WEEKLY GUIDE JUNE 19-25, 2020
myanmar destination updates from the ground
EVENTS Sunday, June 21
Salsa on Sunday Every Sunday HAVANA hosts a marathon of salsa classes beginning at 4.30 pm with their 1.5 hour beginner class, followed by improver level (post beginner) from 6.30-7.15 and intermediate from 7.30-8.30 and social dancing until late. All classes are 5,000 kyats each or you can attend two or more for 8,000 kyats. No partner required. ? Havana Social Club - Unit G23, Urban Asian Center, Mahabandula Road Between 47th &, 48th St, Botahtaung Tsp,Yangon | P 4:30 pm - 11 pm
Wednesday, June 24
Ladies’ Night at Havana Put your lipstick on and dress to impress as it’s Ladies’ night every Wednesday at HAVANA. Ladies get a FREE house cocktail of your choice on entry, or come in a group of 4 and get a house cocktail JUG. Come for a drink and stay for a dance only at HAVANA. ? Havana Social Club - Unit G23, Urban Asian Center, Mahabandula Road Between 47th &, 48th St, Botahtaung Tsp,Yangon | P 4 pm - 11 pm
Thursday, June 25
Thanaka Thursdays Go local every Thursday at HAVANA. Come wearing a cooling swipe of traditional Myanmar Thanaka and get a FREE beer or house cocktail on entry. ? Havana Social Club - Unit G23, Urban Asian Center, Mahabandula Road Between 47th &, 48th St, Botahtaung Tsp,Yangon | P 4 - 11 pm
15th - 30th June
MYANMAR CRAB PAELLA Their Spanish Chef put an exotic twist on the traditional Spanish paella with Myanmar crab and calamari. Come and try this delicious Myanmar fusion paella for only US$22++ ? Meliá Yangon - 192, Kabar Aye Pagoda Road, Yangon |
15th June - 31th July
RAINY DAY HIDEAWAY 45 USD NETT – One Bedroom Studio Apartment. Equipped with fully functional kitchen to unleash the ‘masterchef’ in you. WiFi connection for your ‘Netflix and chill’. Access to pool and sweat club for your fitness goals. Accommodates 2 adults and 1 child (under 12 y.o.) OPTIONAL ADD ON Lavish breakfast on 2 for 1 offer at 16USD net If Coming with mote friends or perhaps a bigger family 60 USD NETT – Two Bedroom Apartment Accommodates 4 adults and 2 children (under 12 years) ? Mercure Yangon Kaba Aye - No 17 Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd, Yangon |
15th - 30th June
BEYOND KIM CHI Braised Spicy Pork Rib with Kimchi-Set (USD 19++ Per Person) Offering to taste “Braised Spicy Pork Rib with Kimchi-Set”, the meat from the ribs is melting in your mouth and flavor that matches with new recipe of fermented cabbage kimchi, which make your dishes extraordinary for this generously season as a special menu at Mugunghwa Korean Restaurant. ? LOTTE HOTEL YANGON - No. 82, Sin Phyu Shin Avenue Pyay Road,
6½ Mile, Ward 11 MM, Yangon | P 11 am - 10 pm
15th - 30th June
MONSOON HIGH TEA Flavourful sweets and an assortment of savories, together with unlimited tea and coffee, all in one set. Monsoon special offer: US$19 net per set for 2 people. Treat yourself and a friend to a quintessential High Tea. ? Meliá Yangon - 192, Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd, Yangon | P 2:30 pm - 4:30 pm
21th June
Love your Dad Surprise your Dad and join their Father Day Special Brunch special promotion with the entire Family. Father’s Day brunch including King Crabs, Lobsters, Oysters, Mussels, Grilled River Prawns with free flow beer, sparkling wine, red and white wine. Every Father from each table will receive a voucher for a jug of beer to enjoy at their Time Out Sports Bar. ? Novotel Yangon Max - 459 Pyay Road, Kamayut Tsp, Yangon | P 12 pm - 3 pm
PROMOTIONs Mango Durian Dreams AT BreadTalk Myanmar One of the most famous bakeries in MYANMAR, BreadTalk Myanmar has introduced its new menu, a special “ Mango Durian Dream” series. In this Mango Durian Dream series, 7 buns and 2 types of cakes made with Mango and Durian are included - Mango Durian Biscotti, Mango Cuptart, Durian Puff, Mango Vanilla Panna Cotta, etc. This new menu will definitely be heaven for Mango and Durian lovers, with its rich use of these seasonal fruits in pastry items. This new menu is now available at every BreadTalk outlet so go and grab yours. ? BreadTalk Myanmar - Ground Floor, Myanmar Plaza, Yangon |
