Help with 25 day itinerary

Hello,
In late February my girlfriend and I will make our first trip to Myanmar; something I wanted to do since I first visited southeast asia in 2007.

So far we are thinking of something like this :
Yangon 4 days
Night bus to Nyaung Shwe
Nyaung Shwe (Inle lake) 5 days
Kalaw 3 days (incluiding a 2d/1n trek around it, not interested in the trek to Inle) (Is it worth it or can we just skip it)
Bagan 4 days
Pyay 2 days
Pathein and ngwe saung 5 days (this could be changed as we will have lots of beach time in thailand)
Yangon 2 days

I would not mind visiting Hsipaw but this would make us go further north and visit Mandalay which we do not really care much about as we already have plane tickes to get in/out the country through Yangon.

We also want to visit some off the beaten track sites, that is why we included Pyay and Pathein area (any suggestions?).

We are not really interested in visiting too many religious/ancient sites, Bagan is more than enough in that regard for us, we are more interested in burmese day live.

I have some questions:
- Is March still high season? regarding prices and need to book room in advance
- Can you recommend places to stay 20€/25$ on each of this places? Can expend 30€ if the place is worth it..
- Any itinerary suggestions?

This is our fourth trip to the area and this 25 day trip will be part of a 70 day trip including Malaysia and Thailand.
In thailand and Malaysia we will visit Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur and do some island hopping (Koh Phayam, Similands liveabord, koh lanta, Koh Lipe, Pulau Perhentian)

Thanks for your help
Javier

Hi Javier,
many will tell you that you intend to spend too much time in Yangon, but personally I think there is so much to see there that six days is possibly not enough. Even so, perhaps two days at the start and two days at the end will suffice. Of course much depends on your interests. If you were to skip Pathein and the beach you could extend your trip a bit south to Mawlamyine, Hpa-an and the area around there. Kyaikto for Golden Rock would be worth visiting on your way back from Mawlamyine to Yangon. Many place have a religious significance but are also worth seeing just for the spectacle. Your itinerary give you enough time for bus travel between places which is important as transit times can be long.
March should be tapering off for arrivals (and when I'm returning) but each year the "season" seems to extend a bit. Still, I won't be making any advance bookings and I'm confident that I'll find places to stay within the price ranges you mention and cheaper, I hope.
Happy travelling.
Obroithe

I do think that 4 days in Bagan is too long if you are not interested in religious sites!

On the other hand,I do think the Mandalay area is a must -see..there are religious sites but also fascinating history and culture eg places like Innwa and Mingun, and the local markets and neighborhoods. Do read the book "River of Lost Footsteps" to get an idea of what you are actually seeing through historical eyes.

@ Obroithe: Some people do not like big cities but I quite enjoy places like Bangkok or Hanoi; I could spend week there if I could afford the time. It is impossible to get to know a big city in 3 day or even 3 weeks, you need months for that. One reason I want to spend 4 days at the beginning is to get a Thai Visa at the Thai embassy, so I can stay more than a month in Thailand without doing a visa run. I plan to shop around for guesthouses as we get to there. Normally I leave my girlfriend with the backpacks having a drink while I visit few places, it is pretty tyring to look for a place to sleep having to carry the backpacks.
I will give a look at the places you suggest thanks ;-)

@ Curcus: I find Bagan interesting because of the set up more than the religious meaning. We won´t mind wandering around the different temples for a couple of days, like we did in places like Angkor or Sukhothai before.
I will also give a look at your suggestion, incluiding the book ;-)
What about Hsipaw, would be worth to skip Kalaw and do the trek there if we finally include Mandalay to our route?

