🇲🇲| 4 Checkpoints in 10-Hour Bus Journey From YANGON to MANDALAY in 2024

This I found actually very scary to do. Why was it scary? The night before I left, I read this article: myanmar-now.org/en/news/route...
I did not feel comfortable during this journey, though the journey from Yangon to Mandalay went smoothly.
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[00:00] Leaving Yangon
[01:00] First roadblock checkpoint and drive
[02:22] Breakfast after roadblock
[03:32] Arrival in Mandalay after 10-hour journey
[04:14] Arriving at the hotel and discussing Agoda booking issue
[05:37] Exploring Mandalay and discussing the current situation in Myanmar
[06:49] Discussing the political changes in Myanmar since 2021
[08:43] Explanation of humanitarian efforts in Myanmar

[@stevens8785]

The smiles on those faces - wow - these people deserve so much better. Prayers go out to them all that their country can find some stability and they can all live in peace and happiness. Nice video Chai. Cheers man !! 🤩

[@Chai_Travel]

I 100% agree. Hopefully things will be better for everyone in Myanmar ❤️

[@EaintHanthi]

@@Chai_Travel Thank u !

[@nangomkham91]

Bptrrbtbbbbbr

[@sanyinmon]

Because of the power blackout, most of the local people in Mandalay stay in hotels, and all of them are fully booked. Really appreciate Chai for your kindness and support to Myanmar! You can try a variety of local food there.

[@Chai_Travel]

Thank you. Ow I love the Burmese food!

[@Swampzoid]

Mandalay should be a very interesting city to explore. Stay safe.

[@Chai_Travel]

Cheers mate, it a magical city ❤️ thanks!

[@weebycraft]

From Mandalay🎉❤ be safe

[@RaneLmao]

YOOO weeby craft!!! 🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@snowwhite2146]

You haven't seen so many villages burned down by Myanmar military regime. If you had seen them, you would know your friend in Yangon whom you wanted to help with building a comfortable house was actually lucky to have a 'house'. Many older/sick local people were also burned alive together with their houses in the villages/small towns who couldn't run when Myanmar military raided their villages.

[@Chai_Travel]

It’s so sad this is happening 🙏 I hope it will stop

[@kosalai1009]

Thank you for visiting here in Myanmar.

[@Chai_Travel]

❤️

[@darkxogaming4299]

I am from Myanmar I am very happy you didn't forget about us Myanmar 💓💓

[@Chai_Travel]

❤️

[@veronicamarthinsen6951]

I pray for the kind people in MyanMar

[@Chai_Travel]

Thank you so much for saying this and watching the Myanmar series 🙏 🏆

[@marketsqueezer]

Very existing to watch this series. We would like to go there some day, especially to Bagan. My wife is from Thailand and we live in Denmark. This year we were as close as possible to the Thailand/Burma border in the north and south, but I could not cross, so we went to Cambodia.

[@AungTunOogoogle]

Thanks Chai for your effort for the world to appreciate the country. People are trying their best.

[@Jacj_]

The reason some of the hotels are fully-booked and the city being really crowded might be because of the continuous shootings and battles of the surrounding villages and towns around mandalay (especially Sagaing region and Shan state) so the residents of those places are taking refuge in Mandalay which is the only safe place in the area. Another thing; we used to use vpns to access Facebook and other social media since the military has banned them but starting from the last few days they’ve somehow found out a way to make vpns useless so currently the entire country is cut off from the rest of the world right now (sometimes the vpns come bakd online, it’s very unstable) KZbin is the only safe place for us at the moment but at the ssm time, it took me a while to post this comment because of WiFi problems and I had to resort to mobile data. I don’t know what’s gonna happen next and what the future is for young people like us.

[@jz4957]

If i travel there as i foreigner now and just buy a sim card, will i not be able to use social media/youtube properly?

[@Jacj_]

@@jz4957 Currently it is possible to use KZbin properly with a SIM card/ some WiFis and but for Facebook I’m not sure. We were able to access Facebook and other Meta social media with a vpn but now that they’ve found out a way to block the vpns, I’m unsure of what will happen next (some rare/paid vpns do still work but for how long, we don’t know). But, yes, KZbin is a safe place for now.

[@steveearnshaw1917]

We are not cut off, please don't exaggerate the situation. Date works without VPN, WiFi works OK. Some networks are affected from time to time. I can use WhatsApp at any time, but there are now restrictions on downloading data. Access to news media like Irrawaddy is restricted, but access to TGNLM, can be accessed.

[@steveearnshaw1917]

​@jz4957 You can connect to KZbin without problems as long as you are not wanting to watch downloads from the EAOs. Whatsapp has issues with downloads. As far as I know, you cannt buy a simcard, it must be registered to a local. You may be better getting a Thai International simcard or use your own data.

