Yangon

Yangon, formerly Rangoon, was the capital of Myanmar until it was superseded by Naypyidaw in November 2005. Today, with a population of over 5 million people, it remains the largest city and main economic hub of Myanmar.

The city is an amalgamation of British, Burmese, Chinese, and Indian influences, and is known for its colonial architecture, which although decaying, remains an almost unique example of a 19th-century British colonial capital. New high-rise buildings were constructed from the 1990s as the government began to allow private investment. However, Yangon continues to be a city of the past, as seen by its longyi-wearing pedestrians, its street vendors, and its pungent smells.

Attraction to go

Shwedagon Pagoda

The Shwedagon Pagoda or Paya is the single most important religious site in all of Myanmar. The pagoda stands on the top of Singuttara Hill, and, according to legend, that spot has been sacred since the beginning of time, just before our present world was created.

Today, the pagoda is a magical place that most visitors to Yangon come again and again. Unlike other religious sites, it has at once a spiritual as well as a secular feel about it.

Practical information

Entrance fee: US$5. Ticket booths are located at the Eastern and Southern Entrances.

Guides: Guides, official and unofficial are available for US$5 (add a $1/1000kyat tip).

Dress code: Dress reasonably and keep your legs covered (long skirts, halfway between knee and ankle, are fine; shorts, on men or women, are not). Longyi are available at the ticket booth if you arrive overly uncovered.

Shoes: As with nearly all Buddhist monuments, footwear is not permitted. With the Shwedagon Paya, almost all visitors (and all locals) remove their footwear at the gates before even setting foot inside the complex.

Lifestyle

Yangon’s property market is the most expensive in the country and beyond the reach of most Yangonites. Most rent outside downtown and few can afford to rent downtown area apartments. (In 2008, rents for a typical 650-to-750 square foot apartments in downtown and vicinity range between K70,000 and K150,000 and those for high end condos between K200,000 and K500,000.)

Most men of all ages (and some women) spend their time at ubiquitous tea-shops, found in any corner or street of the city. Watching European football (mostly English Premier League with occasional La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga) matches while sipping tea is a popular pastime among many Yangonites, rich and poor alike. The average person stays close to his or her neighbourhood haunts. The well-to-do tend to visit shopping malls and parks on weekends. Some leave the city on weekends for Chaungtha and Ngwesaung beach resorts in Ayeyarwady Division.

Yangon is also home to many paya pwes (pagoda festivals), held during dry-season months (November – March). The most famous of all, the Shwedagon Pagoda Festival in March, attracts thousands of pilgrims from around the country.

Yangon’s museums are the domain of tourists and rarely visited by the locals.

Most of Yangon’s larger hotels offer some kind of nightlife entertainment, geared towards tourists and the well-to-do Burmese. Some hotels offer traditional Burmese performing arts shows complete with a traditional Burmese orchestra. The pub scene in larger hotels is more or less the same as elsewhere in Asia. Other options include karaoke bars and pub restaurants in Yangon Chinatown.

Due to the problems of high inflation and the fact that many of the population do not have access to credit or debit cards, it is common to see citizens carrying a considerable amount of cash. Credit cards are only rarely used in the city, chiefly in the more lavish hotels.

A street market at downtown area

Miscellaneous

Aung San’s House, located at Natmauk Road (near the German embassy). This was the house were Aung San lived, with his wife and three children, short before he was assassinated.

Martyrs’ Mausoleum, near the south gate of Shwedagon. Contains the tombs of Queen Suphayalat, wife of Burma’s last king; nationalist and writer Thakin Kodaw Hmaing; former UN Secretary-General U Thant; and Aung San Suu Kyi’s mother, Khin Kyi.

National Museum, located at 26, Pansodan Street displays many Burmese historical artifacts, including regalia of the last Konbaung Dynasty. The museum is open 10:00-15:00, and is closed on Saturdays and Sundays.

