Treasures of Myanmar in a Week – Day 6
Yangon, formerly called Rangoon, used to the capital of Myanmar at least that was what I had known for a long time, until recently I discovered the fact that Nay Pyi Taw is the new capital since 2005. Still, Yangon remains the largest city and main economic hub of the country. A visit to Myanmar is incomplete without stopping by Yangon, especially visiting the Shwedagon Pagoda – the single most important religious site in all of Myanmar – located here is a must.
Highlights of the Day
- Fly from Heho to Yangon
- Check in at Hotel
- Supper at Soe Pyi Swar Vegetarian Centre
- Shwedagon Pagoda
- Sule Pagoda
Flying in Myanmar
We checked out from The Manor Hotel Lakefront at around 8.30 AM. We did not have sufficient time for breakfast. Hence, the hotel staff had packed vegetable fried rice and vegetable spring rolls for breakfast. They had also arranged a taxi for us who took us to Heho airport. The road to the airport is not so great, so it took around an hour to cover the 30 km distance. However, I must say the route is very scenic with stretches of greens on both sides of the road.
Taking a domestic flight in Myanmar should be in the to-do list of anyone traveling here. It is an exciting experience by itself.
We were flying with Air KBZ from Heho to Yangon, that was scheduled to depart at 10.30 AM and arrive Yangon at 11.40 AM.
Firstly, when we reached the airport. There was an usual screening of the bags. Post that there was no checking weight of the check-in luggage. We easily got the boarding pass from the ground staff. The airport looked very cute. It is a small building with not many boarding gates. You would be given stickers of your respective flight company. You have to follow the crowd to board the flight when the flight time and company would be announced. I have never experienced anything like this before – so it was quite fun!
Check In @ Downtown Yangon
It is highly advisable to book your room online as the hotel prices in Yangon are more in high season like December-January in comparison to other South-East Asian countries like Thailand, Vietnam, etc. but are lower in standard.
We arrived at Yangon airport by noon. A taxi dropped us to our hotel located at downtown, Chinatown to be precise. We had booked a room in Check In @ Downtown Yangon hotel online. Our hotel was decent though the room was very small with no windows – but we could manage for a night because of its excellent location. It is actually a great choice for travelers who are interested in street markets, street food, and city walks. The hotel is also located close to famous pagodas like Shwedagon pagoda, which is only 3.5 km away, hence can be easily reached by a taxi. Sule pagoda is only 1.5 km away, hence walkable.
Soe Pyi Swar Vegetarian Centre
Actually we skipped lunch because of the heavy breakfast packed by the hotel of Inle Lake. There were also some snacks served in the flight. We rather planned for a supper at one of the vegan restaurants called Soe Pyi Swar Vegetarian Centre. It is located in 2 min distance from our hotel. It is a simple vegan cafe in Chinatown, run by a kind family. The restaurant has an English menu, so it is not difficlut to order. The owner also helped us to decide on dishes.
Next, we flagged down a taxi who took us to Shwedagon Pagoda.
Shwedagon Pagoda
The temple complex is open from 6 AM to 10 PM. The entrance fee of foreigner is 8 $ per person.
No visit to Myanmar is complete without a visit to the 2500-y old Shwedagon Pagoda or Shwedagon Paya. It enshrines strands of Buddha’s hair along with other holy relics. The temple is the most important religious and sacred place in all of Myanmar. It is located on a hilltop by the side of a lake, and can be seen from most parts of the downtown.
Remember to dress appropriately while visiting the pagoda and remove shoes and socks before entering the temple grounds. You can leave them at the entrance at a certain fee or carry them with you in a plastic bag like we did.
Sule Pagoda
The temple complex opens daily from 6 AM to 10 PM. The entrance fee is 3 $ per person. Dress appropriately and put your shoes on shelves before entering temple grounds.
