kenjoy! Wow, I'd forgotten that name completely til now.
11
skratze
2 weeks isn't much time when there's so much to see. I know b/c I just returned from a whirlwind 3 weeks. My advice to you and Dad is FLY rather then messing with long busses and ridiculously slow and bumpy trains...assuming your budget allows. You can buy domestic tickets as you go, the hotels will take care of it for you for a small service charge (2000 kyat which is less then $2 US). If you would like a slow day then consider taking the boat between Mandalay and Bagan, it took 10 hours and that was the fast boat. Cost $45 US. Our most expensive air ticket was $103 US from Heho (Inle Lake) to Yangon and it was about 1 hour. Be sure and rent the ebikes in Bagan...total blast and will take you all over the place as Bagan is vast and amazing. End the day with a lovely sunset and a cold Mandalay beer at the Bagan Thande Hotel overlooking a quiet part of the river. Dad will love you for it! PM me if you would like more information on flying, etc.
12
getyoung
How good shape are you and your father? Transport can be rough. Add on the heat and you two may not be covered as much in 2 weeks as you'd in EU/North America.
overnight train rides: What you plan to get out of it? The train is slow and you see nothing at night.
Assuming you will be flying into Yangon, you can consider the following travel plan:
Yangon 2 nights. It really only need 1 full day so the extra night is for jet leg adjustment.
Fly to Hsipaw. 1 day biking to the country side. If you're more adventorous, join a 2-3 days trek to the ethnic villages. After that, take morning train to Pyin Oo Lwin/Mandalay. 2-3 days in Mandalay.
From Mandalay, you can take ferry to Bagan.
From Bagan, you can bus to Inle Lake (supposedly a scenic route so consider bus during day time) or Kalaw where you can do 1 or 2 nights trek to Inle Lake that you through ethnic villages.
From Inle Lake you can fly to Ngapali then to Yangon.
For culture, get up early, walk or bike around to engage with the locals. They are very friendly. You can see alm activities early morning.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/youngadventure/albums/72157660350130173
13
dillyseegs
Thank you very much for the above proposed itinerary ! I've done some further due diligence and it looks like we're going to take your advice and essentially follow the above route. With respect to the hike to the ethnic villages, that is something that has my father quite excited, is there someone you might suggest who could guide us in this venture? We would be less interested in doing a structured tour with multiple additional parties and more so interested in a more intimate experience if this is feasible. Also, is this hike in and around Hsipaw circular, ie. would we leave from Hsipaw for two days then end up back in Hsipaw? Just wondering where we would end up after it all.
Lastly, I always enjoy seeking out some waterfall/natural swimming pools on trips like this and came across the following, seemingly located in Pyin Oo Lwin:
You seem quite knowledgeable about all things Myanmar and perhaps you can comment on whether there will be any water to swim in during last two weeks of May, and if so, what this experience may be like. If you know of any other hidden gem swimming holes in the above places that would be greatly appreciated as well.
Thanks again, we much appreciate everyone taking the time to guide us in this thread. My first trip with my dad in 20 years and we're quite excited !
14
dillyseegs
Also - in flying to Hsipaw, which airport should we fly into, Lashio, Namtu, or Momeik?
thanks !
15
rivaltribal
I assume you found those other 2 names on some Google Earth.....IF there is actually working airstrips in those places, wherever they are, VERY doubtful you will find flights to them. People fly to Lashio for going to Hsipaw.
Most people doing treks from Hsipaw end back in Hsipaw.
Don't expect much/any water at Pyin-Oo-Lwin waterfall so soon after the dry season...possible but doubtful enough rains will have started to change much by when you are there in May..
16
dillyseegs
Hello all,
I'm back again (for better or for worse) to seek some final advice on this upcoming trip. So, with all of your above input I have constructed the following itinerary which I would very much appreciate any comments on with respect to feasibility, transportation concerns, timelines, accommodation etc. I had constructed one earlier and RivalTribal kindly made a few comments. To try and make timing more feasible I have taken out Ngpali beach as it seems it is not a good time to be there anyways (May 25-28th) as it will be monsooning, possible flight issues, few hotels open etc. So, that freed up a few days and I present the following for commentary:
May 15: Arrive Yangon
May 16: Full day and night in Yangon
May 17: Morning Flight to Lashio. Arrive Lashio around 10/11 am, take taxi to Hsipaw, arrive Hsipaw around 3:00 pm? Spend night in Hsipaw
May18: Full day in Hsipaw - maybe day trek, bicycles, explore country side, swim in river?
