Oct 2, 2018

Stumbling Upon the Shwedagon Pagoda

Location: Shwedagon Pagoda, Yangon, Myanmar
Opening Hours: 04:00 - 22:00 hrs
Admission: MMK 10 for foreigners
Dress Code: no clothing allowed that exposes the knees and shoulders

Taking a Neighborhood Walk
All I wanted was to take a long walk around the neighborhood towards a man-made lake, Kandawgyi Park. But even from a distance, I already saw the tip of the majestic Shwedagon Pagoda. Apparently, the lake is beside the pagoda. I've heard from travelers Shwedagon Pagoda is one of the must-see in Yangon. I'm glad to come across it. A few highlights of the pagoda:

age - 2,500 years old
height - 110 meters
covering - hundreds of gold plates
top of the stupa - encrusted 4531 diamonds, the largest of which is a 72 carat diamond

dwarded by the Shwedagon Pagoda

Ending Thoughts
Shwedagon Pagoda looms high and mighty. Its presence is imposing. With men working on the middle top, reference can be made just how massive this is. I didn't go inside - to save my $10 and also, having seen its grandeur from the outside, I didn't feel the need to see the inside.

--- TheLoneRider
YOGA by Gigit | Learn English | Travel like a Nomad | Donation Bank

Yangon (city), Myanmar

IMPORTANT PLACES

Yangon International Airport

HOTEL

Beautyland Hotel II - central location, backpacker friendly, affordable, breakfast & laundry included

RESTAURANT

The Social House - Kitchen & Tap - international food, cold beer, chill vibe, fun crowd

CONDO RENTAL-SALE

2 Ward, Mayangone Township - REDUCED !!!, 1950 ft², 2 master bedrooms, full kitchen

USEFUL INFORMATION

How to Get to Downtown Yangon from the Yangon International Airport (RGN)

take the shuttle bus from Airport to Downtown Yangon, it costs MMK 500. It passes through the main artery of Yangon.

Yangon Travel Tips

useful site: Wiki Travel Yangon

USEFUL INFORMATION

(as of Jan 2020)

Myanmar FYI / Travel Tips

accommodation - not all destinations in Myanmar can accommodate foreign travelers. Walk-in hotel guests could be refused. Better make an online booking, or make sure the hotel you wish to stay, at is listed in the online booking sites (Agoda, Booking.com, etc.)
local time - adjust time 30 mins behind from Thailand (if arriving from Thailand)
Burmese people - Burmese people are new to what's happening to Myanmar - being opened-up to the rest of the world. They remain friendly, helpful and curious. Tourism being new, the culture is not yet corrupted by it.

General Travel Tips

arrive early - in case there is a snag (visa snag, documentation snag, transport ticket snag, etc.), you will have ample time to troubleshoot the problem if you arrive early (to the airport, to the bus terminal, etc.)
put detailed itinerary on the Calendar apps of your smart-phone according to timelines - this is where you do all your thinking and planning. Once written down, you don't have to think anymore while you are on the journey...you just follow the steps. This frees your mind for something else that might happen while you are already en route
avoiding scams - as a general rule, I ignore the touts or anyone I don't know who call out to me. The calling comes in many forms - "Hi! Where are you from?", "Excuse me! Excuse me!", "Where are you going?". I don't look them in the eye and I remain non-verbal with them. If you reply to them, you just gave them an 'in' to hound you. In order not to look rude, I smile and wave the 'not interested' hand to them, without looking at them.
power bank - hand-carry your power bank. Do not check it in. You can be called in when you are already inside the plane to go all the way to the loading dock so you can personally remove the power bank...and chances are, you'll have to surrender it to them. And you might delay the plane departure!

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