[@jz4957]

@@steveearnshaw1917 Appreciate ur response cz i’m actually going there next month. I will have to see what i can do

[@sanyaeaye3366]

You coming to mandalay!❤Visit a lot and try new things! Be safe chai❤

[@Chai_Travel]

Thank you ❤️

[@IzoAihara]

stay safe and be careful going around big man❤ i hope nothing happens to u. btw u getting big in myanmar. u should stay low. keep up the work big man. *Love From Myanmar*

[@Chai_Travel]

Thank you, I will try ❤️

[@twinflowerfioretta]

Thank you Chai 🙏❣i appreciate your courage to go on this trip ! surprisingly the bus looks awesome comfortable. Mandalay was one of my fav, cities in Myanmar. Stay safe and see you....✌

[@Chai_Travel]

Hi Fioretta 🙏😊 it’s mine too on my last visit at least. I didn’t really got to enjoy it this much but hopefully things will settle at some stage and everything will be safe and sound again. Have a good day ❤️

[@JackyBoiiiii]

Wow! As a person who lives in Mandalay, I am glad you made it here safely. Also I'm from 19th street so the places you showed off on 19th street is very close to my house!

[@philwebster3914]

Thank you for the video Chai and what you are trying to do, stay safe 👍

[@Chai_Travel]

Thank you for watching Phil 🤗

[@thuratun4821]

I suggest not to go outside often if you are in mandalay since it is one of biggest ghost city and most militray vehicle use it for transportaion. Love from myanmar🇲🇲 Stay safe out there.

[@steveearnshaw1917]

Walking around Mandalay is completely safe, enjoy the city.

[@Aries-tf8sn]

Nah, it’s only in like edge of the city, the industrial part

[@Chai_Travel]

Thank you for the advice

[@edmo43]

Thank you Chai for this new episode from Mandalay. Stay safe and healthy.👍

[@Chai_Travel]

Hi hi! Thanks again mate 😊 have a beautiful day and see you in the next one

[@Sokunmao]

Hopefully this unstable situation will be ended soon... for the burmese people 🙏

[@keangwooichoo6138]

The scania bus looked great. Thanks for showing the situation there although I won't go there. I appreciate your effort and dedication.

[@Chai_Travel]

Glad you enjoyed it and I understand it's not the time to visit 🙏

[@chanlin5553]

Thank you 🙏🏿

[@TimK2646]

Grateful for this video and great to see you again. I guess with 10 hour plus ride, you have to be careful with what you eat although that food looks marvellous.

[@Chai_Travel]

Haha yes indeed. So much different delicious food! Thank you for watching

[@tonyhtoo541]

Thanks Bro

[@MJP1970]

I hope you go and see the moustache brothers in Mandalay. What a great show that is.

[@Chai_Travel]

Thanks for the tip. Hopefully next time

[@antruok4950]

Excellent video my friend - it is a tense place - but these videos I believe show it is a beautiful place with happy people - please take care and Thank you 🙏 👍😎👋👌

[@Chai_Travel]

Thank you! Sorry for my late reply! Cheers mate!

[@channsary2038]

Have a safe trip From Cambodia 🇰🇭🇰🇭🇰🇭

[@Chai_Travel]

Thank you ❤️

[@sowathdyadventure168]

So amazing

[@thananchanpalany4653]

God blessed you my friend , from Toronto, Canada

[@Chai_Travel]

Thank you 🙏❤️

[@PhyuSinThetHmue-cr6ru]

I am glad you like our country.💕💕💕

[@SaraJ78]

Love you Chai. ❤

[@Chai_Travel]

Thank you ❤️

[@aungkaungkhant1088]

Thank you for supporting my country ❤️

[@Chai_Travel]

No problem 😊

[@seanschloss254]

Mingalarbar! Great documentary. I have been a subscriber since your arrival to Yangon. I do have a vested interest in your current travels. For a year and a half I Lived 130 km west of Mandalay, in Monywa, Sagaign; departing in Feb 2021. I am now based in Bangkok. For business, I returned to Myanmar on school business for five days last December. Landed in Mandalay, then travelled to Bagan the next morning for the business portion. If I ever get the opportunity, it would be great to get together and compare notes. Stay safe. Keep up the good fight!!

[@Chai_Travel]

Thanks mate! Bagan is such a beautiful place 🙏 let’s stay in touch and see if our paths will cross in the future 😊

[@hlaingmin4850]

I hope you have a nice time

[@constantine_posted]

Your best work, Be Wise 🙏🏻

[@Chai_Travel]

Thank you 🙌

[@winston8762]

Hello Chai! A Burmese living in Mandalay here, glad to see you finally pay Mandalay a visit. Hope you have a safe and enjoyable stay here! If you have questions or anything you need in Mandalay I'd be willing to help!

