Yangon is old capital of Myanmar from 1948 to 2006, when the government officially proclaimed the new city of Nay Pyi Taw (Naypyidaw) the capital of the country. Yangon is the largest city in Myanmar and the industrial and commercial centre of the country. However, not much to see here in Yangon. The best attraction and worth to visit was The Shwedagon Pagoda.
The Shwedagon Pagoda is one of the most famous pagodas in the world and it is certainly the main attraction of Yangon, Myanmar’s capital city. It sits at top of a hill and 99 meters high. It can be seen from most places of Yangon day and night as the golden roof illuminates the city.
Entrance fee per person is Kyat 10,000 (USD8). Open daily from 4 a.m.–10 p.m. If you wish to pay in Kyat, you can change at ATMs and moneychangers which are located at various points within the grounds of the Shwedagon.
You’re required to remove your shoes at the entrance and dress modestly before entering. Longyi and htabi (long skirt) can be rented for Kyat3000. The four entrances to the pagoda have signs prohibiting short dresses, and staff will help people change to longyi and full-length dresses before entering.
It was raining whole day during our visit to Yangon. Yeah! we didn’t check the season when planning this. It was rainy season from May to October and the heaviest is in July and August. It’s quite uncomfortable visiting in wet weather and our clothes are damped. So plan your holiday in dry Season (November to February) this is the best time to visit.
How to get to Yangon from Malaysia?
The cheapest way is fly with Malindo airlines or Air Asia. They have several time of promotion as low as RM130 one-way. Once you landed in Yangon airport, you can easily get a cab to Yangon downtown or your hotel. Use Grab apps is also recommended because its cheaper than you get from random driver there. We paid Kyat7,300 per taxi using Grabtaxi for Yangon downtown.
It’s quite annoying when some of the taxi driver keep harassed you until you get your taxi. You’ll need to quickly buy your local sim card to get connected to the internet and book your taxi through Grabtaxi. When you’re looking for your Grabtaxi driver outside of the arrival hall, other taxi driver still harassing you and said stupid things like, “you cannot trust this driver” and he pointing on our Grabtaxi driver. LOL. Everything is fine and you just ignore these kind of people. They just want to scare you of.
Where to stay in Yangon?
There are several places to stay in Yangon downtown, where is nearer to most of the attraction place. We stayed at Shwe Yo Vintage Hostel for 1 night, triple room at Kyat42,600. Its about US$28 which is very cheap and affordable. Breakfast is included in the room price.
Search your accommodation through booking.com here.
Where to eat in Yangon?
No doubt, Yangon is very easy to get Halal and delicious food. We were only stayed for a day, so we had a chance to had lunch at this local cafe named KSS Cafe. It has nice ambiance and clean. The staff was very friendly and helpful. About the food and drink price, its quite affordable. We had 3 meals and drinks, cost us Kyat16,926 only.
Other places to eat are Shwe Htoo, The Chicken Rice Shop, Penang Halal Restaurant, New Delhi Restaurant and other Indian restaurant are mostly halal.
Other places you can visit
Other than Shwedagon Pagoda, you can visit other places such as Sule Pagoda, morning market and some mosque like Mogul Shiah Mosque and Surti Sunni Jamah Mosque. If you are looking for shopping, head to Bogyoke Aung San Market.
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