Quick menu<\/strong><\/p>\r\n Fisherman on Inle Lake.<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n When should you go to Myanmar? The country has a tropical climate with monsoons that bring rain roughly from May\/June to October. During this period, the roads can be in terrible condition and overland travel can be difficult. That said, the center-north of the country gets only a fraction of the rain compared to the south, so the situation shouldn’t be all that extreme.<\/p>\r\n The dry season runs from November to May and is generally the best time to visit the country: temperatures are pleasant and there’s no rain. The months from November to March are especially recommended, as April and May, just before the rains, can be really hot and humid, with temperatures that in some cases exceed 40 degrees, especially in the central regions around Mandalay and Bagan. Unfortunately, August, when many people take their well-deserved vacation, is often the rainiest month of the year.<\/p>\r\n If you’re a perfectionist, the absolute best time to go to Myanmar is the months right after the rains, roughly from late October to late December, when the weather is ideal and the landscape is still green and not particularly dry like in the following months. Of course, this period, partly because of the Christmas holidays, is the peak season, with prices to match.<\/p>\r\n Sunrise in Bagan.<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n Since September 2014, holders of an Italian passport (valid for more than 6 months) can easily apply for an electronic visa (eVisa), which is issued within a maximum of three working days and must be used within 90 days of the date of issue (the rules change depending on your nationality, so check yours). With this type of visa, once you’ve entered the country you can stay for up to 28 days. The visa costs $50, this is the official website to apply<\/a>. If you need it, for an extra $6 you can get the visa in just one working day.<\/p>\r\n Once you’ve received the visa by email, you must enter through one of the eight designated border crossings (if you want to enter the country through any other border, you need to get a visa from an embassy\/consulate).<\/p>\r\n For up-to-date information on visas and the like, I recommend checking your own government’s official travel advice (for example, the UK’s Foreign travel advice<\/a>).<\/p>\r\n You’ll find the full list of border crossings where the eVisa is accepted on this page<\/a>; basically, it includes the international airports and some land borders, such as those with Thailand and India. The most popular land border, with reliable connections, is Myawaddy, which is about 7 hours by bus from Bangkok. Once you’re in the country, you can generally exit through any other border.<\/p>\r\n Finally, although it isn’t possible to extend the visa, you can stay beyond the 28 days without running into too many problems: you’ll just have to pay $3 plus another $3 for each extra day beyond the 28 days, and $5 a day after 90 days. The “fine” must be paid in cash, and only US dollars are accepted. Keep in mind that once your visa has expired, you might have trouble both getting around and finding accommodation, as you often need to show that you have a valid visa.<\/p>\r\n Myanmar doesn’t require any mandatory vaccinations, but Hepatitis A and B are recommended.<\/p>\r\n In this guide, prices are often expressed in the local currency. The official currency of Myanmar is called “<\/span>Burmese Kyat<\/span>,” abbreviated as “MMK.”<\/span><\/p>\r\n The exchange rate is about 1\u20ac = 2,350 MMK. For the current exchange rate, I suggest you look at <\/span>this page<\/span><\/a>. The U.S. dollar is also often used when it comes to prices for accommodation and activities in tourist areas.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n N.b. Several times throughout the guide you’ll find links to <\/span><\/i>https:\/\/www.alltrails.com\/<\/span><\/i><\/a>. If you want to use offline navigation directly from the Alltrails app you need to upgrade to the pro version. However, you can get around this by downloading the coordinates from the desktop version of the site in \u201cGoogle Earth KML\u201d format and then uploading them to <\/span><\/i>Organic Maps<\/span><\/i><\/a>, which is by far one of my <\/span><\/i>favorite travel apps<\/span><\/i><\/a>.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\r\n\r\n Yangon, formerly known as Rangoon, was the capital of Myanmar until 2005, when it was moved to Naypyidaw; today it’s still the country’s main city from an economic point of view, as well as the most populous, with over five million inhabitants.