Escape from Rangoon

It matters a lot where you stay. We chose the May Shan, by luck and coincidence, and by staying in the heart of the city, we got to see many aspects of life in Yangon that we might have missed. Aside from the act of crossing the busy Yangon streets being very similar to a game of Frogger, the inner city area is rich with life all within walking distance. I looked at hotels that were more upscale, some quite romantic, but in the end, each traveler makes their own decisions about what is tolerable or what they need when they are in a foreign city. If we had stayed at the Savoy, for example, we would have had to take a taxi to see the market, to see Shwedegon or Sule Paya, or the Bogyoke Aung San Market. There is something vital and exciting about the busy mix of Muslim, Hindu, Chinese, Burman all blended together that we might have missed. Just walking to the Daw Saw Ye for dinner was a game of dodge-car and an adventure in balancing on sidewalks that were once broad expanses of pavement but are now remnants of cement tipping and wobbling and waiting to tip you over. You feel you've accomplished something when you arrive without having been impaled on a surprise piece of rebar. The May Shan was an oasis in the middle of this, air conditioned, free wifi in the lobby, room cleaning daily,a little cell-like (and I think this is typical of old cities with old hotel residences because all the buildings are close together and the windows are in the front and back), but quiet and secure. The owners went out of their way to be helpful; laundry service, taxis to the airport, a little map of the city, air tickets and a huge free breakfast which we chose not to eat because we had breakfast at the tea shop across the road. The May Shan booked our guesthouse in Inle and in Nyuang U, both of which turned out to be fine for us. And right outside our door was the Sule Paya, a night food market complete with the big green sugar cane and lime extractor and the food sellers hawking their wares with sing song cries and tin cups banging on top of their tin bowls to attract your attention. In the morning as we stepped out, the only time it was cool and there was no death-defying traffic, the cries of the bus attendants yelling their destinations and hustling passengers was the first thing we heard. Our last two nights, we went to sleep and woke up to Buddhist chants over the loudspeakers.
Some travelers consider the ambiance of a hotel or guesthouse part of the trip. I can relate to that and you will need to spend a little more money on accommodation to get that than Muz and I do. So...if you want clean, convenient, basic plus, our recommendations are all of that. If you want romantic, atmospheric lodgings, our choices may not match what you have in mind.
As far as food goes, it's a big part of the fun of travel. Trying street food, finding good local places to eat, all of that can be costly in terms of stomach issues, but it's worth the hassle. All we can advise is to WASH YOUR HANDS a lot and try not to put your fingers in your mouth. Be extra careful the first week, use bottled water always, keep your mouth shut in the shower and don't forget to use bottled water to rinse your toothbrush, ask if any uncooked vegetables and fruits were rinsed in bottled or pure water (you may have to mime this). If you eat at street stalls, take a look at the food first...is it on ice? does it look fresh? With skewers of food, ask them to be put back on the grill for a few minutes before eating them (gestures once again). And who is eating there? Lots of locals, lots of happy people? Then its probably okay..and good luck...lots of positive thoughts...if it doesn't feel right, trust your gut, no pun intended.