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The WORST Travel Experience of My Life - The Overnight Train from Bagan to Yangon.

21/1/2014

 

"Warmly welcome and take care of tourist" - this is the train ride of a lifetime! Read all about our experience on the overnight train from Bagan to Yangon in Myanmar. 

Overnight Train Yangon Bagan Myanmar Burma Sleeper Car TurnipseedTravel.com
All aboard! The train weaves its way through the countryside.
Less than 12 hours after enjoying the BEST travel experience of our lives, we were off to catch the overnight train from Bagan to Yangon. An overnight train seemed to an efficient and economical way to get across the country without losing a precious day of sightseeing to transit and we were excited to try something new.
Overnight Train Yangon Bagan Myanmar Burma Sleeper Car TurnipseedTravel.com
There were times when we felt like we were in the middle of nowhere.
Our expectations for the train were very modest. We had done considerable research, learning a lot from The Man in Seat 61 and Lesley Leep Phoography  We had watched Anthony Bourdain’s Burmese train trip on the Parts Unknown series and had taken to heart a passage from Lonely Planet, in which a local resident advises that the train is “not as bad as you think, not as good as you hope”.
We were expecting a slow and bumpy ride. We were expecting very few creature comforts and knew we were travelling on a rail line that had seen little maintenance since it was built by prisoner of war labor in World War II. But the general consensus was that conditions, while basic, were relatively comfortable and generally clean. Time and time again we read that overnight travelers would manage at least a few hours of sleep but there would be times when the train was too bumpy to really nod off.

We were about to get quite the  surprise.
Overnight Train Yangon Bagan Myanmar Burma Sleeper Car TurnipseedTravel.com
Passengers on the ordinary class carriage.
First, a primer on Myanmar trains. There are several classes of train travel in Myanmar. Ordinary and First Class seem to differ mostly in the placement of cushions on the First Class wooden benches. Upper Class features the padded individual seats commonly found in train compartments in North American or Europe. 

There are Standard Sleeping cars, which feature small private compartments with an upper and lower berth and a common washroom down the corridor. There are also “Special Sleepers" on the Mandalay-Yangon line. Special sleepers are separate, self contained compartments with no access to the rest of the train. They contain two upper berths and two lower sections, which are seats by day, beds by night.
Overnight Train Yangon Bagan Myanmar Burma Sleeper Car TurnipseedTravel.com
Arriving at the Bagan station.
Overnight Train Yangon Bagan Myanmar Burma Sleeper Car TurnipseedTravel.com
The station is an architectural gem.
We arrived at the train station with our delicate, hand written tickets pressed in a book to keep them in pristine condition. The exterior of the train station is gorgeous, a real architectural stunner. Inside, we had the option of sitting in the tourist waiting room but we instead chose to join the rest of the passengers on the main exterior waiting area.
Overnight Train Yangon Bagan Myanmar Burma Sleeper Car TurnipseedTravel.com
Lots of Burmese script, but there's plenty of English too.
Overnight Train Yangon Bagan Myanmar Burma Sleeper Car TurnipseedTravel.com
A monk is silhouetted in the station doorway.
Feeling confident that our sleeper car would have access to the train dining car, we debated the merits of picking up some extra snacks for the ride. In the end, Ryan walked down the platform to a cluster of snack stands and picked up some peanut brittle and sesame snack cookies to supplement our bottled water. Little did we know this was one of the best decisions we'd make!
Overnight Train Yangon Bagan Myanmar Burma Sleeper Car TurnipseedTravel.com
Every station has small shops and food vendors - thankfully we stocked up before the train!
When the train rolled in, a station employee directed us to the rear of the train. We presented our fragile tickets, but he already knew who we were, as he had an equally fragile piece of loose leaf paper with our name, carriage, and passport information in perfect, elegant handwriting. Showing us to the door, he left us to make our way inside as he left to assist the other travellers.