<\/p>\r\n\r\n Although the British influence from the colonial period is definitely noticeable in the downtown buildings, the city isn’t exactly “beautiful.” What makes it interesting, in my opinion, is the mix of cultures that live there: Chinese, Indian and Burmese, and a very “run down” feel, all in a strangely “relaxed” atmosphere considering the size of the city. In fact, I think it’s the only city in Southeast Asia where scooters and motorbikes have been completely banned!<\/p>\r\n Apart from wandering the streets and the various markets of the city, especially in the Chinatown area (<\/span>Google Maps<\/span><\/a>)<\/span>, the only real attraction is the Shwedagon Pagoda (<\/span>Google Maps<\/span><\/a>)<\/span>, a gigantic Buddhist temple considered the most sacred in the country; admission for foreigners is 10,000 kyat. If you want to see a beautiful sunset with the pagoda in the background (as in the photo), I recommend the adjacent park, at this spot<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n Shwedagon Pagoda.<\/em><\/p>\r\n Sule Pagoda (<\/span>Google Maps<\/span><\/a>)<\/span> is downtown and has practically become a traffic circle; nothing spectacular, but since you’re in the area, it’s worth seeing.<\/p>\r\n Finally, while walking around the streets of Yangon, I was approached by a really nice monk who convinced me to do an hour or so of “volunteering,” which consists of chatting in English with local students at the “U Aung Hein Kyaw English Class” school, located at this address<\/a>. Everyone is welcome in the morning, and in return you’re offered breakfast \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\r\n How to reach Yangon?<\/i><\/b><\/p>\r\n Unfortunately, both the airport and long-distance bus station are at least a half-hour taxi ride from the city. If you have a SIM card, the most practical way is probably to use <\/span><\/i>Grab<\/span><\/i><\/a>, the official taxi fare from the airport is $7, however, if you want to save money you can take buses 35 and 36 to Sule-bus stop, or 56\/57\/58 to Latha-bus stop (Chinatown).<\/span><\/i><\/p>\r\n Buses to most destinations (<\/span><\/i>Bagan, Kalaw, Mandalay, Inle Lake, Hpa An, Mawlamyine) <\/span><\/i>leave from Aung Mingalar Bus terminal, also known as “Highway Bus Station.” From the airport to the station is 5,000 MMK by cab. From the bus station by cab is about $7, alternatively you can take bus 36 to Sule – bus stop or 56\/57\/58 to Latha – bus stop (Chinatown).<\/span><\/i><\/p>\r\n Instead, buses to the Irrawaddy region (Chaungtha and Ngapali) leave from the <\/span><\/i>Hlaing Thar Yar Bus Terminal.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\r\n Finally, there are direct train connections to Bagan and Mandalay. However, they’re old and slow trains. Buses are generally a better option.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\r\n Where to sleep in Yangon?<\/i><\/b><\/p>\r\n I slept at <\/span><\/i>Hostel9 Yangon<\/span><\/i><\/a>, for the price it’s not bad at all, great for those on a budget. On the other hand, if you’re looking for something nicer take a look at <\/span><\/i>HOOD Hostel<\/span><\/i><\/a>.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\r\n On the streets of Yangon.<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n In my opinion, it’s absolutely not a “must see,” but if you have time and want to break up the trip to Hpa An, you could spend a night here.<\/p>\r\n To be clear, the town of Kyaikto is the junction for reaching the so-called “Golden Rock,” while Kinpun is the village at the foot of the mountain, where many people decide to stay and visit the Golden Rock as a day trip.<\/p>\r\n Once you get off at Kyaikto, you could base yourself there, also visit this gigantic Buddha statue<\/a> and then continue to the Golden Rock, first taking a pickup truck to Kinpun for 2,000 MMK and then another one to the Golden Rock itself, for another 2,000 MMK.<\/p>\r\n My alternative was to base myself in the small village of Kinpun, much quieter and “prettier” than Kyaikto. Admission to the Golden Rock for foreigners costs 10,000 MMK; it’s not exactly the most impressive site I’ve ever seen, but the view isn’t bad at all and seeing all those pilgrims is definitely interesting.<\/p>\r\n Unfortunately, the last truck (an actual truck converted into a bus) to Kinpun leaves the Golden Rock at 18:00, so it isn’t possible to see the sunset from the top. Try to be on time, because I arrived five minutes late and was told I’d have to walk down (it’s about 15 km), if it hadn’t been for a large group of locals, also late, who luckily showed up and kept pestering them until they organized a special truck for us, for 5,000 MMK each!