Regards
Javier

I'd drop 1 or 2 days off Yangon (4 at the start and 2 at the end - too much...), and easily drop at least one day off Inle, and at least one day off Bagan (you can see HEAPS of temples in one or 2 full days there)...then include Mandalay and surrounding sites and a side trip up to Hsipaw, OR side trip south to Hpa'an and/or Mawlamyine...?
Forget time at Myanmar beaches if you are going to Thai islands, Perhentians, etc.
March is out of main tourist season (Nov thru Feb) and you wont have trouble finding accommodation at short notice/walk-in. Always good to pre-book room for your first nights on arrival to save any 'stress'...and you will find places close to that budget.
I stay in decent 'budget' guesthouses - rooms with large bed, attached bathroom, and air-con, and pay between $13-25 (...paying the equivalent in Kyat nowadays)...2 people in same room in usually only a few dollars more (eg. in Yangon if I pay $25 - a couple would pay $28.
Eg. prices - Mawlamyine $25, Hpa'an $18-20, Yangon $20, Mandalay $20, Myitkyina $13...

I agree 4 days in Yangon and Bagan is too long. Mandalay is worth a visit, even just for ancient cities near by. Next trip I will be spending 2 weeks around Mandalay, not going to Bagan, Inle or Yangon. Plenty of places to visit from Mandalay, easy for most like Hsipaw/Kyaukme, Shewbo, Monywa etc. March will be pretty hot in places like Bagan, so best to go out early, watch the sunrise from a temple then tour around, have lunch then rest for a while then go again about 3-4pm.

I did a similar itinerary some days ago, I stayed in Bagan and Nyaung Shwe 3 days each and I wouldn't have stayed there a single day more (way too many tourists around, 2 days in Bagan are enough imho), Mandalay (which many people don't recommend, I don't know why), imho worths at least 3 days, I stayed in Pathein 3 days and it was the most hospitable city I found in my trip and it has a magnificent countryside, I didn't visit Pyay but Monywa instead and as you have almost a month I would recommend to go also there for at least 1 or 2 days. I didn't have any trouble to find accommodation (20-30$ range for a double room) even for New Year's holidays, you can book hotels and buses with 1-2 days advance while you are travelling so you have more flexibility.

Hello,

Thanks for all the new feedback, much appreciated

First I am going to expend 3n/4d in Yangon, as I want to get a 2 month Thai Visa in Yangon..we arrive on Saturday so we have to stay until Tuesday if we want to get it. I quite enjoy cities, lots of photography opportunities.

• We are thinking of skipping Inle lake, the more I read about it the more I want to avoid it. Sounds crazy? Or maybe I can just shorten it to 2-3 days. It looks like it is already ruined by tourism, boats going to shops, overpriced, etc..
• I will skip Kalaw and go to Hsipaw instead. We will also visit Mandalay and surroundings.
• Maybe we can do Bagan in two full days, we will see.
  -I really enjoy non turistic cities, that is why I want to go to Pyay and Pathein. I really like cities like battambang in Cambodia
• Going to the coast is more to see a coastal town than to have beach time, we will have lots of that in Thailand; we would not mind doing a couple of dives if they are worth it. Would be Chaung Tha or Ngwe Saung better in that regard?

New itinerary would look something like (flexible):
February 27-1 Yangon
1-2 Night bus
2-5 Nyaung Shwe (Or skip it and going straight to Hsipaw)
6-10 Hsipaw area
10-13 Mandalay area
13-15 Bagan
15-17 Pyay
17-21 Pathein and Chaungtha
21-22 Yangon (early morning flight, so I prefer to sleep in Yangon)

Regards
Javier

Nyaung Shwe is more and more resembling as a tourist resort than a Myanmar village, they are even building 10+ floors hotels there. The markets away from the lake are still very interesting to visit, you can make a daytrip by bycicle, but imho staying there more than 2-3 days is wasting time.
I can't comment about Chaungtha, I went to Ngwe Saung instead and I can recommend it (if you can afford a 25-30$ room), especially the southern part of the beach is very beautiful. In Ngwe Saung there is not a lot to do actually apart staying on the beach or joining a snorkelling trip, one day I went to Simna by motorbike (rent is 8000K/day + fuel), it is an adventure to go there (only 12-15 km far but it takes almost 2 hours one way, there are sandy roads, unstable bridges and river crossings, you need good motorbike skills) and there are good opportunities to take pictures (fishermen, Kayin villages); the rivers can be crossed only with low tide, ask the villagers in Simna what time the high tide is. It would have been great to stay one night in Simna (who knows if it is possibile?) because the road continues further south, there are many villages to visit and the coast worths to be explored without rushing.

