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Myanmar route

Recommendation: So many... Volunteering at Thabarwa, trekking in His-Paw, and trekking from Kalaw to Inle Lake. Basically my whole itinerary

Route overview: Yangon -> Bagan -> Madalay -> Hsi-paw -> Kalaw -> Inle lake

From Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia I flew into Yangon, Myanmar. Be sure to review visa requirements before planning travel to Myanmar. I applied for a 30-day visa one-month before going.

Yangon (10 nights)

  • Volunteered at The Thabarwa Center
  • Great vegan food at Nourish Café in Yangon
  • Sule Pagoda and Shwedagon Pagoda

10-hour night bus ride to Bagan ($12)

Bagan (3 nights)

  • Stayed at 'Boaba Bed' - Great Hostel with a pool
  • Rented at e-bike to tour the temples at sunrise
  • Mount Popa

5-hour bus ride to Mandalay ($6)

Mandalay (1 night)

  • World's largest book and pagoda called Kuthodam
  • Mandalay Hill is a must visit! Also known as 'Su Taung Pyae Pagoda'

6-hour bus ride to His-Paw ($5)

His-Paw (4 nights)

  • Signed up for a 3-day, 2-night backpacking trek. It was a 10/10 experience that included spending one of the nights in a treehouse and the other in a bamboo hut right next to a river.

6-hour bus ride to Mandalay ($5) then 6-hour bus ride to Kalaw ($8)

Kalaw (1 night)

  • Walked around market to compare trekking agencies. Signed up for a 2-day, 1-night trek from Kalaw to Inle Lake leaving the next day with a company called 'Ever Smile'
  • Ate great food at 'Sprouting Seed'

2-day, 1-night trek to Inle Lake

Inle Lake (1 night)

  • Arrived Inle Lake after two VERY HOT days of hiking. It was a beautiful experience that included a night sleeping at a home stay in a rural village
  • Stayed at 'Boaba Bed' hostel - good spot!
  • Took a cooking class at Mercery's ($13 for 3 hours). SO SO fun!
  • Biked to 'Red Mountain winery' for a wine tasting

13-hour night bus ride to Yangon ($16)

Yangon (1 night)

  • Found a gym to take a couple classes. Great experience to take fitness classes in different countries

Yangon was my last stop in Myanmar. From there I took a flight back to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. From there, I continued my travels on to Indonesia.