There are not many things that make my jaw drop but this was surely one of those times. Ryan and I started at the compartment, and then at each other, in utter disbelief, our mouths agape with incredulity. We weren't in a sleeper car as expected, but instead in a “special sleeper” car, the kind that is only supposed to be on the Mandalay-Yangon route. Good thing we had stocked up on cookies and water – we would have absolutely no access to the restaurant on the train. We would have no access to anything.
Overnight Train Yangon Bagan Myanmar Burma Sleeper Car TurnipseedTravel.com
Welcome to our confinement - I mean compartment!
Overnight Train Yangon Bagan Myanmar Burma Sleeper Car TurnipseedTravel.com
"Warmly Welcome & Take Care of Tourists"
We noticed that all the beds and berths were numbered – there were only two of us, but there were 4 numbered beds. Would we be sharing this cell for endless hours? The carriage was filthy, with the floors and tables covered in dirt. The upholstery had clearly absorbed decades of human grime. Thankfully, the provided blankets were clean and we used them to cover the seats so we had cleaner surfaces to sit on. 
We noticed that all the beds and berths were numbered – there were only two of us, but there were 4 numbered beds. Would we be sharing this cell for next endless hours? The carriage was filthy, with the floors and tables covered in dirt. The upholstery had clearly adsorbed decades of human grime. Thankfully, the fabric provided as blankets was clean and we used it to drape the seats so we had clean surfaces to sit on.
Our colorful compartment - at least we had cleaner surfaces now! (though you can see the dirt building on Ryan's ankles)
A smiling staff member came to check on us, knocking politely on the door before entering. He proudly showed us how the seats collapsed into flat sleeping surfaces, he showed us how to turn on the ceiling fan – which thankfully worked! – and he answered a few questions we had. No, we would not be sharing our compartment with anyone else. When we asked how long the trip would take we were told “12 hours”, several hours less than we were expecting. Hurrah!

There were two doors in our compartment. One was the entrance to the scariest looking electrical room I’ve ever seen in my life, an electrical room that had a hole in the floor! The other door was the entrance to the bathroom.
Overnight Train Yangon Bagan Myanmar Burma Sleeper Car TurnipseedTravel.com
Oh. My. Goodness.
Oh, the bathroom.

No, it wasn’t a hole in the floor, but that might have been preferable. There was a toilet that had seen better days. The sink in the corner contained a dish of clean water. This kind gesture would end us causing us grief when it sloshed over the bathroom floor within 10 minutes. And the walls, oh the walls. I think they may have once been a kind of faux wood paneling, one that had been dissolved into shreds through decades of heat, humidity, and dirt.
Overnight Train Yangon Bagan Myanmar Burma Sleeper Car TurnipseedTravel.com
A big smile of "what the heck" after seeing the terrifying electrical room, open behind me.
I’m a pretty tough gal, having seen my fair share of humble outhouses, squat toilets, porta potties, and mysterious holes over the world. But this is one toilet that truly scared me. I knew, given the choice between frequent bathroom trips or dehydration in the 46 degree Celsius heat, I would happily side with dehydration. 

And in the midst of all of this was a brand new blue sticker, proudly adhered to the wall of our carriage that said “Warmly Welcome and Take Care of Tourists”.
Overnight Train Yangon Bagan Myanmar Burma Sleeper Car TurnipseedTravel.com
We saw families farming their fields.
Our train pulled out from the station right on time – things were looking good for our 12 hour timeline! As expected, the train moved at a slow pace, but things were off to a steady start. The slow pace wasn't as glacial as expected and, aside from an exaggerated back and forth sway, things were relatively comfortable. We looked at each other with a bit of relief. The shock of the bathroom had somewhat abated and the sway actually seemed like it would be conducive to sleep. 
Overnight Train Yangon Bagan Myanmar Burma Sleeper Car TurnipseedTravel.com
Children often came out to watch the train pass.
As dusk was settling in, we were able to catch glimpses of the countryside and village life. Kids ran alongside the tracks, laughing and shouting, with one catching Ryan’s hand for a high five. We were intrigued to see that someone was appointed to close solid swinging beams across every road to keep motorists from approaching the tracks, but the commitment to safety didn't seem to apply to children small enough to slip under the beams without ducking.

And then the bumps began.
Overnight Train Yangon Bagan Myanmar Burma Sleeper Car TurnipseedTravel.com
Safety measures had a few loopholes - but at least these children were being careful!
The exaggerated back and forth sway soon gave way to a new sensation. Not little bumps, like driving your car over loose gravel. Not occasional big bumps, like going over an unexpected speed bump. Not steady deep bumps, like if you were driving over a giant washboard. Instead imagine an advanced slalom ski course, with the gravel, speed bumps, and washboard all thrown in. We were thrown violently around the carriage when we stood up to change position. We tried lying down on our newly constructed “bed”, only to have our bodies lift up to half a foot in the air with the bumps. The train shook so violently and so loudly that the idea of derailment seemed both possible and inevitable.
Overnight Train Yangon Bagan Myanmar Burma Sleeper Car TurnipseedTravel.com
Think this shows rain drops? Come night fall, mysterious water started spraying off the roof of the train - no rain in sight!
For hours we laid in the dark, side by side in one lower berth, our bodies slamming back and forth against the wall and the armrest, trying to keep our wits about us. Hours in, it became obvious that no rest or sleep would come. The padding on the bed was painfully thin and did nothing to help cushion the blows as our carriage danced on the tracks. The only saving graces were the working fan and open windows, keeping temperatures somewhat comfortable and motion sickness at bay.
Overnight Train Yangon Bagan Myanmar Burma Sleeper Car TurnipseedTravel.com
One of many tiny village train stations we stopped at in the middle of the night.
The pitch black sky seemed oddly devoid of stars. My thoughts turned to home and to my beloved dog Chester, who had passed away 4 weeks earlier. I felt a million miles away from him and his spirit. Ryan gently cautioned me that no good would come of thinking of Chester in a time like this. We spent some time in quiet contemplation before once again resuming the manic cheerfulness that we knew was the only way we’d survive the night.

