My Stay at Bagan View Hotel (Myanmar) & Interview with Manager Aye Mya Soe

Bagan is one of the top attractions you will visit when you are traveling in Myanmar. The Bagan Archeological Zone, which is now also a UN World Heritage Site, covers an area of more than 100 km2 (39 sq m). Scattered around this area are thousands of temples that are still intact. Many more existed in the past but have been destroyed by earthquakes.

To visit this fantastic are and all these great temples you will at least need a couple of days, but you can easily spend an entire week here. And of course for this you need a good place to stay. One of my most favorite places to stay is Bagan View Hotel.

Bagan View Hotel

Rooms

All 43 rooms are superior rooms and fitted with an AC unit and a private bathroom with shower. The rooms are all large in size and all open onto a wide atrium with sittings area. The entire hotel is beautifully built with teak wood, as is quite common in Myanmar. The beds are comfortable with good quality bed sheets, and the AC is not pointing directly on the bed, which is a big bonus for me. You will have a view from any room as there is not much surrounding the building.

Amenities

There is a long list of things available in this hotel, including:

• Free wifi
• Airport shuttle
• Restaurant
• Non-smoking rooms
• Tour desk
• E-bike rental
• Bicycles (free)
• Buffet breakfast

Staff members at reception are very friendly and helpful, and so are people working in the restaurant, housekeeping and concierge.

Location

The hotel is situated in New Bagan, which is a few kilometers south of Old Bagan. But don't let that scare you off you are actually better of staying in New Bagan then you are in Old Bagan. You are just as close to the temples, because they are literally everywhere (the nearest one is 200 m / 218 y away) and you have much better choice of restaurants. It is in a quiet street, a few hundred meters from the main road. There are a number of small convenience stores and fruit stalls within walking distance of the hotel.

Vegan Food

The restaurant is located on the rooftop terrace. The menu is not vegan, no hotel in Myanmar has a vegan restaurant, but food can be made vegan on request. Make sure to mention what it is you do NOT want to eat, such as meat, fish, egg etc. Although the manager understands what veganism means, not all staff members do understand this principle.

Breakfast is served buffet style. Some dishes are vegan, others are not. You can always request a certain dish, vegan style, without egg or meat and it will prepared for you in the kitchen.

Bagan View Hotel

Great hotel in a great location. Good, spacious rooms. Friendly and helpful staff. Good food and close to temples and restaurants.

Rating:

Photos: courtesy of Bagan View Hotel

Interview with Aye Mya Soe

In early 2020, I interviewed Aye Mya Soe, General Manager of Bagan View Hotel. She is very happy to tell us all about her hotel, Bagan and Myanmar.

Can you tell us about the hotel itself? How long has it been in operation? How many rooms do you have? What is the overall standard of the rooms? Do you have a rating on Tripadvisor and Booking.com?

The hotel has been in operation since 2017. We have 43 rooms and all are deluxe rooms. Yes, we are currently 4.8 on trip advisor, and 8.9 on booking.com and improving day by day.

Can you tell us about yourself? What is your position in the hotel? Why do you work at Bagan View Hotel?

This is my family business and I manage the hotel. My grandparents opened a guest house in old Bagan around 1950 and they had to move to New Bagan due to the forced relocation of military forces. Since then we lost our guest house business and started opening a new one again in 2017.

What is the location of the hotel? How close are people to all the attractions in the Bagan area?

The hotel is located in New Bagan and we are close to Lawkanandar Pagoda, which is one of the main four wonders of Bagan Pagodas. Old Bagan is only 10 minutes by ebikes from New Bagan.

Can you explain how you can help vegan people who visit your hotel? Can you prepare vegan food for them in the morning?

We prioritize clean and delicious meals at our hotel and we use local veggies products from nearby villages which are located on the sandbanks of Irrawaddy River. Yes, we can prepare daily vegan breakfast and we can also do requested meals based on availability.

Why should all visitors to Myanmar come to Bagan and spend a few days there? What is so special about Bagan?

Myanmar was just opened recently to the world and we have so much to offer. We have ancient history, diverse cultures and amazing people all around the country. We have official 138 ethnic groups and most of them have their own culture, language, food and history so the visitors can learn about different tribes even within the country. Although there are many rumors and backlashes facing the country, you will see it is not like that inside the country.

What else is there to see and do in Bagan besides visiting pagodas, stupas and temples?

Besides visiting pagodas, tourists can learn about palm sugar production, authentic villages in the area, mount popa and its Nat(Spirit) belief and visit Salay in which there is a teakwood monastery, see the beauty of Irrawaddy and so on...

Why do you think people should visit Myanmar?

As tourism is still developing, it is still very authentic and the hospitality of Myanmar people is famous all over the world. See the amazing landscapes, explore different cultures and get in touch with the unexplored places in Myanmar. People here will welcome you with opened hearts.

What other places should people visit when traveling to Myanmar?

Myeik Archipelago (in which there are many untouched islands and beaches), Kachin State (land of Jade and Amber), and Chin State (in which you can learn about Chin women with face tattoos) are still quite unexplored places in Myanmar. The landscapes and cultures there are amazing unlike any other places you have seen before. I am sure you will have unforgettable experiences here and we like to welcome you with the smiling people all around the country.

An impression of Bagan

Hey there! If you enjoyed this article, please share it with your friends!