"YANGON (RANGOON) MYANMAR" Rangoon by DennyP

Rangoon Travel Guide: 529 reviews and 1,318 photos

THE SCHWENDAGON (PAYA) PAGODA ...THIS IS AMAZING

YANGON RANGOON.. MYANMAR

YANGON (RANGOON) I flew into Yangon on an Air Asia flight from Bangkok..I was a little apprehensive as to the state of political situation..as one hears so many conflicting stories..I cleared Customs and Immigration with little fuss as I had anywhere else..and I was.. I must say excited to be in a place that I had always wanted to visit and didn't know what to expect in a place with not much known about it and with a great sense of mystery.

I had previously booked accomodation and the hotel driver was waiting for me after clearing Customs and I was driven to the Hotel as usual as it is in Burma ..the Airport is about thirty or more kilometers out of the city centre....on the way it is just amazing to see the Huge Golden Pagoda of "Schwendagon" located not far from the city centre this must be a candidate to be one of the wonders of the world..I could not wait to be able to visit the site of this amazing pagoda so..took a taxi and spent an extremely hot day walking around this huge complex of golden pagodas and various intricate structures..I really was in awe in viewing this site with all that it had to offer..One thing that was immediately evident was the heat on my bare feet from the hot marble tiles...because this is a temple shoes must be taken off and handed in upon entering..The kids will come and sell you a plastic bag to put your shoes in for a small fee..Their is an entry fee for foreigners (as is usual in Burma) the fee is about U.S.$5.00. The Schwendagon Pagoda is reputed to be covered with over fifty tons of gold and the top section..called the "Seinbu" is decorated with 3154 gold bells and is inlaid with 79569 diamonds and other precious stones..ie:rubies,emeralds,and saphires,,This is the Number 1 Temple on the list of the worlds most magnificent temples and I must say is one of the most amazing things that I have ever seen...

ONE OF THE MANY DAILY STREET MARKETS IN RANGOON

FOOD MARKET..RANGOON..LOTS OF FRESH FRUIT CHEAP

To walk through the strrets of the city there are just so many markets to look through and mainly the food markets where just so many people try to create a survivable living everyday...The street food is OK but as with many the normal rules apply.. Be Careful...I didn't eat meat at all while in Burma..although I used to eat a lot of street food...fresh fruit is a wonderful substitute and is in abundance...also many good bargains can be had in the shops...depending on your bargaining skills...

MANY OLD COLONIAL BUILDINGS HERE

ENGLISH CHURCH IN YANGON

British Colonialism has left some really fine buildings behind here to be seen ie:(see the Central Railway Station) ,but unfortuneately so many are going to "rack and ruin" as it appears that there is no upkeep or maintenance on them...and this is apparent that being in their derelect state there is no need to upkeep them..This is also apparent on most infrastructure ie:roads ..and railway.etc.One thing that is a pain is the electricity is turned off most days for a few hours...this is really inconvenient if you are in a place that does not have a backup generator..

I found the people to be exceptionally friendly toward outsiders and never saw any acts of aggression in any form while there. When "out and about" I mostly walked, but also used a hired bicycle. The bike is good to go long distances. I only used two taxis in Rangoon and that was to and from the airport.. The Burmese people are a happy lot considering their predicament and I always saw smiling faces and felt safe everywhere that I went ...I was only stopped once from taking a photo and that was at the Central Railway station..I found also that all police and government officials were courteous and had no problem.

Pros and Cons

Pros:A WONDERFUL PLACE TO VISIT
Cons:THE EXTREME HEAT AND HUMIDITY..
In a nutshell:GO AT THE RIGHT TIME TO AVOID THE EXTREME HEAT

Last visit to Rangoon: Jun 2009
Intro Updated Dec 12, 2011
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Reviews (11)

Look after all that you have.. - Rangoon

BEWARE OF PICKPOCKETS AND BAG THIEVES.. Warnings and Dangers (4)

YANGON (RANGOON) I beleive that this is a normal warning!! Prior to getting to Yagon (Rangoon) I was warned about... more travel advice

DEFINATELY A CHEAP WAY TO GET ABOUT - Rangoon

HIRE A BICYCLE AT YOUR HOTEL Transportation (3)

Yangon For an easy way to get around in Burma and Yangon was no exception I hired a bicycle. I found my Hotel had bikes... more travel advice

CARRY SUFFICIENT FRESH BOTTLED WATER FOR THE DAY - Rangoon

ALWAYS CARRY PLENTY OF FRESH WATER Warnings and Dangers (4)

BURMA I found travelling in Burma (Myanmar) to be the hottest place that I have ever been anywhere that I have... more travel advice

A SMALL GOOD RELIABLE TORCH HERE IS A MUST - Rangoon

ALWAYS CARRY A TORCH HERE Warnings and Dangers (4)

ALWAYS CARRY A TORCH WITH YOU HERE Due to the fact that the electricity can be turned off at any time of the day or... more travel advice

Comments (7)

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picek Oct 3, 2010 at 3:46 AM

Mingalaba :) Great page, loved the photos of the street action and Shwedagon, right now I'd love to have Burmese tea in a teashop by the streets... sweet memories. I agree, walking is great in Yangon.
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hopang Jan 3, 2010 at 4:58 AM

Lovely Rangoon travel page with excellent photographs. Schwendagon Paya certainly looks amazing. Thanks for the virtual tour. ~ho & pang
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yumyum Nov 14, 2009 at 8:33 AM

Great page, Denny! Thanks for bringing back memories.
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starship Sep 29, 2009 at 6:50 PM

Excellent page, Denny! Very useful & important information on transportation, hotel, & currency. The Pagoda must have been an amazing sight. Great work on this page! Sylvia
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leigh767 Sep 28, 2009 at 11:36 PM

Wow the sights are impressive-- your page makes me want to visit Myanmar!
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bijo69 Sep 5, 2009 at 2:37 AM

The Shwedagon pagoda is very impressive! Is there still the obligatory exchange of 200$ in FEC?
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tiabunna Sep 1, 2009 at 3:51 AM

The Schwendagon Pagoda certainly looks very impressive indeed. Some very practical tips here too (not to mention a good hotel). An enjoyable page Denny - let me know if you add more.