After about 7 hours of body hurling misery, my need to use the bathroom was no longer something I could ignore. My dehydration dedication was no match against the jostling of the train! And suffice it to say that Ryan and I have agreed to never share the details of exactly what happened!!!
Overnight Train Yangon Bagan Myanmar Burma Sleeper Car TurnipseedTravel.com
Dawn breaks in Myanmar.
At long last, dawn was breaking and we were eagerly approaching the 12 hour mark. But Yangon was nowhere to be seen. In fact, we couldn’t even find where we were on a map. And so we rolled on, with the same insane slalom/gravel/speed bump/washboard motion throwing us around the cabin. 
Overnight Train Yangon Bagan Myanmar Burma Sleeper Car TurnipseedTravel.com
A monk selling cola and other sundries at a village train station shop.
We captured dozens of photos of the countryside, watching people greet the day and go about their work. It gave us an incredible window into Myanmar village life, sometimes smelling rotting garbage and animal waste, seeing brightly colored clothing flapping in the wind, hearing women laughing as they gathered to do washing around a water basin, watching men diligently harvest what we suspect was water hyacinth. Monks sold bottles of Coca-Cola, women in impossibly pressed white outfits worked in the fields, and young girls and boys both sported swirled designs on their cheeks. My thoughts flickered back to a Canadian train trip we had enjoyed just a few months earlier -train travel really does seem to provide a certain insight into the heart and soul of a country. 
Overnight Train Yangon Bagan Myanmar Burma Sleeper Car TurnipseedTravel.com
Men harvesting what we think was water hyacinth.
Overnight Train Yangon Bagan Myanmar Burma Sleeper Car TurnipseedTravel.com
Cattle or water buffalo? This question was the cause of hearty debate throughout the train ride.
And on we lurched, passing tiny collections of huts built on refuse heaps, by spotless little villages where homemade brooms swept the paths, and by ramshackle towns, where the tangle of humming wires gave us false hope of approaching Yangon. At one point I said that I should have asked the conductor for the Wi-Fi password and we burst into laughter which was interrupted by yet another violent lurch. Our ears were ringing from the constant sounds of metal on metal, impossibly loud bangs, and horrible crashing sounds against the sides of our carriage. 
Overnight Train Yangon Bagan Myanmar Burma Sleeper Car TurnipseedTravel.com
Passing a village built over polluted water.
Overnight Train Yangon Bagan Myanmar Burma Sleeper Car TurnipseedTravel.com
Passing a bigger village- the only one where we saw pigs on patrol!
It was hour 18 and still no city was in sight. Ryan looked me and flatly said “I think I’m finished with the train.” The last surviving thread of humor had left his voice. 

We. Were. Done.

But the train wasn't. We rolled on for another hour when, finally, we found our place on the map. We had finally reached the outer limits of the Yangon suburbs! Relief, utter relief! 
Overnight Train Yangon Bagan Myanmar Burma Sleeper Car TurnipseedTravel.com
All roads lead to Yangon - and we were on our way as well!
Many guide books recommend riding the circle train that connects the Yangon suburbs as a unique travel experience and we were eager to take in the sights, thrilled that we had finally reached something that was supposed to be pleasant. The suburbs were fascinating but they certainly didn't quality as anything I’d recommend as a tourist activity. It was humbling to see how other people lived, and also saddening. This is not a tourist attraction or spectator sport. 
Overnight Train Yangon Bagan Myanmar Burma Sleeper Car TurnipseedTravel.com
Passing a rail-side market in the Yangon suburbs.
Seeing the abject poverty of the Yangon suburbs, with no stunning landscapes to cloak their dire conditions, suddenly changed my perspective on the past 19 and half hours. It's true, we had one miserable night, one that was uncomfortable and unhygienic. But we traveled in first class, while over a hundred other people did not. We would soon be able to walk away from train, while the majority of my fellow passengers would be making a return trip. I could wash the experience away with the luxuries of a hot shower, a private room, and endless food and drink, but the majority of the population lives without comfort, security, and financial stability. The train may have been the worst travel experience I've ever had, but it was also the most eye opening.
Overnight Train Yangon Bagan Myanmar Burma Sleeper Car TurnipseedTravel.com
A typical scene beside the tracks in the Yangon suburbs - shop stands and a lot of refuse.
Our friendly rail attendant made one final appearance to announce that Yangon would be the next stop, in just 10 minutes. At 12:00 pm. Ah - 12 O'CLOCK - not 12 HOURS! And just like that, after 19 hours and 45 minutes, we were out of the carriage and on firm land. My legs buckled as I started to walk, but we still found the energy to bound up a flight of stairs and out of the station.