Defence Services Museum, located at Shwedagon Pagoda Road. The tatmadaw (army) played a pivotal role in Burmese history.

SHOPPING

Handicrafts, precious gems, clothes, collectibles, Yangon has it all! Shopping is fun in Yangon because of the variety of things available and because, unlike in neighboring India, the hard sell and hassle is missing. Bargaining is expected, although tourists will be charged significantly higher prices. Street vendors in downtown are not allowed to open shop until 18:00, by government mandate.

Although not as well known as Bangkok or Hong Kong, Yangon is an excellent place to have a shirt tailored. One can have a shirt with a traditional Burmese collar (mandarin collar) made for around US$6. 4-5 days should be sufficient for a shirt to be made.

• Chinatown offers a wide selection of street vendors, where colonial coins, paintings, and other souvenirs can be easily bought. Open 15:00-21:00.
• Bogyoke Aung San Market (Scott Market) is an excellent source to buy Burmese handicrafts, such as wood carvings or lacquerware. Beware, however, because some lacquerware is not traditionally-made, and will wear away quickly. The market is also known for its clothing and fabrics.
• Shwedagon Paya’s entrance hallway offers many 1-room shops that sell Burmese antiquities, including papier mâché owls, wood-carved statues, and Buddhas.
• There are several shopping malls in Yangon, such as the Dagon Centre and the FMI Centre. Many of the items sold are from Thailand and China, and usually have fixed prices.

A Chinatown street side                         Bogyoke market                                        China town

Dinning

Yangon has seen an explosion of restaurants in the last ten years and almost any type of international cuisine – eclectic Western, Italian, Japanese, Thai, Korean – is available. Local cuisine reflects the multi-ethnic nature of the city and the country and, along with Bamar food, there are a large number of Indian and Chinese restaurants as well as a few places specializing in Shan food. Fast food restaurants (usually with table service) serving burgers and pizza, and a few cafes complete the scene. Biryani, a rice and meat dish with roots in the Mughal Empire, is a specialty and there are many Biryani restaurants (dan-PAO-sain in Burmese) in the downtown area, specially along Anwaratha Road. The three main competing restaurant chains (all halal but vegetarian biryani is usually available) are Yuzana, KSS (Kyet Shar Soon), and Nilar.

Budget

• 999 Shan Noodle Shop (No. 130, 34th Street) offers very good noodle dishes for around 1000 kyat.
• Feel (No. 124, Pyihtaungsu Avenue, Dagon Township) offers a wide variety of Burmese curry dishes (~2000 kyat) displayed in the back. Salads and fries can be ordered easily.
• Kyet Shar Soon Biriani (franchises in Mingalar Taung Nyunt, Pabedan, and Kyauktada Townships), established in 1947, offers a dish of halal Burmese-accented biryani for around 700 kyat.
• Shwe Pu Zun, Tel. (01) 222305 or (01) 211709, 246-248, Anawrahta Road, Lanmadaw Tsp., ice cream and dessert shop known for its faluda (cold vermicelli drink).
• YKKO (No. 286, Seikkanthar Street (Upper Block), Kyauktada Township), is a well-established restaurant that is known for its kyae-oh, a Burmese noodle soup.
• Street vendors sell fries, such as samosa, onion balls, and other Indian snacks around Anwaratha Street between Sule Paya Road and Shwe Bontha Street in downtown Yangon. Under 200 kyat.
• Nilar Biryani, 216 Anwaratha Road, Yangon, ☎ + 95 1 253131. An old and venerable Biryani restaurant serving ready made chicken, mutton, and vegetable biryani in seconds. Fast, delicious, and cheap!”
• Golden City Chetty (Pagoda Road) offers Indian food at very reasonable prices.

