Our ongoing attempts to find value accommodation in Myanmar found us at the “Large Golden Pot Guest house Bagan”. For $15 a night (Low Season Apr 2013) we scored a King size bed, Air Con, Ensuite (with Western toilet and Shower) and a few other little perks like a drying rack for clothes.
Breakfast was not included.
Compared to other guesthouses (Listed at the bottom of this article, which we visited and checked out the rooms) we believe Golden Pot was the best bang for your buck in Nyaung oo (The backpacker town near Bagan). We did visit many others, we were even originally booked in to “May Kha Lar” which is one of the top rated budget guesthouses in the area (from trip advisor/wiki travel) but really seemed poor value for money, although the owners were nice.
May Kha Lar offered a tiny twin room (They translate “Double” in Burma as 2 people, not double bed. Even if you specify “one big bed, two people”, they will still often give you a twin room) with NO ensuite for $20… If we wanted the double bed it would be $25.
The shower was just a pipe… but it did the job for the cheap price we were paying!
Although May Kha Lar guest house Bagan include breakfast, when you can buy amazing breakfast from local vendors for 500kyat (55 cents) it doesn’t seem good value to pay $10 extra for an inferior room where breakfast is the only add on you get.
Large Golden pot, was slightly out of the tourist area, but right next to the central market and all the cheap local restaurants – so if you want a local budget experience, rather than a tourist experience this is actually a BETTER location than where all the other guest house are near the bus station.
At Large Golden Pot the owner was helpful, English was a bit hit and miss but ok, the rooms were a little shabby but not much different from other cheap guesthouses in Myanmar, and of course problems with electricity were frequent, meaning the air con didn’t work about 30% of the time… However, these blackouts are across the town, so unless you stay in an expensive hotel with generators running round the clock, you’ll be out of power anyway.
The bathroom was a little unclean but functional.
We believe our $15 room to be a low season price (but not sure), so expect to pay $20 in high season (possibly) for this room relative to other places charged at $20 – $25 as of April 2013. Inflation in Burma is crazy right now, so for 2013/2014 season anticipate price increases of $2 – $10 for all rooms listed here.
Large Golden Pot (Guest House Bagan)
Ahnawyahta Road
Nyaung oo, Myanmar
Phone: +95 (0) 61 60074
Mobile: +95 (0) 920 42028
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Some Alternative Guest House Bagan options.
We walked around and visited some other guesthouses before deciding on Large Golden pot…
Budget
Shwe Nadi
Nyaung-oo to Bagan road, about halfway between Main Bus station and central market.
This would have been our second choice. Very friendly owner, amazingly helpful and genuine.
$15 – 1 dbl, 2 twin.
Old Aircon, breakfast, wifi
Shared bathroom.
Generator – but they only run it at night.
Big quiet rooms out back for $30
+95 (0) 61 60409
Mobile: +95 (0) 940 2510138
Inn Wa Hotel
North end of the Nyaung-oo to Bagan Road. Close to the main market.
$20 dbl with air-con
Free wifi, breakfast inc.
Ensuite
+95 (0) 61 60902 / 60849
May Kha Lar
Main Nyaung-oo to Bagan road, closer to the market (north end) than Bus station end.
As we mentioned above very basic room (Clean) and shared facilities for $20 seemed poor value, but owners nice.
$20 twin, air con, share bathroom.
+95 (0) 61 60304 or 60907
Pann cherry
Main Nyaung-oo to Bagan road, just north of the bus station (5 min walk)
Clean and adequate rooms for the price. Not our top choice but worth a look.
$15 dbl very basic with fan and share bath
$25 Dbl, aircon, ensuite.
+95 (0) 61 60075
FLASHPACKER
New Life guesthouse
Next door to Thante hotel (Near Central Market)
One of the better value “Flashpacking” places. All the extras that are associated with spending those extra few dollars.
$30 twin, aircon, fridge, tv
Very clean. Ensuite
No doubles, just twins. Breakfast inc.
+95 (0) 2 67164
Oasis Guesthouse
Anaratha Road – Just south of the intersection with kyaukpadaung road (So a little south of Thante Hotel)
All the trimmings! Really nice and recently refurbished, they are building a pool for May 2013. Great service, full breakfast selection. Simply great place…
Dbl with air-con & fan, fridge, TV, modern and fancy shower room and lots more.
$50 (Low Season), $80 (High season)
+95 (0) 61 60923
http://www.oasishotelbagan.com
