Yangon
Yangon is Myanmar’s largest city, and a bustling metropolis at that. Aside from the standard Asian city chaos, it’s home to beautiful temples, amazing colonial architecture, and serene lakes. Whether using Yangon as a pass over, visiting for business reasons, or simply exploring for a few days, be prepared for the crowds and heat.
Travel tip #1: Yangon can be divided into several areas, each with their own personality, feel, and experience. Research should be done beforehand if you’re planning on staying for several days to get the most out of the city.
Places of Interest
Shwedagon Pagoda: Shwedagon Pagoda is officially named Shwedagon Zedi Daw. However, it is also known as the Great Dagon Pagoda as well as the Golden Pagoda. This 99-meter-tall gilded stupa lies atop Singuttara Hill near Kandawgyi Lake. It’s quite spectacular, as the grounds are quite large and hundreds of people visit daily. I recommend going before sunrise not only to observe some of the morning rituals, but also to take gorgeous photos of the cotton-candy sky. Sunset is a popular time to visit, too. Tourists must pay 10,000 MMK (~$6.75 USD) to enter.
Sule Pagoda: Downtown Yangon is the city’s commercial center and Sule Pagoda is in the heart of it. This small pagoda is said to be older than Shwedagon Pagoda, making it nearly 2,600 years old. It occupies an important historical space in the city.
Chaukhtatgyi Pagoda: This is one of the more well-known Buddhist temples in Yangon due to the detailed paintings inside the building as well as a 65-meter-long Reclining Buddha statue. The statue itself wears a golden robe and its feet contain 108 images that represent the “auspicious characteristics of the Buddha.”
Nga Htat Gyi Pagoda: Less frequently visited by tourists, but definitely worth the walk through the neighborhoods to see a different side of Yangon. Nga Htat Gyi Pagoda is home to a large seated image of Buddha that’s surrounded by ornate wooden carvings. It’s located in Ashay Tawya Monastery nearby Chaukhtatgyi Pagoda.
Bogyoke Aung San Market: This historic colonial-style market with cobblestone streets features antiques, Burmese handicrafts, jewelry and gem shops, art galleries, clothing, and more. Bogyoke Aung San Market is in central Yangon and draws mainly tourists, so it’s a great place to go for souvenirs.
Bogyoke Aung San Park: Commonly known as Bogyoke Park, this is a nice green space surrounding Kandawgyi Lake to escape the chaos of the city. Many people come here in the morning hours to exercise, walk, or simply chat. It’s in walking distance from Shwedagon Pagoda and there’s also a museum inside the park.
Shri Kali Temple: Although Yangon’s Little India is not very defined, the Shri Kali Temple is within these general borders. The Hindu temple was built by Tamil immigrants in 1871 and is devoted to the Goddess Kali. There are similar temples in Little India in Penang as well as in Singapore.
Central Railway Station: Located a little north of Sule Pagoda and near Bogyoke Aung San Market, you’ll find the Central Railway Station. It is the starting point of an extensive 3,000+ mile railway system that connects much of the country. Thousands of people pass through here every day, with the morning hours seeing the most activity.
Circle Train: This iconic train line consists of 46 kilometers (29 miles) of bumpy tracks. It connects 38 stations through the suburban areas of Yangon, taking about three hours to complete an entire round! There is no air conditioning and the train is quite slow, but many locals take the train while vendors hop on and off selling food, fruit, vegetables, eggs, and more. It’s an experience to be had while in Yangon, especially at the low price of 200 MMK ($0.20 USD) per ride. Purchase tickets on the platform itself, not at the main window of the station.
Travel tip #2: Yangon is regarded as being fairly safe, especially in the areas that tourists tend to frequent. There are few crimes against tourists and no specific areas need to be avoid. However, I felt a bit unsafe walking around at night as a solo female traveller simply because of the abundance of alleyways and dimly lit streets.
Food
Rangoon Teahouse: A hip, westernized cafe and restaurant serving Burmese traditional favorites as well as dishes with a modern twist. The aesthetics here are awesome, and there is upstairs and downstairs seating. Their hot tea was good—the menu has explanations of different ways to order tea based on sweetness, richness, and flavor—and I really enjoyed their spicy tea leaf salad. It can get quite busy here, so you may have to wait.
Signature Fine Dining & The Garden Bistro: Located outside the west side of Bogyoke Park is this spot. I came here for breakfast as I read their dimsum is some of the best in the city—and it was honestly very good! I ordered several of their dimsum items as well as a mango smoothie. The food was delicious while the view, atmosphere, and service were wonderful.
