We were in
Myanmar in May and it was very hot then. Temps could go as high as 40 degrees Celsius so we would wake up early in the morning to sightsee while it was
relatively cool and the light is softer, take an early lunch, have a siesta and
resume sightseeing late in the afternoon just before sunset. It helped that Myanmar is an hour and a half
late to the Philippines and we took advantage of that time difference.
We spent a total
of 3 nights and 3 days in Yangon and it was more than enough time to go around
the city in a very leisurely pace. We napped a lot at middays or escaped the
heat in room just reading a novel.
When we
actually went out to explore, these were what we saw:
Shwedagon
Pagoda
The grandest,
most impressive and most sacred pagoda for the Burmese. Over 2600 years old, the Shwedagon houses
strands of Buddha’s hair. The actual pagoda is covered in gold plates and the
top of the stupa is encrusted with diamonds.
It is located atop Singuttara Hill and so massive that it has 3
entrances. My favorite would be the one that has access to a lift. And because it is a place of worship, you
have to walk barefoot which can be tricky if it is 40 degrees hot out, so I
suggest you visit early morning or late in the afternoon like we did. Entrance fee for foreigners is 8000 kyats or
8 USD.
Right in the
middle of downtown Yangon, not as impressive as Shwedagon but still worth a
visit; entrance fee is 1000 kyats. Since
Sule is right in the middle of the city, a walk around it can be quite
interesting.
Kandawgyi Lake
literally means “royal lake.” The park
is well maintained and very clean, perfect for a morning stroll. Entrance and
camera fee is 1000 kyats. The park has
several restaurants, a pond and a children’s playground.
Paya is a
Burmese word for stupa or pagoda and this paya houses a 60 meter long and a 30
meter tall reclining Buddha. It is also a monastery.
A great place
to buy souvenirs, they have everything from hand carved magnets and key chains
to laquerware, gemstones, longyi, paintings and fruits.
The
jam-packed with locals railway station in downtown Yangon is already an
attraction in itself with its traditional Burmese style architecture.
The complete
loop takes 3 hours and probably the best way of getting a glimpse on how the
locals actually live their daily lives – the backyards with their gardens or
animal pens, the monasteries with their clothesline full of monk’s robes
fluttering in the wind to dry, the slums, the farms green with produce or cracked
dry lands. It’s a tour of the facts of Yangon’s life without walking on foot.
Foreigners
pay 1 USD or 1200 Kyat in a little ticket office on platform seven in Central
Railway Station regardless of the length of the journey. Ticket is valid for
the whole day.
Service hours are from 3:45 am to 10:15 pm daily.
Service hours are from 3:45 am to 10:15 pm daily.