YANGON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AT A GLANCE

if you can't lead then you follow

17th DECEMBER 2019 ~ It was time to bid Myanmar goodbye and it had to be done at Yangon International Airport. We arrived at the airport early in the morning from Mandalay and a few hours after that, the place was already crowded with the locals mostly.

breakfast at the airport and instant food was brought from
Malaysia and heated the morning before

There was a group of local young men who were about to be working abroad and the whole village was at the airport to say "goodbye".

The airport looked modern and new. The best spot was the place where there were a few souvenir shops. I managed to get a few items to bring back home at reasonable prices.

TRAVEL TIP: There is a shuttle bus from the airport that will take you straight to Downtown Yangon and fro, and the fare is very cheap.

in the shuttle bus

I don't know whether I will be coming back to Yangon but I don't mind making a return trip - just for its milk tea and market place which I need more time to explore.

All in all, it had been a wonderful trip to a country which is not that popular among Malaysians. I am really glad I have made the decision and I would have to thank my travel partner/ex-student for agreeing to join me. I wonder if he will be interested for another trip in the future.

[MY MYANMAR TRIP MAIN PAGE]

STAYING A NIGHT AT EAST HOTEL, YANGON

We put up a night in Yangon on 13th December 2019 at East Hotel which is strategically located in Downtown Yangon. Hence it is just a walking distance away to may attractions in the city like Sule Pagoda and Maha Bandula Park, and the Aung Market. 

This hotel was quite classic in a way [read: old] and we were fascinated with its British styled decor.

the view from the bedroom window,
unfortunately

There was some kind of stool under the shower. I wonder whether if I had to sit down while showering.

the window in the shower stall

There was even a huge window that enabled you to see the bedroom and thank God for the wooden blinds or else there would be no privacy at all.

The toilet was like inside a hidden closet.and you would feel you were in a cupboard when the needs arose.

Even the furniture was antique. Look at the top of the closet which could be made of teak.

All in all, this should be a hotel with a reasonable price in the heart of Downtown Yangon. Highly recommended for people who are not fussy. 😆

[MY MYANMAR TRIP MAIN PAGE]

LEAVING YANGON FOR BAGAN ON JJ VIP EXPRESS BUS

14th DECEMBER 2019 ~ WE only stayed a night in Yangon before moving to the next city: BAGAN. From the city, we took a Grab Taxi to Aung Mingalar Bus Station - a bus terminal for express buses to other big cities in Myanmar. The terminal was actually not that far from the city centre but the traffic was quite bad. We arrived at about 7:00 p.m. to catch the bus at 8:00 p.m.

We were about to travel on a Super VIP Bus and we got a super VIP treatment while waiting for the bus to arrive. There was this First Class Lounge which was air-conditioned with comfortable sofa sets to rest. Coffee was also served to the passengers.

The J.J Express Bus was very comfortable. The seats were spacious and much more comfortable than the economy class seats of the plane. We were also given a blanket each, a snack box containing cookie and bread and a bottle of mineral water. There was also entertainment console for each seat BUT the earphones were not provided.

There was a stewardess on duty on the bus, who distributed all the items to the passengers, gave safety briefing  in English (which was hard to understand), and woke us up when the bus arrived in Bagan.

The journey from Yangon to Bagan took 9 hours. There were two toilet breaks when the bus stopped for half an hour for the passengers to get down. The first stop was a proper R&R station with modern restaurants like KFC and Gloria Jean's.

The second one was a smaller restaurant with many stalls selling all kinds of local products, like food and fruits. For one thing, the toilets at these stops were clean.

We arrived in Bagan at 5:00 a.m. It had been a pleasant bus ride, and I slept soundly all the way.

We used the bus from the same company from Mandalay to Yangon two days after.

You could get your bus tickets online which would make it very convenient for you to plan your travel. There are also other bus services available if you are looking for other options.

[MY MYANMAR TRIP MAIN PAGE]