May 19: morning train to Kyaukme, scooters/motorbikes, explore country side again, spend night in Kyaukme.
May 20: Morning train to Pyin oo Lwin, go over Goteik viaduct, take shared taxi from Pyin Oo Lwin to Mandalay, arrive in Mandalay ___p.m.? Spend night in Mandalay
May 21: Full Day in Mandalay/surrounding areas
May 22: Full day in mandalay/surrounding areas
May 23: Take the morning boat to Bagan, arrive Bagan for 5:00 pm.
May 24: Full day in Bagan, explore temples with the Ebikes, take night bus to Inle Lake
May 25: Arrive Inle lake (hopefully?) full day/night in Inle Lake
May 26: Full day/night Inle Lake
May 27: Fly to Yangon at some point
May 28: Fly home.
Would really appreciate any comments with respect to, glaring omissions, too much time in one place/too little etc.
Thanks again for everyones input, if any of you ever come to Vancouver, Canada PM me and i'll take care of you !
17
getyoung
I was in Myanmar for 3 weeks this past December, so I shared with you based on my knowledge and what I learned from others. Also, check travelfish.org--the best site for traveling in Southeast Asia.
For internal flight within Myanmar, wait until you're there and check around a bit before buying any flight ticket. It will be cheaper and give you more flexibility. Unlike the US, ticket price unlikely to change much whether you buy it same day or a month in advance because it is pretty fix.
Yangon: Shwedagon Pagoda and the circular train are 2 most interesting things in Yangon. The train takes 3 hours, and the pagoda worthy of early morning visit and late afternoon visit. So you really only need one day for the city. I know you may need some time to adjust for jet lag, but see if you can minimize time here because Bagan deserves more than 1 day.
Around 9-10am you will see families dress up and come to the temple to celebrate their son about to becoming novice monk--a very important event (google for shinbyu) to the Myanmars and worth observing. Shwedagon in Yangon and Mahaumuni Buddha Temple in Mandalay are excellent places to see this.
Hsipaw: Others can confirm but Mr Charles Hotel likely your best place to find a good guide for the trekking. I'd consider staying at the new hotel called the Red Dragon, which is just around the corner from Mr Charles.
Mandalay: Worth spending more time here than in Yangon, but Bagan deserves equal if not more time.
Bagan: Stay in Old Bagan or Nyaung-U. Key sites are closer to those 2 towns than to New Bagan.
If no one on this site has the answer, when you're in Myanmar, ask other travelers if they know of a fisherman (name Sule?) being a tour guide in Bagan. The man just tried to get into the tourism business and a few people whom went with him said he was very good and cheap--they actually gave him more money than what he asked. He took them to places that typically tours wouldn't go. You need your own ebike.
Bagan to Inle Lake: The road there is supposedly to be scenic, so day bus ride will let you see it. However, if you go overnight, you save a day for Bagan. You can decide once you're in Bagan. I took overnight bus.
Inle Lake: Once arrived in Inle Lake, I went with a French girl for a boat ride on the lake. It was tiresome but I let her planned the stops while I enjoyed the scenery. The boat is quite reasonable so you can charter one just for 2. Do plan ahead as to where you want to stop. Otherwise your boatman will steer you to shops. There are some stops where you can do some hikes to some sites away from the lake. I didn't do this because I was too tired. Also, the tobacco shop is worth a stop to taste Burmese cigars, assuming you/your father wants to try it. It has a special cigar that has some spice in it, which tasted quite good and I don't even smoke.
If time permits, rent a bike and go to small villages on the west side of the lake (just randomly poke in some villages by the water there). You'll see people make brown sugar, roasted peanuts, rice paper crackers, etc. They are very friendly and may even offer some to you. One of my favorite travel experiences.
Starting around 6:00 or 6:30, the novice monks will be out for their alms service. You can easily see them in Hsipaw and Inle Lake the minute you walk out on the street. It is still a very authentic experience in Myanmar compares to Thailand and Laos. So make time for it. Also, consider bring some goodies from home to share with them, like maple candies (still remember a Canadian girl shared with me her mom made maple candy). I brought 4 bags of peanut M&M to Myanmar.
I had a wonderful experience in Myanmar and I am certain you will too. The people there are very friendly and down to earth.
18
rivaltribal
For Hsipaw the other good/better accommodation option to Mr Charles, who pretty well had the monopoly for a long time, is Lili guesthouse/hotel...they have the G/H building at the back, with cheaper options including dorm room, and the newer 4-5 storey hotel at front. Great staff, and can easily arrange single or multi-day treks etc.
Pro tip
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