AttentionA reader (thank you Stéphane) told us that this boat was no longer available from December 2017. You can however choose the faster tourist boat at 42$/person at : http://www.mgrgexpress.com/ attention : I have never taken the tourist boat so I have no opinion to give you on this company

On the government site, it is clearly marked that this line was no longer offered, temporarily

 

VERSION 2016

When I was told about this slow boat that took 15 hours to do Mandalay – Bagan, the question that came to my mind was: “Is there food on the boat?” #me and food

Lonely Planet has reassured me

you aren’t likely to be hungry on long-distance ferries, which have a chef on board and are besieged at each stopover by food and drink vendors.

However, this long trip, not so comfortable, seems to be the favorite experience of all travelers in Burma

Be careful, I’m talking about the government slow boat(Inland Water Transport) and not the private companies who charge 35$/person to tourists and who offer boats in express mode (for only 7h30)

The slow boat is taken only by locals (and the few tourists who know about it). It costs, in August 2016, 18000 kyats. For this, you are entitled to a basic plastic chair. The Burmese sit on the floor, on bamboo mats they brought themselves. Some even have blankets

Schedules

There are two per week: every Wednesday and Sunday (info in August 2016). The boat leaves at 5:30 am and you have to be present at 5 am. It will take about 12 to 15 hours to make Mandalay – Bagan. If the water isn’t high enough and the boat is stuck, it will take even more time
Check the updated schedules on the official IWT website. The route you are interested in is Mandalay-Nyaung Oo

Where to buy the tickets?

You have to go to the Inland Water Transport office on 35th Street, 10 minutes walk from the port. This address isn’t marked on Google Maps. I put here the exact location of the office and a picture for you to show to your cab. The office is in front of a lake (which is actually a branch of the river)

Contrary to what you can read online, payment is made in kyats without any worries

Where does the boat leave from? Where does it arrive?

The boat leaves from the Bagan Jetty, at the end of 35th Street. You will see something like this

The boat will arrive at Nyang-U port in Bagan, an area full of cheap hotels. It will cost you between 5000 and 7000 kyats to get to the center of Nyang-U depending on the means of transport you choose

What to bring?

• Some food (just enough for breakfast). Usually your hotel will give you a small box if you tell them that you are leaving early in the morning
• A poncho for the rain
• Something to protect your bag/suitcase from the rain (I took a poncho for my bag)
• Lots of sunscreen
• Small change (200, 500 kyats) to buy good food from the street vendors
• To improve comfort

  • A meat bag in case you need to spend the night on the boat, very practical also to take a nap
  • An inflatable/travel pillow if needed
  • A book/Kindle/application Kindle

Tips

• Book a hotel near the port to be able to sleep as long as possible. We have reserved the Royal Tulip Guest House for 25$ (super hotel that we recommend) which is only 10mn walk from the port
• On the boat, observe the Burmese and stand on the side of the boat with the most Burmese. This way you will avoid torrential rain (if it rains) and too strong wind
• When the boat stops somewhere, buy the products from the street vendors, it’s local, fresh, and very good
• Consult our Mandalay – Bagan travel diary