Some cities create lasting impressions. Yangon (Rangoon) in Myanmar struck us big time.
We’ve visited this historic, newly flourishing city for several nights on two trips to Myanmar (book-ending an Ayeyarwady River cruise and a visit to Bagan’s temples with stays before and after in Yangon).
During our visit, we learned many quirky and interesting facts about Yangon – and picked up several useful Yangon travel tips too (from taxi costs to the best expat bar).
Facts about Yangon
You’ll want to read these 25 things to know about Yangon – to help you understand the city and its people better and to make your trip more enjoyable.
1) The Shwedagon Pagoda is epic!
The Shwedagon Pagoda has become a huge tourist Mecca.
Towering elevators and an escalator take fee-paying visitors up to the sprawling pagoda terrace.
Its golden stupa was being restored when we visited, and much was covered up with corrugated cardboard.
And here’s one of the lesser-known Yangon facts – the Shwedagon isn’t the biggest pagoda in Myanmar. The gold Shwesandaw Pagoda that we gaped at in Pyay (Bagan) is three feet taller.
In truth, other golden stupas we saw in Myanmar appeared more magnificent to us.
In Yangon, we especially liked the less touristy Maha Wizaya Pagoda, connected by pedestrian bridge to the Shwedagon.
Still, the Shwedagon Pagoda is a spectacle for all the shrines built up around it.
There are shrines with reclining Buddhas, seated Buddhas and even gaudy Disney-like Buddhas, fringed by flashing neon lights.
At sunset, the pagoda is abuzz with people.
Many are tourists, but others are Buddhists from all over the world lighting incense and candles, praying, holding flower bouquets or making offerings.
2) Taxis in Yangon are plentiful and cheap
Taxis only cost about $2 to $3.50 USD to go most anywhere in the city, even for fair distances and time-consuming congested trips.
On our Yangon visit, we found taxis to be the best way to get around the city.
3) The Burmese are very sweet
One of the nicest Yangon facts we discovered for ourselves is that the Burmese people are kind and gentle.
Perhaps their nature has something to do with their beliefs? Some 90% of the population are Buddhist.
4) Yangon is exotic
Yangon bustles with people.
Outdoor markets selling fresh produce are thriving, and a walk along some of the narrow streets – flanked by old-style colonial houses full of hole-in-the-wall spots serving tea on the sidewalks and other merchandise – is a lot of fun.
Though it’s making strides and sporting new development, Yangon has much catching up to do when compared to Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.
But it also holds many fabulous treasures, like pagodas, parks and lakeside walks.
5) Yangon sunsets are stunning
From a golden ball of fire, the sun turns pumpkin orange, then blood red as it drops below the horizon.
The air is immediately cooler.
A cacaphony of birdsong assails the ears. The scent of flowers and foliage fills the nostrils.
6) An open umbrella doesn’t mean rain
One of our favorite fun facts about Yangon is that an umbrella on the lawn in a park likely means there’s a young couple kissing and canoodling behind it.
Young folk live at home with their parents until they get married.
So often the only place young lovers can be alone and away from curious eyes is behind an umbrella in a park.
7) Young people wear jeans
Okay, this doesn’t sound too radical.
But older men wear the traditional longyi tied around their waist, as do school children in uniform (white shirt, flip-flops and navy blue longyis).
Most young men under 25 wear skinny blue jeans, however, and dye their naturally-black hair a reddish-brown color, which they wear short and spiky.
8) Yangon is hot!
You probably already know this fact about Yangon: The heat and humidity are stifling!
At 2:00 pm, you mostly want to be lying in the shade under a colorful parasol by your hotel pool, sipping from a fresh cold coconut.
9) The sidewalks are dangerous
Watch out on the sidewalks – one misstep and you could tumble down into huge holes in the cracked cement, perhaps into a dirty sewer below.
10) Yangon has French restaurants
There are loads of eating spots with delicious local cuisine at very reasonable prices.
But there are also exclusive upscale French and other restaurants, where dinner for two could set you back as much as fine dining back home.
11) Yangon is still very much cash-only
One of the most important Yangon travel tips is this: Carry cash.
Large hotels, hotels and bigger businesses and shops now accept credit cards. But cash is still king at local shops and smaller places.
