JJ Express (Joyous Journeys) is one of the major bus companies with many routes throughout Myanmar. Pricier than other bus services, we opted for the highest rated for service and comfort: a real first class bus journey.
From my experiences so far in Myanmar, I did not have high hopes for a first class rated bus journey. The journey to the inconveniently located bus station in Yangon was also a deterrent for any possible high expectations. An hour long journey of weaving through traffic and overflowing buses from Downtown Yangon with no air conditioning was the lead up to the bus station.
From the moment we were dropped at the doors of the JJ Express office though, I was overwhelmed with the level of service and attentiveness of their many staff. My bags were unloaded from the taxi and were tagged, ready for the bus. Check-in was smooth and friendly.Taking a seat in the middle of many fans to cool off, complimentary coffee was served to all. My expectations of the journey ahead began to rise.
The bus itself was clean with large wide seats – only 3 to row for extra space. Booking late, we received single seats in column 3 of the bus, providing us with much more space and solitude to sleep comfortably. With plenty of leg room, leg and foot rests and a seat that had a 75% recline, my body sighed in comfort.
The efficiency of the ground staff at the station was so high, everyone and everything was loaded quickly, allowing the bus to depart 10 minutes ahead of schedule. The onboard service was just as impressive as at the bus station. It resembled an inflight service with hostesses who served snacks, complimentary drinks and clean blankets. All announcements were repeated in English to aid foreigners travelling on the service.
At 10:30pm we stopped at a Feel Express restaurant for food and bathroom (if needed) as there were no toilets on board the bus. After this half hour stop the hostesses served an assortment of drinks and a snack to all on board. Not long after this I was yet again sound asleep and woke when we arrived at our destination (Bagan) at 5am.
JJ Express now drops you off in the new bus station for Bagan. A taxi into Nyaung OO from here is a standard 10000 kyat or 5000 kyat per person (2+ passengers). This seemed crazy as it was over half the cost of the bus journey from Bagan and very inconvenient. In the dark we set off in our taxi, being stopped to purchase our entry tickets into Bagan a few minutes into the taxi ride (this is not a scam, you require this ticket to be in the area at a cost of $15USD).
All in all, I had a Joyous Journey and recommend JJ Express for all travellers passing through Myanmar. The extra few thousand Kyat is well worth it.
All opinions are subjective to the writers personal travel experience. The writer travelled at her own expense.
This is so helpful. But how do I book a bus ticket with JJ? Do they have a website?
Hi Karel,
Glad my post has helped you out. For this trip I booked my tickets through my guesthouse. For most of my bus journeys this was the case as there is no website (not when I visited) and I found English at Bus Stations was poor and difficult to book.
Happy Travels!
Ruby
Thanks very much for your very Informative post. Extremely helpful to any traveler to Bagan. Do you know the Address or the area where the JJ Express Bus terminal in Yangon? How far from Downtown? How much was the one way ticket to bagan?
Thanks very much!
Hi Thusira,
Thanks so much for your positive comments! I’m glad my post has helped you.
I made this journey just over 12 months ago now and the price was 18,000 Kyat (which at the time was about $18USD) from my guest house Daw Dee Saw in Downtown Yangon (Review of Daw Dee Saw) . A taxi from Downtown took approximately 40 minutes in traffic, which was an adventure and cultural experience in itself.
When you purchase your tickets it will have the exact address for the JJ Express area in the Bus Terminal (which is massive) and the Taxi driver knew it well which was lucky. My ticket is tucked somewhere in memory box in storage so I can’t check the exact details.
I hope this is helpful and I know you will have an amazing time in Myanmar.
Happy Travels,
Ruby
This post was really helpful! I was wondering if you traveled alone as a female, did you felt safe arriving so early in the morning in Bagan? My concern was just getting there and being stranded in the middle of nowhere until daylight. Thank you for your time!
Hi ND,
I was not travelling alone for this part of my journey.
However, I would happily and comfortably make the journey solo. When you arrive at the bus station there are friendly tuk tuk drivers ready to take you to your accommodation. There will also at least a few other travellers making the journey with you (even outside of peak season). Just remember when your tuk tuk pulls over in the dark it is legitimate as you have to pay your Park entrance fee.
Happy Travels!
Ruby
Hi, thanks for this post. My husband and I will be traveling this route later this year, and looking for alternative ways to travel. Would you know if JJ express has a daytime schedule for this route? It would be more fun, I think, to see the countryside and people about rather than sleeping through the trip. Also, how were the conditions of the road? I don’t expect them to be very well-maintained and potholes-free, but are they reasonably good — I mean they didn’t exactly give you back ache afterwards? Just a bit concerned, as we have some back problems and wouldn’t want to unnecessarily harm ourselves. One reason, actually, why I’d like an alternative to the train travel which, I’ve read in some blogs, is very bumpy.
Thanks for any help!
Hi!
To be honest I prefer overnight travel so always opt for the night so did not look into daytime buses. I did catch a day shuttle Bagan to Mandalay which was really interesting (and a shorter trip) to watch the countryside fly by.
On the sleeper bus you can recline almost completely flat in wide comfortable chairs. I didn’t get woken up or rattled to pieces so assume the road was in very good condition. If you are opting for buses I would stick to JJ Express as it is the first class style of bus transit in Myanmar (much better for your backs!)
Happy Travels!
Ruby
Thanks for the reply — will certainly consider the sleeper bus.
Keep traveling!
Hi,
Thanks for your post, loads of great info. Can you remember roughly what time in the evening the bus left?
Hi Clare,
I found most overnight buses in Myanmar leave between 8pm and 10pm (the later you leave the better hour you arrive at the destination). Hope this helps!
Happy Travels!
Ruby
Hello, I will be visiting Myanmar in January next year, thanks for your information. Would like to know how you travelled travel from Bagan to Mandalay? How long is the shuttle? Thanks.
Hi BoBo,
Sorry for the late reply! Things have been hectic around here…
I am so excited for you Myanmar is an amazing country to visit! Here is a link for my post on travelling from Bagan to Mandalay via “OK” shuttle: http://www.rubywhiteroad.com/review-ok-bagan-mandalay/ I booked the shuttle through Thante Hotel which is where I stayed during my time in Bagan. From memory we left 9-10ish in the morning and arrived in the late afternoon….
If you have any further questions feel free to shoot me a message.
Happy Travels!
Ruby