This country is pretty damn large and making the most out of your time here can be rather hard. As lovely as I’ve found Myanmar, I can’t deny that getting around here can be a literal pain in the ass. Domestic flights can get rather pricey for the budget traveler, so that leaves only buses as the primary mode of transport. The buses drive fairly quickly (at rather unsafe speeds) but the miserable road conditions mean that going between any major points of interest is no quick feat.

Sounds like I’m exaggerating a bit? Let’s check out some rough travel times as estimations between the main tourist hotspots. The main destinations are Yangon, Bagan, Mandalay, Inle Lake, and if you want to go hiking, Kyaukme or Hsipaw. These estimations seem to vary between every single bus company but are the most common values I found. Of course none of this even accounts for the sporadic roadwork and the traffic that materializes out of nowhere.

Yangon – Mandalay: 7 hours

Yangon – Inle: 10 hours

Yangon – Bagan: 10 hours

Mandalay – Bagan: 6 hours

Mandalay – Hsipaw: 7 hours

Mandalay – Kyaukeme: 5 hours

Mandalay – Inle: 9 hours

Inle – Hsipaw: 15 hours

Inle – Bagan: 9 hours

Of course there’s always a chance your bus breaks down in the middle of the night, stranding you for hours until another bus helpfully stops by to give you all a ride. This totally didn’t happen to me or make my 10 hour trip from Inle Lake to Yangon take 17 hours instead of the expected 10.

 

Yep, those are some butt hurtingly long hours. Even though the destinations aren’t too far apart, the fastest travel time usually isn’t as the crow flies. The quickest routes are primarily based on the quality of the highway rather than the distance. So with the exception of going to Yangon, expect most trips to take six plus hours. The silver lining is that this makes planning an itinerary easier. Just pick a destination after Yangon and go!

Most travelers start from Yangon and head to the northwest, starting in Bagan and then proceeding in a clockwise direction. The other easy route is to do the opposite and start in the east with Inle Lake and then go counterclockwise. You have a lot of flexibility on your itinerary and even if you decide to travel in an awkward order, it’ll only add a few hours on the bus.

These long trips mean you’ll be traveling primarily on night buses. This is great on the budget as you’ll save a lot of money on accommodation. And fear not! Most sleeper buses are extremely roomy and comfortable (even with on-board TVs). Admittedly, it’s rare for them to have a toilet on-board so don’t drink too much water.

I will mention that the major drawback to traveling by night bus continuously is that the fatigue quickly adds up. It doesn’t matter how comfortable the bus is, the road condition, pit stops and on-board commotion means you’ll get some pretty restless sleep. This is fine for the first couple of trips, but after a while you’ll start to dread the thought of stepping on another bus.

So which of these locations are worth braving the rigors of the night bus to reach?

 

Yangon (2 days, 3 for the time rich)

I’ve previously mentioned that Yangon is worth a visit so of course this itinerary will include the city! On the first day you can visit a local market, Saint Mary’s Cathedral, and then the famous Shwedagon Pagoda by night. The majority of the next day will be spent on a trip to Dalah, which should take roughly 5-6 hours. This means you can relax in the late afternoon with a beer before heading out to the bus station to catch that night bus.

Of course if you want to be a completionist, another day wouldn’t hurt so you can see the other smaller temples, markets and just  take your time.

Still waiting for the movie that features some long dead emperor who returns from the dead and animates hundreds of these statues to fight Tom Cruise

 

Bagan (2 days, 3-4 depending on your attachment to photography, sunsets and bricks)

This is without a doubt one of the biggest draws of Myanmar. I can’t think of any tourist that went to Myanmar and didn’t go to Bagan. While Bagan’s temples might not match the sheer size of those at Angkor Wat, it makes up for it by sheer quantity, boasting over 2000 temples. It also helps that the temples are on this beautiful plains that makes for amazing sunset or sunrise views.

That is of course if it wasn’t raining or cloudy everyday like it was for me… I’ve may have had some bad luck in this country.

 

The best way to explore all these ruins is to rent an electric scooter from one of the many vendors around Bagan New Town. These go for a mere 4000 kyat ($3) for a whole day and obviously costs you no gas. Now you can putt around Bagan and visit all the temples you please. I felt satisfied seeing all the temples after two full days and spending the third relaxing around town. Many others found this to be a historical treasure trove and spent up to four days here.