Buffets
Friday, June 19
Hooked on Seafood Let’s start meaningful Friday with seafood. They are ready to serve you with delicious and fresh Hooked on seafood at The Square restaurant. Come & fill your energy with the best seafood in Town. Limited Seats only. ? Novotel Yangon Max - 459 Pyay Road, Kamayut Tsp, Yangon | P 6 pm - 10 pm
Saturday, June 20
Seafood a la carte buffet Every Wednesday & Saturday in the whole month of June, Sedona Hotel Yangon showcases the city’s best Seafood a la carte buffet at USD 47 nett for 2 persons! Bring friends with you and you will eat for free. Enjoy your favourite seafood items and unlimited beverages from softdrinks, beer, and wine! Children below 11 years old get 50% off! Like and share post to avail of the promotion. Limited seats available due to government regulations on safety distancing. Pre-booking is required. All guests to observe the hotel’s health and safety protocols. ? Sedona Hotel - No. 1, Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd, Yankin Tsp, Yangon | P 6 pm - 9:30 pm
Tuesday, June 23
Meats & More – BBQ a la carte Buffet Every Tuesday and Friday, come and experience Sedona’s own BBQ a la carte buffet at USD 47 nett for 2 persons! Come with friends and family and enjoy unlimited beverages from soft drinks, beer, and wine! Children below 11 years old get 50% off! Like and share post to avail of the promotion. Limited seats available due to government regulations on safety distancing. Pre-booking is required. All guests to observe the hotel’s health and safety protocols. ? Sedona Hotel - No. 1, Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd, Yankin Tsp, Yangon | P 6 pm - 9 pm
Brunches
Sunday, June 21
Sunday Brunch USD 34 net per person including free flow of Beer, Red & White Wine, Sparkling Wine and Soft drinks. All foodies will be glad to know that they are ready to serve you with delicious and fresh variety of selection, both local and international cuisines. Come and join this new setup and new dining experience. Limited Seats only. ? Novotel Yangon Max - 459 Pyay Road, Kamayut Tsp, Yangon | P 12 pm - 3 pm
Sunday, June 28
Sunday Boutique Brunch at Savoy Hotel Every second Sunday, you can get the chance to try their incredible menu by renowned Executive Chef, Florian Eberhardt, freshly made with the best Myanmar and International produce. Plus, being a la carte, you can observe social distancing (no queues) and they can minimise waste – protecting you and the environment. Book in advance to not miss out. US$ 54.- net per person for a boutique package including free flow of house wines, prosecco, draft beer, and fresh juices. ? Savoy Hotel Yangon - 129, Dhammazedi Road, Yangon | P 12 pm - 4 pm
Staycation
Summer Wind-Down Staycation AT Pan Pacific Yangon Stay at Pan Pacific Yangon and Get 10,000 Ks Junction Shopping Gift Voucher. The very first 4 persons who book above Package 2 and 3 will get Junction City Shopping Gift Vouchers 10,000 ks. ? Pan Pacific Yangon - Corner of Bogyoke Aung San Road and,
Shwedagon Pagoda Rd, Yangon |
Staycation with Free Dining AT Chatrium Hotel Royal Lake Yangon Treat yourself to an amazing package starting at only USD 89 net. And what’s more, whatever price you pay for your room, they will match it and give you the equivalent in food & beverage credit for a sumptuous dining experience at any of their outstanding restaurants or bars. ? Chatrium Hotel Royal Lake Yangon - 40, Nat Mauk St, Yangon |
Myanmar destination updates from the ground
We talked with business owners and senior managers in the hospitality industry about the impacts of COVID-19 on popular destinations. They share their experience with the pandemic and how they prepare for the “new normal”.
