Bagan - Mount Popa
The road is relatively new and in very good condition, no suspension is required. It's always uphill from Bagan. At first leisurely and then more and more steeply. The difference in altitude is about 600 m. There are 3 hotels near the mountain monastery. Prices are around $ 15. The descent is the finest.
Pathein - Ngapali Beach
From Pathein one has 100 km to Ngathaingchaung to the first guesthouse. The first 50 km are good, then it gets bumpy, suspension is absolutely necessary. The route to Gwa[1] is then very exhausting. Every descent is followed by a climb over the 90 km. The highest point is around 500 m. The route is often so steep that you can no longer drive and have to push on the loose surface. In total, the climbs to almost 1500 m can be added up [2]. There is water at the checkpoint halfway. Between Gwa and Ngapali Beach there are 2 resorts which are about 40 km north of Gwa - Kantaya and Moschie. The resorts are quite expensive at $ 30 and are more geared towards rich Burmese. The departments are not always open in "winter". After Ngapali Beach it is another 100 km on a very bad road.
Ngapali Beach - Pyay
Of Ngapali Beach to Taun-gok the road is in fair condition. A couple of small hills have to be overcome. In Taun-gok There are 5 possibilities to spend the night with the "Royal Guesthouse" right next to the 200kW biogas power plant. There are at least 3 checkpoints between Tounggo and Pyay. The bus takes 13 hours to get there.
Pyay - Mount Popa
From Pyay to Ma-gway, unfriendly police are to be expected. It can happen that you are put on a bus.Ma-gway is quite a big city with a few guesthouses starting at 10 dollars. Of Ma-gway to Yenan-gyaung There are no major climbs but it is going up for a very long time. The same applies to the route to Mount Popa, and at the end there is a steep climb up to the mountain where the hotel is [3]. Hardly anyone can get through here without an overnight stay. There is no guesthouse. The route has already been mastered by cyclists. At the checkpoint in Pyay there is apparently a nice interrogation. You can spend the night halfway to Mount Popa. The whole route is hilly with no really steep climbs. In the end, however, it is quite steep up the mountain.
Mandalay - Monywa - Bagan
The track is in fair condition. Bus and truck traffic is to be expected - approx. One vehicle per 5 minutes.
Yangon Airport - Downtown
For the assembly of the bike (if you had it in a box) there is a VIP service. Should there still be problems, there is a street about 2km from the airport with many bike shops, at least one of which had something to do with Shimano. The roads are busy, but cycling is possible here. A compass is sufficient for orientation, as there is a river on either side. Everyone knows the Sule Paya and Schwedagon and you can ask questions on the go. Thanks to the simple navigation, you can also use side streets or make a detour to the notorious Insain prison. If you have already changed a few kyat at the airport, you can buy something to drink on the way. Otherwise there are also public drinking water containers (20 liters) in many places which are probably provided by the government.
