Yangon
We initially spent 3 nights in Yangon and stayed in „Wai Wai Place“. The rooms are very basic, but there is a great roof terrace with super delicious food and breakfast. Yangon is great for getting a first impression of Myanmar and strolling around the different markets. The highlight is the Schwedagon Pagoda, which should be visited in the afternoon to use the light of the setting sun for taking pictures. We took a local guide there who talked a lot about the customs of Buddhism and it was very exciting.
Bagan
From there we went by plane to Bagan to discover the impressive temple landscape. We stayed at the “Myanmar Han Hotel”. A new, very nice hotel with large rooms and a great pool. The disadvantage is that the hotel is about 30 minutes away from the temple zone and in the evening in the dark for a while on the road. We spent 3 nights there which in hindsight was too little – there is just so much to see! The motto is: Try to include as many sunrises and sunsets as possible and escape the midday heat at the hotel pool. E-bikes serve as means of transport. Super practical and very relaxed to discover the different pagodas. Bagan was the highlight of our trip to Myanmar and that was mainly due to the hot air balloon flight! With $ 340 per person no bargain, but worth every penny. We booked with the largest provider „Balloons over Bagoon“ and it was an indescribable feeling to fly with the balloon over the temple complex and see the sun rise. Should not be missed when you are there! Book early – especially in the main section, flights are sold out quickly due to the limited number of balloons.
Hike from Kalaw to Inle Lake
From Bagan we flew to Heho, the airport near the famous Inle Lakes. From there we took a taxi about 45 minutes to Kalaw in the mountains. We stayed at “Hillock Villa” – the best breakfast of our whole Myanmar trip! But you have to know that the temperatures drop to 8 degrees at night and it is rather fresh. From there we started a 2-day trekking with Uncle Sam’s trekking. We were a small group of 6 people and had a lovely guide. During the hike you will see various local villages and walk through very beautiful landscapes, past chilli plantations and ginger fields. The Overnight stay is in a homestay with Locals. Our guides cooked delicious food for dinner and prepared breakfast. On the first day you walk about 6 hours and on the second 4 hours – in total 38 KM. You end up at Inle Lake and will be taken to Nyaung Shwe after the final lunch with a small fishing boat to. All in all a very nice experience and we have seen and experienced a lot.
Inle Lake
At Inle Lake we spent 3 days at the “Royal Nyaung Shwe Hotel” – very good value for money. The breakfast is not great, but the rooms are good. On the first day we borrowed bicycles and cycled to the famous winery and enjoyed the view over the lake. On the second day we rented a boat with driver for 20.000 kyat and started at sunrise. An absolute must see! Even though the famous one-legged fishermen meanwhile mostly pose for tourist, it’s nonetheless great to watch. After being taken to the usual tourist workshops for silver jewelry, cigarettes and silk works, our real highlight was the pagodas of Indein. An incredibly beautiful collection of dilapidated and partially restored pagodas, where you are almost alone. The path leads through a branch of the river and it is very exciting to observe the local life on the river.
Mandalay
From Inle Lake we flew to Mandalay. Here we had also planned 3 nights, which was in hindsight too much. After two weeks in Myanmar we had already seen enough temples and therefore little motivation for the surrounding imperial cities for which Mandalay is known. Even the sunset on Mandalay Hill can not keep up with Bagan or Inle Lake. Anyone who makes Mandalay at the beginning of his trip might find it pleasing – in sum, it was too hot and dusty for us.