Shan noodle                                              Biryani                                                     Ice Kachang

Mid-range

• Sandy’s, 290 U Wizara Road (at the bottom of Kandawgyi Lake), ☎ +95 1 525 195. The location by the lake is awesome but Sandy’s is probably the only place in all of Myanmar where you can get traditional Burmese upscale cuisine. It has an extensive menu and the servings are large so it is best to go in a group. The downside – you’ll probably share the large restaurant space with a tour group or two.
• Karaweik Buffet Restaurant, Kan Pat Street, Mingalar Taung Nyunt Township, (01) 290546, located on Kandawgyi Lake, a buffet restaurant inside the Karaweik, offers a wide selection of Asian dishes, and a 1-hour cultural show from 19:30 to 20:30. It is 7500 kyat/person. As a note, this restaurant is government-owned.
• Sabai Sabai (Dhammazedi Road), the best Thai restaurant in town. Expect to pay about 7000 kyat/person for drinks, soup, starter and main. This clean and atmospheric place is a favourite amongst expats and businesspeople.
• Cafe Aroma, Sule Pagoda Road (Opp. Traders Hotel). Decent coffee by Burmese standards, excellent shakes and fresh juices, and pizzas and hamburgers. An unusually laid back refuge from the heat or the rain!
• Oriental House is a chain with branches in Yangon and at the airport. It is known for its Guangdong-style dim sum and Cantonese cuisine with .
• Golden Duck (”Shwe Be”) specialises in Chinese cuisine, and has several franchises in Yangon.

Golden Duck (Shwe Be)

Splurge

• Le Planteur Restaurant and Bar, 22 Kaba Aye Pagoda Road, next to Golden Hill Tower is undeniably the best restaurant of Myanmar. It is specialized on Fine French cuisine with an Asian touch. The location of the restaurant (a former Australian Embassy) is spectacular, and the service is as impeccable as that of a top-notch restaurant in Paris. Tel: 95-1-541-997.
• Signature Garden Restaurant (Corner of Kaba Aye Pagoda Road & Kan Yeik Thar Road, Kandawgyi Relaxation Zone, Bahan Towhsip) is a fine dining restaurant in Yangon and feel the exprerience 2 Levels of Culinary Enlightenment…. the ambience of food, wine and celebration at Kandawgyi lake is elegantly expressed at Siganture Garden with comfort, sense of style and restaurant of distinction.
• L’Opera (C62, D, U Tun Nyein Street,Mayangon Township, Yangon) is most certainly the best Italian restaurant in Yangon, and perhaps even the best restaurant in Yangon. In the relaxed garden atmosphere, one can order from a wide range of fresh and delicious courses and wines. Tel: 95-1-665 516.

Le Planteur Restaurant and Bar           L’Opera

An interesting experience is to have High Tea at the Strand Hotel, on 92, Stand Road. High Tea is around US$15, astronomical for normal Burmese folk, but is served in the restaurant of one of the classic examples of the Colonial Hotel in Southeast Asia. One can choose from either Burmese or English high tea.

ENTERTAINMENT

There are a number of nightclubs and evening venues located in Yangon. Nightclubs located in 5 star hotels include The Music Club (at the Parkroyal Hotel; entrance fee US$6, hotel guests free), Paddy O’Malley’s (at the Sedona) and Pioneer (not at the Yuzana Garden Hotel anymore, it has moved to the east of the city centre). There are also stand-alone nightclubs (BME1 and BME2 in the North of the city). Local entertainment plazas that include Karaoke, fashion shows, bar and disco include Asia, JJ’s and 225. Closing times are from 11PM to 3AM, and entrance usually costs between US$3-5. Beer is around US$1-2. Most upmarket discos and nightclubs are frequented by Burmese prostitutes.

Yangon Nightlife

TRANSPORTATIONS (AIRLINES, TRAIN, BOAT, BUS)

Yangon International Airport (Mingladon) (RGN) is located approximately 30 minutes north of the city centre. Currently undergoing a major upgrade and renovation of existing facilities, it contains both international and domestic terminals. There is no accommodation in the immediate vicinity of the airport. The easiest way to get to and from the airport to the city is by taxi (US$6) but it is also possible to get a pickup or public bus from outside the airport (both can be very crowded!) for under 50 kyat.

