Information for a successful Bagan Myanmar tour
The city of Bagan is divided into 3 main zones: New Bagan, Old Bagan and the city of Nyaung - U Bagan:
+ The main attractions are concentrated in Old Bagan with temples, stupas as well as other famous tourist attractions.
+ Hotels and motels are located in New Bagan
+ When traveling to Bagan in Myanmar, you will need to purchase tickets for $ 15 or 15,000 kyats. These notes must be carefully preserved, or you will inevitably have to repurchase them.
+ Security in Bagan is very good. There is a police force that responds specifically to tourists (Tourism Police). They are present in the area to be visited, and you can ask for help when you encounter problems.
The climate of Bagan has 3 distinct seasons: autumn from October to February, rainy season from July to September and dry season of the remaining period. In the rainy season, it rains day and night in Bagan. Autumn is the best time to explore and travel to Bagan, which is the peak season of tourism here.
From Vietnam, there are no direct flights to Bagan. If you want to make a Myanmar travel, you need to find out how to get around in Burma.
Bus to Bagan
+ Transfer to Bagan by bus
When you are in your Myanmar travel, you will notice that in major cities like Yangon, Mandalay and Inle Lake, there are bus lines that pass directly through Bagan. These buses are well equipped with modern and comfortable facilities such as sofa beds, air conditioning, and the departure times are quite exact. If you are in Yangon, you can ask the bus companies such as Elite Express or JJ Express for a departure at 19:30 (arrival at 04:30 every day) with the rate of 20,000 kyat. The buses operated by Elite Express leave a little later, around 21:00 and arrive at around 07:00, at the price of 16,000 kyat.
+ Going to Bagan by domestic flights
There is also another way to travel to Bagan. In Myanmar, there are airlines that offer domestic flights such as Air Bagan, Air Mandaly, Air KBZ, Yangon Airways and Asian Wings. All these companies offer direct flights to Bagan. Apart from saving time, passengers are extremely disappointed by this means of transport because the planes are small, the seats cramped, with a price ranging from 80 to 120 USD for a one-way ticket. It is therefore advisable for backpackers to make their Bagan Myanmar tour by bus, which is both cheaper and more comfortable.
+ Travel between tourist points in Bagan
In Bagan, the means of transport that allow you to move between the tourist spots are carriages, cars and bicycles.
• Bicycle: This is the means of transport most used by travelers. The rental costs 1500 kyat / day for normal bikes and 7000 kyat / day for electric bicycles. Getting around by this means will help you to be more active in your trip to Myanmar. You can eat and rest at your own pace while exploring landscapes and meeting local people.
• Horse-drawn carriage: It is a popular means of transport for tourists during their Bagan Myanmar tour. When you travel by this means, it is interesting to know that the pilot is also the tourist guide. The rental of a carriage in Bagan is 25,000 kyat for whole day and 15,000 kyat for a half of day.
• Car: This is a great choice if you are traveling in a group. The rental price of a car is 40,000 kyat per day. If you are alone, you can use this means only for a pick-up from the airport to the hotel or vice versa. On the other hand, the price of each trip will be 10,000 kyat.
According to our travel experience of Bagan Myanmar travel, we recommend you use bicycles or electric bicycles to move around the city so that your Burma trip would be more exciting and inexpensive. But in the last days in Bagan, you should travel by a horse-drawn carriage to have an unforgettable travel experience.
During your Bagan Myanmar tour, you will undoubtedly ask yourself where to stay. In fact, there are not many hotels in Bagan. Most establishments are located in two areas: New Bagan and Nyaung U. Nevertheless, there is a wide range of prices available, so you can be assured of being able to choose a good place to stay in Bagan depending on your own demands. It is recommended to check out several hotels and motels in Bagan before making reservations on Agoda.com, a prestigious online digital booking page. You can easily find luxury accommodations with a discount of more than 40%.
Some quality, modern, comfortable and cheap establishments in Bagan that you can consult are:
A good hotel in Bagan, Myanmar
Tharabar Gate Hotel:
Address: Near Tharabar Gate, 05 232, Old Bagan, 84 rooms.
