【Featured Travelogue】The Real Myanmar — The Yangon Circular Train

Traveling is about discovering another way of life.

On the train, you can see the most authentic side of Myanmar life. I love the vibrant colors people wear. Strangely, they are all strangers who board at different stations but end up sitting very close together. (@Yangon, Myanmar)

TrainCirclingaroundYangon, so there’s basically no need to go to the main train station(Yangon Central Railway),just find any nearby train station. The fare is200 Kyat (about HKD1 — super cheap!).Starting from the hostel where I stayed, I found the nearest train station,Google Mapwhich wasPhaya Lan Train Station.I travel to less developed countries because I believe that with fewer material distractions, you can rediscover childlike wonder and live life in the simplest and most genuine way. Yangonisthemostworthvisitingplace Yangon Circular Trainfor experiencing local life, even thoughmany people online recommend it.I originally thought there would be many tourists, but in the end, there were only the four of us(allhostelI know),the rest are locals, soabsolutelyyou can see how locals in Myanmar live.

The walk from my hostel (bottom left red circle) to Phaya Lan Train Station (top left red circle) is closer than Central Railway—about a 15-minute walk.The walk from my hostel (bottom left red circle) to Phaya Lan Train Station (top left red circle) is closer than Central Railway—about a 15-minute walk.

The train station looks like this from the road. I thought it was just a railway, so I walked right past it without noticing. (@Phaya Lan Train Station, Yangon)

 From the bridge above, you’d never realize it’s a train station. (@Yangon, Myanmar)

Probably because the wait for the train is long, locals have turned the station into a “food stall” vibe, but the cola we bought was covered in dust. (@Phaya Lan Train Station) 

 

The circular train that departs from Yangon runs20minutes apart at its fastest,2but some services are onlyonce an hour. There are more trains in the morning. We didn’t check the schedule well beforehand,so we waited about 30 minutes for the 2:30 pm train. Don’t worry about boarding the wrong train—the people at the station are very friendly and will tell you when to get on if they know you’re a traveler.The train takes about3hour(s) to go all the way around. You can get off anywhere along the route,but since it goes through quite remote areas,it can be a bit tricky to get back into the city if you do.

When the train arrives, it’s pretty much like in mainland China or India—just push your way on. I was too scared of the crowds and also shocked by the train, and almost didn’t make it on. When locals saw we weretourists,they kindly made room for us to get through, and then we could sit down and start enjoying the3hour-long train ride.

There were only the four of us looking very much like tourists, and we became a sight for the locals. Traveling with us were a Fijian couple who quit their jobs to travel and a young “kimchi guy.” (@Yangon Circular Train)

The train environment was okay—not as chaotic as I expected with chickens, ducks, and geese running around. The boys on the right squeezed together to make room for us to sit. (@Yangon Circular Train)

Locals are also glued to their phones, and the ads up top are from telecom companies—looks like tech is starting to take over. (@Yangon Circular Train)

I visited during the rainy season, and with the dusty and muddy ground,it felt a bit dirty, but still within what I can handle (and I have a pretty high tolerance). The dirtiest part was when passing through markets—some stations double as markets, with locals setting up stalls just centimeters from the train tracks, even selling live free-range chicken and freshly gutted fish. At the end of the market area was a pile of garbage swarming with flies. 

Locals sell food on the train,Including red bananas, lychee-like fruits, and betel nuts. We had originally planned to buy some betel nuts to try, but someone who had just bought them on the train actually gave us some. Unfortunately, I couldn’t try them because I wear braces, but my friend “Kimchi Guy” tried one and said he felt a bit high afterward—haha.

There are people selling fruit at every train station. Even though they’re doing business, they still have a very relaxed vibe. (@Yangon, Myanmar)

This was the first time I saw red bananas. Although the lady was selling bananas, she did so very leisurely. The train was moving slowly, so people were standing by the door enjoying the breeze. (@YangonCircular Train)

The person wearing a hat is selling betel nuts. Watching him neatly slice the betel leaves is oddly satisfying for anyone with OCD. (@Yangon Circular Train)

The scenery along the way is mostly rural. We saw locals playing barefoot in the mud, having so much fun—it’s the purest kind of happiness. When was the last time we city folk enjoyed something like this? (@Yangon, Myanmar)

They leaned half their bodies out of the train to take photos with me. (@Yangon Circular Train)

The three-hour train ride started with everyone being curious about everything, but by the last hour, we’d gotten used to the scenery and were almost dozing off. The train returned right on schedule to Yangon Central Railway Station after three hours.

The big train station was a long way from where we got on, and it felt like we’d suddenly returned to a big city. (@Yangon Central Railway, Myanmar)

Later, someone at the hostel asked whether the Circular Train was worth it. I can say with certainty that since you’re already in Myanmar, don’t miss this great opportunity to see how locals live—you can just sit back and enjoy it effortlessly. What you see isn’t as grand as architectural wonders like Shwedagon Pagoda (the Golden Pagoda), but it’s the most authentic side of Myanmar. Even if there’s a language barrier, you’ll definitely feel the warmth and simple lifestyle of the Burmese people.

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