KL-Yangon-Bagan
December 14, 2016
This was my third time to visit Kuala Lumpur. My sister has never been so I didn’t mind stopping by KL before heading out to Myanmar. It was a quick 2 night trip as there was nothing much to show my sister except of course the usual Petronas Towers, a little shopping at Bukit Bintang and dinner at Jalan Alor. We also decided to check out the Batu Caves (which was disappointing to say the least) and had a few drinks at Changkat (my first time to visit!)
We took an Air Asia flight from KL to Yangon. As mentioned in Trip Advisor and other travel sites, we decided to exchange our USD to Myanmar Kyat at the airport. The rates were pretty good and you can choose from 2-3 Money Exchange companies.
A Taxi from the airport going to our hotel in downtown area was 8,000 Kyat. The taxis in Yangon are old, they don’t use air-conditioning (well, sometimes they will turn it on, but most of the time, it’s just windows down), and the driving is insane. We almost witnessed an intersection collision the next day! Yangon well reminded me of the dingy part of Manila with dirty streets and chaotic traffic. Familiar yet foreign.
A trip to the Shwedagon Pagoda is a must.
So is dinner at 19th Street and then some cocktails at The Blind Tiger.
On our last leg, we chose an overnight bus ride to Bagan. It was by far the coolest bus I have ever ridden. It was very spacious (better than a budget airline), they had movies, blankets and pillows and free snacks. How I wish we have something like it in the Philippines. For USD 19, JJ Express was really worth it.
We arrived in Bagan at 5 am, just in time for sunrise.
The sunrise was so beautiful. At 6 am, you will see the Hot Air Balloons rise from the east. This, personally, was my favourite moment in Bagan.
There are a number of things you can do in Bagan. You can rent an E-bike, drive around and visit the numerous temples scattered all over (just ask for a map from your hotel). You can also attend a cooking class, visit the lacquerware shops and get a massage.
The 1 week bonding trip with my sister was really fun and I enjoyed our little adventure (with a few misadventures in between). Too bad we didn’t have enough time to visit Inle Lake.
For those who want to know where we stayed, below are the cheap but cheerful hotels we chose.
KL : Ceria Hotel * Ask for a higher floor, not facing the road… it can get pretty noisy because of the Karaoke Bar beside it.
Yangon: Hotel Bond * They don’t have a lift, but the breakfast was really nice and the bed was really comfy. The bathroom was modern and they give out free bottled water.
Bagan: Bagan Nova * Cute room with balcony, nice simple breakfast, friendly staff, quiet neighbourhood.
It may appear as if I wrote this post in a rush, but for more details about Myanmar, please watch our video Backpacking Burma to see the beauty of KL, Yangon and Bagan Myanmar 🙂
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