[@Chai_Travel]

Thank you :) offering your help, that's very nice of you

[@user-jh5sm8my9l]

try going to this restaurent in mandalay i really recommend its name is bayingyi its on the 58 street corner of 111 the food is amazing

[@maymtxtu9youngp149]

Go to Pyin Oo Lwin, not far from Madalay. It's beautiful and the weather is great. It's one of the best cities ever in.. Myanmar.❣🌸

[@MgyeMgye-tk3oy]

❤❤❤

[@FootballReview-123]

Hello from Mandalay 😊

[@Chai_Travel]

Hello there!

[@yegyi1867]

Thank you 🤍

[@mayfrommyanmar2284]

Welcome to mandalay 🎉 I am from Mandalay 🎉

[@kcchung3309]

Meneer Chai vandaag is Zondag 02/06/24 Goedemorgen bedankt voor je willen delen de videos en voorzichtig in Myanma het is burgeroorlog gaande in dit land de groeten uit Amsterdam doeiii.

[@Chai_Travel]

Aw haha groetjes terug hoor

[@TheSwede70]

Nice. I took that bus ride in 2006. It took 15 hours overnight. I just read it on my website. 🙂

[@Chai_Travel]

I see :) the roads have been improved

[@NangYingHomPhwe325]

when you come out of the bus i knew you took the bus that my aunty took to yangon and i know that place

[@ratnalimbu1357]

Certainly are brave and adventurous, not to mention charitable, bless you and keep you from harm! Praying for better times for the people of Myanmar! They deserve better!

[@Chai_Travel]

Your prayers mean a lot, thank you! Thanks

[@armand4156]

These books by Patrick Winn might be interesting to read to give more insight into Myanmar: ‘Hello, shadowlands’ and ‘Narcotopia’ :)

[@Chai_Travel]

There he is again! Doing a marathon of CT 🤪 thanks for the tip! I’ll have a look

[@armand4156]

@@Chai_Travel I had been slacking a bit on your channel mate :)

[@Chai_Travel]

Haha no worries mate :) it’s good to see you’re still around!

[@realavgeek711]

Mandalay is good city for sightseeing just be careful there, I am not 100 percent sure it is safe. Take care chai!

[@Chai_Travel]

Thank you

[@MaleeahJayy]

I could tell you were a little uncomfortable , make sure to stay safe during your travels

[@Chai_Travel]

Cheers 😅 I was a little and more towards the end of my stay tbh

[@santoemegafab6219]

Chai อย่าพลาดไปเที่ยว เมืองอังวะ เป็นเมืองเก่า มีโบราณสถานมากมาย และ เมืองเมียวเมียว(พิอูราวิน) มีสวนกันดอจี อากาศค่อนข้างดีมากๆครับ เที่ยวให้สนุกนะครับ ผู้คนที่นั่นนิสัยดี ปลอดภัยแน่นอน 🥰🥰🥰

[@Chai_Travel]

Bedankt voor het advies. Helaas kon ik maar naar een paar plekken (veilig) reizen. Bedankt voor het kijken

[@NueNueZawLwin]

I am from Mandalay

[@Alvin43957]

I have been there

[@richardthoreau9299]

FYI motorcycles are banned in Yangon and have been for decades.

[@Silvinso_.]

i from meiktila in mandalay

[@mitsunori222000]

Once again: please continue with what you are doing. The people (and viewers) need and deserve it , rather than the stuff from the endless parade of You Tube 'experts', 'researchers', 'consultants' and so on who have never (with some very honorable exceptions) actually been to the real Myanmar recently, or from naive short-term vloggers. And please be careful. If your voice is silenced, there are not many similar ones at the moment. With Love and Support for the people and yourself.

[@Chai_Travel]

Thank you

[@NangYingHomPhwe325]

I live in mandalay

[@KyawtThuza]

"The Road to Mandalay" I hope you can get good Burmese food there! 😊❤

[@Chai_Travel]

Thank you 😊

[@mcbreadking7176]

Why don't you try mohinga it's really good

[@FreddyBest-fv6nm]

yo welcome to mandalay, to the delicious food of the city. If you want me to recommand you some restaurant. You can go to some western food restaurant such as cafe city, eighteen, and unique. Anyway, you can find more of it in the google map

[@FreddyBest-fv6nm]

also, stay safe and do not stay out at night to late, you might be in a dangerous state bro

[@Chai_Travel]

Thank you 🙏 also for the advice ❤️

[@FreddyBest-fv6nm]

@@Chai_Travel oh yes, your welcome. Thank you for observing the present situation and all kinds of those conflicts that are having in Myanmar. Hope you will enjoy your observation!