I don’t know if a shower has ever been so welcome in my life. The suds were brown with dirt as they washed down the drain! We inhaled a plate of noodles and retired to our guest room for a short rest.

That short rest would add up to nearly 40 hours over the next three days. It would take an equal amount of time for our queasy stomachs to recover and for my balance and equilibrium to return to normal. Our plans to catch an overnight train to save on daylight travel hours and gain more time in Yangon left us feeling like – pardon the pun – an utter train wreck.

If you are looking to test the mettle of your marriage, this is the experience for you. For everyone else, may I suggest the bus?

PS - Ryan required a glass of Scotch in order to edit this post and relieve the experience!


​Update!  As we say from the beginning of this post, the source of our misery wasn't so much from a lack of comfort or convenience - it's that we had done our research, formed reasonable expectations,  but conditions were far worse than anticipated. 

Several years have passed since we took this train and, from the general consensus of readers who have weighed in, there have been no noticeable improvements. We really do urge readers to think long and hard before selecting this journey and we encourage everyone who does take it to share their comments here. (And if you disagree with our assessment, please share those thoughts too, provided it's in a respectful manner that benefits other travelers). Ultimately, we want our readers to be prepared and make informed decisions.

Does this still stand as our worst travel experience? YES. Makes the time I had giardia in Malawi look like a picnic. Vanessa, April 2021


Travel resources and train information for Myanmar.

  • Want to hear more about different transportation options in Myanmar? My favourite resource is The Man in Seat 61.
  • Go Myanmar has a good summary of train routes, fare classes, and other practical info.
  • In Bagan, we stayed at the Amazing Bagan Resort, which really WAS amazing! But don't take our word for it - you can see what everyone else thought about it on Trip Advisor and Expedia
  • In Yangon, we stayed at the Mother Land Inn 2. You can read our review or check out more opinions on Trip Advisor, and Expedia.

With the exception of the train, we LOVED our time in Myanmar and would highly recommend traveling there. Read more about it here: 

Kipling, Orwell, and Harry Potter: A Day in Mandalay 
Getting To and From Mandalay Airport
Sailing Down the Irrawaddy: Traveling by Boat from Mandalay to Bagan
The BEST Travel Experience of my Life: Balloons Over Bagan
Besotted with Bagan: Day 10 &11 of Our Round The World Trip
At Long Last: Yangon. Day 12 &13 of Our Round The World Trip
Guest House Review: Yangon's Motherland Inn 2
Where to Stay in Bagan
Where To Eat In Bagan

Deia @ Nomad Wallet link
22/1/2014 08:09:04 am

This reminds me of the time in Thailand when we took a "first-class" bus ride, where the toilet didn't flush and someone did a #2, effectively stinking up the entire bus for the whole 12-hour journey. Worst trip of my life. But then again, it's both the ups and downs of travel that keep things interesting. :)

Vanessa
22/1/2014 09:31:12 am

Agreed - I'll never take a bathroom for granted again and will be a lot less likely to complain about the North American gas stations!

NZ Muse link
22/1/2014 08:32:00 am

Ack! Our experiences in Vietnam don't hold a candle to that. Props for you guys for living to tell the tale.

Vanessa
22/1/2014 09:31:51 am

Thank you! I like to think it helped toughen us up a bit! ha ha ha

Heather | Ferreting Out the Fun link
26/1/2014 05:51:13 am

Um, that sounds ... exciting? I've taken one overnight train journey in my life and I hope to never take another one. It was from Paris to Nice in the 90s, back when it was affectionately called the "train from Hell." Dead of summer, no a/c, six bunks to a sleeping room. I saw another passenger almost get decapitated when he stuck his head out the window only to be pulled back in by a friend just as we entered a tunnel. I'm sure it doesn't hold a candle to your experience, but it was enough to turn me off overnight train travel for good! The one upside to this adventure was your getting to see how the people of Myanmar actually live. Eye-opening for sure!

Vanessa
26/1/2014 01:42:18 pm

OH MY! I think near decapitation always wins for train horror story!

