Yangon Nightlife - Best Nightclubs and Bars 2018
By
Thibaud (Jakarta100bars)
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I was in Yangon (Myanmar) in January 2017 for two weeks. It was more than enough time for me to go to almost all the nightclubs and bars in the city. Yangon nightlife is better than what I expected, even though it will need a few more years before it becomes travel-worthy. For now, it is still a bit rough around the edges and somewhat repetitive. I counted over 15 nightclubs, but only 3-4 that I really enjoyed. The others are either too loud, too quiet or they simply have too many prostitutes. On the plus side, I was happy to find out that they are usually open every night of the week, sometimes until late, and that Burmese are enthusiastic party-goers.
Pioneer is possibly the most famous nightclub in Yangon among tourists. They make up about 15% of the crowd there, and the rest is made of Burmese (including at least 20% of freelance prostitutes). It is located less than 10 minutes from the downtown area (if you ride at night), in a complex with several other bars and restaurants, all of them next to Yangon International Hotel . It is a busy nightlife area by local standards, especially with middle class and older Burmese (the young and the rich will go to Myanmar Plaza instead). The entrance fee for Pioneer is 10,000MMK and it includes a free beer. The club is quite simple and consists of just one large rectangle room (maybe 500 pax capacity) with a central dance floor, tables around it, a couple of VIP area and a mezzanine. There is only one small bar on the right as you enter.
Fuse is the most happening nightclub in Yangon at the time of writing (2017). It was opened in May 2016 in the brand-new mall and lifestyle center Myanmar Plaza. It is in an affluent neighborhood about 8 kilometers from downtown Yangon (Chinatown). During the day, the traffic to go there can be hellish but at 1AM, it won't take more than 10 minutes. Alternatively, you can choose a hotel nearby, for instance the luxurious Sedona . Fuse is on the 4th floor of Myanmar Plaza, right next to Eclipse , a nice rooftop bar with a beer garden vibe. I arrived in Fuse at 2.30AM on a Saturday night, just 30 minutes before closing time (3AM). I had been told it closed at 4AM otherwise I would have visited earlier.
9F Entertainment, also called 9th Floor, is a nightclub located in Mingalar market, in the same building as JJ (4th Floor) and Channel V (5th Floor). Note that the 7th and 8th floor have a massage parlor plus plus (4,000MMK for a body massage with a happy ending). I didn't try but I you have, you can leave a comment below... From all the nightclubs in Mingalar Market, 9F is the cheapest but also the friendliest. The entrance fee is 4,000MMK and it includes 2 free small beers (served in a plastic cup). It is a large, single-room club that could probably hold up to 1000 clubbers if full. During my visit, there were only about 100 people which was not bad considering it was a Tuesday.
Inya Bar is an upmarket nightclub located within the Inya Lake Hotel Complex in the northern part of Yangon. It occupies a small, independent building next to DJ's Bar and Opera Restaurant. It used to be called GTR. If you are visiting from downtown Yangon, the taxi ride should last about 15 minutes and cost 4,000MMK. As long as you are in the area, you can also try Fuse club at the Myanmar Plaza Mall. I made the mistake to arrive in Inya Bar way too early at 11.20PM. The place was deserted but the receptionist told me that it would eventually fill up after midnight. I waited and while a few groups came in, by 1AM there were only around 60 people.
The Clubhouse is a bottle nightclub located in the basement of the 5-star Kandawgyi Palace Hotel in Yangon (Myanmar). It is one of the few nightlife spots in the city with Western standards, but unfortunately it isn't very crowded yet. I went there on a Saturday night at 1.30AM and there were only a few tables occupied (maybe 30 people in total). There was a good ambiance though and almost everyone was dancing and having fun. The Clubhouse is definitely upmarket but contrary to Fuse , it targets more mature clubbers + foreigners. It has a modern design with a low-ceiling, some comfortable sofas spread across the room and a great lighting/sound equipment. Most of the drink menu consists of bottles (see below). If you are alone, you have only a few options by the glass, all of which are cocktails. I didn't see any beer. I had a Mojito for 7,000MMK which tasted fine. Friendly, fast and well-trained bartenders.
