Given the current situation in Myanmar, I cannot recommend making any travel plans to this country. Please refer to your government’s travel safety guidelines ahead of making any travel plans.

This time, 2019, I would be in Yangon for several days. Armed with what will henceforth be known as “Elelta and Dana’s Yangon Foodie Guide,” I tasted a variety of Burmese cuisine, from ethnic Wa foods to foods from the Shan state, to traditional Chinese food (from Myanmar’s large Chinese diaspora!). I tried it all, with a variety of cocktails and tropical fruit juices to wash it down with.

So behold.

The Dana and Elelta Yangon Foodie Guide

Brief Introduction to Elelta and Dana, and the Yangon Foodie Guide

As part of my insane travel schedule/life, in November 2019, I traveled from Afghanistan to the Maldives. And by December, I had to be in Austria for graduation. Where to fill the time, with the world as my oyster?

Of the people I have met through my life in Kabul, three of them had or now have connections to Myanmar. Two of the three lived and worked there previously. And though I didn’t know it at the time, but a third would be moving there by the end of 2019. The choice of Yangon literally went like this:

L: We could do Yangon.
There’s a little more character than BKK (Bangkok)

D: Waaaaay more character.
And I do really love Yangon
For a long weekend we can eat well and go to some cute places

Dana was all for picking Yangon. But what about Elelta? I didn’t know it at the time, but when asked to pick a country that you felt had impacted you the most, Elelta chose Myanmar, because of her experiences from living there before. Mine? Cook Islands. Someone else? Lebanon. Another? Yemen. Ya, we are a diverse group of humans. All gathered together in Afghanistan, of all places. Back to Yangon before I get too nostalgic..

The idea for a long weekend in Yangon was born out of the promise of eating well and the hope of being positively impacted for life.

And that is the premise behind the creation of the Yangon Foodie Guide. Without further ado…

1. Rangoon Tea House (RTH)

As I was thinking of how to describe the Rangoon Tea House, or RTH to the expat community, the phrase “grand dame” of Yangon restaurants kept popping into my head. Although it’s probably not an apt description in technicality, that’s what I want to call it. The Grand Dame of Yangon.

When I was in Yangon, I visited the Rangoon Tea House twice, at different times of the day. And both times, it was completely packed to the brim. There is also an upstairs bar/seating area (where the restrooms are) but I never saw them seat anyone in that section.

As a Yangon Foodie, doesn’t this look delicious?

Please allow me to introduce the utter delightful dishes I ate at RTH. Yes. This is one person’s consumption – no judgment.

• Soft-shelled crab bao – absolutely delicious. It combines two things I love – soft shell crabs and baos. For me, it wasn’t a knife and fork action, but a “take a huge bite and hope for the best” method.
• Nan Gyi – thick rice noodles, with crispy (shrimp, I think) chips and shredded chicken. Because of the curry paste (I think), it was a little dry, similar to the dry like peanut butter. However, the order comes with a little bowl of broth or consomme to wash it down. You can order it with either chicken or fish cakes.
• The famous pennywort salad (myin kwa ywet thoke) – this was probably my absolutely favorite thing at RTH! Pennywort is a leafy vegetable uncommon to western cuisine, which I have rarely encountered in my food adventures. The salad was absolutely delightful, and the crispy shallots on top were to die for. The lime added a light and refreshing touch to it. I ordered this both times I went to RTH – it’s that good!
• Grilled pork neck – for someone who has been living in a Muslim country and thus deprived of pork, this grilled pork neck was quite possibly one of the most delicious things I’ve ever eaten – period! Tender, fragrant and grilled to perfection! Described on the menu as “200g tender pork neck marinated overnight in tea leaf tapenade, grilled over an open fire” 6500 ks | $4.40 USD
• The BFF dessert – right when you enter RTH, there is a large display counter of all of their desserts. Do yourself a favor and get one!! They are delicious. The BFF comes highly recommended!
• Salted caramel brownie with vanilla ice cream – Ok, really… could this ever go wrong??? No. It was a little too big for one person, given all that I had eaten already. But REALLY. GOOD. 7500 ks | $5 USD

(Not pictured and not tried by yours truly, but recommended by the Yangon Foodie Guide: banana blossom salad!)

Unfortunately, I cannot find a good version of the menu online, so I could only include the prices for the grilled pork neck and the brownie. Ironically, the brownie was probably the most expensive thing that I ordered, at 7500 ks. Also, I think RTH is classed as a $$$ restaurant in most lists. As an expat, and given the long list of things I ordered above, (and if you add in cocktails, which I hear are great at RTH) you could probably easily spend $15-20 USD at RTH.

