Christmas in Yangon 2017
Introduction
Burma has always been an exotic place for travelers especially before the military regime opened up the country to encourage investments and tourism.
So it was decided that our extended family will be spending time in Yangon (formerly Rangoon), that ancient city that has existed in one form or another since 11th century.
We booked our flights and hotel via AirAsiaGo. The total package came up to roughly RM 3100 for 6 persons. This included return air tickets via AirAsia and 4 night stay at City Star Hotel. The hotel itself is quite central and within walking distance to many attractions like Maha Bandula Park and Sule Pagoda.
However, one thing we did not know was that Malaysians are required to apply for visas before entering Myanmar. We were quite surprised to find out that as a fellow Asean member, Malaysians are still required to do so. Anyway, we ended up spending another RM 1338 for visas for 6 persons. What a hefty unplanned expenditure. So, Malaysians please beware that you need visa to enter Myanmar and it's costly.
Weather during the end of the year is a bit chilly at night but one thing we had to get used to was the dryness which made our lips and skin parched. After a while the skin on our lips start to break open and that hurts.
Currency
Myanmar's currency is the kyat and it's difficult (if not impossible) to exchange in Malaysia. So, we have to exchange to USD first before exchanging it to local currency when we arrive at Yangon. However, there are a few things to note when it comes to this:
Day 1
When our plane landed in Myanmar, it was already dark. We had dinner at the airport as we do not know what to expect when we reach the hotel. If you have a choice though, have your meal in the city instead.
The ride from Yangon International Airport to our hotel in city center took around 45 minutes but this depends on the traffic condition as you tend to wait a long time at the traffic lights. We also found out that in city area, the government does not allow motorbikes as they pose a risk to traffic. In fact, we find this to be so welcoming and true as we do not need to worry about motorbikes zooming in and out and onto pedestrian walkway like we had to in our trip to Ho Chi Minh City.
When we arrived at the hotel, we found the area to be so lively due to the Christmas atmosphere. We quickly checked in and took a walk around the place. One thing that made it easier for us in Yangon was that a lot of the people there can speak English since the country was under British rule just like Malaysia.
We went to bed early in anticipation for our activities the next day
Day 2
After a hearty buffet breakfast at the hotel which was included in the package, we headed out to our first destination.
Maha Bandula Park is just a 2 minute walk from the hotel. There was so much activity and a morning market there as well. On the way there, we saw young apprentice monks praying and receiving alms. There are also a lot of nice but old colonial buildings in the area.
The park itself has a structure in the center (Independence Monument) with a large open area surrounding it.
After basking in the sun for a while, we went straight for Sule Pagoda which was just across the road. The structures and pagoda are so beautiful and mesmerizing. The intricate carvings must have taken the artists many meticulous hours to complete. The entry fee for foreigners is 4000 kyat (roughly RM 12) per person.
Do not take the flowers offered to you upon entry as you are required to pay for them (there are many entries surrounding the pagoda so it depends on which one you enter, you may be shoved some flowers. Just refuse politely.). If you do decide to buy the flowers to pray, then pray by yourself. Do not let the "monks" there guide you as these are actually fake monks that wants only your money. Payment may go as high as 10000 kyats or more (more than RM 30) which is ridiculous and gives a bad image to the Pagoda and it's main purpose which is to observe Buddha's teachings.
After leaving Sule Pagoda, we took a walk around the city. We saw a Hindu temple, bustling markets along many roads and finally we ended up in Junction City Mall where we had lunch. At the mall, we saw some nice Christmas decorations as well as a cosplay exhibition.
After lunch, we walked towards Bogyoke Aung San Market. We found the place to be full of tourists. There are many stalls selling different products but mainly at tourist prices.
As we left the market, we saw a gridlock around the area but that is normal during rush hour. We proceeded to a unique market along the Yangon River just across from Chinatown. There's lots of eateries selling Myanmar food.
We proceeded back to our hotel but before we ended our day, we took to the night market nearby where we saw a talented artist selling his paintings.
Day 3
We started our day bright and early and our destination was St.Mary's Cathedral. On the way we there we passed by the Secretariat building which was being refurbished. This is where General Aung San and six cabinet ministers were assassinated. Quite an eerie atmosphere to be sure.
When we arrived at the Cathedral, we were totally overawed by the magnificent beauty of the church. No words can explain it. Nothing beats being there to see it's beauty but pictures will do for now.
After a delightful time at the Cathedral, we headed for the Yangon Central Train Station. We wanted to tour Yangon via the famous Yangon Circular Train.
The views along the way was nothing short of spectacular. There are also some stations where you can get down and explore. This line is used to transport people and goods around Yangon and is the lifeline of the city.