International: There are direct flights to RGN from Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Gaya, Kolkata, Kunming,  Guangzhou and Taipei. International Airlines servicing RGN include Thai Airways, Bangkok Air, Malaysia Airlines, AirAsia, Korean Airlines, Silk Air and Air India. Coffee, tea and very basic snacks (packaged biscuits and single serving cakes) are available inside the security area. Arriving passengers should not change money at the airport because the official exchange rate bears no resemblance to the black market rate. It is easy to convert at the black market rate in the city (or anywhere in the country) and travelers don’t need kyat because they must pay for their (pre-paid) taxis in US$. There is a US$10 international departures fee, payable in foreign currency. (A new international terminal opened in the summer of 2007)

Domestic: The domestic terminal is old and tired looking. Facilities are minimal (coffee, tea, and basic packaged snacks are available) but, as a consequence, check-in is simple and quick and bags arrive quickly from arriving aircraft. Ancient buses ferry passengers to their aircraft. Pre-paid taxis are available, pay at the taxi counter inside the baggage claim area, but it is easier and cheaper to exit the terminal and negotiate directly with the Taxi Czar who controls the taxi trade at Mingladon. Try not to allow porters to carry your luggage, as they will demand specified tips and hassle you. This is especially a problem in the domestic terminal as there is no customs to pass through with your bags. If a porter has not attached himself to a hapless tourist, he may take random bags off the luggage cart, hoping someone will follow him.

By train

There are several train lines that connect Yangon to the rest of Burma. Several trains daily connect Yangon to Mandalay via Bago with connections to Bagan and

the Inle Lake area at Thazi. Because of a bizarre timetable change in 2006 (apparently to ensure that trains arrive at a reasonable hour at Pyinmana, the station for the new capital), most trains leave early in the morning (2, 3AM) and arrive late at night. Yangon-Mandalay fares for a sleeper are US$35-50, for a seat are US$30-40 on First Class and US$10-15 on Second Class. There is also a direct train line between Yangon and Bagan (US$35/13) but trains take almost 24 hours for a bumpy journey and the change at Thazi is a better bet.

The oldest line in Burma is the Yangon-Pyay line and it shows its age. But, the nine hour journey (US$15/6) along the Irrawaddy basin is well worth it. The Mawlamyine line is equally bumpy and the 10 hours (US$17/11) is almost twice what it takes by road. Trains also run to Pathein in the Irrawaddy delta but are very slow and the bus is a better alternative.

By boat

A hundred and fifty years ago, boats were the way to get to places from Rangoon and IWT (Inland Water Transport) passenger ferries still ply the major rivers. Yangon to Mandalay takes 5 days with a change at Pyay (3 days) and the return trip (downriver) takes three days. A luxury ferry (the Delta Queen) recalls the days of yore on the Yangon-Pathein route (about 20 hours, US$170/person). The IWT ferry to Pathein takes 15 hours for the over-night trip (US$35/10)

By bus

(Recent travelers, please update bus fares!)

Most buses depart from the Aung Mingalar Bus Terminal, a bit out of the city and beyond the airport, on the Pyay Road. Buses for the Irrawaddy delta region, however, depart from the Hlaing Thar Yar Bus Terminal across the Bayintnaung Bridge. Buses to Mandalay, K11,000 (15 hours) and Bagan (14 hours, 20,000 kyat) depart in the evening. Tickets on AC buses with reclining seats are about 18,000 kyat (seats in the last row do not recline). Buses to Kyaiktiyo (Kinpun) leave in the mornings (4.5 hours, 6000 kyat). Buses for Mawlamyine (6 hours via the new bridge) leave in the mornings and late nights (8000 kyat). Buses to Sittwe and Thandwe (Ngapali Beach) are also available but the road is bad and the journey long.