Rangoon Tea House: Ultimate decision: absolutely worth it and amazing! For foodies and non-foodies alike! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

2. Root Kitchen and Bar

Root is a delightful “ethnic Wa” restaurant, located in the 5th ward of downtown Yangon. The Wa people are an ethnic group who live primarily in northern Myanmar (in parts of Shan and Kachin States) and Yunnan, China. The food at ROOT is a wonderful blend of modern and traditional flavors, and their cocktail menu, fun and exciting. The food is also intended to be served tapas/family-style, so everyone can try some of each dish. However, being the solo traveler that I am, that just means I’ll still order a bunch and eat it all. Behold – my first Wa experience!

• Grilled pork belly (Regular order) – The first thing that came out was this amazing grilled pork belly. So tender and expertly grilled. 5500 ks | $3.75 USD
• Wa Tang Clan cocktail – How could you not order a cocktail with this name? Not to be confused with the Wu Tang Clan, the WA Tang Clan is Gold Rum, cinnamon syrup, lemon, ginger, and ginger ale. Deliciously made. I want to go back and try more of their cocktails! 7000 ks | $4.75 USD
• Stir fry beef with bamboo shoots – I think if I had to rank each of these dishes at ROOT, this may be my least favorite, although it was still really delicious! I think the bamboo shoots were slightly pickled and had a bit of a sour taste. Maybe you don’t know, but I am not a huge fan of pickles or pickling. But I am a huge fan of bamboo. For me, I guess what I wanted was regular bamboo shoots and beef. But alas. Still really good, and worth a try! 6500 ks | $4.40 USD
• Stir fry green beans with minced pork – This is just a classic dish in many ethnic Chinese cuisines. Very rarely can a restaurant mess up a green beans and pork. Classic and nostalgic. 5000 ks | $3.40 USD

(Not pictured and not tried by yours truly, but recommended by the Yangon Foodie Guide: moik! Moik is made from brown rice, and is like a “Wa risotto”. The pumpkin moik or beef or pork were specifically recommended. The Wa people eat three different kindsm of moik: dry, wet and soupy. ROOT mainly serves the wet moik.)

ROOT was definitely one of my favorites too. My only regret was that I didn’t have more meals in Yangon in order to go and try more different Wa foods. I loved everything I ate, but especially that grilled pork belly and Wa Tang Clan cocktail!

The regular menu can be found here. There is also a “visual menu” found here, which also provides an introduction to the Wa peoples and cuisine.

ROOT: Ultimate decision: So, so good! and fun to try a new cuisine! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

3. Xi Yang Yang Xiao Long Bao – 喜洋洋小籠包

Anyone who knows me, knows that Xiao Long Bao (or “XLB” as seasoned connoisseurs will call it) are probably my all time favorite thing to eat. Din Tai Fung (the famous Taiwanese franchise) is an age-old favorite. Wherever there is a Din Tai Fung, there will be a Lannie eating an XLB and a pork-chop fried rice. Now, XLBs are obviously not Burmese cuisine, but rather Shanghaiese in nature. The Chinese diaspora brings the XLB to Yangon. Right now, the ethnic Chinese population in Myanmar stands at about 30-40% of the population. So, it’s not totally out of left field that a Chinese restaurant makes it onto the Yangon Foodie Guide.

Before I go into the food, I wanted to comment on the first photo of just the table settings. You’ll see that the bowls, tea cup, and plate are all covered in plastic wrap. Though wasteful, it’s supposed to denote that these bowls have been expertly sanitized for your clean eating experience. This is very typical in Asia and you’ll come across this in many different countries.

I have so many questions about this. Does this mean that they outsource all of their dishes to a company to wash and then wrap up? Or do they have a wrapping machine in the back that washes and wraps? If you’re going to wash it yourself, do you need to wrap it? So many questions.. But I digress, and onward to the food!

• Beef noodle soup – I ordered this because of nostalgia. I have very fond memories of regular, if not weekly, beef noodle soups when I was in college. Beef noodle soup is also a favorite meal in Taiwan, where I spent a lot of time in my youth. This one at Xi Yang Yang did not disappoint! Served with thick noodles typical to a beef noodle soup, and with flavors reminiscent of my past. I don’t know how much this cost, but it should be fairly reasonable.
• The Xiao Long Bao – pork soup dumplings. For me, the general rule of thumb is, if there are soup dumplings on the menu, don’t faff around and try ones with different flavors – i.e shrimp, crab, truffle, whatever. You name it, I’ve probably tried it and felt disappointed by it haha. Go for the classic pork. The XLB has two main components to grade the experience on: the soup and the skin. There needs to be an adequate amount of soup. The soup cannot have dried up or been lost due to a puncture in the dumpling skin. I am happy to say that not only was there adequate soup, which was extremely flavorful, but the dumpling skin also maintained its integrity throughout the eating experience. This is a bold thing to say, but I feel comfortable in saying this – on par with Din Tai Fung. 2000 ks | $1.35 USD for 4 pcs, 4000 ks | $2.70 USD for 8 pcs.

(Not pictured and not tried by yours truly, but things I would have liked to try: pork chop fried rice, scallion pancakes, black sesame buns! Sounds great, doesn’t it?)

