Bus: Hpa An to Kalaw ot Meiktila

Hi,

I need to get from Hpa an to Kala in a day. Is there a direct bus or is it a transfer through another place?

Miektila would perhaps work as a backup, does the Mandalay bus stop there en-route or they could be asked to stop maybe?

Finally, does anyone have experience getting a bike on a bus in Myanmar? Success or rejection tales?

Hi,

I took a bus from Hpa-an to Meitkila when I was in Burma. The bus I took was indeed heading from Hpa-an to Mandalay, and using Burma's new superhighway. The bus dropped me (and a few other passengers) off at the Meitkila service station on the side of the superhighway. I think it's roughly 5-7km from there to Meitkila itself.

I don't know where Kala is, so can't help with that!

OP probably means Kalaw--which to be honest, is pretty clearly not connected by any direct route to Hpa'an just by looking at a map. Yes, buses always stop in Meiktila, but at a big rest stop not a bus station. From Meiktila station there may be a few standard buses going on the eastern road towards Taunggyi, but if you can't get a seat on one there will be linecars (very uncomfortable) and possibly minibuses.

I would ask around first if there are standard buses directly to Taunggyi (this is not a thing that existed for foreigners when I visited Hpa'an, but things are changing rapidly), and then from there take the linecar/minibus/whatever to Kalaw. I've traveled from Taunggyi to Loikaw (along the road between Hpa'an and Taunggyi) but it was a cramped minibus and pretty slow...if that's still the only way you will probably still be better off going the central route.

You can do this in less than 24 hours, but it may not actually be a single day (because of night buses).

for the bike on the bus question: I carry my bike all over Myanmar on buses and planes, never had any problem. Just mention it when you book the ticket. Usually you pay 5.000 -10.000 Kyat extra for the bike, depending on the bus company and the distance travelled, sometimes they also let me take it for free!

Thanks guys,

LLJM77 - good to hear you get your bike on buses - what is your feeling about me getting my tandem (2m longish) on there?

Happy to stick it on a roof or squeeze it in. Is there big storage under the bus? If it is like most places I've been in SE Asia, which it isn't, then my approach is going to be to act positive about the whole thing and befriend the guys loading the bus...

You take your bike on the train much?

Burma's trains are crazy. You can probably cycle faster than most of them... Certainly the ones I took anyway!

Just to follow up on this: we got our 2m long tandem in the bottom of a night bus from Hpa An. It was packed down with the wheels off and handlebars spun etc.

When the hotel called the bus company the answer was no. So we went direct to the ticket office and persuaded the guy there that I could pack it down small.

Dropped us on the side of the motorway outside Meiktila. The bike cost us 10,000kyat.

We also hitched a ride a few times in Myanmar with the tandem. Pretty much everyone stops and tries to help. It's a great way to pick up cheap miles and meet locals.

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