The Yangon-Bagan trip is one of the budget travels I’ve been really proud of, in the sense that I was able to spend less than I have originally planned. When two economists decide to take off an adventure, the result isn’t just amazing but very cost-effective, so to speak. By budget travel, I didn’t mean to come close to starvation just to reach your goal, in fact this involves a sumptuous lunch at a Inya Lake Hotel and steak indulgence on another occasion.
Why Travel Myanmar?
Few years ago, this country has opened its gates to tourists, and before it gets too congested, make sure to visit Myanmar while it’s still steep in culture. I would suggest to visit Myanmar when you’ve grown tired of the conventional travel — experience something authentic, and craving to go outside your comfort zone. Getting from one place to another here is relatively a struggle, it’s almost like going back to basics, nevertheless, a completely unique experience awaits.
Where to Go / Entry Point
Myanmar is famous for its ancient city, Bagan, where there is a proliferation of about 10,000 Buddhist temples. It isn’t easy going through Bagan though — Myanmar’s point of entry is Yangon, which is its former capital, nevertheless, it isn’t so bad to spend a few days in the largest city — there are nice pagodas worth visiting.
Day 1
The best thing about Southeast Asia is that convenience is quite cheap. We arrived at Yangon Airport at half past 10 in the morning and was picked up by AirBnB service (only costs S$10 for the whole group). The private house is situated near Inya Lake and we got to pay only S$25 per person. After indulging in local food (the AirBnB host also serves yummy home-made noodles) and taking a nap, we decided to visit the Shwedagon Pagoda, which is said to be the most sacred Buddhist pagoda in the country.
Day 2
We wandered around the tranquil Inya Lake which is just near the AirBnB mansion and had a mouth-watering lunch at Inya Lake Hotel. We then headed to a local coffee shop which is worth going and the cheapest we’ve been to.
How to get to Bagan:
When my next destination would require us to travel for quite a number of hours, I would usually opt to take a comfy overnight bus, thus, sort of like hitting two birds with one stone — saving time so I can still have all the day time on travelling, as well as cutting costs by combining expenditure for accomodation and transportation.
The overnight bus that we chose (JJ Express Bus) left Yangon at 8pm and arrived at Bagan at 05:30. For the price of S$65 ( VIP class return tickets), I would say that the overnight bus ride was worth it — provided us snacks, charging port, insurance and even your own TV screen.
Day 3
After alighting from the bus, prepared to be mobbed by countless taxi drivers offering overpriced service that will bring you to your chosen accommodation, so do not give in. We booked our accommodation at the hipster Ostello Bello Bagan again from AirBnB, and since the check-in is still in the afternoon and a lot of travelers reach Bagan by 5am, they have an area where you can sleep and take shower while the room isn’t available yet.
There are different means for you to get around this ancient city — by bike, e-bike, taxi (which isn’t common and seemingly fitting for this adventure). Our travel buddy suggested for us to try the horse carriage for this day. The proliferation of ancient temples is just amazing, however, I usually end up getting overwhelmed with temples after seeing some in Cambodia and other Asian countries. Nevertheless, there’s this spot that’s not only recommended for watching sunsets, but an awesome bird’s eye view for these thousands of temples – atop the Shwesandaw Pagoda. Make sure to come before sunset as there will be a lot of people securing a good view.
Day 4
This day is a different kind of adventure as we wandered around Bagan by bike, which we rented just in front of the hostel. From feeling dreadful to ride a big bike on the bustling public highway to getting overjoyed from exploring an old beautiful city. We spent the day discovering ancient temples, trying local food and checking out random Burmese shops along the way. After the Bagan indulgence, we took another overnight bus that goes back to Yangon.
Day 5
In the morning, our previous AirBnB host in Yangon was nice enough to let us rest and take shower in their mansion for only few dollars. We then headed to the National Museum of Myanmar (entrance for foreigners is U$5) to learn about Burmese history, culture of arts.
Where to Stay:
Yangon – AirBnB Private Family Room – For only S$25, we spent a good night at this beautifully restored mansion (includes yummy noodles for breakfast). The hosts are very accommodating and responsive to queries before we reach the house.
Bagan – Ostello Bello Bagan – this can be booked via AirBnb as well. We opted to get a dorm type room for only four people for S$33 each. Luckily, only my friend and I occupied the room. This hipster type of hostel is very famous for backpackers though I feel that there are some hostels around which may offer better value for money. We also feel that the hosts weren’t too friendly.
Cheap Airfare – Once in a while, Jetstar offers promotional fare to Yangon, and we fortunately got ours for only S$132 return!
**Please note that Bagan has an entrance fee of K25,000 which is valid for 5 days.
| Cost in SGD | |
| accomodation – yangon | 24.67 |
| accommodation – bagan | 33 |
| Jetstar return | 132.5 |
| pocket money | 164 |
| overnight bus return | 65 |
| 419.17 |
360 degrees: here's to travelling the world on a budget 
Reblogged this on crazybeauti_ful.