Xi Yang Yang was everything that I wanted out of a nostalgic Chinese meal, full of all of my favorites.

Sincerely, someone who has gone around the world and tasted tons of beef noodle soups and xiao long baos in their day.

Xi Yang Yang: Ultimate decision: Get yourself there immediately! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

4. Shan Yoe Yar

Shan Yoe Yar is a restaurant specializing in ethnic Shan cuisine. The Shan people are part of the Tai ethnic group, based in South China and Southeast Asian. The Shan mostly reside in the Shan State, but also in the Mandalay Region, Kachin and Kayin States in Myanmar. Outside of Myanmar, the Shan people inhabit communities in Thailand, Laos, India, and south China.

Shan Yoe Yar has multiple locations, including its original one housed in a renovated teak house in the Lanmadaw district of Yangon. I went to the location in Sule Plaza, due to its close proximity to the Sule Pagoda. If you go to the Sule Pagoda for vibrant sunset, it’s only a 5 minute walk to Sule Plaza for a nice dinner at Shan Yoe Yar. Tourism and food in one!

When I walked into Shan Yoe Yar at Sule Plaza (a shopping mall in downtown), I was excited to order a famous Shan noodles. I had tried them previously, at 999 Shan Noodles and liked it. I looked all over the menu at Shan Yoe Yar and did not see it. When my server finally arrived, I asked about it, and apparently there is a breakfast menu where the noodles are! Shan people typically eat their Shan noodles for breakfast, but is also eaten at any time of day. Makes sense! Now, with both menus, I was ready to go.

• Shan Noodles (khao swe) – thin rice noodles with chicken or pork, cooked in tomatoes, which is served either dry or with broth (soup). I got the dry version, which came with soup on the side. However, it’s not dry as you would think. It’s still sopping in broth, and by the time you start to eat it, the rice noodles have absorbed a lot of the flavor of the broth. Delicious!
• Chinese kai lan with stir fried pork rinds – this dish was just ok. I was in the mood for a large veggie dish, and that certainly fit the bill! The pork rinds added a nice salty flavor but I thought the texture distracted from it. I’d never eaten cooked pork rinds before and the crispiness turns into a sogginess.

I washed all of this down with a delightful papaya juice. If I had more time, more meals available or more stomach, I would have loved to try a smattering of other dishes. I think perhaps with the kai lan, I just chose wrong. It’s also possible that dining at the original location in the teak house would have been more of an experience than a restaurant inside a shopping mall. All things to consider for the future! I could find a copy of the English menu online, but this restaurant would be in the $$-$$$ range.

Shan Yoe Yar: Ultimate decision: Try it out and go to the teak house for an experience! Go with friends and try more dishes and report back. ⭐⭐⭐ 1/2

5. Sarkies Bar at the Strand Hotel

If RTH is the Grand Dame of Yangon, the Strand Hotel would be the male equivalent. I present to you, the Major Domo of Yangon – The Strand Hotel. Built in 1901, this Victorian-hotel was once the most luxurious, opulent hotel in the British empire. If I were going to the hotel back in the day, I would not be allowed in because I am non-white. The luxury was originally intended only for white clientele. Thankfully we are living in the 21st century now.

The Yangon Foodie Guide also includes great cocktails.

It was a hot, Burmese afternoon when I walked into Sarkies Bar at the Strand Hotel. You come in from off the streets, where the street vendors sell fruit and street snacks, and the sun beats down on you. You’re transported from hot Yangon, to an air conditioned, Victorian hotel of yesteryear. It was quiet and empty for the afternoon, and perfect for a cocktail. I had arrived during happy hour, so there was a selection of cocktails for $7 USD.

I chose the Strand Sour, which sounded like it’s signature cocktail. Mandalay rum, lime, sugar and bitter. Absolutely refreshing!

Sarkies Bar: Ultimate decision: Luxurious, opulent, and likely expensive outside of happy hour. The Strand Sour was fantastic though! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

6. Sofaer & Co

Back in 1906, the Sofaer & Co building was commissioned by the son of an Iraqi immigrant to Yangon and served as a center for commerce during its time. It was renovated in 2016 and converted into a restaurant named after its original name. The ceramic tiles are particularly special, a geometric pattern of green, gold, burnt sienna and lapis lazuli, shipped directly from Manchester, UK, at the time of construction. The steel beams supporting the ceiling come from Lanarkshire Steel Company in Scotland. Pretty cool, isn’t it? What kind of restaurant would a building named “Sofaer & Co” house? Mekong-fusion cuisine. I was super excited to try this!

When I arrived at Sofaer, I promptly ordered a Pansodan Old Fashion, 7000 ks | $4.75 USD. The first one I ordered is on the left. Is it just me or does it look like water with a little orange coloring in it? I complained and got a second one. Though still watered down, it was better. For $4.75 USD, I wasn’t going to complain a third time, and decided to just go find a proper cocktail when I was done.