Thanks to the new bridge and upgraded road, buses to Pathein take less than 4 hours and the journey is comfortable. Add 45 minutes by taxi to get to the Hlaing Thar Yar Bus Terminal though. 6000 kyat.

GETTING AROUND

BY TAXI

The easiest way to get around is by taxi. Plenty of old white Toyota Corolla taxis ply the streets and will pull over if you stick your hand out. Genuine taxis have red license plates, carry a laminated green slip and a large-print taxi driver identification card on the dashboard of the car but all taxis are reliable. Be warned though that around lunch time and late at night it may be hard to hail one. Taxis are always available outside the bigger hotels, on Sule Pagoda Road outside Cafe Aroma, and, during the day, outside the Southern entrance to the Shwedagon Pagoda. Away from the city center, for example near the budget hotels in Pazundaung Township, you may have to wait a bit before a taxi shows up and it may be easier to ask your hotel to call one for you. If you’re traveling in the wee hours (for example, to catch a 4AM train or flight), arrange one with your hotel the previous evening. You will always, at all hours, find a taxi outside the Central Hotel on Bogoyoke Aung San Road.

It is customary to negotiate prices prior to the trip but, other than tacking on an informal tourist surcharge, you’ll rarely be cheated. Approximate fares (expect a 20% increase after the recent fuel price hikes) are: downtown to airport 4000 kyat to 6000 kyat; downtown to Shwedagon Pagoda 1500-2000 kyat; downtown to Pazundaung Township 1000 kyat; downtown to Kandawgyi Lake area 2000 kyat; downtown to Aung Mingalar Bus Terminal 5000-6000 kyat; downtown to Hlaing Thar Yar Bus Terminal 4000 kyat. Expect to pay more, sometimes twice as much, when it rains and late at nights.

Most taxis will be only to happy to negotiate an hourly (3000 kyat) or daily (US$20-30) or longer rate. Taxis will take you anywhere and you can, in theory, hail a cap and negotiate a trip to Pathein or Bago or other destinations at a much lower price than through a travel agency. See the Get out section below for sample fares.

(Note: There is a plan in place to introduce meters in Yangon taxis in 2008. As of March 2010, these have been implemented into a large portion of Taxis but are rarely used.)

BY TRAIN

While Yangon’s circular train is not particularly useful for getting to tourist sights, it is a ’sight’ by itself. US$1 (passport required).

BY TRISHAW

Trishaws are scarce in the downtown area (and not permitted before 10AM) but more readily available in the surrounding townships. Negotiate fares in advance but 100-200 kyat for a short ten minute ride, while higher than what locals would pay, is appropriate.

BY BUS

As you would expect, Yangon has an extensive and chaotically crowded bus system. Most are privately run and will not move until enough people are falling off the sides of the bus. Buses are cheap, a long ride rarely costs more than 200 kyats and they go everywhere. Most routes originate and terminate on the eastern side of the Sule Pagoda so head there if looking for a bus to the airport or to the Shwedagon Pagoda.

BY BOAT

A ferry crosses the river to Dallah (see the Get out section below) from the Pansodan Street Jetty.

ON FOOT

Distances in the downtown tourist area are not large and, provided you take it easy, you can walk almost anywhere. The sidewalks can be very crowded though, particularly on Anwaratha Road, so expect to be constantly bumped into and to have to negotiate your way across vendors selling everything from hot samosas and curry to screwdrivers to jeans. Also be aware that alot of the footpaths and sidewalks have large holes, mismatched pavers, or missing/unstable covers over drains. Walking on the footpath after dark can be treacherous, so either carry a torch or, like most locals, walk on the edge of the roadway which normally in a (marginally) better state of repair.

OTHER MEANS

Foreigners on tourist visas are not permitted to self-drive in Myanmar. Motorbikes and bicycles are not permitted within Yangon (although they are permitted elsewhere in the country).

OTHERS

Cycle rickshaw Myanmar

Myanmar Taxi