top of page

2 Nights in Yangon, Myanmar (Part 2)

Hello Good Morning Myanmar !!

Second day at Yangon. The weather seems friendly today for us. We are hurry preparing our longest day again. Taking brekafast at the hotel was enough with a choice of hot tea or coffee and sandwhich and banana. The is a very basic breakfast but it is fine for us to start our day. Our plan today is to do pagodas visit, museum visit and back to conitnue our shopping to the Scott Market / Bogyoke Market again. Ready to start our day, we hail a taxi in front of our hotel and we haggle the price we got K2000 good it is more cheaper than yesterday, first place is Shwedagon Pagoda from Botataung Rd. Our destination today are to visit several place as mentioned above but we only can pick some of them due to the time constraint.

1. Shwedagon Pagoda. It is a very popular Pagoda in town. The Shwedagon Pagoda also known as the Great Dagon Pagoda and the Golden Pagoda, is a gilded stupa located inYangon, Myanmar. The 99 metres (325 ft) tall pagoda is situated on Singuttara Hill, to the west of Kandawgyi Lake, and dominates the Yangon skyline. Shwedagon Pagoda is the most sacred Buddhist pagoda in Myanmar, as it is believed to contain relics of the four previous Buddhasof the present kalpa. These relics include the staff of Kakusandha, the water filter of Koṇāgamana, a piece of the robe of Kassapa, and eight strands of hair from the head of Gautama. The pagoda complex is big with several entrance but the main entrance is the one from the north, here you can find souvenir shops but I do not shop here. The entrance fee is K8000 for foreigner but it is free for local. Inside the complex there is a monastery at the west part as I remember and we met several monks here too.

2. Bogyoke Aung San Museum, it is a former house of Aung San Suu Kyi when she was a kid.

The Bogyoke Aung San Museum located in Bahan, Yangon, is a museum dedicated to General Aung San (Madame Suu Kyi's father), the founder of modern Myanmar (Burma). Established in 1962, the two-story museum was Aung San's last residence before his assassination in July 1947. It is a colonial-era villa, built in 1921 where his daughter Aung San Suu Kyi grew up as a child. The museum, with its focus on Gen. Aung San's short adult life, is complementary to the Bogyoke Aung San Residence Museum in Natmauk, Magwe Division, which is dedicated to his childhood and family memorabilia. It houses exhibits on his life story and general memorabilia which includes clothing, books, furniture, family photos and the late general's car. (taken from Wiki). The house / the museum is a very cool place to be visited. They provide locker before the stairs, you have to put your belonging here and without camera to go up. The entrance fee is K400 as I can recall it. No camera allowed unfortunately but you can feel the tight history into your mind. Oh the museum also provide the english speaking guide so do not to be worry, you will not get lost here. To get here we were taking a cab from Shwedagon Pagoda, it cost us K4500 to Museum, Aung San Suu Kyi House from Shwedagon Pagoda and will be ended at Sule Pagoda in the downtown.

3. Aung San Suu Kyi House

We are only passing by this house, but stop by on the side of the street as the house is closed for public. We are allowed to make a picture in front of the house only. This house is also NLD Party Hed Quarter I guess. The NLD, National League for Democracy, leading by Madame Suu Kyi and later she won the election this year. People who passing by this house as it is located on the busy road, only open the wondow and make a shot. But we are insist to get down and took some shots here, but we should do it in a hurry *_*. We are happy can take a moment eventhough only in front og the closed entrance.

4. SULE PAGODA

We did not go to Karaweik and the lake but just passing it by on our way to the Museum but The Karaweik looks beautiful from a distance however we choose to go straight on to Sule Pagoda. The Sule Pagoda is a Burmese stupa located in the heart of downtown Yangon, occupying the centre of the city and an important space in contemporary Burmese politics, ideology and geography. According to legend, it was built before the Shwedagon Pagoda during the time of the Buddha, making it more than 2,500 years old. Burmese legend states that the site for the Shwedagon Pagoda was asked to be revealed from an old nat who resided at the place where the Sule Pagoda now stands. The Sule Pagoda incorporated the original Indian structure of the stupa, which initially was used to replicate the form and function of a relic mound. However, as Burmese culture became more independent of its South Indian influences, local architectural forms began to change the shape of the pagoda. It is believed to enshrine a strand of hair of the Buddha that the Buddha himself is said to have given to the two Burmese merchant brothers, Tapissa and Balika. The dome structure, topped with a golden spire, extends into the skyline, marking the cityscape (taken from Wiki). The entrance fee here is USD. 2.

