One of the most mind-blowing experiences I've had recently. Yangon is fast developing itself as a new hot holiday destination for the adventurous.
Yangon (ရန္ကုန္), Myanmar's largest city, is by far the most exciting place in the country to be right now, as former political exiles, Asian investors and foreign adventurers flock in. As Myanmar's commercial and artistic hub, it's Yangon that most reflects the changes that have occurred since the country reopened to the world. There's a rash of new restaurants, bars and shops. And there are building sites – and traffic jams – everywhere.
Accommodation
Yangon is a very young holiday destination but it still has plenty of high-end hotels with very reasonable price points on offer. For our trip we decided to stay at the newly developed Pan Pacific Yangon for its close proximity to the main Yangon train station (for the circular rail tour) and the city centre. It also has a mid-level infinity pool which is high enough for your to escape from the streets chaos below.
Restaurants
Rangoon Tea House
This stylishly designed hipster teahouse is as popular with cashed-up locals as it is with travellers and expats – at peak meal times expect to wait for a table. It serves traditional Burmese cuisine, locally inspired cocktails, and curries and biryanis – all well done in bigger portions (hence the higher prices) and generally less oily than you'll get elsewhere.
Mandalay Restaurant
This is an upscale restaurant located at one of the most prestigious hotel in Yangon, Belmond Governor's Residence. Reasonably priced for international standards serving the mainly European dishes. You can opt to sit outside by the pond and move into the lounge area for drinks after. You may want to bring bug spray depending on the situation.
Yangon Street Food Tour
My partner took the liberty to book us a street food tour and indeed it was the highlight of our trip. You meet by the old government building and are led through different street stalls and markets to sample various favours of Yangon. We were skeptical of hygiene but overall all the places we went to were decent. However I would still recommend you to bring some pack tissue and also wet wipes. I do not recall which particular company we went with but by look at whats on offer on the internet at the moment they are all pretty similar.
Attractions
The Shwedagon Pagoda, officially named Shwedagon Zedi Daw and also known as the Great Dagon Pagoda and the Golden Pagoda, is a gilded stupa located in Yangon, Myanmar. The 326-foot-tall pagoda is situated on Singuttara Hill, to the west of Kandawgyi Lake, and dominates the Yangon skyline.
Bogyoke Park
To the east of Shewedagon Pagoda lies the Bogyoke Park. This park surrounds a large lake which is very pleasant to walk around in. If you visited the Shewedagon Pagoda in the morning this is a perfect place to stop for lunch. Signature Fine Dining and The Garden Bistro is located at the entrance of the park serving international flairs. Location is on Google Map already.
Sule Pagoda
The Sule Pagoda is a Burmese stupa located in the heart of downtown Yangon, occupying the centre of the city and an important space in contemporary Burmese politics, ideology and geography. According to legend, it was built before the Shwedagon Pagoda during the time of the Buddha, making it more than 2,600 years old.
Yangon Circular Rail
Although there are plenty of guide tour on this, you can pretty much do this yourself if you are happy to quietly observe how the locals get on with their everyday life and admire the fast changing scenery outside the train. All you have to do is head to the station and take the bridge to the platform across. There should be a little kiosk where you can get a ticket for the Circle Line. The journey takes about 3 hours. Use the toilet at your hotel as the one at the station is god awful as you can imagine.
Pansodan Gallery
Pansodan Gallery is located just the other side of Yangon Station and it represents a string of local artists. This studio has a strong focus on acrylic paintings.
Bogyoke Aung San Market
Bogyoke Aung San Market is a major bazaar located conveniently across our hotel. Known for its colonial architecture and inner cobblestone streets, the market is a major tourist destination, dominated by antique, Burmese handicraft and jewellery shops, art galleries, and clothing stores. I bought myself a traditional Burmese men's skirt Longyi here. Closes on Mondays.
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