Yangon – Bogyoke Aung Sun Market

The end of my walk through central Yangon was this market. It’s a massive complex of interconnecting stalls, shops and bazaars. The closest approximation would be the covered bazaar of Istanbul. It was huge and the range of goods for sale was overwhelming.


My first task, was to find something to drink. I was absolutely drenched with sweat and needed to replace all that natural juice with some water. A little shop had a tray with some drinks on it, so I asked them for water. I was surprised when they replied in English that they did. I was even more surprised when it came out nicely chilled, seal intact and costing a sensible price. This might actually be fun!

I then saw a sign pointing to a post office. I needed some stamps, so I followed the signs for “Post Office” through quite a few dodgy little alley ways, up a flight of stairs covered with red spit from Betel nuts, then round the corner and there it was. Thirty seconds later, I had my stamps and they were cheap! Try doing that in a Post Office in Australia or England!

To be honest, the place was a little overwhelming. There were a couple of main thoroughfares, but from these lead a jumbled warren of shops with goods piled to the rafters. It was easy to get lost and even harder to find anything you were looking for.


I was set upon by a couple of street urchins selling cheroot cigars and postcards. I managed to buy some postcards at a sensible price, turned down the cheroots and headed on my way.

This market is definitely something to be seen. The sheer size is impressive enough, but the different merchandise on sale is just amazing and not to be missed!