I heard a story that the restaurateur’s mother used to be a bun cha street vendor in Hanoi. That made me even more excited, despite drinking water and whisky while waiting for my food. Vietnamese food (especially bun cha) is one of my favorite cuisines, which I do not get enough of while living on the go!

• Morning glory salad – I love morning glory as a vegetable. It’s also known as water spinach (or kangkong) and very popular in Asian cuisine. This salad had a very generous portion of beef and an oversized shrimp chip that came with it. It was good, flavorful. But a little too meaty for something that I wanted as a salad.
• Bun Cha – Most times I walk into a Vietnamese restaurant, I will order some bun cha and possibly some egg rolls. Although I hadn’t had bun cha in over a year at this point, I hoped it would be phenomenal, but it was just average. And while average bun cha isn’t bad, it was a disappointment considering I hadn’t had it for so long.
• Mango sticky rice – I was really looking forward to this mango sticky rice. I flew through Bangkok on my way to Yangon, and usually when I am in the Bangkok airport, I buy a mango sticky rice to go. But I was so exhausted from my flight, I didn’t manage to this time. So Sofaer for the win! Right? Wrong. I expected some coconut milk drizzle on the sticky rice, but it was dry, which made the actual sticky rice flavorless. With most foods, I don’t like a lot of sauces or drizzle, but come on. Mango sticky rice has to have the coconut drizzle. and lots of it! Disappointment…

This was the most disappointing meal that I had during my time in Yangon. From the watered down old fashion, to the meaty salad, and the underwhelming mango sticky rice.

Sofaer & Co: Ultimate decision: Skip this, but maybe stop by to see the old building ⭐1/2

7. Gekko

If you went to Sofaer & Co and wound up disappointed as I did, fear not. Gekko, a Japanese restaurant known for its yakitori grill and cocktail lounge, is on the other side of the Sofaer building (and around the corner). Luckily, you can marvel at the ceramic tiles from Manchester and the steel beams from Scotland in a trendy new setting, while drinking a delightful cocktail.

When I came to Gekko, during their happy hour, I really just wanted a snack and a cocktail. I promptly ordered two salmon hand rolls (unpictured) and a Hanami old fashioned for 4000 ks $2.72. I rounded out the evening with a dram of Kirin Whisky’s Oak Master. It was nice…but I like my scotches better. (… is that the plural of scotch? scotchs? ..)

I bet the yakitori there is great too. Just based on my limited experience of salmon rolls and whisky cocktails, I still really enjoyed it.

Gekko: Ultimate decision: Really fun place with great drinks and sushi! ⭐⭐⭐⭐

8. Babett at Hotel G

When I was in Yangon, I stayed downtown at the Hotel G. The hotel stay was great but also so was the restaurant downstairs. From the expat community, I hear Babett is the place to go to for a nice brunch. I had breakfasts covered in my stay, so I never tried their actual brunch service. But I can say from just my regular hotel breakfasts and my lunch at Babett when I first arrived, the food is delicious!

• Mohinga – Generally considered the national dish of Myanmar, Although normally a breakfast food, hawker or street stalls everywhere serve Mohinga throughout the day. Because I had my mohinga at a hotel breakfast, it would of course be a little different than the street variety. At its core, mohinga is fish soup and chickpea flour. I loved how the chickpea flour thickens up the fish broth and gives a little cushion to mute the fishy flavor. The rice vermicelli also soak up the broth, which give the noodles this wonderful flavor and richness. I loved the fried fritters on top to add a crunchiness and texture to the noodles.

It is served with rice vermicelli, dressed and garnished with fish sauce, a squeeze of lime, crisp fried onions, coriander, spring onions, crushed dried chillis, and, as optional extras, crisp fried fritters such as split chickpeas (pè gyaw) (ပဲကြော်),^[2]urad dal (baya gyaw) (ဘယာကြော်) or gourd (bu thee gyaw) (ဗူးသီးကြော်) or sliced pieces of Chinese donuts (အီကြာ‌ကွေး), as well as boiled egg and fried nga hpè fish cake (ငါးဖယ်ကြော်).

From Wikipedia’s description of Mohinga

• Please note that mohinga is not served on the regular or brunch menu, and is only available as a breakfast option for hotel guests. However, I wanted to introduce you to mohinga (the national dish) and give you an option for western dining. I don’t need to introduce my carbonara pasta and grilled asparagus (or provide a rating for it), which I had ordered off of the regular menu at Babett. But just a quick comment to say it was delicious and if I needed a solid western meal, Babett is the place to go for it.

9. Allamanda Inn

Numbers 1-8 on the Foodie Guide have all been vetted and eaten by yours truly. For this entry, the recipient of the original Foodie Guide, stayed at the Allamanda Inn and has kindly offered a photo and review, in the form of a haiku.

#YangonFoodieReviewHaiku

The steak at the Inn,

that is named Allamanda,

is okay. Thumbs Up.

