I%26#39;m taking my husband and 2 kids (3 %26amp; 10 yrs) to visit relatives in Yangon and Mandalay over Christmas for 14 days. I%26#39;ve been once before, 6 yrs ago, but this trip will be very different with kids.
I%26#39;ve been researching this for weeks. Questions re our suggested itinery are below. I would normally have tried to ask relatives but as communication is difficult, any advice or comments from this forum greatly appreciated!
GENERAL QUESTIONS
Q. Is it really necessary to have brand new US $$s? (We live in Papua New Guinea but can try to get enroute in Singapore)
Q. Domestic airlines seem to offer a low internet fare if buying tickets outside Myanmar compared to buying in Myanmar (eg. US$85 for YNG-MDL %26#39;Overseas Price%26#39;, vs US$185 %26#39;In Myanmar%26#39; price). However postings in this forum indicate it is better to buy fares once there. What is cheaper or more reliable?
YANGON RELATED
Arrive Yangon Mon 24 Dec - 4 nights
See sights but mostly to have Christmas with relatives. Possible side trip to Toungoo.
Q. Is it shorter to drive to Toungoo from Yangon than taking the train (my mum was born there and I%26#39;d like to visit). 9 hrs on the train may be too long for the kids. If we did take the train, are there special sleeper cars in the No. 1 Up train to Mandalay that we can connect with from Toungoo?
Q. My aunts live on Bo Aung Gyaw St. Any suggestions for hotels/guest houses nearby?
Q. Any other recommendations for good hotels with kids. Air Mandalay offer a Golden Flight hotel rate of US$40/night/double room at the Summit Parkview but not sure if we will need to pay extra for kids. If so, is it better to pay extra once at the hotel, or ask for triple/quad room via internet?
Q. Has anyone stayed at the Yuzana Hotel, Shwe Gon Dine Rd, Bahan Township? A triple room with b/fast here is US$39.
Q. Any special things to see/do at Christmas time in Yangon?
MANDALAY
Depart Yangon Fri 28 Dec for Mandalay (fly) - 5 nights
Possible sidetrip or overnight stop to Maymyo/ Pyin U Lwin (where my grandfather used to visit). We may have access to a driver for our time in Mandalay.
Q. How long is the drive %26amp; road condition to Pyin U Lwin? Do you see more from the train?
Q. Suggestions for kid-friendly things to do in and around Mandalay. We thought of Mt Popa but the monkeys may freak them out! (And me too!)
Q. Special new year%26#39;s activiities/events in Mandalay?
BAGAN
Depart Mandalay Wed 2 Jan for Bagan (by ferry) - 3 nights
Q. Is the Malika River Cruise ferry schudule (dep Mandalay Wed %26amp; Sat 0700, arrive Bagan 1230) still current?
Q. How long is the drive from Bagan to Inle Lake?
Q. Any accomodations to recommend for families?
Q. I read of caves near Inle Lake. Are they worth visiting?
YANGON
Depart Bagan Sat 5 Jan for Yangon (fly) - 2 nights
We finish off with 2 nights to farewell family and friends.
Any help with any of these questions will be greatly appreciated!
Cheers,
McChang%26#39;ers
Family, 2 kids, 14 days - Advice please!I hope in December that is good time to travel in Burma,
About,,,$,,,
yes,new is good for get rates,
no torn and stain and the numbers do not start CB,
About airline,that you should get agent where evre yangon,this time cost will be cheap,YGN to MDl is (85$),
Do not take the train to Taung ngu,use the car,
and stay Myanmar Beauty guests house,nice and quiet,(8 to 15$)
Bo aung aung street that you can stay heavin inn,family run and just only 7 rooms,
yuzana,cheaper then summit,and room is large and prices is 18$,to 25$
nothing to see in yangon on X mas
Mandalay,
nothing special in new year,
Mount popa,there are so many monkeys they are so wild and if you want to see the monkey go Monywa,(Po win cave,there also see monkey,
May myo,(Pyin OO lwin) just 1 and half hour drive from MDL and road is great,train senaries is great but you will lose the time and not reguler the train leaving and arrival.
Bagan boat is just right now may li kha run but that is not every day ,you ask the hotel and make confarm,
Bagan to Inle lake that will take 9 Hour drive,
In Bagan stay Kaday Aung,there have the pool,15 to 40 $
the cave near Inle(Nyaung shwe,)
and another is in Pindaya,so famous for travelers.between kalaw and heho(Airport)
In Inle stay Hupin hotel and paradise hotel,Nadawon hotel,
good luck to travel in BURMA
Family, 2 kids, 14 days - Advice please!Q. Is it really necessary to have brand new US $$s? (We live in Papua New Guinea but can try to get enroute in Singapore)
-Yes.
bring some smaller notes as well as some usd100.00 notes. you get the best exchange rates for the bigger notes. but remember that lots of things have to be paid with usd. so having plenty of smaller noters means that you don%26#39;t have to worry about if they have change for you or not.
