Mandalay & Bagan, May 2018

Well, that’s it then we’ve arrived at the airport and are waiting to check but we have to go through a security check just to get to check in and the security staff won’t let us through yet because were too early. Oh well nothing for it but to sit in a cafe, have a nice warm drink and reflect on yet another adventure.
I think Myanmar is probably the least developed of all the countries we have visited so far, which I suppose shouldn’t really come as a surprise considering their recent history. This does make it a bit more challenging to get around but at the same time that’s kind of what we thought and what we hoped for. It just means that, in and around Mandalay at least, they are not really set up for the tourist trade, unlike their neighbours. However it is clear that they are working to catch up and there are a number of new hotels going up across the city, not sure if the infrastructure to support it is there yet though.
If we were planning this trip again I’d definitely have gone for less time in Mandalay and more in Bagan though. I think two or three days in Mandalay is plenty to see all of the sights in and around the city and we’d both have liked at least four full days in Bagan. It would have been nice to have made the river trip as well but I think we’d have to come during peak season for that.
So to quickly summarise, we like Myanmar, Mandalay was okay but we loved Bagan. We will come back again but next time will be Yangon and Bagan. I’d say to anyone who was thinking about visiting Myanmar to do it sooner rather than later, yes it is going to get easier to get around over the next few years but I think what will be gained in ease may be lost in character.Read more