferred quote that I just read 2 weeks ago and expresses my inner drve entirely ;-):
"A fulfilled and successful life is not measured by the number of breaths one has taken, but by the number of places and moments, that took our breath away."
Best regards
Alex
Alex, it all looks quite doable and exciting to me. There are people here that can set you in the appropriate direction for guest houses etc. In Mandalay the Royal was full at the time so I stayed at ET. In Bagan I stayed at Inwa 2.
The quote is great thanx.
Düsseldorf - Munich - Bangkok - Rangoon.... have you compared the ticket price for these flight with the Qatar airlines flight directly into Yangon?
The 3 weeks are certainly taken up.....:-).. I would personally forget about Ngapali.. but it's your vacation... have a great trip, I look forward to reading your report on your return. Safe travels.
@ Tripmonkey ---- hope it all works more or less out with the travel connections and that I won't have many times where buses are cancelled or don't run. Have not build in any safety date yet ;-)
@ Mosegrisen ---- flight is already booked quite some 5 months ago and it's only 650 Euros. Doubt if I could have gotten it cheaper, just more direct probably. A long detailed travel report will definitely follow afterwards.
With regards to Ngapali, I need some relaxation and beach and ocean at the end to have something, that normal travellers call holiday ;-) And I think that the travelling will leave marks on me, so doing nothing for 2 days, no bus, no early getting up might be highly necessary... But I put it at the very end of my trip because I consider it least important for my experience. But nice if it works out in the end anyway
But why would you refrain from going there or would you recommend a better beach place, which is also rather easy (i.e. not more time consuming to get there) to reach?
Last trip (January) we also thought about going to a Myanmar beach... instead we chose to stay around Inle Lake a bit longer than we otherwise might have..... We also considered the option of taking a few days on a Thai beach.. like Kho Lanta rather than a Myanmar beach.
I have not been to Ngapali.. or other beaches in Myanmar... Pretty sure Ngapali is the best at least for now.... no reason for us not to go other than time needed to go there and the cost of flights/resorts compared to Thai beaches. Maybe next time:-)
• Ngapali Beach
Naples of the east as it is known, is situated on the Rakhine coast. Ngapali is one of the most beautiful beaches in Myanmar. The beach stretch over 3 km with blue sea, white sand and swaying palm trees. It is half an hour flight from Yangon. By car the journey takes, 14 hrs driving via Pyay. There is an 18-hole golf course and a variety of hotels from first class Bay View Hotel and Sandoway Beach Resort to standard Ngapali Beach and Silver Beach. For those who love the 5-S sea, sand, sun, swim and snorkelling. A visit to Ngapali is a must.
• Ngwe Saung Beach
The mile long virgin beach is 29 miles from Pathein, Ngwe Saung, Situated on the western seaboard of the country, facing the Bay of Bengal. It is bordered by tall, green palms swaying in the breeze. The beach stretches 15 km of white sand and blue sea, New bungalows are abundant.
• Chaung Tha Beach
About 42 km west of Pathein, a divisional town lies Chaung Tha beach. No flight between Yangon and Chaung Tha. Car journey from Yangon to Chaung Tha via Pathein takes 5 hrs. Modern facilities can be found in bungalow type beach resort hotels. Unspoilt, deserted Chaung Tha beach has white sands with crystal clear blue waters. It is one of the most beautiful spots in the world.
• Kan Thaya Beach
8 hrs. drive from Yangon lays Kanthaya Beach, which is 290 km from Yangon.
#4 Where did you get these descriptions from ? They must be from a brochure.e.g."Chaung tha...unspoilt,deserted......one of the most beautifulspots in the world " Well. hardly!!
<blockquote>Quote
<hr>I have not been to Ngapali.. or other beaches in Myanmar<hr></blockquote>
I thought I qualified this already?
What do you think I am.. a tour guide:-)
Mose how in this world would you have time to be a tour guide? I thought you were still knitting and crocheting for moi!
Nijkerk if you know the beaches, a description from you would be good, wouldn't it?
Mose, I am happy with your plethora of useless information, but there is always someone here that wants more, reminds me of my kids.
I am just happy that this forum has semi reverted back to a travel forum, and for the few times it lapses, then I am bloody well gonna blame it on the worm.
Don't make me spit on my screen again, it took me ages today to clean the coffee off it. I might just have to put my stilleto's on again and get up on my soap box.
Or worse, go to the shed and find my golf clubs.
#7....thanks for your support, Trip. I shall refrain from advertising places I haven't been to already:-)
About the computer monitor.. don't you have a screen-saver installed?:-) Ohh and please, don't get on the soap box... I like it better when it's quiet inhere.... Safe travels!
THE NERVE!
logistics wise, how are you getting from Inle Lake to Bagan, and Bagan Mandalay?
It mihgt be better to go Heho>Mandalay>Boat Bagan> Beach.
In regards to Ngalapi, I loved it, it was Xmas, and I was at a reseort Bayview, (only place taking a CC), though the Silver Beach Inn next door is old school and great for $60, my $150 and a gala dinner poolside for Xmas was a 7 course orgasm.
Snorkel, fish and chill out, great cafes, pretty beaches and some boutique hotels to rival St Tropez and Thialand,
trusted partner