<\/p>\r\n One last alternative, if budget isn’t an issue and you want to see sunrise or sunset at the Golden Rock, is to sleep at the top of the mountain, a stone’s throw from the rock: there are some really expensive hotels, like this one<\/a>, but also others that aren’t online, though prices are similar.<\/p>\r\n The Golden Rock.<\/em><\/p>\r\n How to reach Kyaikto?<\/i><\/b><\/p>\r\n As mentioned above, Kyaikto is the crossroads to Kinpun (the village at the base of the mountain) and Golden Rock, which is at the top. The journey from Kyaikto to Hpa An takes about 3 hours and costs 5,500\/6,000 MMK, while the trip to Yangon takes 5 hours. I took the bus directly from Kinpun, paying 8,000 MMK.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\r\n Where to sleep in Kinpun?<\/i><\/b><\/p>\r\n I recommend staying in Kinpun. We took a triple room at <\/em>Hotel Pann Myo Thu<\/em><\/a> for $35, but we agreed on $30 with breakfast; they also had private rooms for $6 per person, but really small ones. Despite the negative reviews, we really liked it there. A more popular option is <\/em>Bawga Theiddhi Hotel<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n The town was without a doubt one of my favorite stops on my trip to Myanmar: much less touristy than other destinations in the country, it’s really quiet and pleasant, not to mention that the surroundings can literally keep you busy for days.<\/p>\r\n\r\n Technically, many of the places listed below can be reached by bike, but I honestly believe that renting a scooter is much more practical. Tours are also offered that cover basically the same places listed below.<\/span><\/p>\r\n Yathaypyan Cave.<\/em><\/p>\r\n Explore the caves around the city<\/b><\/p>\r\n This is the classic tour of the main caves; inside there are small temples and statues, nothing exceptional, especially if you’ve been traveling around Asia for a while, but absolutely lovely and a nice way to spend the day.<\/p>\r\n By scooter, you can easily start in the late morning, visiting Kaw Ka Taung Cave<\/a> (<\/span>Google Maps<\/span><\/a>)<\/span>; I also recommend climbing to the top of the nearby viewpoint<\/a> (Google Maps<\/a>). From here, continue to Saddan Cave<\/a> (<\/span>Google Maps<\/span><\/a>)<\/span>, 500 MMK to park the scooter and 1,000 MMK to enter the cave. At the end of the route inside the cave, you could complete a sort of loop by taking a boat and walking a short stretch (if you take a look at Organic Maps<\/span><\/a>, it should be clear what I mean).<\/p>\r\n Then continue to the iconic Kyauk Ka Lat Pagoda<\/a> (<\/span>Google Maps<\/span><\/a>)<\/span> and finally the last real cave of the day, Yathaypyan Cave<\/a> (<\/span>Google Maps<\/span><\/a>)<\/span>, where you have to pay for parking, 500 MMK. There are also quite a few monkeys around, so avoid bringing food with you, and make sure you go all the way to the end of the cave, where there’s a beautiful viewpoint<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n To end the day, head to the Bat Cave<\/a> (<\/span>Google Maps<\/span><\/a>)<\/span>, where every evening at sunset you can watch a swarm of bats coming out to hunt, really cool! Admission costs 1,000 MMK. Don’t be swayed by the many people you’ll probably see at the top of the stupa: the best place to see the bats is lower down, as marked on Organic Maps.<\/a><\/p>\r\n Kaw Ka Taung Cave.<\/em><\/p>\r\n Hpa Pu<\/strong><\/p>\r\n Hpa Pu is a small village on the other side of the river. You can take a boat for 500 MMK at this spot<\/a>, walk around the village and then hike up to this viewpoint<\/a>, known as Hpa Pu Hill, where there’s a small stupa that’s popular for sunset (<\/span>Google Maps<\/span><\/a>)<\/span>.<\/p>\r\n The last stretch of the trail isn’t in good condition and certainly can’t be considered safe, but if you’re a bit careful, you can easily reach the top. Alternatively, you can also enjoy the sunset from lower down. Especially if you stay late, make sure you agree on a time for the boat back. If you want, you can also reach Hpa Pu overland by taking the long way around.<\/p>\r\n Sunset from Hpa Pu Hill.<\/em><\/p>\r\n Mount Zwegabin<\/b><\/p>\r\n This is a really popular hike. On the top of Mount Zwegabin<\/a> (<\/span>Google Maps<\/span><\/a>)<\/span> there’s a really atmospheric monastery, with a very spectacular 360-degree view, although in all likelihood there’ll be a lot of haze on the horizon during the dry season.<\/p>\r\n I went up for sunrise, reaching the base of the mountain by scooter, about 20 minutes from Hpa An. Admission costs 4,000 MMK and, given the 600 meters of elevation gain, you’ve got about an hour to an hour and a half of walking ahead of you, depending on your pace (<\/span>All Trails<\/span><\/a>)<\/span>. It’s best to do it at sunrise, or at least early in the morning, to avoid the heat of the day.