Aung Mingalar Shan Noodle Shop: Aung Mingalar is a great place for a local-vibe and some really tasty food. Many of the locals, as well as tourists, enjoy bowls of noodle soup here throughout the day. It’s a must-try while in Yangon, especially if you’re not venturing to other regions of Myanmar because shan noodles are quite popular across the country.
19th Street Chinatown: One of the more famous areas of Yangon’s Chinatown is 19th Street, as its known for its numerous food stalls and restaurants. While the city’s Chinatown itself isn’t as notable as others in the world—Singapore or Yokohama for example—the food on this street is very good, drawing locals and tourists alike.
Barbecued skewers: While going up and down 19th Street you’ll see a lot of barbecuing going on, as well as carts filled with skewered meats, seafoods, and veggies. This is the street’s famous Myanmar-Chinese barbecue and beer cuisine. Don’t be shy and point to what you want them to prepare after finding a table. Read more about this on the Migrationology website!
26th Street Fresh Market: In Downtown Yangon along 26th Street is where you can purchase a variety of fresh foods from vendors. It’s pretty cool to walk along the street and see how many different products are being sold—chicken, fish, fruit, street food. I recommend going around 9 or 10 am, when it’s still not too hot and there are plenty of people.
Maha Bundala Night Market: Every evening, the main street of Maha Bundala hosts tons of fruit stalls, shan noodles, fried foods, insects, cooked innards, and more. It’s a good place to walk around and see the various types of cuisine in Yangon.
Yangon Street Food Night Market: This huge night market has more than 1,500 vendors. It’s located on Strand Road (from Kyauktada to Lanmadaw Township) and is open from 3 – 11 pm every night. There are traditional street foods, sweets, drinks, and more to try here. I recommend eating hot foods or ask to have your food reheated if it’s been sitting out.
Travel tip #3: Street food is popular amongst the locals, but I was personally careful about which stalls I ate from in Yangon. Food hygiene is different in Myanmar than what I’m accustomed, so it made choosing some of the street food difficult. You may find this is the case for you, too. Yet, don’t completely rule out the night markets and street food stalls! Be smart about what you choose to eat and from which stall you eat from.
Transportation & Accommodation
Something you’ll notice about Yangon is the absence of motorbikes and scooters on the streets. It’s illegal in most of the city’s townships to ride a motorbike, so instead of bikes there are tons of cars clogging up Yangon’s roadways.
As an alternative to walking around Downtown and to access further destinations, I recommend using taxi services or Grab. Most of the places worth seeing are easy to access via car and there are plenty of taxis and ride share drivers on the streets at all times. I found Grab to be easier to use because it is door-to-door, pinpoints your destination, tracks your ride, and allows you to easily pay in cash. Many of the drivers only spoke Burmese, which was expected, yet made it difficult to explain where I needed to go. Grab takes that out of the equation for you and make it digitally available for both parties.
There is a bus system (Yangon Bus Service) that many locals rely on for transportation, but I found the routes difficult to follow as a tourist. In addition, the government was in the process of installing new bus card payment systems during my time in Yangon, making it a little more chaotic than normal.
If you have time during your visit in Yangon, I highly recommend taking the Circle Train to the airport or to other areas of the city! It is incredibly cheap, super interesting, and very memorable. Boarding at the Central Railway Station is one of the easiest ways to start your journey. [Click here] to read an awesome blog on travelfish.org for more detailed information about the Circle Train, best times to take it, and general schedules.
As a tourist, you should stay in either Downtown Yangon or Northern Yangon. Even though Yangon is a large city, the downtown area is pretty compact and walkable. It’s by far the most convenient area to stay in for tourists, and I chose Backpacker (Bed and Breakfast) near Sule Pagoda (click here to view). It’s a hostel with some private rooms available and a stellar rooftop view of the city. For those who want something more luxurious, Northern Yangon and Inya Lake are additional areas with many higher-end accommodation options. If staying near the Yangon International Airport for a night, K.C Hotel (also known as K.C Residence) is a fantastic option (click here to view). It’s new, inexpensive, conveniently located near the airport, and has excellent service. These options and more can all be found on Booking.com.
Travel tip #4: If you’re flying out of Yangon International Airport before noon, it is best to stay close to the airport rather than make the trek from the city center. The airport is approximately 18 kilometers (~11 miles) north of Downtown Yangon and traffic is terrible, so save yourself the headache and possible missed flight by staying nearby.
Climate
Like much of Myanmar, Yangon’s climate is hot and humid all year. The best time to visit is between November and February, when temperatures are a bit lower and humidity levels aren’t as high. It begins to get hotter in February, followed by March and April, which are the hottest months of the year. Rainy season runs from May through October in Yangon. July and August see the most rainfall.
