Renamed Rangoon by the English when they colonized it, Yangon is the largest city in the country with about 6 million inhabitants. It’s no longer the capital since 2005, when the government was relocated to Naypyidaw, which is from the official capital. The immense city is very extensive and surrounded by jungle. The traffic is intense, there are still some buildings in the colonial style in the middle of new buildings and pagodas. 2 or 3 days are enough to visit and then run away. For us, it was a nice introduction with the culture of pagodas and the life of the streets and markets in Burma.
We stayed 2 nights in a mini guesthouse, in the heart of Downtown, perfect to visit the area walking. Our bed: a box with a mattress and a plug. First, I was surprised, my first guesthouse in Asia … a mini door, very high steps, you open the door and all the shoes of the backpackers and you are in a kind of corridor with boxes, a corner for breakfast, finally in the middle … no space! The shower is above the toilet, so it’s always wet, well we get used to it but it was my first 😊
We just arrived from the airport, it was late but we were hungry. Ok, go to try the street food, at the same time not too much choice at this hour… my god! Restaurants are improvised along the road with kind of barbecues. We tried some meat … I hope it was not rat, maybe a little bird … well, it was disgusting. And we came back to the guesthouse, excited for the next day, our first day to explore the city.
We wake up in a neighborhood with a different atmosphere, the surroundings are full of life, I love it ! The streets are crowded, merchants offering everything (insects, chewing tobacco, fruits, vegetables, meat …), noise, pollution: we are in Asia!
We cross the district until Sule Pagoda, the oldest pagoda of Yangon, it’s in the center of a roundabout. It was the geographical center of the city before the expansion to the north. For us, our first pagoda so a beautiful discovery, a good atmosphere.
Inside, we walked around the stupa and various chapels and littles pagodas. It’s interesting before going there to learn about your birth day to put water on your Buddha and his dedicated animal 😄 and also to know that, there are 8 days … Wednesday morning and afternoon (Buddha was born on Wednesday morning) . What luck if you were born on a Wednesday because your animal is the sacred animal of the country: the lucky elephant!
When we came out, we walked through the beautiful park Maha Bandulaau and its obelisk, a symbol of Burmese independence acquired in 1948. Then, all around to admire the remarkable colonial buildings including the city hall, they are a lot in this area.
Then, we walked to the train station to get on the Circle Train. This train goes around the city. It’s possible to go down to one of the 39 stations and to go back to the next one. It will be necessary to be patient and to try to understand when the train comes but if you have time it’s very nice. Sitting in the train, watching the passengers, the merchants crossing the wagons, admiring the scenery by the window, crossing the eyes of children in the stations … It’s already a beautiful experience. Well, it can last more than 3 hours if you do the complete tour so, yes you go down a moment and you can wait to the next. But, be careful to choose your station. We ended up more than 2 hours in a market with strange smells. A superb experience to meet people and discover life in the surrounding countryside. Don’t hesitate to try to communicate with the locals, they are so kind and smiling. And, we are also an attraction for them!
When we move away from the center we are quickly in the middle of rice fields, basic housing, fields … living conditions like these, close to the largest city in the country, we didn’t expect that.
We waited for our second train a long time, time to taste the chewing tobacco rolled in a leaf of tree with something that makes the saliva red. It’s pretty strong and they make you understand that it can make you high but I think you should to take more for that. Don’t forget to spit haha, like a real local!
After finally getting on our train, we return to the big city and head for the big, the famous, one of the most beautiful pagodas in the world: Shwedagon pagoda.
Very touristy, sacred for more than 2500 years, immense, it’s a remarkable place. We went there a bit before the sunset to see the colors changing on the golden roofs and feel the special atmosphere. Despite the many tourists, we can observe people faithful come to pray, ring the various bells, light incense, put water on their dedicated Buddha … It’s a place full of strong energies. We were surprised to see some monks around the dome of the central stûpa to fix the gold that comes off. The stupa measures 98 m and is covered with more than 700 kg of gold leaf.
We didn’t take advantage of the explanations of a guide who offers his services at the entrance but the idea of paying again quickly made us give up. There is already a lot to see: pagodas, prayer halls, bells, stupas, shrines, the Mindon umbrella and its 1400 bells in gold and silver, the vane encrusted with 2400 precious stones, the Singu bell stolen in 1824 by British who lost it in the river and recovered by the Burmese to put it in its place (the painted fresco tells its story all around), the oratories for the days of the week with each their Buddha and their animal and of course statues of Buddha adorned with many lights like a Christmas tree 😑
For us, all along our trip to Myanmar, it was difficult to find good places to eat. We have been unhappy for food. I had read in a blog that it was absolutely necessary to try the hot-pot restaurant, near the Golden Butterfly hotel. We choose in different fridges food (chicken, fish, vegetables, and often we do not really know what it is …), we pay according to a color code for each portion and we cook in a hot pot, in the middle of the table in a broth. It was a good idea, we had a good feeling when we arrived but the taste… nooooo. The Burmese food, nothing helps, it’s really not good. We took revenge on the beers 😬
On the second day, we decided to stay in our neighborhood and get lost in the streets and markets, a total immersion in Burmese life. Also, the opportunity for Junior to taste a grilled cricket (it seems that it’s delicious). Around the 26th street, the 32nd, the colonial buildings, the big market of Bogyoke (or Scott market) … the top! And then, we went back to get our backpacks to go take our bus.
😍 What we loved
Life and markets in every streets around our hotel, the vibrant Downtown area
😕 What we didn’t like
It’s a big city so the pollution and noise, be careful where you put your feet, there are holes everywhere and sidewalks are sometimes dangerous
TIPS
US $ 1 = about 1300 kyats
SIM card + 2 G internet: 5000 kyats
Airport to our guesthouse in downtown: US $ 10
2 nights at hostel Latha, for 2 people 14 US $
Sule pagoda 3000 kyat / pers
Circle train 200 kyat / pers, purchase at the train station, 39 stations
Shwedagon pagoda 10,000 kyat / pers (+ deposit 500 for the loan of clothing to visit), on the hill of Singuttara
+ No time to go, but we heard about it: Chauzkhatagyi Reclining Buddha (free)
And 👉 go to Bagan and the magic temples …
Mini bus to take near Sule Pagoda (1000 kyats / pers) for the bus station, or rather the village … impossible to navigate, the best solution is to ask for help to a local by showing his ticket (booked at the hotel) even if he too will be lost. A beautiful moment!
Bus Yangon-Bagan (10 hours, 16,000 kyat / pers)