<\/p>\r\n Once at the top, I was welcomed by a group of local guys who sat me down to eat Mohinga, a traditional Burmese dish, before watching the sunrise. The sunrise itself wasn’t particularly spectacular, but it was a nice experience anyway.<\/p>\r\n Before going back to town, check out Lumbini Garden<\/a> (<\/span>Google Maps<\/span><\/a>)<\/span> at the foot of Mount Zwegabin: there are hundreds of Buddha statues, really striking!<\/p>\r\n Sunrise on Mount Zwegabin.<\/em><\/p>\r\n Mount Taung Wine<\/b><\/p>\r\n Mount Taung Wine<\/a> (<\/span>Google Maps<\/span><\/a>)<\/span> is a less “tough” alternative to Mount Zwegabin, much less crowded and, the way I see it, the view is even prettier, or at least very similar. I went at sunset, but sunrise can’t be bad either!<\/p>\r\n Ride your scooter to this spot<\/a>; from here, the direction to head in is really clear, and if you need directions, there are a couple of stalls where you can ask. Walking at a brisk pace, it took me about twenty minutes to reach the top, but even taking it easy, it should take you 40 minutes at most. At the top there’s a small stupa with a 360-degree view, and when I was there, there were only five other people; I recommend it more than Mount Zwegabin. Admission is free, but you can leave an offering at the start of the trail if you like.<\/p>\r\n Finally, don’t leave Hpa An without getting a massage from the blind masseurs at this center<\/a>. Not only will you support a really interesting project, but you’ll also get what for me was the best massage ever, all for only 7,000 MMK for an hour-and-a-half session.<\/p>\r\n The peaks of Mount Taung Wine.<\/em><\/p>\r\n How to reach Hpa An?<\/i><\/b><\/p>\r\n From Yangon it’s about 7 hours, 8,000 MMK; Mawlamyine, to the south, is about two hours away; Mae Sot, where you can cross the border into Thailand, is about 3 hours by minivan: they might ask for 15,000 MMK, but you can easily get them down to 10,000 MMK.<\/em><\/p>\r\n From Hpa An you can also take a boat down the river to Mawlamyine. I haven’t done it, but apparently it’s a nice trip. There should be a boat every day at 8:15, costing 14,000 MMK.<\/em><\/p>\r\n Where to sleep in Hpa An?<\/i><\/b><\/p>\r\n Thanlwin Pyar Guest House<\/span><\/i><\/a> is by far the best place to stay for solo travelers. It’s almost always sold out, so it pays to book in advance. I shared a triple room at <\/span><\/i>River View Hotel<\/span><\/i><\/a>\r\n
Destinations<\/summary>\r\n
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![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ilbackpacker.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/tramonto_inle_lake.jpg\")
<\/h2>\r\nWhen to visit Myanmar<\/b><\/h2>\r\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ilbackpacker.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/alba_templi_bagan.jpg\")
\r\nDocuments and vaccinations to enter Myanmar<\/b><\/h2>\r\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ilbackpacker.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/pittore_bagan.jpg\")
\r\nWhat to do and see in Myanmar<\/b><\/h2>\r\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ilbackpacker.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/viaggio_myanmar.png\")
\r\nYangon<\/b><\/h3>\r\n
What to do and see in Yangon<\/b><\/h4>\r\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ilbackpacker.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/tramonto_pagoda_shwedagon_paya.jpg\")
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\r\nKyaikto and Kinpun (Golden Rock)<\/b><\/h3>\r\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ilbackpacker.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/golden_rock_myanmar.jpg\")
\r\nHpa An<\/b><\/h3>\r\n
What to do and see in Hpa An<\/b><\/h4>\r\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ilbackpacker.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/statue_buddha_hpa_an_myanmar.jpg\")
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\r\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ilbackpacker.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/tramonto_hpa_an_myanmar.jpg\")
\r\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ilbackpacker.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/alba_monte_zwegabin.jpg\")
\r\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ilbackpacker.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/tramonto_monte_Taung_wine.jpg\")
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