12) There are many Buddhist monks
Apparently, Myanmar has more monks than any other Asian country.
In Thailand, monks dress in saffron- and orange-colored robes.
But monks in Myanmar wear burgundy-colored robes.
13) And all monks seem to have cell phones
But they often walk barefoot.
14) Inya Lake is the most exclusive area
Inya Lake is an exclusive area – you drive past it on the way from the international airport to the center of Yangon.
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Here, beautiful colonial homes and embassies are hidden behind high stone walls topped with barbed wire.
The U.S. Embassy and the family home where opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi spent her years of house arrest are found on the lake’s leafy south side.
15) Yangon is a botanical delight
Everything is very lush.
Flame trees, huge ferns, banana palms, banyan trees and all other types of tropical tree, bush and plant imaginable grow everywhere, engulfing the city in green beauty.
We saw few gardeners to tame the tangle.
16) Wearing a longyi is no simple feat
You need to know how to tie a special knot to hold your longyi in place. Beware the consequences if you don’t do it right.
George’s longyi fell to his ankles as we were exploring the Shwedagon Pagoda (he had to buy a longyi at the entrance to cover his knees, as he was wearing shorts).
That got huge good-natured laughs from everyone around us!
17) Yangon is full of roses
We were surprised at how many vases of beautiful roses we saw – on restaurant tables, in hotel lobbies…
We were told roses grow well in Yangon, and a rose farm supplies the roses.
18) Traffic is the pits
Wow – traffic! On a previous visit, the streets were mostly filled with bicycles and only an occasional car.
Now the streets are clogged with vehicles.
In many parts of town, there are few crosswalks, often ignored (just like in Kandy, Sri Lanka). Probably one of the most important things to know about Yangon is that cars don’t look out for pedestrians.
We quickly learned to cozy up to locals who had mastered the trick of weaving around lines of cars or sprinting across gaps in traffic.
19) The Scott Market is a shopaholic’s heaven
Like to shop?
Bring an extra bag – you could spend many happy hours in the Bogyoke Aung San Market (still called by its old British name, Scott Market).
Jade jewelry, rubies, lacquerware, teak and rosewood pencil boxes, colorful Shan bags, puppets, silk cushion covers – you name it, it’s all for sale here.
Bargaining is expected.
20) Dentists could make a great living
Okay, here’s one of the quirky things to know about Yangon – dentists would always be busy (if people could afford to pay).
Some locals only have stumps for teeth, their gums reddened and blackened from years of chewing red betel nut.
21) Bars are cool
The best expat bar in Yangon?
On our Yangon visit, we stayed at the Savoy Hotel – and its Captain’s Bar is a trip back in time.
Fans whirl slowly overhead and dark wooden blinds keep the world at bay outside.
Polished wood floors and black-and-white vintage photos on the walls steep you in British colonial history, as you drink chilled rosé and nibble on “crisps” (British for “potato chips”) or more substantial and tasty appies.
Commonly spotted: 20-something NGO staffers, expats and embassy folk, chatting, laughing and kissing each other on the cheeks when coming and going.
22) You’ll see terrible things
We sometimes saw heart-searing things, like a severely deformed man with stump legs scooting across a busy street on his hands.
23) Haggling is hard
It’s hard to bargain unless you buy more than one thing. The bargaining tips that work in Mexico didn’t get us very far in Yangon, indeed Myanmar.
24) Buses are iffy
Colorful, smoke-belching public buses – windows open (no air-conditioning) are packed to the rafters with local commuters.
Entertaining to watch, a conductor on each bus hangs out the side of the open door, waving wildly to invite more paying customers on board or signaling to flowing traffic so the bus can join in.
25) Yangon is beautiful, in a faded sort of way
The city must have been gorgeous in its colonial heyday.
Witness the iconic 1901 Strand Hotel, which we popped into for a look-see.
Apart from the Strand and a few other restored properties, the city displays many now-faded, but still evocative, colonial-era buildings.
Many of the best properties are rumored to be owned by military generals , supposedly willing to sell them for the “right price” to be demolished and replaced by more profitable buildings.
Heritage preservation efforts are underway to try and save properties over 50 years old from being torn down to make way for skyscrapers – but that’s a challenge.