-A

So, in case people are wondering about the description – why “okay”? why “thumbs up”? The answer is simple – really amazing, great steaks are rare and expensive. “Okay” steaks, on the other hand, are plentiful. But especially when you are an expat living in Southeast Asia, a steak deemed as just “okay” is in fact a “thumbs up.” It’s pretty darn good and was never going to be earth shattering. (I hear). But also, the review in haiku form is a nod to our dear friend who is currently championing the hashtag #humanitarianhaiku on Twitter.

Besides the steak, Elelta noted Allamanda’s great tagines and salads. While this review will not have a rating in the end, come for the steak (or salads), stay for the delightful garden. And see if you can come up with a better #YangonFoodieReviewHaiku for Allamanda. It’ll be fun, trust us!

10. All others I did not try, but are included in the Yangon Foodie Guide:

Both Dana and Elelta inundated me with so many food recommendations that I could not eat all of them in the time span of 4 days! The below are some places that I did not have time to try, but were included in the original guide. These locations are mostly outside of downtown Yangon, and are included in the Google Map below.

• Sharky’s – an artisan-based restaurant, which promotes local and organic foods, with locations in Yangon and Bagan! I visited the Bagan location years ago and the was really delicious and fresh. There are several locations in Yangon, including one next door to Rangoon Tea House! Be like Elelta and go for ice cream at Sharky’s on Sundays!
• Yangon Bake House – Elelta specifically recommended this bakery, as she used to live near this shop and it would be her weekend breakfast joint. Yangon Bake House also supports women’s initiatives, giving apprentice opportunities to empower women with disabilities.
• Onyx Wine Tree – despite the name, this is a Korean steak house!
• Cask 81 – a whiskey bar with great reviews and a shred of lingering regret that I didn’t visit! (Cask 81 is currently in the process of relocating. Check the link for updates on their progress!)
• Fuji – Elelta describes it as the place for sushi in Yangon, whereas Dana’s description places the caveat on being “for sushi in Yangon”. Wherever the emphasis, this (or Gekko during happy hour) would be your sushi fix.

Parting Thoughts

Firstly, a general comment about service in Yangon. You’re better off if you recognize that the service industry is still in its infancy, and make efforts to proactively flag down servers whenever you need something. Don’t wait – you may be waiting forever.

All in all, Yangon is a delicious destination. I think that Thai and Vietnamese cuisines, the obvious culinary powerhouses in the Mekong region, tend to overshadow Burmese cuisine and Myanmar as a foodie destination. But the food and cocktail scene in Yangon is going through a renaissance and I cannot wait to go back and try more food!

Are you a Yangon Foodie, but want an organized food tour instead? With an exclusive discount?!

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Looking for a place to stay in Yangon?

Look no further than Hotel G, a wonderful boutique hotel in downtown Yangon! Click below to read a review, and click here to book!

Disclosure: Please note that the above booking link in this post is an affiliate link and if you go through them to make a hotel booking, I will earn a commission. I share these links because they are related to the post and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. The decision is yours whether to click through and make a booking through these links.

Need some ideas on things to do in Yangon?

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Acknowledgements

I would not have made this Foodie Guide were it not for Dana and Elelta, the authors of the guide, and Anthony, the original recipient of the guide. As a travel blogger, I find inspiration everywhere, including from those nearest to me. No clue who these people are? I introduce them in this post. Enjoy or dislike the food highlighted in our guide? Leave a comment for Elelta and Dana! or me!

Lannie

Lannie is a perpetual wanderer and loves to share her travel adventures and the food she eats along the way with everyone.  She works during the day while bouncing around the world and dreams about new places and faces at night!  She has a home on the magical Isle of Islay in Scotland, where the whisky flows freely and happily.

Click on the blue icons below to follow her on social media!

lanniesfoodandtravel.com/index.php/about-me/

1. Three Treasures Tourism in Bagan

The day after my accident, I planned on going on a village walking and private photography tour, with Three Treasures Tourism.

What I think makes Three Treasures special, is that Ian (the owner and my guide) goes above and beyond to teach locals how to cater to the growing “tourism industry” in Bagan.  He shared with me one of his first conversations with a local, after he started his business, and they said they knew how to cater to tourists – just charge them 3 times what we would pay ourselves!  And in many parts of Bagan, that is certainly the case!  But not with Three Treasures.

He takes the time and energy to teach the locals the little things like supply and demand, or ethical treatment of their animals.  Things that honestly, no one ever taught them in the past. 

What I really wanted from my tour was to be able to capture both sunrise and sunset and the expansive temples of Bagan. I was able to customize my full day tour to include a walk in the village, which included some time spent with locals.

2. Sunrise over Bagan

A driver picked me up from the hotel, in darkness, and drove me to a remote temple.  He said that Ian would meet me before sunrise.  So, I climbed to the top of the temple where several people were already waiting for the sunrise.  Some vendors began to show up and line up their paintings and artisanal goods along the walls of the temple.