Boats were going to shops 15 years ago but yes it is pretty touristy now now asian tour groups going around in boats but its possible to get away from them quite easily if you know where to go, you can hire a boat that goes to other areas. A few touists in Hsipaw, I found Kyaukme a more normal Myanmar town, but limited rooms, its only 1 stop down from Hsipaw on the train towards Mandalay, good trekking there. And yes do the train from Pwin U Lwin to Kyaukme or in reverse.

@rivaltribal, @herbie47 and anyone else who has input please. On "getting away from tourists in Myanmar...." Can you recommend additional villages, areas and markets, etc. that have not yet appeared on the tourist group itinerary? We like action and busy places, just not tour groups. (We like our fellow ThornTree-ers, of course!) Post above is EXACTLY the type of thing we're looking for but haven't seen many specifics in reading hundreds of posts. Thank you!

.#10.....which 'post above'...?
Getting away from bulk tourists / tour groups...??...head down to the very south around Dawei etc...head north to Myitkyina by train or flight and boat downriver to Mandalay, or fly further north to Putao (requires MTT permit)...go up to south Chin State or north Chin state, take river trip down the Chindwin from Khamti/Homalin...even Mrauk-U, and lots of other areas that don't get large amounts of tourists...

Well anywhere really away from Yangon, Bagan, Kalaw, Inle and Mandalay. Hsipaw dodes have a fair few tourists now but its still fairly unspoilt but check the security situation, 2 tourists got injured by a bomb recently just outside Hsipaw. Depends what you want, I enjoyed Shwebo and Pakokku which are quite large towns. Also Kyaukme moning market was great. Problem in these places is rooms are basic and poor value. Did not have time to get to Mindat. Have not been to the south yet, maybe later this year I will.

The tourists got injured by a landmine; which is different from a bomb though also a bit of a nasty surprise on a leisurely hike towards Kyaukme.

The tourists got injured by a landmine; which is different from a bomb though also a bit of a nasty surprise on a leisurely hike towards Kyaukme.

Really the early reports said a bomb.

Lots of landmines in some area's in Myanmar; the Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor ranks Myanmar third after Colombia and Afghanistan for the highest casualty rates in the world. It recorded 3,745 casualties between 1999 and 2014.
Europe has made substantial funds available to clear these landmines; but so far they haven't started yet. My bet is many governments will declare the Northern Shan state an unsafe zone for tourism - there seems to be more trouble there than in Rakhine state which is relatively quiet.

Lots of landmines in some area's in Myanmar; the Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor ranks Myanmar third after Colombia and Afghanistan for the highest casualty rates in the world. It recorded 3,745 casualties between 1999 and 2014.
Europe has made substantial funds available to clear these landmines; but so far they haven't started yet. My bet is many governments will declare the Northern Shan state an unsafe zone for tourism - there seems to be more trouble there than in Rakhine state which is relatively quiet.

Why is this not reported more, in countries such as Laso and Cambodia there are warnings about landmines and unexploded bombs but its the first I have heard about it in Myanmar? I have been to Hsipaw and Kyaukme twice, last time this year. Never seen or heard of any trouble. Hsipaw and Kyaukme are not in the unsafe areas but nearby is. Rakhine state there was a lot of trouble, seems quiet now although still on UK unsafe to travel list, which means probably no insurance cover.

All so helpful. Thanks, everyone. Will report on results - (hopefully landline free!)

This stuff is only reported in the local news. There were also some locals who stepped on a landmine near Kyaukme a week or so after the tourists but that never hits the international news. The fighting in Northern Shan state has flared up since last winter so there is not much awareness in the tourism industry yet; and they probably want to keep it quiet for obvious reasons.

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