Planning Myanmar in May with my 65 year old father...help?

Hello all,

So I am a somewhat seasoned traveller and been to many places in Asia, although, not Myanmar. I have finally convinced my dad to step out of his comfort zone and we are leaning heavily to exploring Myanmar for the last two weeks of May of this year.

Although I am generally more flexible my dad wants some semblance of a planned itinerary. I honestly don't know much about this country other than there are lots of interesting temples, recently opened to tourism, and, well, the country used to be called Burma.

I'm hoping to have some suggestions as to an itinerary for a two week trip starting in Yangon. Some wish list experiences for us both would be:

-spending 2-3 nights at a one of the nicer beaches Myanmar has to offer
-hot air ballooning in Bagan?
-some overnight train rides - though from where to where tbd...
-some cultural experiences, particularly in rural areas
-unique myanmar people/culture specific things to do, by example we are both adventurous eaters and i've had balut in Phillippines, dog in vietnam etc.
-exploring some jungle, specifically some swimmable waterfalls/pools
-motorcycle/moped adventure

I'm just spitballing here but we are both adventurous ppl and I would like to show my father that experience of humid night trains, drinking local spirits under the stars, swimming in beaches far nicer than the pacific ocean in Vancouver (where we're from) and motor biking to a swimming hole somewhere in the jungle with a couple beers in the back pack.

This post may be a bit vague but any suggestions in line with the above and have a bit of the risk/adventure/off the beaten trail feel would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks !

'recently opened to tourism,' - initial comment....forget that notion....even the first time I went around a decade ago it was getting quite a few tourists...

well I wasn't trying to suggest that no tourists have ever been to Myanmar ha, more so, I understand it, the doors have opened wider. in any event, I am looking for some constructive feedback, if you have anything you'd like to offer that would certainly be appreciated.

Your father is not old! 60 is the new 40, etc.

May is outside the tourist season. The good thing is that you won't have a problem finding accommodation and room charges will be down. On the other hand, expect to find more limited transport schedules. Also check the weather conditions. It will be very hot, with little relief unless the wet season starts early.

I have no experience of beaches in Myanmar, but I know that only a few are set up as resorts to host foreigners. These are distant from the most popular centres and will require a long bus ride or a flight (if flights are operating on those routes in May). But I will say that there are no beaches anywhere in SE Asia that compare favourably with a Pacific Ocean beach, so adjust your expectations. On the other hand, there are riverside resorts in such places as Bagan where you can sit with a long drink and watch a dramatic sunset over the water and distant hills.

Reconsider any overnight rail journeys. These offer an unforgettable experience, but not in a good way. The trains move slowly but buck and sway with great vigour. You will spend the entire night clinging to your bunks. Instead, look into a daytime journey to give you that experience. A number of scenic routes exist, perhaps none more spectacular than the journey over the Gokteik viaduct. You can take this train from Mandalay, but you may prefer to find your way to Pyin Oo Lwin to join the train there and travel to Kyaukme or Hsipaw (or journey from one of these in the reverse direction). Apart from the gorge crossing, the train weaves slowly through the highlands and makes lengthy stops at small stations where you can wander along the platform to buy food and trinkets from local hawkers. Take care with window seats as you will be lashed by foliage as the train plunges through it. Have the means to strap your bags to the overhead shelves or they will roll off. Allow for delayed arrival at your destination, and there is also a real prospect that service will be cancelled without notice for a variety of reasons including derailments.

Hostels in Kyaukme and Hispaw can organise daytime treks, and even overnight village stays.

May is too late for ballooning. The season ends by mid-April. Look up Mount Popa (do this as a half-day side trip from Bagan, engaging a local driver) and Inle Lake, which sits somewhere on the route between Mandalay and Bagan or Bagan and Yangon, depending on how you travel.

Have fun.

I don't recall OP saying his father was old. I know a lot if people, some years younger who don't like to step outside their comfort zone.

I think rivaltribal's point might be that there are definitely people who go in with very romantic ideas about being the first "explorers" in Myanmar. In my opinion, it tends to come across a little patronizing, believing that all the locals have been "untouched" or something--they really haven't ever been that isolated. On my most recent trip, I met a guy who had visited in the 70s and there used to be a lot of frequent posters on this very forum that would reminisce about the 70s/80s as well.

Reconsider any overnight rail journeys. These offer an unforgettable experience, but not in a good way. The trains move slowly but buck and sway with great vigour.

Agreed. Not smooth not like trains in India, or Thailand (or obviously, Japan). You can't even really read books in the daytime because the rocking is so rough, and plus they're extremely slow. Although if you read some recent posts here, the specific route emmeff mentions over the Gokteik acqueduct has recently received a huge uptick in traffic and is no longer faster by bus. And I think most people would recommend giving the Circle Train in Yangon a try. It goes to the outskirts taking about 3 hours to make a loop. Very local experience, you can find a lot of blogs about it.