Bagan is known for its temples.  There are estimated to be over 2,000 known temples.  I say known, because, several hundred temples were badly damaged during the 6.8 earthquake in 2016.  Several hundred were damaged, but during a post-earthquake mapping exercise, several hundred undiscovered ones were found.  So, I guess it all evens out in the end.

3. Breakfast with Grandma and Grandpa

After the sunrise, Ian took me a small temple.  “Grandma” and “Grandpa” are the caretakers of a small temple, and receive a stipend each month to maintain the temple and to farm the land around it.  They set up a small seating area and table. Grandma brought out breakfast.

The main course was cut up fried dough fritters, or 油條 for Chinese speakers, with a chickpea paste (“chunky hummus”), followed by fruit and coffee. Grandma decided to take a seat near us and watch while I ate.

4. Village walk

After breakfast, Ian took me to a village, where our first stop was a family that made bamboo lacquerware.  They made everything from serving dishes and trays, to jewelry boxes, to bowls.

The light coloring on the lady in green’s cheeks and arms is a root-based paste that local Burmese use to protect from the sun.  This is very common in Myanmar.

Regrets: I wish I took a picture of their actual lacquerware products, but I was so enthralled with the artisans themselves.  I will do better documenting my upcoming travels.

Scenes from the village:

5. Temples, temples, and more temples

Ian and I walked around and chatted through the day.  Since there are so many temples to choose from, he had taken me to ones that he thought were more interesting or had something a bit more special about it.

6. Sunset over Bagan

We ended the day with a horse cart ride to another temple, for the sunset.  The horses that are used in his tours are treated ethically and given a high level of care, including ensuring they are vaccinated as needed.  As I mentioned before, this is not the case for all horses in Bagan or Myanmar.

Conclusion

Ian was kind enough to arrange transport for me back to the bus station.  After a full day’s tour with him, I was heading back to Yangon for my flight to Hanoi the following morning.

Despite the pain from the day before, the Bagan trip turned out to be an enjoyable one, filled with great conversation with Ian, and an amazing look into village life in rural Myanmar. 

If anyone ever goes to Bagan, reach out to Three Treasures.  You won’t regret it!

Lannie

Lannie is a perpetual wanderer and loves to share her travel adventures and the food she eats along the way with everyone.  She works during the day while bouncing around the world and dreams about new places and faces at night!  She has a home on the magical Isle of Islay in Scotland, where the whisky flows freely and happily.

Click on the blue icons below to follow her on social media!

lanniesfoodandtravel.com/index.php/about-me/

1. Overnight Bus from Yangon to Bagan

When we last left off, I had just gotten back to the hotel in Yangon for a quick shower and rest, before taking a taxi to the bus station.  I remember the hotel manager asking me a ton of questions about my bus, which bus company it was, what time it was leaving, the whole nine yards.  I was confused at the time. 

But when we were pulling up towards the bus station, I could tell why.  IT. WAS. ENORMOUS.  and had food stalls and little convenient store stalls.  There must have been over 100 different buses that left from that depot.  Now it made sense when the manager told me and the taxi driver to go to a specific place in the bus depot.  (I won’t call it a bus station anymore, because really, it felt like an outdoor market that happened to have buses going to and fro from it.)

After waiting a while in your stereotypical SE Asian bus waiting area, the bus left almost right on time.  I was going through my records to see if I could remember how much the bus cost.  It was maybe $20?  It was a “luxury VIP” bus, which meant it had nice reclining, leather chairs.  There was supposed to be wifi, but, well, Myanmar..  They gave us a bottle of water and a thick blanket, which was appreciated.  You never know with buses in Asia.  Could be roasting or frigid.  The bus was scheduled to arrive in Bagan around 5 am.

2. Arrival into Bagan

{Side note: I stayed at the Bagan Umbra Hotel.  As I was researching for this blog post, I was looking for the hotel name in my files.  I typed it into Google and I began looking at the photos.  It literally did not ring a bell at all.  I think I blocked a lot of this trip from my memory.  This is the first time I’m really thinking about it, or talking about it in any detail.}

On the way to the hotel, we were stopped at a checkpoint of some kind, to see if the taxi driver was carrying tourists.  Mind you, this is around 5 am.  And I had to promptly pay for my entry ticket into the archaeological, protected zone of Bagan.  I’ll let you make your own judgments about what that fee was all about.

I arrived at the hotel and immediately showered and slept.  At this point, I had a restless night on the bus, having spent all day walking around Yangon, with an early flight in from Singapore.  We are about 30 hours after I left Singapore, and I’m finally sleeping in a bed.

3. Motorbike Rental

I woke up around 10, just early enough to catch the tail end of breakfast.  And immediately, I set out on foot to see what was near by.  Low and behold, there is a little shop that rents motorbikes.  I don’t remember how much it cost, nor do I remember how long I had rented it for.