From Sule Pagoda we took a walk to Bogyoke Aung San Rd. We walk fast and enjoy the pedestrian side walk along the shops which is also full of street vendors (like in Tanah Abang, Jakarta or Senen Market). We decided to have a quick lunch at KFC Myanmar, oh wow it is the very first KFC store here that just open in June 2015. Wew the door host weared longyi, it is good to keep the traditional things on track. Other staff are wearing the formal KFC uniform. We were noticed that the local still wearing sarong to come here hmmm yes it is very rare to find people wearing jeans except the foerign visitors but it is Burmesse culture of wearing their traditional clothes yes we agree. The restaurant itself was fully occupied but we can get a seat. We were happy becasue we can make ourselves comfrotable for a moment after walking fast under the sun of Yangon, it made us totaly sweat and need to cooling down for awhile. Move from KFC we try to explore the opposite side of Bogyoke Market, we found, still, many treet vendors in front of the shops and there is one Supermarket here but it is not a modern one only it has been equipped with Air Condition already. The Supermarket's name is SUPER ONE, it is located in an old fashioned building. We try to check what is inside, First, it is intereting knowing the very old style of supermarket if I can describe it like shops in 1970's maybe. Second, it solds local products. So in term of the buidling, in some part, we are noticed that the architecture is like Jakarta in 1970 however some parts are touched by modern architecture already but only few in the downtown. So after checking this side, we acrossed the bridge to go to our favourite Bogyoke Market again hihihi and we continue shopping here again *_*. We are comfortable to shop in Citimart Supermarket because they sold common product that we can find easily according to our needs.

We left Bogyoke Aung San Market and FMI Center around 5pm, taxi from here is quite hard to haggle K2500 the last price and we jumped in to ride to Lucky Seven Teashop again. Here in the taxi I have a short conversation with the driver, I said the tariff should be K2000 not K2500, he said no it should be K3000, hmmmm then I do more chit chat on with him, He said that He expected one day Myamar will change and no more dirty buildings but more modern one, also he expect the nation will be more opened to the International influenced of course for the good one. He ended will one funny question: How do you know the taxi price should be K2000 ? hahahaha....he also curious because I am so confident when bargaining the taxi price. I said, we have done a quick learned since yesterday we were here. First day we were stupid, yes because we do not know the situation here but then it is naturally developed of our self learning and self adjusted, so we are getting smarter day by day hiihi..now local must know that the foreign visitor like us will not be 'bullying' forever by them hahaha. Okay then continued, we get down at Lucky Seven Restaurant again and take an early dinner and relax here. Oh fyi, in front of the Restaurant I found there is one shop that sells longly with a good quality and packaging and I did shop here too *_* good product with a proper packaging.

