Tips and Tricks for Myanmar (as of 2016)

Mandalay: 

Getting there- A taxi from the airport to Nylon Hotel cost us 12,000K.

Staying- We stayed at Nylon Hotel.  Not the cheapest place you’ll find but we lucked out and had a penthouse room on the roof for $25 USD per night.  The staff was incredibly friendly and helpful, and a very satisfying breakfast was included.

Eating- If you’re looking for good Indian food, Pondicherry offers a great value and tasty food.

Getting around- Most taxi trips, even when organized by your guesthouse, have fairly standard pricing.  Although at times it might be possible to negotiate slightly on the street, often the fares don’t differ much.

Pyin Oo Lwin:

Getting there- We opted for the pickup ride from Mandalay costing only 2,000k per person including a 500K baggage fee.

Staying- We stayed at Cherry Guest House.  Rooms are very basic and some mattresses are heavily worn, but overall not a bad option.  Staff was friendly as usual and a double cost us $20 USD per night.

Eating- Your best bet is eating at the local market.

Getting Around- Even the train station in town is possible to reach on foot.  We walked everywhere we chose to go.

Kyaukme:

Getting there- We took the train from Pyin Oo Lwin.  Be sure to buy your train tickets as soon as the window opens at the train station the night before if you’re trying to sit in a specific part of the train.  Tickets were 2,149K per person.

Staying- With only a couple option in town, Northern Rock is a great choice at $12 USD per night.  Amazing staff and popular with those who chose to stop in this amazing local town.

Eating- If you stay at Northern Rock, the staff will point you in the right direction with food.  Every recommendation they gave us was good.

Getting around– We chose to do a 3 day, 2 night trek here.  The cost was 30,000K per person, per day.

Hsipaw:

Getting there- The van to Hsipaw from Kyaukme cost us 1,000K per person.

Staying- We stayed at Ever Green Guest House for only $10 USD per night.  The owner is very friendly and knowledgable.

Eating– With most travelers choosing this as their jumping off point for trekking, you can find plenty of options for food here.

Getting around- We chose not to trek having already trekked in Kyaukme, but the town itself is fairly small and easy to walk around.

Inle Lake/Nyaung Schwe:

Getting there- We decided to take an overnight bus from Inle Lake for 15,500K per person.  A wide variety of vendors sell tickets but they’re not all created equal.  Check with the owner at Ever Green with where to buy them.  A 12,500K fee is required to enter the Inle Lake area.

Staying- Richland Motel was a great place to stay in Inle Lake.  The staff was incredibly sweet, breakfast was decent with a nice view and our room was comfortable for $20 USD per night.

Eating- This is one of the most touristy places you will find in Myanmar, especially in the area.  Restaurant options are plentiful.

Getting around– Boat tours around the lake can vary depending on where you want to go but seem to carry standard pricing with most places.  We chose to organize ours through our guesthouse to avoid any confusion and were happy with our decision.  A day sightseeing and exploring cost us 23,000K for the entire boat.

Bagan:

Getting there- From Nyaung Schwe we took the daytime van for 14,000K per person.  Tourists are also required to pay a 25,000K entrance fee when arriving in Bagan.

Staying- We stayed at Winner guesthouse.  It was a bit far from most restaurants but was a decent place to stay.  Rooms were comfortable and quiet, important when waking up early to see sunset.  We paid $20 USD per night.

Eating- Again, plenty of options here to choose from with so many tourists visiting frequently.

Getting around- E bikes are the way to go!  A nice double E bike will cost 10,000K per day, 7,000K for a single.

Hpa-An:

Getting there- We took the VIP bus (not the JJ bus) overnight for 18,500K per person and were happy with our choice.  Though the JJ buses look incredibly comfortable, they come with a premium price tag if you’re on a budget.

Staying- We sill think about our precious time staying at Than Lwin Pyar.  Our room cost us 15,000K per night and included friendly greeting everytime we walked past the main counter at the entrance.

Eating- It seemed only a couple of restaurants were visited by tourists, most likely because you won’t find many options here.  No matter…the food was just as good as it was through the whole country!

Getting around- Unlike in Bagan, it’s possible to rent a real motorbike here.  We lucked out and found a brand new bike for 8,000K per day.  Although you can book tours to visit the various caves in the area (which are definitely worth a visit), exploring by motorbike was the way to go for us.

Yangon:

Getting there- The bus to Yangon from Hpa-An cost us 5,000K per person, another 3,000K per person for a taxi ride into the city.  Don’t be surprised if it takes you an hour or more with the traffic in the busy city.

Staying- If you’re looking for a place to meet other travelers, Chan Myaye would be a good bet.  A double room with A/C cost us $30 per night.  Be ready for a workout!  5 flights of stairs stood between the street and our room!

Eating- Being obsessed with Indian food, we ate at New Dehli every day and devoured thalis with our fingers!

Getting around- We walked to the markets we wanted to visit but did ride the circular train one afternoon which provided an interesting experience and different view outside the heart of the city.  Tickets were only 200K per person.  The Schwedegon Pagoda is a MUST see!