Anyway, I rented the thing and spent the morning zooming around town, going to different places.  It was so much fun.  The views, the locals around town.  And Bagan is just so scenic with it’s thousands of temples dotting the horizon.  Including these random ones that I stopped off at.

As I was driving around, I passed a sign that pointed to the archaeological zone of Bagan, this way.  And I thought of that fee I already paid.  So I turned off the main road, onto a sandy road towards the zone.  All of Bagan is pretty remote and spread apart, so I was lucky when the motorbike slipped on sand, that people were actually in the vicinity.  The motorbike slipped, I must have hit the breaks and all I know was that I landed on my face.  In the sand.  No helmet, of course not, it’s Myanmar.

Thankful for Good Samaritans

It’s a good thing people were around.  To at least help me up, pour some water on my face and help me wipe some of the blood away.  There were sand and rocks everywhere.  I could feel it still on my face.  The motor bike fared better with a broken head light and mirror.

The thing about traveling alone is that, I had no choice but to drive myself back to the hotel.  Think about it.  Bagan is a super remote place.  This sandy path I was on, I doubt had a name, and even if it did.  Could I describe it?  I wasn’t even sure I was really going to said archaeological zone to be honest, because I know I passed by a different sign on a paved road earlier on in the morning.

So not only did i have to drive back to the hotel, Old Bagan/New Bagan are connected to the main town, Nyaung-U, by two parallel streets.  One is bigger than the other, but big is relative.  I took the wrong one.

But.  Taking the wrong road did lead me to the pharmacy, where the owner and his wife kind of looked on at me in horror and proceeded to use iodine and alcohol to help me clean my wounds.  I’m truly thankful that these people were there to help.  And that I didn’t necessarily need words to communicate, because honestly, I was probably at a loss for words.

And then, I had to continue to drive myself back to the hotel.  What a nightmare that whole ordeal was.  I’d deal with the bike shop owner later time, and eventually pay them $50 for the damage.  I later found out that technically, they owed me money for the accident.. apparently that’s how Myanmar works.

4. The rest of the day

I don’t remember if I had already scheduled a Burmese massage beforehand or if I decided that was a good idea since I needed to relax afterwards.  And that’s when I realized my legs were bruised up too.  Anyway, I spent the rest of the day by the pool, sketching and drinking fresh fruit juices.  I remember ordering room service that night and watching Guardians of the Galaxy (1) on my tablet.  The next day, I had a photography, village walking tour with Three Treasures that I was really looking forward to. And that will be my story for next time.

Mini Public Service Announcement

But before I go, one quick story.  I had lunch with one of my friends earlier this year, let’s call him J, and I was telling him this story.  J’s college roommate is from Hawaii and apparently things like this happen all the time in Hawaii or Asia in general. Tourists come in, thinking it’ll be a great idea to rent a moped or motorbike to see the place, don’t know how to ride, don’t know the rules of the road, and definitely don’t have a helmet.  And then they get hurt. Public service announcement:  It’s super dangerous without a helmet.  I could have easily suffered more damage than I did.  And with no helmet?  It was inexcusable for me to lower my own safety standards just because Myanmar’s safety standards are lower.  Never again.  Be smart people.  And since I’m sure you’re all curious what I looked like post-accident:

I’m fine now.  Was just definitely in shock and a little banged up at the time.  I’m still figuring out this blog and it’s kinks.  I wanted to show a picture of my bruised legs, but for some reason that wouldn’t take.  Oh well.  You’ve seen legs.  These ones were just bruised.

Also, I’ll post again on my tour of Bagan that I took the following day, because it is definitely worth a dedicated post.  The guide was great and let us do things at my pace.

So remember, safety first.  And try not to be a dumb tourist… in any manner.

Lannie

Lannie is a perpetual wanderer and loves to share her travel adventures and the food she eats along the way with everyone.  She works during the day while bouncing around the world and dreams about new places and faces at night!  She has a home on the magical Isle of Islay in Scotland, where the whisky flows freely and happily.

Click on the blue icons below to follow her on social media!

lanniesfoodandtravel.com/index.php/about-me/

I don’t talk much about my trip to Myanmar, and you all will find out why later. Let’s just say, for now, that I still carry scars from this trip.  Don’t worry, obviously I am still alive and functioning and writing to you today.  The story will come soon.

1. Morning at Shwedagon Pagoda

I started out in Yangon, where I spent the morning roaming around Shwedagon Pagoda, or the Golden Pagoda (for obvious reasons).  Everyone who goes to Yangon simply has to go there.  It’s the primary monument in the city.  There are surprisingly few tourists there, but booming with locals.  Locals enter free, tourists pay.  I think I paid about 9,000Ks (or about $6-8).  I understand they raised their rates again recently to 10,000Ks for tourists.  And it honestly would not surprise me if it is raised again in the near future.  Oh, and because this is a place of worship, you’re asked to remove your shoes before entering.