 

Mandalay (2 days)

For some reason, it seems that most of Myanmar’s cities get overlooked. Yangon may still retain its local feel but Mandalay ups that another notch. There’s hardly a tourist in sight here. The few tourists you’ll see are visiting the handful of sights: Golden Palace Monastery, Kuthodaw Pagoda (home of the world’s largest book), Mandalay Hill and the Ubein Bridge. And even when I say most tourists, there aren’t even that many. In fact, places like the Ubein Bridge were mostly filled with Burmese tourists (and even a wedding).

Most of these sites can be seen by renting a taxi (roughly 30000 kyat or $22) for a whole day and just cruising around the destinations. These sites can be seen easily in one very full day and allow time during the next day to lounge around and get a feel of the city. While that might not be the most exciting proposition, I found the locals here to be particularly friendly, and the city has an upbeat vibe that separates itself from Yangon’s laidback feel.

*Protip: Consider visiting the Jade Market while you’re in Mandalay. It’s entertaining for about half an hour, but you can see how the jade industry works. Jade gets brought in, inspected and purchased after some intense haggling by the traders. It’s a cool insight into the industry.

Don’t worry, its stable…ish

 

Inle Lake (3 days)

Without a doubt the second largest attraction in Myanmar and coincidentally, the second largest lake in Myanmar. What’s so special about a lake? Well I was wondering the same thing before I got there. It may just be a lake, but it’s a damn beautiful one. Inle Lake has a beautiful glassy surface and giant floating water gardens that are complimented by mountains in the background.

There’s also a large cultural background here. Fisherman still row boats with their oars using their legs (it’s weird but it works), traditional nets are used, floating villages litter the shores and the local industry creates clothing from lotus fibers.

If that’s not enough to see, many people stop over in Kalaw and do a 2-3 day trek to Inle Lake. This trek has been highly recommended by everyone I met. You walk through the countryside, through local villages, sleep in local houses and monasteries, and of course, eat the local cuisine. If you choose to go on the Inle Lake trek, then I’d recommend skipping the Shan State since you’ll be short on time or have already roughed it for many days outside. With this option, the total time spent between Kalaw and Inle should take up a total of five days in your itinerary.

If you’d prefer to see mountains or get a glimpse into the everyday life of the mountain villagers and culture, then read on!

 

I didn’t see anyone catch a fish in my time there

 

Shan State (4 days)

Any long time readers who’ve seen my older article or those very versed in Myanmar’s geopolitical situation will know that there is conflict in some parts of the Shan State. The tourist area around Hsipaw is very safe and open to tourism. Most people who decide to go hiking into the mountains head out to Hsipaw for their trek.

If you want to follow my route and see some remote villages, then you’d go to the town of Kyaukeme. The tours here are actually half part trekking and half part motor biking. I’d recommend being an expert driver as some of the roads are rough. I can’t express the rough part enough. If you’re not proficient, you can always request a driver to take you along.

These tours really take you off the beaten track. Expect few amenities but you’ll be rewarded with a true taste of Myanmar’s mountain life. Be aware that there is still very little tourism in this area, with roughly 15 guides in the town of Kyaukeme so I advise finding a guide prior to getting there. These tours aren’t meant for everyone, but if you’re the off-roading type, I can’t recommend a visit to Kyaukeme enough.

That boy was seriously so happy playing with that wheel

 

14 Days

Most likely you’ll have to fly out of Yangon, so you’ll have to budget one extra day to get back down south. This makes for a two week itinerary of Myanmar. This is an absolutely jam packed itinerary of Myanmar and shouldn’t be done by those on an extended trip or those looking for a more leisurely journey. If you can spare the time, I’d recommend an additional day in Yangon and another additional day in Bagan so you have time to relax and decompress.

So what are you waiting for? Go cash in that vacation time!

 

Stray Observations

• Myanmar touts are the least pushy I’ve ever met.
• Arcades double as casinos and aren’t really segregated. It’s odd to see kids playing skeet ball next to half a dozen adults compulsively gambling.
• You can get the waiter’s attention by making a smacking or kissing sound with your lips. It may be odd at first but it works. The hard part is making the smacking sound loud enough for the waiter to hear. The locals are really good at this.
• There are strings hanging outside every residence in Yangon. Delivery men will attach their delivery to these strings to be hoisted up. It looked oddly cartoonish watching people grab their newspaper like that.
• You’ll notice a lot of Burmese chewing a reddish item often wrapped in a leaf. This is a betal nut and is often mixed with tobacco among other ingredients. This gives the chewer a nice hard kick to keep their day going.

 

 

Until next time.