Carlos
27/1/2014 11:11:11 am

As a world traveller myself with my eyes set on Myanmar for a very long holiday!!!!

Vanessa I've seen worst conditions on my travels.... I'm pretty sure you know that Myanmar still a relatively new in welcoming westerners. The fact that you were assigned to the "special carriage" should have sound warning bells.... But you got lucky and got the carriage that no one uses or bothers to clean. Like I said I see worst.... glad you survive to tell the tale and it does reaffirm my expectation of Myanmar once I get things planned.....

Vanessa
27/1/2014 11:56:03 am

Enjoy your travel planning - hope you get their soon. Fortunately everything other than the train was great.

Ted
27/1/2014 12:24:52 pm

Hi Vanessa,

So sorry to hear about that horrific train ride. I can only hope that other parts of your trip didnt let you down. I just read your article in an Autralian news website and thought I should comment it to make things lighter, though it won't help much. Yes, the country has the worst transportation system. I went back there last April ( I am a burmese, living in australia,forgot to mention earlier) and things weren't any better. The country has a lot to offer but train ride, not one of them. And I have seen a lot of guides advising tourists to take suburban trains around Yangon. Even locals try to avoid taking trains, be it suburban or intercity. Only those without any choices have to take it reluctantly. Next time, if travel guide books advise you to do something(including Bourdain !!!), just don't. But I hope you did enjoy the rest of the trip.

PS. Let me know if you are en route to Sydney. I'll shout you guys some beers. :)

Vanessa
27/1/2014 01:32:06 pm

Hi Ted - Thanks for finding us and for your kind comments. We absolutely loved our time in Burma (the train was the only exception!). I'm hopeful transportation networks greatly improve in the future, not just to encourage tourism but of course for the benefit of the local population.

We were in Sydney in December but that offer of some beer might be enough to bring us back! And if you make to Ottawa, the first round is on us!

@mrsoaroundworld
29/1/2014 12:22:16 am

The irony is not lost on me - I'm at BA's first lounge at london heathrow sipping on vintage champagne as I read this. It made me feel silly as 5 mins ago I was thinking 'why doesn't this lounge have ice cream'?

I'm glad you survived this experience / and described it oh so well.

Vanessa
29/1/2014 12:31:12 am

Thanks Ana! A trip like this certainly made me appreciate the little luxuries of everyday travel, like a hot cup of tea or icecream!

Malcolm Baird
3/2/2014 11:33:59 pm

We did Yangon to Mandalay this time last year and it was a real experience. I didn't know I could levitate till I was on the train! We also met some Brits who (wisely) had sleeping tablets and enjoyed a good nights sleep.
It was one hell of a trip but worth the experience, just. The country side was amazing the people we met on the train delightful and I got about the same amount of sleep as on a similar length plane trip, but had the pleasure of a totally different experience. It only took 10 to 15 minutes to get down from the top bunk mainly due to the fear of falling. Would I do it again - probably not, am I glad I did the trip - yes very much

Vanessa
4/2/2014 03:24:12 am

Hi Malcolm! Nice to meet a fellow levitator. I'm glad you enjoyed the Myanmar countryside as much as we did - it really is beautiful. I can't imagine venturing to the top bunk, so I greatly admire your bravery!

Nicole @ Vegan Nom Noms link
25/5/2014 09:09:42 am

Sounds unpleasant for sure, but this was a really interesting read! Thanks for sharing and I loved looking through all the pictures you both shot of the countryside villages on the way! I hope Yangon was worth the trip?! ;-)

Vanessa
10/6/2014 01:05:02 am

Yangon was absolutely worth it! We found it to be a fascinating city, very vibrant and always filled with a lot of energy.

Anna link
25/6/2014 01:25:46 am

I think I won't show my bf this post - he'd refuse to go to Asia at all haha!
Your train journey sounds awful, but at least you had quite an adventure ;)

Vanessa
26/6/2014 03:25:46 am

Ha ha - yes, keep him in the dark!! Or, better yet, just focus on the amazing adventures and don't mention the trains at all. I absolutely loved my time in Myanmar and I would highly recommend a visit.

Katie link
13/7/2014 01:22:48 pm

My perspective is obviously skewed since I have traveled all across Russia and Kazakhstan by train, which included more than 24 hours on a Kazakh train stuffed in an upper bunk in which I couldn't even sit up, in the middle of July when temps topped 100 degrees.

But as I read the first few paragraphs, I couldn't help but think how lucky you were to have a cabin all by yourself. And it looked like you had room to move around! And the bathroom, at least from the photos you posted, didn't look all that different from anything I experienced in Russia or Kazakhstan.

The bumps would've drive me crazy too though.

