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Experience

Myanmar Salon Culture – Hair Washing with Upper Body Massage

A recent trip to a salon reminded me of Myanmar salon culture. In Singapore, we call it “wash and blow”, but in Myanmar, it is much more than that. Even though Myanmar’s economy is still developing, there are many bars and salons in Myanmar. Myanmar Yellow Pages lists 820 salons but the number is far […]

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Experience

Bagan Massage – Two Massage Shops I Have Tried in Nyaung-U, Bagan

After a long day of sightseeing in Bagan, I really needed a good massage to soothe my tired muscles.  Even though Bagan is not as developed as other parts of the country, there are 3-4 massage shops in Nyaung-U where I stayed. I have personally tried out 2 of these massage shops. Siam Body & […]

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Eating

Bagan Restaurants – Restaurants with English Menu in Bagan

Myanmar has so much delicious food but ordering food at restaurants are nightmarishly-difficult. At least 90% of Myanmar people don’t speak a word of English and Google Translate doesn’t seem to work either. Most restaurant menus are written in Burmese language and I simply cannot decipher the curly-wiggly Burmese words.   The increase in tourists […]

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Accommodation

Wut Hmon Thit Guest House – Roadside Motel in Nyaung-U, Bagan

We originally booked a room at Cheri Land River House but it turned out that this hotel does not have the license to house foreigners. The hotel helped us book another a room at a sister hotel called Wut Hmon Thit Guest House.   Wut Hmon Thit Guest House is a small roadside motel in Nyaung-U […]

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Experience

Myanmar Overnight Train – Mandalay to Bagan Overnight Train

I like to travel by train, it is a great way to see the country and interact with the locals. I have taken the train in Sri Lanka and Vietnam and I really wanted to try taking the train in Myanmar.  Taking a train in Myanmar is not as easy as just booking a ticket […]

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Information

Mandalay Taxi Service – Honest Mandalay Taxi Rental

If you are in Mandalay and you are looking to hire a chauffeured car or taxi to bring you around, I recommend Mr. Zaw Win Maung. Mr. Zaw Win Maung was the taxi driver Thiri Thitsar Hotel hired to fetch me from the highway bus terminal. He told me that he also does full-day taxi […]

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Eating

December Garden (Restaurant) – Homemade Fried Yogurt

My Myanmar colleague, Su, and I went on a day trip to Pyin Oo Lwin from Mandalay. We hired a car to drive us to visit 7 places in Pyin Oo Lwin. When it was time for lunch, our driver told us that he had a recommendation and he drove us to a restaurant called […]

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Itinerary

Pyin Oo Lwin – 7 Places to Visit in Pyin Oo Lwin

Pyin Oo Lwin is a scenic hill town in Mandalay region in Myanmar. Many Burmese people adore Pyin Oo Lwin for its cool weather and they have nicknamed Pyin Oo Lwin “Flower City” from the scores of yellow flowers that line the roads.  How to get to Pyin Oo Lwin from Mandalay? Train: There is […]

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Eating

Mya Shwe Taung Tea Shop – Air-Conditioned Tea Shop in Mandalay

Google says that winter in Myanmar is November to February, which is why my colleague Su and I decided to go in November. It is still as hot, probably because it is just the start of winter. The worse thing is, most shops and markets in Myanmar does not have air-conditioning. It was mid-day, Su […]

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Accommodation

Thiri Thitsar Hotel (Win Unity Hotel) – Good Location and Clean Rooms

There wasn’t any unique accommodations on Airbnb in Myanmar, so my colleague Su and I decided to stay in a hotel instead. After much searching on Agoda, we decided on Thiri Thitsar Hotel for its proximity to the railway station. (But I didn’t actually get to take the train from Yangon to Mandalay. 12Go.Asia informed […]