Bagan “This year tourists have stopped coming since March. We had a few guests who were stuck in Bagan for 2 weeks in Feb finding flights to go back to their home country after their 10 day visit to Myanmar. COVID-19 was a massive hit, harder than the SARS (2004), and H1N1 (2009). We still had tourists coming in during the previous outbreaks. The staff might not return after the lockdown as they might have moved on to find jobs outside tourism. Some staffers may have left the town for better opportunities. Most employees do not want to come to work due to the pandemic. So we have very limited staff. Domestic travel will resume soon. I think international tourists will not be coming until 2021-22. Local people are dying to travel, since they have stayed home for months. Our hotel never relied on the Chinese market, but survived on usual regular guests within the country and from the West. Definitely we will have to rely on the locals and expats for the next 2 years. We will have to also rely on other various markets, not just the West.” Ma Khine Owner, Thante Hotel, Nyaung Oo
Kayah State Last year was really good – we had over 3,200 guests. But this year we didn’t meet that target due to COVID-19. If there were no booking cancellations, we would have more guests than the previous year. The major challenges we’re facing are 1) transportation, which is very expensive because of double charges to reduce the people [on express buses] in line of social distancing guidelines; 2) the government’s policies to prevent COVID-19 – it’s not easy for foreigners to enter. Now we’re focusing on domestic tourism. We offer special package rates and train the staff in standard operating procedures for safety of our guests. And also a new attractive menu. Ko Ko Lay Manager, Keinnara Loikaw Hotel
Mandalay “All of our spring and summer bookings have been postponed indefinitely and we have very little confirmation for the upcoming high season, as clients are waiting to book until they know it is safe to travel again. Thankfully we have very low overheads as
most of our team work on a freelance basis, but there are still bills to pay so we are minimizing our expenses as best we can. I expect these low numbers to remain until Q4 of 2021, so in the meantime we are focusing on streamlining our office systems and, as soon as we can get out and about freely, we plan to research new excursions and adventures in upper Myanmar. Travelers will want to plan meaningful trips as, now that this privilege has been temporarily taken away, the value of traveling is more apparent. Because of this I believe people will shy away from big group tours and focus more on immersive experiences. This is where Myanmar has huge potential to grow as it is one of the few places in the world with its culture and traditional ways of life largely intact. Allowing more homestay experiences, developing more adventures in remote areas and preventing the destruction of natural environments will attract this type of tourist.” Anne Cruickshanks Co-founder, Myanmar Pure Travel
Mergui Archipelago “The Coronavirus Pandemic has a massive impact on tourism and consequently on our hotel as well. Boulder Bay Eco Resort like many other properties had to close down during the quarantine period and that put pressure in our whole operations. With the right planning, we managed to keep all our staff and not lay off anyone during these difficult times. Same applies for our sister company Moby Dick T&T that operates the Island Safari Tours in Myeik Archipelago. We tried to take this time to regroup our team and make a plan on how we will move forward when things go back to “normal”. The biggest challenge that we are facing right now is that most of our clients before were from Europe, from where we project a slower recovery since long haul flights have been reduced significantly. We will do everything we can to ensure travel safety by following the directives from WHO and the Ministry of Hotel & Tourism. Looking forward, since the domestic market will be the first segment that will start travelling again we will focus a lot on attracting customers that live in Myanmar and surrounding areas. We are preparing various campaigns and promotions that will start running from July so stay tuned :-). ” Grigorios Ntarlantanis Sales & Marketing Manager, Boulder Bay Eco Resort
Nationwide Of course the impact of Covid-19 is huge on the travel industry but thankfully it came towards the end of the high season. We decided in March to keep all staff and use our existing assets (office, staff and network around the country) to set-up two new social businesses: https://honeybeemyanmar.com and https:// www.kumelmyanmar.org/ so at least we can one day look back at something positive that came out of this crisis.
As it’s possible again for domestic tourists to travel easily and without any paperwork to Mandalay, Bagan, northern and southern Shan states, Kayah, Mon and Kayin states we started to create new experience for Myanmar tourists and expats travelling in June, July, August and September. We still have bookings from Western clients for August and September as they are interested to visit Myanmar if there are international flights available without compulsory quarantine regulations. I do foresee that we will have more international travellers arriving by October and that’s really needed as a lot of our regular suppliers and their staff really need the income to take care of their families. Edwin Briels Managing Director, Khiri Travel Myanmar
Ngapali “Hilton is defining a new standard of hotel cleanliness called Hilton CleanStay to elevate hygiene practices from Check-In to Check-Out. Hilton CleanStay builds upon the already high standards of housekeeping and hygiene at Hilton properties, where hospital-grade cleaning products and upgraded protocols will be in use. The goal of Hilton CleanStay is to provide guests with assurance and peace of mind when they stay with us. The initiative will create a focus on cleanliness that will be visible to guests throughout their entire stay – in their guest rooms, restaurants, fitness center and in other public spaces. And throughout the new cleaning process, hotel team members will be provided with personal protective equipment and enhanced training designed to protect their well-being while continuing to deliver unmatched Hilton hospitality.” Eugene Win Manager, Hilton Ngapali Resort & Spa
Shan State ( Inle and Nyaung Shwe ) “We receive foreign tourists from October until the end of March or April. We consider that period as the high season. Between April and September, we normally receive very few tourists. We had to stop all business activities starting from the 3rd week of March due to COVID-19. Since it’s already the end of high season, the impact of COVID-19 on the 2019-2020 high season is not that serious. But everybody in the tourism business is worried about the 2020-2021 and afterwards. We can be sure that tourism will not be recovered until 2023. So, many people in the tourism industry are trying to change their livelihoods. I am also trying to start another business as I will not be able to survive with my transport business alone. ” A transport business owner on the condition of anonymity
emergency numbers POLICE STATION
AMBULANCE
199 / 01 549309
192
FIRE STATION
TOURIST SAFETY UNIT
191 / 01 252011 / 01 252022
01 642742 / 01 549209
TOURIST INFORMATION
YANGON GENERAL HOSPITAL
01 252859 / 01 378376
01 256112 / 01 265131
HOTLINE NUMBER 1876
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THIS WEEK’S PHOTO
Artist: HAN TIN SWE. Image courtesy of Nawaday Tharlar Gallery. www.nawadaytharlar.com