Vanessa
14/7/2014 12:49:39 am

I think the private cabin was both a blessing and a curse - while we were glad no one else was around to witness our awkward bathroom encounters, etc after a while I think some human company to pass the time might have been nice. But I agree - being able to move around was a plus, especially when I think about your Kasakh train!

raphael alexander zoren link
26/7/2014 02:21:21 am

The phrase "Warmly Welcome and Take Care of Tourists" will now be stuck in my head whenever I board a train :o

Vanessa
27/7/2014 12:26:08 pm

Ha ha! Glad you will be thinking of me! If you ever do get to Myanmar, I'm sure the thing you will love the most is the incredibly warm welcome from the very kind people.

Hugh Halliburton
31/10/2014 04:01:42 pm

I travelled on the train from Yangon to Bagan 18 months ago. I booked what looked like a very comfortable 1st class seat but shared all the same experiences as you did. Several times I was almost thrown completely out of the seat on to the floor. I could not believe the train stayed on the rails, so severely did it sway and bounce. Once was enough - I flew back. However, I loved Myanmar and am returning for a longer trip next year but it will not include a train trip.

Vanessa
1/11/2014 06:49:05 am

Thank you!!! That's exactly how we felt - the odds of derailment seemed to grow exponentially higher each hour and every time we thought it was impossible to be thrown around any more violently, the train upped the ante. We also can't wait to return to Myanmar - it is one of our favourite countries - but we too will be avoiding the train at all costs.

stephanie link
8/11/2014 10:20:22 am

You really do have one of the best travel blogs on the internet!! I thoroughly enjoyed reading everything you wrote. What an excellent insightful story.

I am currently researching taking this train from Yangon to Bagan but I’m a little bit freaked out about the journey seeming as I’m extremely prone to motion sickness!

Vanessa
8/11/2014 10:25:11 am

Thank you so much Stephanie! Your kind comments have made my day!!

My motion sickness is absolutely legendary (last week, I got sick visiting the Amsterdam House Boat Museum!! Pitiful!). However, I can honestly say I felt ZERO motionsickness on the train. A few things helped. First - I had a clear view. Second - the train moves slowly. Third- the windows were open and the fan was working. I find a cooler environment helps for me. Fourth - We barely ate - nothing in my stomach to feel queasy about. I can't recommend the train under any circumstances but rest assured that if you do brave it, motion sickness is the least of your concerns!

alston
29/11/2014 05:51:50 am

Vanessa, I finally found a link to your WORST: the train ride... Glad to read your experience and laugh at your descriptive words that put me there in the compartment leaping and jostling. I was really impressed with the summation of that "horrific" (while in the present tense) overnight train ride, where you (in the past tense of it all) showed the positive learning and understanding of the hundreds of other people on that train. Now that it is in the past tense, you have written a terrific tale and made lemonade from that lemon. Unforgettable, and now, rather than avoid it, I want to ride that train myself. I wonder: do you know if they put all tourists in isolated cabins, for "safety", or is their an option to ride with the locals?

Vanessa
29/11/2014 06:38:31 am

I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Yes, you can ride in any cabin or class of travel you wish - you just buy the ticket you want. I think at times it might have been better to be in ordinary class with other people - some company and distraction might have made the experience more fun!

Laurence
21/2/2015 12:29:06 am

This sounds like a terrible but picturesque journey! How much was this train if you don't mind me asking? I am looking to travel around Myanmar on the cheap and am looking at options

Vanessa
23/2/2015 12:36:13 am

Hi Laurence- if memory serves me right our tickets cost about $45-$50 each. This was for a sleeper car. Tickets for ordinary class and first class were quite a bit less expensive. We spent a great part of our journey debating if we would have been happier in another class - it was a hard toss up between being glad we had privacy and quiet (well, the train mechanics were deafening but there were no human sounds!) versus having company and conversation and distraction in the form of fellow passengers.

Gabby
23/5/2015 05:11:32 pm

HI Vanessa. I really enjoyed reading your story and cringing along with you. However even after reading it I am still tempted to try this train trip - not sure why :). As a solo female traveller - do you see any problems I might encounter?

Vanessa
25/6/2015 03:29:29 pm

Hi Gabby! Thanks for your comment. As a solo female traveler, the only concern I would anticipate is that I was never entirely clear about whether or not our sleeping car was actually entirely ours or if we could have been joined by other strangers during the journey had there been a demand for tickets. There were technically 4 berths, each numbered, so in theory they could have sold 4 spots. There were two other western travelers on our train, two women traveling together, and they too had a carriage the same as ours (the one in front of us). So obviously the staff could have filled our carriage and kept the other one empty but they didn't - we each got our own.

