Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
can take anything from 40min to over an hour depending on traffic, so allow plenty of time.
Most companies also require you to check in for your bus half an hour beforehand. Given
how large both terminals are, make sure your taxi driver takes you to the relevant bus office.
Failing this you'll have toputyourself inthe handsofoneofthe touts workingthe terminals,
who will expect a tip in return for walking you to your bus. A taxi to either terminal from
downtownshouldcostaroundK8000-10,000;arrivinginYangonyou'llhavetobargainhard
to get a reasonable fare since the cab drivers who work the terminal are (by Yangon standar-
ds) an unusually rapacious and pushy bunch - you might be asked $15 or more for the ride
downtown.Special bus#43(andotherslower services) runsfromSulePagodatoAungMin-
galar terminal and there are also local services to Hlaing Thar Yar.
Tickets
Many guesthouses and
travel agents
can book bus tickets for you for a small com-
mission.Alternatively,youcansaveyourselfadollarortwobybookingdirectlyatthecluster
of bus company offices just north of the railway station.
Destinations from Aung Mingalar
Bagan (10 daily; 10hr); Bago (6 daily; 2hr); Dawei (11
daily; 12hr); Hpa-An (6 daily; 7hr 30min); Hsipaw (3 daily; 16hr); Kalaw (at least 5 daily;
10hr); Kinpun for Kyaiktiyo (7 daily; 5hr); Kyaukme (1 daily; 15hr); Lashio (2 daily; 18hr);
Magwe (1 daily; 12hr); Mandalay (frequent; 8-10hr); Mawlamyine (5 daily; 7hr); Meiktila
(6 daily; 7-10hr); Mrauk U (1-2 daily; 30hr); Myeik (11 daily; 22hr); Naypyitaw (10 daily;
6hr); Ngapali (2 daily; 16hr); Nyaungshwe (at least 5 daily; 12-14hr); Pyay (6 daily; 6-7hr);
Pyin Oo Lwin (daily; 12hr); Sagaing (1 daily; 11hr); Shwenyaung for Inle Lake (1 daily;
11hr); Sittwe (1 daily; 30hr); Taungoo (4 daily; 5hr); Thaton (3 daily; 7-8hr).
Destinations from Hlaing Thar Yar
Chaung Tha (2-4 daily; 6hr); Ngwe Saung (2 daily;
6hr); Pathein (4 daily; 5hr).
BY TRAIN
Yangon Central Railway Station
is just north of downtown. The entrance is on the north
side of the station, although there's a clever little short cut down to platform 6 (for the Circle
Line) from the flyover at the top of Pansodan St.
Tickets
for inter-city journeys must be booked in advance at the (surprisingly easy to miss)
Myanmar Railways Booking Office on Bogyoke Aung San Rd (daily 7am-3pm). Unfortu-
nately,everythingisinBurmeseandstaffdon'tspeakmuchEnglish,whichcanmakegetting
information a bit tricky (timetables are also posted in the lobby of the railway station itself).
Tickets must be paid for in kyat, not dollars.
Destinations
Bagan (1 daily; 19hr); Bago (10 daily; 2hr); Dawei (daily; 25hr); Kyaikhto for
Kyaiktiyo (3 daily; 5hr); Magwe (1 daily; 12hr) Mandalay (3 daily; 15-16hr); Mawlamyine
(3 daily; 9hr 30min); Naypyitaw (3 daily; 9-10hr); Pyay (1 daily; 8hr 30min); Shwenyaung
(1daily;27hr);Taungoo(3daily;7hr);Thanbyuzayat(1daily;12hr15min);Thaton(3daily;
7-8hr); Thazi (3 daily; 12hr).
