Jetty/Port Location in Yangon/Rangoon,Myanmar

[frqttrvlr09]

Has anyone sailed with Oceania and stopped in Yangon/Rangoon, Myanmar? If so, in the past, where has the ship docked? There are 2 ports: Nanthidar Jetty (closer to the city center), and Thilawar Jetty (approx. 2 hours drive from Yangon). Oceania does not currently have information on where the ship (Nautica) will be docking, and I am working on a shore excursion to see Yangon and go to Bagan (for Jan. 8-10, 2011).

[JimandStan]

Has anyone sailed with Oceania and stopped in Yangon/Rangoon, Myanmar? If so, in the past, where has the ship docked? There are 2 ports: Nanthidar Jetty (closer to the city center), and Thilawar Jetty (approx. 2 hours drive from Yangon). Oceania does not currently have information on where the ship (Nautica) will be docking, and I am working on a shore excursion to see Yangon and go to Bagan (for Jan. 8-10, 2011).

 

I know that this is counterintuitive, and it went against my grain at first too, but the conventional wisdom regarding tour guides is that if they cannot find out for themselves where the ship will be docked, you should not use them!

Your part in the equation is simply to tell the guide which ship you are arriving on, they will know (or should know) how long it will take you to get off of the ship, etc.

Guides share information among themselves and know who to talk to in the port authority about where the ship will dock -which is fluid and depends on traffic, tides, weather, and what facilities the ship is in need of.

[doggylover]

What tour company are you using?

 

We will be n the same cruise and I am doing research.

 

Doggylover

[plimsol]

Has anyone sailed with Oceania and stopped in Yangon/Rangoon, Myanmar? If so, in the past, where has the ship docked? There are 2 ports: Nanthidar Jetty (closer to the city center), and Thilawar Jetty (approx. 2 hours drive from Yangon). Oceania does not currently have information on where the ship (Nautica) will be docking, and I am working on a shore excursion to see Yangon and go to Bagan (for Jan. 8-10, 2011).

 

Since we are also on the same cruise, I did a seach on cruise critic for any input that would help us to determine whether to do a private or a cruise ship sponsored tour. The following is the thread, albeit short that might provide some information for you:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1193857&highlight=myanmar

 

Also, in further internet research and perusing tour guide books, I found a tour company that seemed to fill the bill. Their office is located in the USA and have an 800 number. I called them and after much discussion, they discouraged me in persuing them to provide a tour to either Bagan or Mandalay. Since we have time constraints in both arriving and departing, they said it would be very hard for them to guarantee to be back at the ship by the departure time. I thought it was very honourable of them to be honest about this.

 

Grace

[plimsol]

Since Myanmar will be one of the more fascinating ports for us on this cruise, I have lurked through many Cruise Critic sites to get other people's perspectives. The following is Live Report (May 2009) by Carolyn, Cruise Critic editor, that I followed day by day. I gives very detailed information as she cruised from Singapore to Dubai which included a cruise stay in Myanmar.

 

Here are the links of her report that you may find useful:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=976118&highlight=myanmar&page=5

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=976118&highlight=myanmar&page=6

 

Hope this information helps in your planning.

 

Grace

[frqttrvlr09]

First, many thanks to all the helpful responses. It is continued confirmation of the value of CC.

In answer to the various questions and comments:

1) Yes, the travel agency would/should know where the ship is docking, but in this case, it is apparently not listed, as even Oceania does not have that information yet. The travel agency did check and does know where other ships are docking that day, but not the Nautica. I have a call into Oceania's Marine Operations department, and am working with my TA, to get that information. It matters because it affects what I am able to do in Yangon before I go to Bagan later that day. That has a snowball affect on what I can do in Bagan that day, and then, in Yangon when I return two days later.