We chose to alight at the Hledan Station and took a short walk to the Hledan Market.
We had lunch at Hledan Center and then proceeded to Yangon University which is a short walk away.
On our way back to the hotel, we enjoyed an outdoor concert hosted by the Immanuel Baptist Church since it is Christmas Eve.
There is also a Natural History Museum with animal replicas and skeletons (like the whale skeleton below) which traces natural history from millions of years ago.
Another unique thing we saw in the zoo was how the recycle they plastic bottles into beautiful decorations. What a lesson in conservation. There are also some games for children to participate in (for a small fee of course).
The partially burnt down Kandawgi Palace Hotel.
There are 2 lavish spending you can make in this place. One is a balloon ride which costs over USD 20 per person. The other is Karaweik Palace Restaurant where I presume the rich dines.
We also went to Musmeah Yeshua Synagogue which is a beautiful Jewish place of worship. It's highly rated in Tripadvisor and a must visit for tourists to this city.
Before we left for the airport, we had a nice lunch of pastries, smoothies and coffee (not to mention a durian-flavored cake as well).
Bon voyage !! It's back to KL..
Burma has always been an exotic place for travelers especially before the military regime opened up the country to encourage investments and tourism.
So it was decided that our extended family will be spending time in Yangon (formerly Rangoon), that ancient city that has existed in one form or another since 11th century.
We booked our flights and hotel via AirAsiaGo. The total package came up to roughly RM 3100 for 6 persons. This included return air tickets via AirAsia and 4 night stay at City Star Hotel. The hotel itself is quite central and within walking distance to many attractions like Maha Bandula Park and Sule Pagoda.
However, one thing we did not know was that Malaysians are required to apply for visas before entering Myanmar. We were quite surprised to find out that as a fellow Asean member, Malaysians are still required to do so. Anyway, we ended up spending another RM 1338 for visas for 6 persons. What a hefty unplanned expenditure. So, Malaysians please beware that you need visa to enter Myanmar and it's costly.
Weather during the end of the year is a bit chilly at night but one thing we had to get used to was the dryness which made our lips and skin parched. After a while the skin on our lips start to break open and that hurts.
Currency
Myanmar's currency is the kyat and it's difficult (if not impossible) to exchange in Malaysia. So, we have to exchange to USD first before exchanging it to local currency when we arrive at Yangon. However, there are a few things to note when it comes to this:
- MYR is accepted at currency exchange bureaus in Yangon
- If you use USD, please note that the rate varies depending on how old your notes are and the denomination you're using for exchange (e.g. 20, 50, 100). Generally, the newer the notes (in terms of year of print), the better the physical condition of the note and the higher the denomination, the better rate you will get. So, please be aware of these conditions if you are bringing USD for exchange in Yangon.
Day 1
When our plane landed in Myanmar, it was already dark. We had dinner at the airport as we do not know what to expect when we reach the hotel. If you have a choice though, have your meal in the city instead.
The ride from Yangon International Airport to our hotel in city center took around 45 minutes but this depends on the traffic condition as you tend to wait a long time at the traffic lights. We also found out that in city area, the government does not allow motorbikes as they pose a risk to traffic. In fact, we find this to be so welcoming and true as we do not need to worry about motorbikes zooming in and out and onto pedestrian walkway like we had to in our trip to Ho Chi Minh City.
When we arrived at the hotel, we found the area to be so lively due to the Christmas atmosphere. We quickly checked in and took a walk around the place. One thing that made it easier for us in Yangon was that a lot of the people there can speak English since the country was under British rule just like Malaysia.
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| Sule Pagoda |
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| Immanuel Baptist Church |
Day 2
After a hearty buffet breakfast at the hotel which was included in the package, we headed out to our first destination.
Maha Bandula Park is just a 2 minute walk from the hotel. There was so much activity and a morning market there as well. On the way there, we saw young apprentice monks praying and receiving alms. There are also a lot of nice but old colonial buildings in the area.
The park itself has a structure in the center (Independence Monument) with a large open area surrounding it.
After basking in the sun for a while, we went straight for Sule Pagoda which was just across the road. The structures and pagoda are so beautiful and mesmerizing. The intricate carvings must have taken the artists many meticulous hours to complete. The entry fee for foreigners is 4000 kyat (roughly RM 12) per person.
Do not take the flowers offered to you upon entry as you are required to pay for them (there are many entries surrounding the pagoda so it depends on which one you enter, you may be shoved some flowers. Just refuse politely.). If you do decide to buy the flowers to pray, then pray by yourself. Do not let the "monks" there guide you as these are actually fake monks that wants only your money. Payment may go as high as 10000 kyats or more (more than RM 30) which is ridiculous and gives a bad image to the Pagoda and it's main purpose which is to observe Buddha's teachings.
