There is a Myanmar shop almost
every few meters within the market compound and at the roads
around, actually this is Yangon center. There is a small
Myanmar shopping mall at the opposite side of the road. A
Myanmar store around that area is usually within a very
dense place squeezing out the last square meter for shopping
and display purpose. But Myanmar shopping is done almost
everywhere, people set up stall or shake or place the items
just on the pavement.
There are plenty of things to
shop, local made items which are often Myanmar
handicraft, industrial made everyday items which are mostly
coming from China, cosmetics also from China and Thailand
and myriads of other goods. Inside the Bogyoke Market is a
Myanmar gold shop every few meters along the central alley
beside of jade shops, souvenir shops, cloth and textile
stores, antique shops and dozens of Myanmar jewelry shops.
Probably the best Myanmar book shop is located at the YMCA
building, they also have children books and English language
books.
Just take a taxi
everyone know the Bogyoke Market, be
aware that at 5 pm sharp almost all shops close and the
whole market is closed on Monday.
- The currency of Myanmar is the Kyat
which is often
used for speculation until the government
stops it. Money can be changed there, but it
needs some asking around at different shops
about the exchange rate since this jumps up
and down every day. Don't
listen to the
guys who approach you there and wisper
..change money... don't do it they just will
cheat you, only change at a shop. If you
don't find what you want you can give it a
try further south of Myanmar at
Singapore shopping,
probably the best shopping destination on
this planet.
If you want to buy
something at Bogyoke Shopping Market, tell the shop people the should help you
to change. Ask at least 2 shops, now US$ and EURO
can be changed, forget all other currency, no one wants them.
- Bogyoke
Market
in central Yangon, this is the number 1
shopping bazaar
in the country,
if you cant find it there you wont find it
anywhere... you know . A walk in the alleys between the halls of the
market is really exiting, its an old fashion oriental
bazaar as it was in Istanbul, Cairo and
other places maybe hundred years ago. You
will also see a lot of guys talking in small groups, taking out
some small items from the bag or the pockets, hiding it
somehow suspicious, well you don't run into a political gathering but
into a open air precious stones shopping market. Lots of
ruby, sapphire, jade just name it changing hands,
Myanmar is famous for the real "golden pearls"
have a look, its beautiful.
Since most of the
shopping on a trip is Yangon shopping
we included a small story about what's going
about a Yangon shopping tour,
more.
Myanmar silverware,
paintings, silver ware shopping, antiques,
ivory, pearls, marble carvings, gem
painting, puppets shopping, marionettes,
lacquer ware.
Myanmar lacquer
ware are some of the most beautiful
items
produced in Myanmar, usually within a
cottage
industry around
Bagan.
Myanmar department store shopping
malls, furniture store, photo
shop, holiday shopping, toy stores,
shoe store, shopping mall.
Bogyoke
market in Yangon is famous
for
shopping deals, furniture stores,
local shopping,
jewelry stores, toy store
gift shopping, shoe stores
liquor store, flower shop
sporting goods store, souvenir
shops and many more
Myanmar shopping sapphire ruby pearl.
Myanmar shopping handicraft Buddha images and
Buddha
statues. In some antique shops you can find even
bamboo slabs with old
Tripitaka texts in pali.
One of the bigger
problems is to carry this huge amounts of the local currency
- kyats - around. If one takes US$ 1000,- for shopping - and this is not much for
shopping a
good precious stone like ruby, sapphire, jade, others are
lapis lazuli, or other semi precious stones - it weight several kilo of kyats, the
result is, most of this shopping business is done in US
dollar.
Also bank transfers came to an end since the last
bank crash, its really difficult to do anything, on top of
it if you are just happy on shopping you also have to think
about, if you do the shopping, in particular any precious
stones, antiques, jewelry etc. you must make sure to get a
orderly invoice. If you cant show a invoice when you leave
the country you are in big trouble.
You will find beautiful paintings
for shopping, in the side alleys of Bogyoke Market, very
decorative in your home, do a orderly bargaining, you should
get it finally for about half the asked price.
Don't hesitate to
walk on if you think the price is to high, they will either
run after you for a last ditch or you will find the same
shopping item a few shops further down.
Beautiful lacquer
ware and mother of pearl creations one can find plus all
kind of real antiques, real old stuff, but be careful
let them issue a official invoice if you buy
anything which looks old otherwise you get
problems at the airport at departure. That's the
same with all kind of valuable items like
gold, ruby, jade, sapphire and so on.
Have a look around, its worth it to go
shopping.
Naturally there are a couple of modern style shopping malls
around Yangon-Rangoon where you can buy almost all the same
items like in Bangkok or Singapore, but that's not 'cool' , no haggling over the price, no bargaining, its boring the
kind of shopping, isn't ' The right place
for shopping,
Myanmar Burma Birma shopping shopping
mall Bogyoke Market.
