We arrived in the old Myanmar capital not really knowing what to expect. Along with Mongolia, this would be a bit of an unknown country. Up until 2012, Myanmar (Burma) was a bit of a no go area. Thankfully this has changed “somewhat” (not going to go into the current political situation).
On our arrival into Yangon international it was clear that we were far far away from the ultra modern Bangkok. The airport was new but somehow felt out of place. After a “quick” hour transit into downtown Yangon we checked into our hotel and set off in search of somewhere to find food. Honestly we had heard a lot of bad things about the food of Myanmar. Fortunately for us we either got lucky or things have changed. The food there was super tasty, plentiful and cheap.
On our first day in Yangon we decided to tick off as many main attractions as we could as our time in Yangon was limited. Schwedagon Pagoda, Sule Pagoda and Bogyoke aung san market were the highlights for sure.
The Schwedagon pagoda is the largest and most elaborate in all of Myanmar and definitely not to be missed. The constant hum of buddhist prayer makes the whole experience pretty unforgettable. Having visited many temples and holy places across Asia, this felt like the most sacred.
After walking back from the Schwedagon Pagoda in the midday searing temperatures we decided to duck into the cool and amazing Bogyoke Aung San market. Again a major must do for Yangon. Like all big Asian markets there is the normal tourist trinkets and tat, but unlike big markets in Phnom Penh, and Hanoi this market had some real hidden gems. Bogyoke Aung is more like a giant flea market than a tourist trap. Due to our limiting baggage allowance we escaped without buying too much.
A few words has to be said about the people of Myanmar. We had been told that the locals would be friendly but nothing can prepare you for the smiley and quite stylish Myanmar people. It is hard to imagine that there is so much bad things happening in a country with so many nice people. P.S. Celebrity status in Myanmar was at an all time high. We were asked for photos on a daily basis.
On our second day in Yangon it was already time to take an overnight bus to Mandalay so headed to Sule Pagoda and took in a bit more of the city before setting off for the VIP treatment of first Class bus travel. Honestly the only way to travel in Myanmar. The people are awesome but their roads are shocking. Like seriously bad. A journey that would take 3 hours in any other countries takes 12-13 hrs in Myanmar. So might as well travel in style…
A Year With The Sullys 