 

2) After a lot of spinning of wheels, research, and a paucity of information on travel in Myanmar online and in travel books (Frommer's Southeast Asia travel guide (2009), for example, did not even include a section on Myanmar, stating "Because of the precarious political climate in Manmar, we've decided to the country from in this edition" referring the reader to some web sites about the "to go or not to go" debate, and then stated that "For those not so easily dissuaded... if the reader decides to go to Myanmar, she should stick with a "repubatle tour operator. Good regional providers include "Diethelm Travel..." I am in fact working with Diethelm Travel, which has offices in a number of locations in Southeast Asia and one in the US. I opted to use the one in Thailand for the Myanmar shore excursion, and now also on a trip to Angkor Wat for the Asian Wonders crusie which follows the one which includes Myanmar. The Oceania land excursion package for each of these trips is twice what I will be paying through Diethelm Travel, and I have very nice accommodations and a fun add on (balloon ride over Bagan, for example). I am working directly with Mingkhwan Boonmanee(Mingkhwan.B@th.diethelmtravel.com). The trip includes pickup at the ship, tour of Yangon, flight to Bagan, visits to specific temples and shrines, balloon ride (at sunrise), a very lovely hotel, meals, guide, flight back to Rangon and tour of Rangon before return to the ship. I told them generally what I wanted to see and they came back with a proposed itinerary, which we are fine tuning. Lonely Planet does have a book which includes Myanmar and has decent discussions of sites to visit, but I don't use their low budget accommodation references; I am too old for them!

 

3) Angkor Wat. Planning this myself also proved difficult, particularly the very dated information on the web, including Trip Advisor. I will be taking the trip out of Sihanoukville and then catching back up with the ship in Saigon, which is what the Oceania package does as well. Oceania may be chartering a plane, as there is no scheduled air service between Sihanoukville and Siem Reap. I am not spending any time in Sihanoukville, as there is not much to see or do there except beaches, which I love and being from Alaska, at that time of year cherish, but I will have enjoyed those in the Seychelles, Maldives, etc. I will be going by car from the ship in Sihanoukville w/guide to Phnom Penh, then a tour of Phnom Penh, flight to Siem Reap, a night and full day in Siem Reap, then a late night flight to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City), overnighting there, in order to meet the ship the next morning. I will only "miss" one day at sea.That is the same as the Oceania package. I could stay other night in Siem Reap but there is not a flight to Saigon until later in the day the next day and I want to spend 2 full days in Saigon. This will require me to get a hotel room in Saigon. The travel company is arranging all of this including transfers. The hotels in Siem Reap run the gamut from Amanasar (my dream stay, starting at $850 a night, but I won't be there long enough to enjoy the luxury even if I wanted to splurge) and a slightly less but still five (or 3, depending on what rating system) , expensive Hotel de Paix, but there are very nice hotels for considerably less (mid $100's). Diethelm Travel asked what type of hotel I wanted, which I appreciated.

 

If you have additional questions you can email me at cjak9088@yahoo.com.

[frqttrvlr09]

In rereading the threads and references above, I realized I neglected to answer or respond to a couple of questions/comments:

 

1) I have been assured that my guides in both Myanmar and Cambodia speak fluent English; 2) as there is not enough time on the cruise to go to both Mandalay AND Bagan when we are in Yangon, and I do not want to lengthen my stay and catch up with the ship later this time (although I am doing that in Cambodia at Angkor Wat and on an earlier cruise of these 3 b2b cruises, in Namibia), whether or not I saw any of Yangon (which I am) because of flight schedules, I inquired of the travel agency as well as several friends of mine who have been to both places, and read various entries on cruise critic and in other sources to make my choice, and Bagan was the recommendation, in large part because of the number of temples/shrines that are there. 3) I spoke with several people at Oceania, as did my TA, and there is no jetty assigned/chosen yet for Rangon, and there may not be for months, so I will need to plan my land trip accordingly, i.e. in the alternative.

[nowvoyager15]

hi I too have found that Oceania is very weak in their pre arrangements as to piers or tours. It is very difficult to do any advanced planning. I was on the Bangkok to Beijing cruise in March. They always had the worst positioned berths since they do not visit often. They also do not plan their excursions way in advance. I am concerned since this itinerary has so many first time visits for Oceania.

 

Let me know if you have any updates. Sandra

[dg613]

2008 they had Oceania to Myanmar and it was docked at Thilawar Jetty. And our Cyrstal was also docked at Thilaway.

[plimsol]

2008 they had Oceania to Myanmar and it was docked at Thilawar Jetty. And our Cyrstal was also docked at Thilaway.

According to Oceania's 2010/2011 brochure, Myanmar is a new port of call for Oceania. I don't believe they have been there before.