And here it is, the Golden Stupa itself:

You can actually see the sparkles a little better in this video I took.  Look at the top.

I mean, there’s a lot here for guys and gals who like gold and sparkles.

After roaming around the complex in the heat, I was happy to see a vendor selling whole coconuts outside.  I sat and drank the coconut water as I people watched.

2. Lunch at 999 Shan Noodle Shop

After the refreshing coconut water, and putting my shoes back on, I made my way back to the entrance to look for one of those taxis.  I took out my phone and showed the driver on google maps where I wanted to go. I was headed to 999 Shan Noodle Shop for a bowl of noodle soup.  The driver did give me some grief and of course, over charged me by quoting a fixed price, instead of a meter.  Sometimes, no matter what they tell you in guidebooks about being persistent about meter fare vs fixed price, there’s nothing you can do but continue to argue with the driver and end up still paying the fixed price.  Of course, I did not, and have not, walked off in a huff.  So whatever.  I roll my eyes, and it’s the cost of being a tourist.

I chose this noodle shop because it was open early, had good reviews, and honestly there’s nothing more I love than a good bowl of noodles.  It was one of those places where, the longer you sat down, the more tourists walk in.  Apparently they all read the same reviews I did.

3. Burmese Foot Spa & “Hidden Gem Yangon”

After lunch I went roaming around in the neighborhood down in the direction of two things: traditional Burmese foot spa and the result of my googling “Hidden Gem Yangon.”

First, the Sapel Traditional Burmese Foot Spa was amazing, and I had a great foot massage there.  So relaxing and a welcome break from the heat outside!!  {I literally could not tell you how much it was or how long it was for, since it happened almost a year ago, but it was a nice break in my day.  I also could not tell you why, if you look at their trip advisor page, there are pictures of the tribal women with rings on their necks.  They do NOT have these women in the spa just sitting there weaving…}

And Hidden Gem Yangon… tada!  This banana shop.

Yes.  Literally walked by, tried not to stare, and took a singular photo of this amazing banana shop.  It’s hard to do that, by the way.  Walk and try not to stare, while obviously staring.

4. Woops! Snack on my way to a Food Tour

Anyway, I had to make my way back towards the Sule Pagoda for my food tour.  On my way there, it’s true, I stopped for a snack.

And yes.  It is stored within that wine barrel.  Eating here, was not a tourist trap (notice plastic chairs) and if memory serves me, cost a cool 1,500 Ks ($1).

Now, back towards the main town square and my food tour waiting for me.

Interested in my Foodie Guide to Yangon? Click here!

5. Yangon Street Food Tour

So, in the end, I didn’t take many pictures on my food tour.  My tour guide was very nice, and explained that Myanmar food had a lot of chickpeas, cilantro, and spices.  A lot of the street food we tried were fried snacks.  Although it was good, they make ugly pictures.  But here is a lovely stall owner and some of the fried snacks she was selling.

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We also stopped by a different Shan noodle place.  The noodles were pretty good, but I think by that point, I was too full.  And then on top of that, we stopped for dessert.  At this point, I am regretting my sweet tofu dessert from five seconds ago.  But I put on my determined face, and finished the food tour with this lovely dessert drink.

Conclusion

So, following my street food tour, which included several bags of leftovers for the road, I took another poorly negotiated taxi back to my hotel.  I didn’t mention this earlier, but I booked a hotel just for the day – a pretty nice room (with shared facilities) at Wai Wai’s Place, for $26.  When I arrived in Yangon that morning at 9:20 am, I had less than 12 hours before I had to catch a bus to Bagan around 8 pm.  I basically went from the airport and dropped off my bags in my room, had a juice at their rooftop lounge, and then set off for Shwedagon Pagoda.  Why was it so crucial to get that $26 room?  For the shower, after roaming around all day in the heat, before boarding a 10 hour bus to Bagan.  Worth it?  Absolutely.

So thanks for reading all the way until the end.  And if you realized there was nothing particularly unspeakable about my Yangon post, tune in, next time, for the conclusion to “what happened to Lannie in Myanmar that makes her not like to talk about her trip.”

Half Day Recap:

• 10 AM: Delighting at golden stupas at Shwedagon Pagoda | map
• 12 PM: Touristy shan noodles at 999 Shan Noodles | map
• << explore downtown and passing through Chinatown >>
• 1 PM: Relaxing Burmese Foot Massage at Sapel | map
• << meander back to downtown, stop at banana store, Sule Pagoda >>
• 4 PM: Street Snacks Food tour with Yangon Food Tours

Lannie

Lannie is a perpetual wanderer and loves to share her travel adventures and the food she eats along the way with everyone.  She works during the day while bouncing around the world and dreams about new places and faces at night!  She has a home on the magical Isle of Islay in Scotland, where the whisky flows freely and happily.

Click on the blue icons below to follow her on social media!

lanniesfoodandtravel.com/index.php/about-me/