Myanmar
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Prepaid 4G SIM card in Burma: How much does it cost? Where to buy it? What speed? Speedtest (2020)
During our world tour in 2016, we fell in love with Burma. At that time we were not writing articles about SIM cards or taking speed readings but we noticed that it would be complicated to come to Burma as a digital nomad because of the slow internet speed. Thanks to my former colleague Maxime, who also became a globe trotter, we have fresh information and the situation has changed. So we’ll probably go back to Burma in 2020 🙂 How much does a SIM card cost in Burma? It is possible to buy a SIM card directly at the airport and the prices are particularly interesting. There are several…
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What to buy? What to bring back from Myanmar?
There is no lack of shopping opportunities in Burma. But what do you need to bring back? Cosmetics Thanaka In terms of cosmetics, clearly Thanaka is at the top of the list. It is a yellow paste used as sunscreen by the Burmese. It exists in different versions, but the compact powder version is the easiest for foreigners to use. The “wood” version is the cheapest but requires a stone base.When you are in Burma, imitate the Burmese by putting Thanaka on both your cheeks to protect you from the sun, it will protect you from sunburn and will also attract the sympathy of the locals. Do not put too…
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Stray dogs in India, Nepal and Myanmar
During our stays in India, Nepal and Burma, we are struck by the number of stray dogs we come across in the streets. This is a scene that we no longer see in other Asian countries like Thailand, Vietnam or China, where dogs are eaten and teams supplying the dogs to restaurants “clean” the streets by kidnapping all the dogs that have the misfortune of hanging around in the street, whether they belong to someone or not.Fortunately, the religious fervor observed in India, Nepal and Burma also has a consequence in saving the lives of many stray dogs. They don’t hurt them, but they don’t take care of them either.The…
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Burma / Myanmar: Travel Guide, budget & 12-day Itinerary
We chose the following 12-day itinerary from Bangkok to Hanoi: Mandalay (4 nights), Day boat from 12h to Bagan (3 nights), Day bus from 8h to Inle Lake (2 nights), Day bus from 8h to return to Mandalay (2 nights). If we had to do it all over again, we would have chosen the following itinerary, for 11 nights, 12 days: Mandalay: 3 nights. Arrival preferably on a Thursday or Sunday. Day 1: Visit of the Royal Palace. Day 2 : Visit Mandalay Hill and the pagodas next door + Mahamuni by scooter. Movie session at Diamond Plaza. Day 3: Visit Amarapura, Sagang or Inwa by scooter or cab. Bagan:…
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Sending a parcel from Myanmar to France: Rates and Advice
A friend asked us to mail her one of the Buddha masks that she regretted not having bought during her trip to Burma. This is the first time we send a parcel since the beginning of our trip and we are quite curious to see how it goes.We are very fortunate to have a post office right next to our hotel in Bagan which is, in addition, indicated on Google Maps. This is a very good thing because the sign indicating “La Poste” is written only in Burmese.Update 07/25/2019: a reader informed us that this post office does not allow any more to send parcels. It will be necessary to…
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The Inle Lake (Myanmar) – an exceptional place
The Inle Lake only confirms my love for Burma. This destination, unavoidable for any traveler, fascinates, thanks to its exceptional landscapes, and its markets, gardens, floating houses We start from Bagan at 8 am for Nyaung Shwe, the entrance door to the inle Lake The trip will last 6 hours, breaks included. The mini-van is quite comfortable, even if the air conditioning does not seem to work. We stop at noon at a restaurant where a very demanding cat meows to ask us for chicken (and no noodles… don’t exaggerate either). I have to refrain from caressing him <3 As for Bagan, we have to pay a conservation fee (12,500…
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Bagan (Myanmar) – Burma’s must-see
Arriving at our hotel after a long boat trip (told here, and practical advice here), we are greeted by a receptionist with impeccable English. It’s a change from Mandalay where we had difficulties to communicate! Of the blow we take advantage completely to ask him all the questions which we want Our hotel is located in the Nyaung U district, not expensive, 10 minutes by e-bike from the temples. Here, neither walking nor cycling is recommended. Electric bicycles (e-bike), which look more like scooters than bicycles, are very popular and convenient to visit the beautiful pagodas of Bagan. Rented for 8$/day for two (or 6$ for one person), the battery…
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The boat / slow boat from Mandalay to Bagan: 12h to observe the local life
Our boat leaves Mandalay at 5:30 am for a long trip of 12 hours to Bagan. It is a “slow boat” (vs. “express boat” which refers to private and tourist companies), taken by Burmese merchants to transport mainly food to their distant villages. We booked the tickets directly at the Inland Water Transport office (click here for more info) Update November 2018 : Attention, this boat isn’t proposed by the government since December 2017, and this, temporarily (well, it’s already been a year). However, you can still opt for the 42$ tourist boat (which I have not tested): http: //www.mgrgexpress.com/ The Mandalay – Bagan trip is faster than the trip…
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Mandalay (Myanmar), way bigger than you’d think
Burma has always been a dream destination for us. For years, we have been telling ourselves that it has to be on our top list before it becomes too touristy. Here we are, finally. Part 1: Travel Diary Part 2: Practical Tips Part 1: Travel Diary We arrive in Mandalay after 2 hours (I think) of flight from Bangkok. Why we go directly to Mandalay instead of Yangon? Why don’t we do like everybody else? Simply because I never heard about Yangon before (oops). I did my research wrong and didn’t realize that Yangon was better served than Mandalay. This mistake “cost” us the addition of Thailand to our itinerary…
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Where to book the local boat / slow boat Mandalay – Bagan
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…
