Now is an exciting time to travel to Myanmar (Burma). Having had their first democratic election last year, the country is rapidly changing.  On the precipice of a new era, the once isolated nation is opening itself up and everyone is taking notice.  Even with all the changes, a lot of things are staying the same. This is a country steeped in tradition, and it’s not unusual to see people still wear the traditional longyi, covered in thanakha, and chewing betel leaves.  In rural areas, there are still plenty of people traveling around in horse carts.  It’s quite rare to find a country that’s not  filled with Starbucks and McDonald’s.  Myanmar right now is what I imagined Thailand was maybe 20 years ago. So what are you waiting for?  Here are the cost breakdown of our trip to Myanmar to help you plan yours:

• Time Cost
  • Total Days In Myanmar: 14 days  – 2 in Yangon, 2 in Inle Lake, 3 in Mandalay, 3 in Bagan, 4 in Ngapali
  • Total Days Off From Work: 10 days

• Monetary Cost
  • Hotel: $870 + 30,000 Hilton Honor points per person
  • Flight: $5 + 67,500 AA pts for 1st class flight to HK, $5+ 55,000 AA pts for return flight to NY in business, $20 + 10,000 AA pts for flights to Myanmar, $385 for domestic flights
  • Food: $11 per person (pp) per day
  • Transportation: $150 pp
  • Miscellaneous: $200 pp for admissions, souvenir and excursions
  • Total Per Person: $915 + 122,500 AA points

Bagan’s temples drew me to Burma, but after traveling around the country for 2 weeks, I was happy to discover that there is so much more to this beautiful country. The striking pagodas often leave me speechless, and the idyllic landscapes make me want to linger.  There were so many memories – our blissful day drifting down the Ayeyarwady toward a giant pile of rocks, our chat with the friendly locals, our aimless exploration of the temples of Bagan on e-bikes, our stroll along the Bay of Bengal, and of course our first time seeing the sunrise in U-bein and again in Bagan.  To read more about our trip to Myanmar, click on the links below.

Pre-Trip

• Confused about visa and flights?  Here are a few tips for planning your trip 
• Read about our once-in-a-lifetime experience flying first class to Hong Kong on Cathay Pacific
• Find out what you need to know before traveling to Myanmar

Yangon

• A few suggestions about where to eat in Yangon, including classic Burmese dishes
• Yangon is filled with hundreds of temples, here are a few of our favorites
• A great way to get to know a city is to visit the local markets

Inle Lake

• A boat tour is one of the must do thing when you’re visit Inle Lake
• Another great way to explore the area is by bike

Mandalay

• Delicious, inexpensive authentic food in Mandalay
• See the World’s largest book and catch the sunset on Mandalay hill are just a few things you can do while visiting the city
• The world’s longest teak bridge is also the site of the most beautiful sunrise and sunset
• Visit the surrounding ancient cities on the outskirts of Mandalay

Bagan

• A few things to know before going to Bagan
• There were so many photo opportunities in Bagan, it’s hard to share them all 

Ngapali

• Getting to know the quiet beach town of Ngapali
• 5 things to do in Ngapali