-Q. Domestic airlines seem to offer a low internet fare if buying tickets outside Myanmar compared to buying in Myanmar
-Buy internal airline tickets when you are there. cheaper than ordering from abroad.
Q. Any other recommendations for good hotels with kids.
-For mid range and up market hotels it is better to book on-line as early as possible for the best rates. for guesthouses and budget hotels it%26#39;s fine to just make the arrangements a few days beforehand as you travel along. hotels are always happy to help out with bookings.
Q. How long is the drive %26amp; road condition to Pyin U Lwin? Do you see more from the train?
-It%26#39;s not all that far, but all roads are pretty bad, so it does take a couple of hours.
Q. Is the Malika River Cruise ferry schudule (dep Mandalay Wed %26amp; Sat 0700, arrive Bagan 1230) still current?
-Impossible tp predict just what services will be operating and when, as there are not likely to be as many visitors as last year. for instance airasia have reducec flights between bangkok and yangon from daily to 4 per week and myanmar airways (international) has cancelled all flights on that route.
Q. How long is the drive from Bagan to Inle Lake?
-By bus, around 12 hours. by car a little less. Again not really that far.. just a very slow and winding mountain road in bad condition.
Q. I read of caves near Inle Lake. Are they worth visiting?
-The pindaya caves are interesting, yes.
Thanks very much for the above advice. It is so helpful getting the benefit of your current knowledge.
Q. How long would the drive be from Yangon to Toungoo?
Thanks again!
I don%26#39;t know Toungoo, sorry.. Is it in or near Bago?.. If so it should be about two and a half hours.. moonloveshoreinburma wil know for sure,
Hi Mosegrisen - Toungoo (Taungoo) is way past Bago, almost halfway along the Yangon-Myanmar rail line (but below Pyinmana).
I%26#39;ll see if moonloveshoreinburma replies.
Thanks and cheers
Sounds like about 7 to 10 hours north of Yangon then. Not sure if you heard that trains now run during daytime rather than night?
Taungoo is 170 miles away from Yangon and it about 6 to 7 hrs drive by car . In Taungoo, Hotel Amazing Kaytu (http://www.amazing-hotel.com) is best hotel and there are Myanmar Thiri , Myanmar Beauty and Mother House too. In amazing kaytu , if I am not wrong, family room , 3 single and 1 double bed is USD 36/-.
From Taungoo to Mandalay is another 8 to 9 hrs drive . The Mandalay Train stopped at Taungoo and I am not sure whether they have sleep cabin .
Q. My aunts live on Bo Aung Gyaw St. Any suggestions for hotels/guest houses nearby?
If you look for up , Traders Hotel , if middle, Panorama , then Queen%26#39;s Park or Mother Land Inn 2 . If you go through your travel agent, you may get better rate for rooms. Summit and Yuzana Hotel is little bit far from Bo Aung Kyaw Street. Usually in Myanmar , If the kids under 12 years old shearing with bed (Only one kid and no extra bed ) is free.
Mt. Popa is not near Mandalay. It is more close to Bagan.
Q. Any accomodations to recommend for families?
For Inle , Amazing Nyaung Shwe on land and if in the lake , Paramount Inle and Paradise is not very expenseive.
The Pindaya Cave is worth to visit. If you drive from Bagan to Inle, you can stop at Kalaw and next day you can visit to Pindaya Cave and proceed to Inle. However , If you want to go all those place ,Yangon, Taungoo, Mandalay, Bagan, and Inle , you have to reschedule .
To Taung Ngu,who ever drive fast,that all the time (7) Hour,
in Taung ngu all the time I mension the hotel(guests house) is Myanmar Beauty because of the quiet and from the first floor(Rooms) you can get feel the sun rise and see the entirely paddy fields and some time heard the birds calling ,really nature,and the owner is Doctor and friendly,like your home he will treat you so many foods,with friendship.
Do not mis understanding me,I love nature and I am not familia with the owner,I just post for good place.
welcome to Burma.
Thank you mgzaymin and moonloveshoreinburma for all the helpful tips and advice. I will continue to research what you have mentioned. If we go to Taungoo we will stay at the Beauty Guesthouse, but not sure if we can fit in due to time and distance.
Moonloveshoreinburma - I am very interested in Haven Inn or New Aye Yar Hotel in Yangon. Which would you recommend?
Telephones and internet must now be connected again to %26#39;outside%26#39; world.
Thank you to all who have helped with my questions so far.
In Yangon----Heaven inn because of you can stay quiet place and nice family and feeel like a home,because of the very afew of room they have and get walking around ther near river side and good and clean big road there.
In Bagan,stay Kaday Aung hotel because of the cheap rate and with noce pool for your kids and in New Bagan quarter,
In kalaw,stay at dream villa,
In Inle lake stay at Nanda won hotel,or remember inn,
all were I use for all of my guests,I love nature and quiet places,that si just suggestion for you and the kids,
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