Asia Entertainment City is a large nightlife complex occupying the 7th, 8th and 9th floor of a building in Mingalar Market. It is next to the nightclubs JJ , Channel V and NASA . The 7th floor has a KTV and a spa/massage parlor. The massage certainly includes a plus plus or sex. I was told it costs 4,000MMK for the basic body massage. I don't know if more tips are required. The KTV is called 747 and the rooms are looking tired.
Club 5 is a live music bar/nightclub located inside the 5-star Parkroyal Hotel . It is a short taxi ride from the downtown area (1 kilometer). You don't need to go to the lobby to reach it as you have a dedicated entrance on the side of the hotel. You'll need to pay a first drink charge of 12 dollars (16,200MMK) to get in, only if you are not a hotel guest. All prices inside are in dollar and more expensive than average for Yangon. A cocktail will cost at least 8$ for instance.
NASA KTV and Entertainment is one of the nightclubs that you will find in Mingalar Market, a short taxi ride from downtown Yangon. The other ones are JJ , Channel V, Asia Entertainment City, Franc-Franc and 9-F. It is in the same building as the MZ Hotel which, I suppose, has short-time room and a friendly policy towards prostitutes. I visited NASA on a Tuesday night around 10PM. The entrance process is similar to that of nearby clubs: A well-dressed host will escort you from outside the club to the elevator, then to the ticket counter (entrance fee of 5,000MMK with one beer). After you undergo a very thorough body check, he'll get you a table and call a waiter. He will make sure you drink arrives, then ask for a tip and leave.
Pictures were forbidden inside the club so all I have is this lousy photo of the entrance. JJ is a nightclub and KTV located in Mingalar Mon Market, 100 meters off Banyar Dala Road (Yangon). It is in the same building as Channel V nightclub , Club Franc-Franc and opposite NASA KTV. It has a similar concept as Emperor : In the early hours of the evening, you can watch a fashion show performed by young Burmese girls (who happened to work for the karaoke) and once finished, a DJ will play very loud house remixes until 2AM.
Emperor is a nightclub and KTV located in downtown Yangon, walking distance from the Sule Shangri-La Hotel . It is considered one of the most upper-class prostitution venues in the capital and it caters mostly to Asian guests (Chinese, Japanese, Koreans, Burmese). For reasons I cannot comprehend, it is also popular with normal tourists, including Western women. It must be featured in the Lonely Planet or some other travel guidebooks. I visited on a Saturday night at 11PM, just before the closing time of 12PM. A guy, friendly but hungry for tips, escorted me from the street to the club on the 5th floor of an old building. I quickly got a clue what to expect as 2 girls in the elevator started to chat with me. They were friendly and spoke a rather good English but once I said I was not looking for company, they lost interest.
I found the 7th Joint Bar in Yangon by accident. It was past midnight and I was walking back to my hotel when I heard some noise coming from a tiny alley. I went to see what it was all about and discovered a small live music bar packed with foreigners (with also a few Burmese girls and guys). I would guess that most guests were expats, probably working in NGOs, embassies or schools. If you are new in the city and need to meet people, I would recommend you to go there.
Channel V nightclub is located in Mingalar Mon Market, in the same building as JJ Club . At the entrance, the bouncers will assume that you are interested with the latter and they may take you to the 4th floor instead of the 5th. You may want to visit both, but I enjoyed Channel V much more. It is less luxurious, with only local Burmese as far as I could tell. I may be naive but I don't think the girls there were prostitutes (at least not 100%). They seemed to be students (some probably still in high school) from middle-class families. Maybe a quarter of them had dyed blond hair. I spotted some lady boys as well. Anyway, it was a fun and packed crowd that was going really crazy at each songs, singing and dancing like only young people do.
BME Entertainment (or BME 2) is a bottle nightclub located near Inya Lake, about 500 meters from the US and Korean embassies. It is just before Le Planteur , one of Yangon's most famous restaurants. Be careful as some websites still indicate the old address at Summit Park Hotel . It has moved for several years already. From the outside, BME 2 looks exactly like DJ's Bar ( click to see the photo ).