It is a little hard to get off-the-beaten track in 2 weeks without skipping out on the more famous sights completely. Do you want to do that? On my first trip, I had 2.5 weeks, and visited Inle Lake, Kyaukme (5 day trek to rural villages), and Mrauk U (this is back when flying there was the only option, thus very few independent tourists). This meant I saw Yangon for about 18 hrs, and Mandalay and Bagan for zero hours. Didn't have the slightest regret, but not everyone would feel that way. I've had the good fortune of later moving nearby and visiting frequently, and after 5 trips I still haven't seen Bagan. Again, no regrets, it will still be there, while places like Kyaukme have changed a lot. (still very worthwhile, but much less spontaneous, free-roaming or cheap these days). Anyway, my point is I think it is possible to have off-the-beaten track experiences if you're willing to cut the famous stuff.

The beaches aren't really that nice, I can't think of any "jungle", and I think most of the swimmable rivers are either in northern Shan State (near Kyaukme, but would take long hikes to get to) or Chin State (your time is too short).

For food: I think most Burmese food in general qualifies as adventurous. There is a lot of Chinese-influenced dishes, some Indian-influenced dishes, and a few Thai-influenced dishes--mostly delicious! But the dishes that have the least outsider influence are stinky, sour, very salty and oily, and often chock-full of chilis but not always melded in as well as Thai chilis are. I quite enjoy it but have had years to get used to it :). I don't know how it is in Vancouver, but Burmese food is extremely popular in San Francisco, with some places getting hour-long waits for a table. I haven't been, but when I look at the menus of these places online, they're nearly unrecognizable as "true" Burmese food.

Bear in mind it will be very, very, very hot in May.

Thank you everyone that's responded, I really appreciate the insight. Clearly you guys know what you're talking about. To just quell any concerns over my 'recently opened to tourism' comment, it was not intended to be patronizing, meant more so with respect to perhaps the tourist infrastructure has been solidified more recently, for example I understand they have an expedited online visa application process now. In any event it was not intended to come across as an ignorant comment. Interesting about the trains because I was basing my expectation on trains in India and rural China but it seems that myanmars trains are less desirable than I expected for aforementioned reasons. Anyhow I will continue to look into this further and the above has been very helpful. Likely will have a few more queries as I get into this a bit more. oh and lastly, I agree 60s is not old ! Merely, my dad has more of an appreciation for comfort and concrete itinerary than myself ha.

for example I understand they have an expedited online visa application process now.

Yes, it's pretty impressive! When I did it last December, it took the advertised 3 days. Already there are reports of getting the approval in less than 24 hours!

I think I read somewhere that the train tracks and train cars in Myanmar were made for different purposes, haha. Like, they rock & rattle because it's not a proper fit.

My parents are around the same age and while they travel loads, they really wouldn't like off-the-beaten-track Myanmar. But it's definitely possible to make plans rather than just wing it, and find reasonably nice hotels. Many bus routes have VIP versions now, 3 seats in a row (so you could both sit singly) for pretty cheap. This change in bus quality happened fast, just like the cheapness of SIM cards did.

We visited Burma the first time about 1978 and the last time in 2007. Good grief, there was one poster (Kenjoy) who served in the Australian armed forces in WW2 and married the daughter of a plantation manager from those days. He returned several times, most recently 5 or 6 years ago in his 80s.

What Ken noted and I certainly agree is that for older travelers in tropical Asia in the hot season it is supremely important to drink a lot of water and to pace oneself. Moulmein in May was unbelievably hot.

Lucky you and your Dad!

kenjoy! Wow, I'd forgotten that name completely til now.

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.

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

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:

https://www.tripadvisor.ca/Attraction_Review-g580107-d3726169-Reviews-Anisakan_Falls-Pyin_Oo_Lwin_Maymyo_Mandalay_Region.html

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 !

Also - in flying to Hsipaw, which airport should we fly into, Lashio, Namtu, or Momeik?

thanks !

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..

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 !

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.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g303656-d2276972-Reviews-Mr_Charles_Hotel-Hsipaw_Shan_State.html

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.

Lily is quite expensive, I stayed at the Red Dragon which is near Mr. C. by football ground, new Hotel only $10 double room with breakfast and bathroom, best place I stayed in Myanmar by some way, even English Premier football on tv.

'Lily is quite expensive, ' - not in relation to elsewhere in Myanmar....I paid $20 (Kyat equivalent)which is similar to places I stay elsewhere in the country, for that standard of room. So yeah you might get cheaper, as you can elsewhere, but that doesn't mean Lily's is 'expensive'. All relevant to quality and standard of room and service.
(even English Premier football on tv. - hmm....so....??)

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