I found the male staff very respectful and they checked on us (via our open window) to make sure we were doing okay. Most of the local travelers were families with children - there were plenty of women there of all ages and you might enjoy being in a more public carriage for the opportunity to socialize more.

I would recommend reaching out to Jessica Mudditt, a female journalist who was based in Myanmar for a long time (might still be there) for advice on solo female travel and more insight into the trains. Her site is http://jessicamudditt.com.

As well, I found The Man in Seat 61 to be a very helpful blog and they might have more exactly information on privacy on the private carriages.

I'd love to hear how your trip goes and please get in touch if you have any specific advice to pass on about what this journey is like for a solo female. Thank you!!

JD
8/3/2016 05:46:07 am

Gabby, I feel the same. There are quite a few blog posts about Myanmar train travel, this being one of the more negative ones. I watched a TV documentary of Chris Tarrant on the Yangon to Bagan train. Watching him bounce all over to place and reading to post have just made more more excited about going on the Yangon to Bagan train, as a solo traveller in her 40s.

I researched buses and flights - when I did a Goodle image search for Bagan Airport I was horrid by the many photos of crashed plane. So I think I'll chose the rocky train over the poor flight safety record.

Vanessa
8/3/2016 01:57:15 pm

Hey JD - Thanks for stopping by to read and offer some comments. I want to assure you - and everyone - that this post wasn't designed to be negative just for the sake of being negative, and I rarely complain about travel conditions in any circumstances (as you can tell from my other posts). This simply was the most uncomfortable, least enjoyable, totally miserable travel experience I've ever had. It's been over two years since this particular trip and in the near-steady travel we've experienced all over the world since then, we still haven't experienced anything quite like it.

Part of what made it so is that my expectations, while very modest - were still unrealistic. I too saw the YouTube videos of this train trip (including Bourdain's trip on No Reservations) and I can honestly say that those videos were completely tame compared to the trip we experienced. We would have been overjoyed to experience their levels of bumps and jostles.

We genuinely hope that any traveler who takes the train enjoys it and part of making sure that people do have a good trip is for them to have an accurate portrayal of the experience. We absolutely loved Myanmar, are hoping to return for a second trip, and the train trip gave us much pause for thought and appreciation for the daily conditions of local residents.

Steve Feldman
25/6/2015 02:27:47 pm

Good write up. Took this same train back in February. One word of advice: VALIUM. (Or Xanax). Plus, earplugs.

Vanessa
25/6/2015 03:30:06 pm

Ain't that the truth :-)

Silke
29/11/2015 03:54:02 am

We just did this trip a few hours ago, in the same carriage, and it was the best experience we could have had. The swaying and bumping made me sleep like a baby, leaving the Windows open made it nice and cool, and we kept on buying food from the vendors that came to our window at the train stations. We couldn't believe our luck to have our own four bed plus toilet compartment.

Same journey, different experience I guess.

Chris
19/12/2015 08:42:05 am

Haha maybe your blog became so popular that it helped change the situation!!

dee
2/2/2016 11:42:01 am

A very useful post. I'm planning for a Myanmar trip late this year and figured we could take the Yangon-Bagan route by train to see the real countryside. Now I know, from reading your post, that it would be a disastrous idea -- specially since my husband and I have spinal disk problems and will surely harm ourselves with such a ride. Thanks for sharing your experience!

Vanessa
2/2/2016 02:21:15 pm

Hi Dee! I'm glad you found the post helpful. Yes, based on our experience we would absolutely recommend against this journey for anyone with spinal problems. In fairness,our trip was in 2013. To the absolute best of my knowledge, there has been no significant improvements to the rail lines and thus you could anticipate the journey to a bumpy on.

The countryside is beautiful and I hope you get the chance to see it. We found boat trips down the Irrawaddy to be very comfortable and, while we have not experienced it personally, we have heard positive reports of bus transportation as well.

We hope you have a wonderful trip and we can't wait to hear how it goes!

Bernard Tan link
19/2/2016 10:51:32 am

Very interesting and informative! I would love to try it out in Myanmar!

vanessa
19/2/2016 11:23:27 am

Hey Bernard! If you do, please let me know all about your experience. Happy travels ;-)

Marian Vincent
24/4/2016 11:31:09 am

Husband and I just did this train ride (Yangon to Bagan) a few days ago and rest assured it hasn't changed at all. We were in the same or an identical carriage as you, and we couldn't get out of it either. No one showed us how to drop the seats and with the younger guys brute force we managed to set up the bottom bed, too reluctant to try the bunk bed. We had a much younger couple in our carriage who also could barely stand whilst the train was moving. We are in our sixties and well travelled around Asia so thought, despite the write ups, why not? Well lots of reasons as everyone's stated, but we did it, had some laughs and arrived in Bagan in one (two) piece. I can't say we'd recommend it, certainly not if you have health issues, and we wouldn't do it again, but a great experience and we are still loving travelling and learning new things all the time. Now where next, a train ride in India maybe?