Sometimes with 45% discount on Agoda, you can find a good price at only 80USD / night. The hotel was recently renovated in 2014 to ensure a comfortable experience of your stay. The rooms are equipped with all amenities such as flat screen TV, hangers, soluble coffee, free tea, etc. With an ideal location about 7 km from the city center, you can go to the airport in 15 minutes. On the other hand, you will have easy access to many tourist destinations such as the Ananda Temple, the Tharabar Gate and the Bagan Gold Palace. As it has always been ranked as the best hotel in Bagan, try staying there during your Bagan Myanmar tour.
+ Zfreeti Hotel:
Address: No. 407, Thiripyitsayar 5th Street, Near Shwe Zi Pagoda, Nyaung-U.
The rate is 35 USD / night. The Zfreeti Hotel is the ideal starting point for your tour in Bagan. The hotel is just 2 km far from the city center, and the airport can be reached in 7 minutes. In addition, all rooms are well equipped with necessary amenities. When you are looking for comfortable and convenient accommodation in Bagan, the Zfreeti Hotel is a good choice.
+ A cheap, popular hotel with an irresistible discount of up to 75% on Agoda is the Hotel Yadanarbon Bagan. You will be very surprised by its services, which you can enjoy for only about thirty dollars a night. Located in a prime location on Myat Lay Road, New Bagan, this hotel offers many other services. The Hotel Yadanarbon Bagan is rated well with a rating of 8.0 / 10 on the booking sites. The hotel is an ideal place for a budget travel in Burma.
What to see in Bagan Myanmar travel? Famous tourist attractions in Bagan, Myanmar
Temples are the unique feature of Bagan. If you are able to get there, be sure to visit the following attractions:
Mingalar Zedi Temple
The temple is situated in a wide and empty space. Visitors can enjoy the entire serene landscape of Old Bagan. It is also the temple you will have to visit first during your Bagan Myanmar tour.
Sulamani Guphaya Temple
This temple, also called "Precious Jade" was built in the 12th century. It is known for its frescoes engraved on the walls. Due to the ravages of time, the temple was severely damaged and could not retain the original features of its architecture, but it is still one of the best tourist destinations in Bagan.
Dhammayangyi Temple
The largest temple in Bagan has a unique architecture and totally different from other temples in the area. You will have the impression that it resembles a pyramid of Egypt. The Dhammayangyi Temple was built a long time ago, but was abandoned halfway. Today, no one knows why the temple has such a special architecture.
Ananda Phaya Temple
As a pleasant surprise during your Burma tours, this is still intact and one of the best preserved in the city to date. The temple has four gates, opening on 4 directions and attracts tourists by its unique architecture. For the people of Myanmar, it is the symbol of Buddhist wisdom. All this space will make you want to explore its landscapes under all seams.
Shwesandaw Temple
The most famous tourist spot of Bagan to admire the sunrise and sunset in Bagan is the Shwesandaw Temple. The structure of the temple has 4 faces and 5 floors, with a staircase on each side, which is very convenient for travelers to enjoy the sunrise. A common feature is that the stairs here are quite steep, narrow and there is a large steel railing so that visitors can easily climb.
Gastronomy in Bagan / Dishes and specialties of Bagan / Address of good restaurants in Bagan.
Gastronomy is an important part of tourism. If you have the opportunity to travel to Bagan, do not miss to try dishes of the national Burmese spirit such as tea leaf salad, Shan rice or Burmese curry. Here are some famous restaurants in Bagan that you should try:
• Queen Restaurant - Best Bagan restaurant in Myanmar. Address: Bagan-Nyuang U, Bagan - Telephone: 6160176 - Opening hours: 08:00 to 22:00.
• Golden Emperor - Super tasty restaurant in the ancient capital of Bagan. Address: Bagan Nyaung Oo-Main Road, Wet Kyi Inn Qr, Bagan - Opening hours: 08:00 to 22:00.
• BBQ Harmony - great restaurant with recognized barbecue of Bagan, Myanmar. Address: Bagan, Myanmar - Telephone: 09444004288 - Opening hours: 9:30 to 22:00.
• Golden Myanmar - An excellent address that offers delicious, popular and cheap food in Bagan, Myanmar. Address: Nyaung Rd, Bagan - Opening hours: 09:00 to 22:00.
Today's Bagan still retains its old-world charm, bearing the traditional cultural characteristics of Myanmar. Before the wave of mass tourism and social modernization affect Bagan, do not miss the opportunity to visit this beautiful city. A Burma trip guarantees you an exceptional experience of a tour to the heart of Myanmar.