After leaving Sule Pagoda, we took a walk around the city. We saw a Hindu temple, bustling markets along many roads and finally we ended up in Junction City Mall where we had lunch. At the mall, we saw some nice Christmas decorations as well as a cosplay exhibition.
After lunch, we walked towards Bogyoke Aung San Market. We found the place to be full of tourists. There are many stalls selling different products but mainly at tourist prices.
As we left the market, we saw a gridlock around the area but that is normal during rush hour. We proceeded to a unique market along the Yangon River just across from Chinatown. There's lots of eateries selling Myanmar food.
We proceeded back to our hotel but before we ended our day, we took to the night market nearby where we saw a talented artist selling his paintings.
Day 3
We started our day bright and early and our destination was St.Mary's Cathedral. On the way we there we passed by the Secretariat building which was being refurbished. This is where General Aung San and six cabinet ministers were assassinated. Quite an eerie atmosphere to be sure.
When we arrived at the Cathedral, we were totally overawed by the magnificent beauty of the church. No words can explain it. Nothing beats being there to see it's beauty but pictures will do for now.
After a delightful time at the Cathedral, we headed for the Yangon Central Train Station. We wanted to tour Yangon via the famous Yangon Circular Train.
The views along the way was nothing short of spectacular. There are also some stations where you can get down and explore. This line is used to transport people and goods around Yangon and is the lifeline of the city.
We chose to alight at the Hledan Station and took a short walk to the Hledan Market.
We had lunch at Hledan Center and then proceeded to Yangon University which is a short walk away.
We then walked back to Hledan Station and continued with our rail journey. The journey brought us to Danyingon Market and also some beautiful farms and fields. I never would've thought that such beautiful landscapes can exist so close the city.
However, it's not the end of the day yet as we have one more destination to cover. This could be the most important of all places we are visiting in Yangon. We headed towards Shwedagon Pagoda on a small van (all 16 of us). It was a fun and hair-raising journey.
Entrance to the pagoda costs 10000 kyats per foreigner (about RM 30) but it's worth every kyat. In my opinion the best time to visit us at around 5 pm when there's still some daylight followed by sunset and some spectacular view at night.
On our way back to the hotel, we enjoyed an outdoor concert hosted by the Immanuel Baptist Church since it is Christmas Eve.
Day 4
With all the children in the trip, how can we miss a visit to the zoo. The unique thing about Yangon Zoo is that the enclosures do not keep the animals at a far distance from visitors. This could be due to the fact that the zoo was designed a long time ago.
There is also a Natural History Museum with animal replicas and skeletons (like the whale skeleton below) which traces natural history from millions of years ago.
Another unique thing we saw in the zoo was how the recycle they plastic bottles into beautiful decorations. What a lesson in conservation. There are also some games for children to participate in (for a small fee of course).
After the wonderful time at the zoo, we walked across the road to Kandawgi Lake which is one of the recreational areas in Yangon. It's peaceful and serene and there is also a wooden walkway that goes halfway around the lake. However, a lot of the wooden planks are rotten and you have to be careful when walking on them.
The partially burnt down Kandawgi Palace Hotel.
There are 2 lavish spending you can make in this place. One is a balloon ride which costs over USD 20 per person. The other is Karaweik Palace Restaurant where I presume the rich dines.
After the visit to the park we went for a late lunch at Myanmar Plaza. Fried noodle and Myanmar tea are common delicacies here.
Next up, we crossed the road from the shopping mall to Inya Lake. The serene environment was very different from the bustling traffic just beside it. There are lots of people around the lake enjoying the peaceful scenery and exercising.
Day 5
The last day in Yangon was spent wandering around Chinatown and its vicinity. On the way there, we saw a unique looking mosque just across from Sule Pagoda.
In Chinatown, we saw some nice temples and buildings and streets decorated in lanterns. One thing about the old buildings here is that the stairs are really steep.
There are a lot of fruits sold in markets here (including durians).
Before we left for the airport, we had a nice lunch of pastries, smoothies and coffee (not to mention a durian-flavored cake as well).
Bon voyage !! It's back to KL..
Conclusion
We really enjoyed our time in Yangon. There is so much to see and do there. One thing that I really liked is the honesty and down-to-earth attitude of the locals there. I hope they stay that way even with the wave of modernization coming their way.
All in all, we spent about RM 1200 for food, transport, entry tickets and souvenirs for 6 persons for 5 days. Not too bad. The total cost of the trip including flights and accommodation is about RM 5900 for the six of us.
Hope you can get some ideas for your travel to Yangon from my posting. Happy travelling !!