Sule Pagoda or Sule Paya is a small pagoda, but is highly revered because it enshrines a hair relic of the Buddha and is known to be built during the lifetime of Buddha, about 2500 years ago. We got into a taxi from Shwedagon Pagoda to Sule Pagoda.
It was around 9 PM. We preferred to walk back to our hotel as it is not very far from the pagoda – it was a good idea as we can witness the street scenes of Yangon on our way back.
Treasures of Myanmar in a Week – Day 7
My flight was at 7.50 AM from Yangon International Airport. I was flying to Don Mueang International Airport, Bangkok. Richie was flying to Kolkata, India via the same airport in Bangkok. Though he had booked a late-afternoon flight. These bye-bye gets really bad when you spend beautiful days traveling together in such a wonderful place but then have to leave, but this also means next vacation is awaiting – that is a positive note!
Highlights of the Day
- Check-out
- Bogyoke Market (information from Richie)
Yangon International Airport
Yangon International Airport is the busiest airport in Myanmar, and its services are very organized and smooth, including immigration process and security check-in.
Our hotel staff had called for an early morning taxi at around 6 AM for me. They also had packed me my breakfast – I am used to this now in Myanmar as almost all the hotels have breakfast included in their stay and if you are leaving early, they surely pack the food for you – you just need to inform them a day before that you are supposed to leave early. I reached Yangon International Airport within half an hour and could board the flight well before time.
Bogyoke Market
While I had to fly to Bangkok early morning, Richie had time to wake up late nicely, enjoy his breakfast, and visit Bogyoke Aung San market – a major market of Yangon. He had shared few pictures of the market while he was there.
The market is sometimes called as Scott market – its old British name. The market has more than 2000 shops and is popular for Myanmar handicrafts and souvenirs. If you are looking for buying the local Burmese sarong-style lower garment called longyi as a souvenir, then head to U Maung Maung in the main hall – they have a good selection of them all within 10 $.
Visit Myanmar, Yes!
Overall, Myanmar was something we did not think would turn out to be this beautiful. It is growing from the tourism point of view, still a lot of amendment and improvement is needed for road connection, but the hospitality we received is incomparable. The locals are very kind and lovely. Places like Bagan and Inle Lake have made lifetime memories in my mind, especially Inle Lake. Myanmar is a country you can visit with your partner or family or friends or alone – please do consider visiting Myanmar, soon! We loved the place, you would love it too!
NET EXPENSE FOR 1 PERSON (IN USD)
Let us have a look at the expenses of Days 6-7 in Myanmar – Yangon.
- Heho to Yangon: 120
- Hotel in Yangon for twin sharing (1 night): 25
- Entrance fee of to the pagodas: 11
- Yangon to Bangkok: 75
- Getting around: 25
- Food: 5
- Miscellaneous: 10
Total expense (roughly): 271 USD
For an overall idea of itinerary and expense of the trip, whether for solo or couple or group of any number of people, feel free to contact me on Contact Us page. You can also have a look at Treasures of Myanmar in a Week – Itinerary and Expenses.
If you are planning for a much-organized, tastefully-curated, stress-free yet exciting vacation, consider booking your holidays at Travel Love Repeat. It is going to be a treat for sure!
What an amazing pagoda! I would love to go there to see if. And how awesome that the hotels pack you a breakfast. That says a lot about their culture and how they value visitors. Thanks for sharing!
Absolutely! They are so humble and kind. Lovely place, lovely pagoda, lovely people!
Amazing. Visiting Yangon is definitely on my Myanmar Bucket List. To see the Shwedagon Pagoda looks absolutely amazing especially as the night lights bounce off the temples and pagodas. I would love walking around the down town area and having great food. Can I also say that I LOVE the little food boxes I get on Asian Airlines. I never expect them since we barely get a tiny sack of peanuts in the US. But those little lunch boxes I have gotten in China, India, & Thailand while flying the local “small” airlines always makes me so happy like a little kid at lunch in school!
