Visit in the Wet Season
Even though Myanmar is still not the most popular destination in high season (October to January) a lot of tourists are visiting. Not only can you escape these massive crowds of visitors but also the temperatures are more enjoyable.
Skip Yangon
As many other big cities in Asia, we found the traffic in Yangon horrible. With the consistent noise of honking drivers, loud engines and traffic jams it is really hard to have a good time doing sightseeing in the city. If you feel you must see Yangon, just spend one day visiting the Shwedagon Pagoda before moving on.
Don’t hire a driver in Bagan
When you arrive at a hotel in Bagan a lot of times the receptionist will offer you a tour with a driver to visit the temples. Don’t do it. You will spend more than hiring a scooter and get driven from one main temple to the next without being able to enjoy the view from far. We had the most fun getting lost on small roads between the main attractions. Also start early to avoid the heat between 10 am and 4 pm.
Take trains instead of buses
We traveled the country pretty much all the time with night buses to avoid loosing travel days and to save money on accommodation. We knew that as in many other countries, the prices differ between locals and tourists. However, what we didn’t know is that the trains don’t have this distinction and are much cheaper than buses.
Arrive with sunscreen
We had a really hard time finding a good sunscreen for a decent price. The locals have their own method of protection. So in the supermarket there was only a tiny bottle of sunscreen for about 12 USD. As an alternative we found a skin cream with SPF but we recommend bringing a proper sun block.
Vegan / Vegetarian restaurant recommendations
Zoe pyi swar vegetarian food in Yangon a vast variety of vegetarian dishes including Myanmar’s signature dish the Shan Noodles. Also really recommendable are the Wan Tans
Leo’s in Bagan has one of the friendliest staff we have ever met. Their prices are cheap and they adapt almost every dish on the menu to a vegetarian version.
If you are on a tight budget get some food at the restaurants where the locals eat. For 1 USD you get a bowl of Shan Noodles and some Veggie Samosas.