Only time will tell if these efforts succeed.
Have you visited Yangon?
What Yangon travel tips do you have? You can share your thoughts in the Comments below.
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Experience more of Asia!
Thailand: See stalactites and stalagmites. And squeeze through narrow tunnels to enter wondrous sea caves. Sea canoeing in Phang Nga Bay is a day trip of a lifetime!
Bali: Watching Balinese dance? Monkeying around in the Ubud Monkey Forest? Exploring abandoned airplanes? Oh yes. The most romantic activities in Bali are quite special.
Osaka (Japan): Is Osaka worth visiting? What you’ll miss if you don’t go.
Sri Lanka: From climbing the UNESCO rock temple of Sigiriya to roaming the colonial fort city of Galle, this 2-week Sri Lanka itinerary shows you the best of the country.
Our top travel tips and resources
Hotels: Booking.com is great for scoring a “wow” hotel – or at least a decent one – at lower rates than the hotel’s own website. We especially like Booking’s flexible cancellation policy!
Vacation homes, condos and rentals: We prefer and use Vrbo (Vacation Rentals by Owner).
Flights: To book the cheapest flights, search on Google Flights or Expedia. (Just be aware Expedia tickets may be non-refundable.)
Airport lounge access: We love (and have) Priority Pass for comfy lounge seats, free snacks and drinks, complimentary WiFi and sometimes even showers and spa services!
Tours: For the best local food, walking and other guided tours, plus skip-the-line tickets to attractions, check out Viator (a TripAdvisor company) and GetYourGuide.
Car rental: Renting a car is often one of the best ways to explore off the beaten path. Discover Cars searches car rental companies so you get the best rates.
eSIMS: Stay connected affordably with Airalo eSIMS covering 200+ countries and trusted by 10 million+ users, including us! (No more huge roaming bills!)
Travel insurance: SafetyWing is designed for frequent travelers, long-term adventurers and digital nomads. It covers medical expenses, lost checked luggage, trip interruption and more. We also have and recommend Medjet for global air medical transportation.
Travel gear: See our travel shop to find the best luggage, accessories and other travel gear. (We suggest these comfy travel sandals for city walking, the beach and kicking about.)
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Photo credits: 2 to 5, 9 to 13 © Janice and George Mucalov, SandInMySuitcase
About the authors
Luxury travel journalists and SATW, NATJA and TMAC “Best Travel Blog” award winners, Janice and George Mucalov are the publishers of Sand In My Suitcase. Between them, they’ve traveled to all 7 continents. See About.
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Marie
Monday 15th of April 2019
Buddhist monks traditionally go barefoot when on alms rounds :)
Janice and George
Monday 15th of April 2019
Thanks for sharing! But they probably don't give up their cell phones :-)
Alana
Saturday 6th of June 2015
Hi Janice and George- We visited Yangon late last year during our three week trip to Myanmar. Riding the circle train was a huge highlight for us as the city is huge and we got a nice look at it from many angles. We both bought longyis and wore them almost everywhere. They don't breathe as well as the locals claim they do!
Nick
Thursday 4th of June 2015
Recently spent a week of so in Myanmar (Burma) and on the trip I visited Yangon (Rangoon) and Mandalay. Your post above really resonated with me, and it looks like we saw and went to a number of the same places. As you said, Shwedagon Pagoda is touristy, and there are a lot of monks everywhere. Highlights of my visit to Yangon (Rangoon) were visiting the street markets, checking out the old colonial buildings, and taking the circular train.
Janice and George
Friday 5th of June 2015
If we'd had more time, we would have jumped on that circular train for a day - it looks like a real authentic experience (we hear you might even see chickens on the train in the passenger compartment).
Matilda
Tuesday 2nd of June 2015
Really enjoyed your post and pictures! I've wanted to visit Yangon (and Myanmar in general) for a while so hopefully will get there soon. Sounds like Myanmar could be somewhat similar to Laos which I loved..
Janice and George
Tuesday 2nd of June 2015
Okay, so you go to Myanmar, and we'll go to Laos (somewhere we'd like to visit) :-).
Camille
Friday 29th of May 2015
That's a great list - reflects my experience of Yangon pretty closely and complements my own post well! I'll include a pingback :)