It’s definitely on my bucket list! I love the food – looks really amazing. Always when I travel I love to try new local food instead of the classic ones – burgers, etc..
The pictures of the hotel are really nice and the food in the box of the airplane is stunning – I’m talking about food again haha. But I really like to try it and the life is so much better when you get an little chocolate from the air company to start your journey with something sweet!
Lovely. That is a good instruction to refer to when going to Myanmar. When I started reading though your posts, I got to know how many things. Now, if I go there, I need to plan more then a week.
I’d never thought of visiting Yangon before, but now I see that I should visit. It seems pretty cheap there, and I love the look of the pagodas too. Great photos, I can’t wait to visit.
Visiting the temple complex at night is a pretty cool idea, the place is so well lit and the temples are lovely! I’ve never heard of a flight which doesn’t assign seats and you can sit wherever you want LOL. I still am not sure if I want to visit Yangon though, is there much to do besides the temples and the market you mention?
The Shwedagon Pagoda is indeed a must visit when in Myanmar. What an incredible structure, the architecture is awe-inspiring. The Pictures of the Pagoda in the night looks stunning.
that was a pretty good deal on your meal! $8 for all of those?! That’s what I love most about Asia is the cheap but yummy food! I have to make my way there!
Yes, the meals are not really expensive here.
My husband who is a photographer would love to take photos of the temples in Yangon! All the gold is amazing. I love all the food in Asia so I am sure I would enjoy the food there as well.
Yes, you would surely love it there, Andi.
Your photos are amazing – so are your insider tips! Would love to visit the Shwedagon Pagoda and sample the food at the Soe Pyi Swar Vegetarian Centre!
Yes, Sofia, the food was so good.
What a great nighttime view to be greeted with in Yangon. The lit up pagodas do look magical. The reclining Buddhas look much more ornamental than others I remember seeing. A market visit is always a good choice when we travel. Even if we don’t buy souvenirs, it is fun to look at the local goods. It looks like this was a good stop on your visit to Myanmar.
Yes Linda, Yangon is just too pretty.
How nice of the staff at The Manor Hotel to pack your breakfast on the go for you! Shwedagon Pagoda looks pretty awesome and I think it’s a great idea to visit it at night, it seems that it would be prettier with those lights bringing out the golden colour at night, even more than during the day. I haven’t even considered visiting Yangon yet, but hopefully someday.
Sure, Medha.
Myanmar is on my list for next year. Of course, the Shwedagon Pagoda is a must – but I will also make sure to try the wonderful food you are showing on your pictures. Will pin this for future reference.
The pagodas look more beautiful now as when I went, there was some earthquake recovery going on.
How funny that you could sit anywhere on the plane! First come first seated! A night visit to Shwedagon Pagoda would be amazing. I’d love to visit Myanmar one day.
The plane experience was one-of-a-kind!
It never ceases to amaze me the details and beauty they have in the architecture! especially in their temples and buddahs statues! I would love to visit here soon! xo – Kam
Sure, Kamree.
The Shwedagon Pagoda is just beautiful. From shrines to the statues and even just watching people, there’s so much to see in that impressive temple complex. I hope to visit Yangon and Myanmar one day.
Sure Claudia, you must visit this beautiful place.
I’ve never heard of Air KZB but looks like you had a great experience! Perfect for short flights perhaps. Myanmar never runs out of wonders. The golden pagoda has always been a highlight and I love that this nation is slowly opening it’s hidden treasures to the world. Happy travels!
Even I was unaware of it before I decided to book a flight there.
I visited twice Yangon earlier this year will have to try that hotel next time, definitely a lot cheaper than where we stayed. You were smart to visit the pagodas at night we went during the day and it was so hot.
Yes Debra, why not!
Reading this brought back all the memories from my Myanmar Trip which i took during New Years. We had just a day in Yangoon, and explored Shwedagon around Sunset, but it looks so much more beautiful at night.
Glad to know that you had been there.