After taking the dinner we took a walk to go back to our hostel and on our way we found the fact that a Threeshaw was an interesting one to be ride to Bota Taung Pagoda. Wow...we really enjoy the ride to pass the road in the dusk of Yangon, the model of threeshaw is totaly different with our threeshaw in Indonesia, so it is interesting for us riding this. Beside passing by junction we can also see few modern building stands along the way include modern department store until we must pass through the railway and we can see the coal train passing by, train was running very slow haha...I remember the train to Java when I was a kid that used coal to run it. Well, across the railway we finally arrived at Bota Taung Pagoda. It is smaller than Sule Pagoda. The entrance fee was USD. 2. We decide not to enter inside this time, we just look around the surrounding areas and try to cmmunicate with the threeshaw's driver also we approached the street vendor who sells local snack, buy some like local did hmmmm that is what I want in every trip of mine, mingle with local, do like local and that it FUN and Enjoyable one. We decided to go back to our hostel by taking the same threeshaw, yippiee....we passing by again the Bota Taung Rd in the dusk of Yangon and because our hostel is not a famous one, I try to memorize Malaysian Kitchen Restaurant as a spot to where we whould stop hihihi. Well, we arrive safely to our hostel but We still have one assigment, how we can change back the Kyat currency to USD soon, so we have to find Money Changer that still open now, time shows 6 pm. We met the Lady who is the owner of the hostel we stayed over, she is very helpful to call her colleague who owned the money changer and tell them we will go there please open the door for us. Beside that we arranged our taxi through the hotel as well as our flight will be at 8 something in the morning. Okay done. We have to go to the money changer quickly, the location is not too far just two blocks away behind the hostel, Great they open the door for us, the street we must has been quite because all shops are closed. One in teresting thing we found here is, these guy in the Money Changer (also their residence) were not wearing longyi, exactly like the lady who owned the hostel we stayed over, they seems were showing of the modern family of Myanmar. We tried to communicate with the man here, I open the conversation by talking about the Kyat notes that are very very dirty one, it seems the government does not care to print out the new notes, it is so pity, we received the shabby notes from the bank but we have to use it, no choice. The conversation become very interesting knowing that almost all people of Myanmar would like the biggest changing in their country. He said that they really put on hope to their future Democratic Leader who will lead the country and put on hope to Mother Suu Kyi. We pary for the changes to Myanmar too and for the best of Myanmar in a future.

Well, our time is almost ended in the country. We were going back to the hostel and drop by to the local minimart that selling candies, cookies, chocolates, drinks, breads, dried food and other things. Try to finish up our small Kyat money. And yes we still have some snack for our supper. Breakfast to go will be prepared by the hotel as well.

04:30am, wake up early in the morning and I must repack the stuff again quickly. Taxi will pick us up at 05:15am. Everything is ready, the guys at the hotel helped us to bring down our stuff and prepared our breakfast to go. We were heading to the airport inthe early morning and passing by Shwedagon Pagoda, it looks nice from the road then we stoped by for taking some pictures in front of the gate. We took another way to the airport this time I was noticed it wasn't the same road when we arrived. The road is big and empty woohoo...we can arrivee early then. We passed by the University of Yangon and Government belt. In this part of the city, it seems more developing than the one in the downtown central, just thinking why the development is not spread out to the whole Yangon City ?

Well, we arrived to Yangon International Airport, finally, it was a busy airport in the morning. My flight will be to Bangkok. We left Myanmar with lots of stories only eventhough in a very short time. People of Myanmar is trully friendly. Unfortunately we did not visit Bagan and Mandalay, maybe next time if I have a plan back here again.

Thank you very much Myanmar !!!!

Here are few Tips to visit Yangon

1. For Asean Countries you do not need Visa to enter Myanmar

2. Please bring the USD because it is easy to exchange the USD currency to Kyat

3. Money changer at the airport is recommended but it is open at 8 am

4. Taxi is recommended for in town travel, per way is K2000 to my experience in August 2015 however walking is also fine but you must adjust the pedestrian situation quickly

5. Halal food is easy to find here, don't worry

6. Every where local will wear longyi / sarong so it is good if you buy one for you too (suggested)

7. The thanaka powder is a good choice for a gift home or for own uses.

8. For food, you may try Mohinga, at least, for a local dishes, it is like a porridge, but actually it is a rice noddle and fish soup.

9. Bogyoke Aung San Market is very famous with Gemstone like rhuby, jade, etc. You can find it from the cheap one until expensive one, but Myanmar has been fanous with the gems, a natural resources, for decades so that you can find the earing, necklace, bracelet one set with a cheap price. This could be, absoluetely, your souvenirs / gift home (suggested)

10. There is no free entrance for pagoda to foreign visitors, so if you want to choose maybe Shwedagon and Sule are enough for a pagoda visit in Yangon.

Sule Pagoda

In front of the Sule Pagoda

Monks bring their lunch

Aung San Suu Kyi House

Join our mailing list

Never miss an update

RECENT POSTS:
SEARCH BY TAGS:

© 2015 by Kaki Roda. Proudly created with Wix.com

  • b-facebook
  • Twitter Round
  • Instagram Black Round
bottom of page