[@AshitLon]

bro how about your trip 🔥

[@AdonisBohora]

do go to Taunggyi

[@sayedrahman8314]

I hope your next destination is Bangladesh🥰🇧🇩

[@Chai_Travel]

Hi hi, I'm only covering South East Asia on this channel 🙏

[@sayedrahman8314]

@@Chai_Travel it's ok np😔

[@parvez7106]

Interesting your experience with booking hotels through Agoda. I have used Agoda everywhere i go. Havent been to Myanmar yet ( future plans). So, would you recommend Agoda or a different booking app.

[@Chai_Travel]

Thanks. I compair Booking.com and Agoda from time to time. Agoda is most of the time a bit cheaper and has more option :)

[@steveearnshaw1917]

Try expedia too, I have found that on occasion, they can be US$10.00 pn cheaper than Agoda. I always X reference them all including e-Dreams, Agoda, BDC, ect. DO NOT PAY AT PROPERTY!! Price quoted is usually in USD, properties are using black market rates to convert. Central Bank Rate is 2,100mmk to one USD, the BM is currently 4,000mmk to one USD. As a foreigner, do not walk into a hotel off the street, the price can increase 200%. Always book and pay on line.

[@Uta75078]

Yo the hotel you were in was the hotel my family members live

[@Chai_Travel]

❤️

[@byondhorizon3576]

flim with just iph bro.. drone and the other stuffs not recommended at this time

[@saithway969]

JJ Express

[@Chai_Travel]

That’s the one :)

[@Jogjaviaje]

May i know the name of the bus? Iam planning to visit Mandalay from yangon by bus soon

[@Chai_Travel]

JJ Express :) I hope it’s useful

[@zthihasan5169]

Do You Want to know why local have to show IDs and you don't need to show your Pass. It's because they(Military) recruit young people from Myanmar to serves as Soldier and it's not optional, it is mandatory, so they check IDs of local people especially Young Man Obviously, and Many Young Man are also running away from em. And now man of age from 23 to 35 cannot leave country, Unless they served as Soldier.

[@Chai_Travel]

If so sad this is happening

[@aptroid]

FYI drone also not allowed

[@steveearnshaw1917]

Drones are illegal to use or import.

[@aptroid]

Both

[@steveearnshaw1917]

@@aptroid yes, I meant illegal and import. Thank you.

[@Sammy-lo2ce]

Can you come to taunggyi please? 🙏 Taunggyi is very pleasant. I want to have conversations with you for so long. If you have time， please come to Tgi. 4:16

[@Chai_Travel]

Hopefully on my next visit ❤️ whenever it’s safe for me to go 🙏

[@Sammy-lo2ce]

OK thank you so much for replying to me

[@nanda4493]

မင်းစိတ်ထဲမှာ စိုးရိမ်စိတ် တအားများနေတယ် အပြင်က အခြေအနေနဲ့ မတူဘူး

[@Chai_Travel]

🙏

[@AungkaungThant-mf8tc]

Bro you are robed there are lots of hotels that are way cheaper than that by the way I am from Myanmar

[@steveearnshaw1917]

Not robbed, it is tourist tax + Whiteman tax. Never ever book on line and pay at property, always pay on line. The hotel will charge you the online price in USD, then convert to MMK at black market rates.

[@Chai_Travel]

Not robed at all. Especially not in those times

[@steveearnshaw1917]

@@Chai_Travel Especially during these times, it is worse than ever for the white boy tourist.

[@sandarsandar4313]

Mandalay is not safe at night there are Theieves and robbers . Be Careful

[@Chai_Travel]

Thank you for the warning

[@jayanarcharya3575]

These checkpoints are nothing compared to those in other states of Myanmar.

[@Chai_Travel]

🙏 I can only imagine. It was a smooth journey and I was lucky they didn’t to a thorough check

[@ryankaung1335]

I hope you are out of the country. If you are still in Myanmar, you are going to get arrested definitely. If you can, I suggest you visit the areas controlled by the resistance fighters.

[@Chai_Travel]

Thank you 🙏 I made sure I publish this Myanmar series while being outside of the country

[@jonasjohnsson4429]

To say that Myanmar was a democracy, is not to telling the truth, Myanmar has had an army governing the country for decades. The war has also been going on for decades. No one in the west cared... Even during the few years it was a "democracy", the army was deciding. The people that ran the country during the democracy had no money, no guns, and therefore no real power. This is not to criticize you, but before visiting a country like this, you should study a little more :)

[@Chai_Travel]

It’s too easy to say everything was well managed before the military coup in 2021, I agree on that

[@candiey5627]

Thank you for speaking out for Myanmar. We really need thisss 🥹

[@Chai_Travel]

Thank you ❤️

[@mirzakhan8821]

U is a comedian u think any ngo want to do anything in a Crisis like this

[@Chai_Travel]

Yes, there are still some NGO's active even in this crisis believe it or not. I hope you have a good dat