Vanessa
26/4/2016 09:45:50 am

Thank you so much for this update Marian! If I'm understanding it correctly, it was you and your travel partner PLUS a second party of two other travelers? This is what we suspected when we traveled in this carriage. We weren't paying for the whole carriage, just two of the four spots and it was just good luck that we weren't sharing with two other people. Given the challenging conditions of the ride, I don't know if having the extra company would be a welcome distraction or if I'd rather have some privacy so I could be undignified all on my own!

Sounds like you have an amazing attitude towards travel - would love to spend a day hanging with you on the road!

darren
8/6/2016 11:25:34 pm

I love it when people complain about train rides as I worse one I ever took was across the USA. It was Amtrak and somewhere in the mid west the toilets all flooded. They wouldn't stop. It really was the most aweful smell. i couldn't sleep it was so bad. They stopped serving any food as they were scared of contamination. And no I did not get a dollar in compensation. So it is all in the singular trip. Man never again in the US.

Vanessa
9/6/2016 06:58:47 pm

Oh Darren! I don't know if I want to laugh or cry when I read this! It's a good reminder that travel disasters can happen anywhere- and to always pack your own snacks!

Christina Gerber
13/2/2017 08:08:17 pm

I have done this trip by special sleeper from Yangon to Bagan about 2 month ago. I am a 63 year old woman and I was travelling in Myanmar for 2 month, and i really liked going by this train. I felt comfortable because I could lay down, I could use the toilet when I needed, and I even could even sleep most of the time. I bought food and bottled water from people selling different kind of food and drinks at the trainstations, and I had a ok time with the 3 other tourist in my cabin. I could look at the beauty of the country through the open window without feeling cold, because I used my sleeping bag. Of course it was bumping, but that I knew before. Of course I was happy to take a shower and sleep in a nice bed in my guesthouse in Bagan afterwards. But I prefere this train from sitting in an overland bus with to less space and to cold aircondition. It was a good experience and I will do it again, if I get the chance again to travel in this beautiful country

Vanessa
13/2/2017 09:02:25 pm

Christina - Thank you so much for your insights and all the great travel feedback!

Raymond Buckland
14/6/2017 06:22:30 am

Well a very interesting insight by all contributors and useful, as my wife and I are going to Myanmar in January 2018.I am 64 and my wife 58, but having done a fair bit of travelling ourselves including Sri Lankan,Thai,Vietnamese,Indian Trains, it will hold no surprises in respect of creature comforts.I would like to think it may improve as time goes by,but it is what it is,so the hard hat and boots will be dusted down for every eventuality.It has always been our ambition -well since 1987-to go to Burma. Previous political regimes made it virtually impossible to have safe passage.Other intrepid travelers may have a different story but that was the general consensus at the time.We will be taking the train-regardless-and will write the next day or two off to recover if necessary.At least you have nobody complaining lack of Wi-Fi or no mobile phone signal.

Vanessa
14/6/2017 10:02:50 am

Raymond - I am SO excited to hear about your upcoming trip and I'm so inspired by you and your spouse finally being able to realize such a long held dream. I would love to hear back from you when you get home and hear an update about what the train was like (as it's been a few years since this post) and also to learn how your trip went in general. Have a wonderful time!

jennifer
3/9/2018 12:58:43 pm

Hey Vanessa! I am starting to write about my trip to Myanmar and I had to come and revisit your post. It was because of this post that I took the overnight train. How could I not after reading this? I just wanted to let you know that in between all the shit you got for writing it, that someone out there found this hysterical and took this ride because of this post.

Vanessa
3/9/2018 02:04:55 pm

That's awesome!! I'm so, so glad you got to go to Myanmar. And I hope you survived the train with your humor intact ;-) Tell us more about the trip when you get a chance. xx Vanessa

Chris link
1/4/2019 10:54:37 pm

Nice write up.

I adore Myanmar's trains. But the bus? Gah!

The interactions with the locals more than makes up for the train's discomfort or extended time frame, in my eyes.

I hope you guys had the opportunity to ride a train in ordinary or even upper class among the Burmese. And if not, give it a shot if you ever get back.

Vanessa
2/4/2019 08:18:44 am

Hey Chris - Thanks for weighing in! While I don't think I'll ever be convinced to ride the overnight train again I think I would for short distances. We loved chatting with people all over Myanmar so I imagine train conversations would be just as great.


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