Myanmar (Burma)
Myanmar is one of the best kept secrets there is! You will feel like an explorer in this stunning country. There are plenty of tourist destinations where, if you want to, you can find traveller creature comforts, but there are also plenty of opportunities to get off the beaten track and truly explore. You can quite easily not see another foreigner during your entire stay!
Yangon, with its beautiful temples, markets and horse-drawn carts patiently waiting at traffic lights; Bagan with its thousands of beautiful temples; the north with its different hill tribes and all the quaint little towns in between, there is something for everyone here. Make sure you bring good walking shoes as there is alot to see on foot, and alot of great hiking trails and hill tribes to explore.
Myanmar is certainly not like the rest of Asia, it is a lot poorer and has very minimal infrastructure. The people are amazingly friendly and willing to help you at any cost, despite their current situation. The country is also still fresh to tourism, so when haggling be aware that they are not as sharp or ruthless as hagglers in the rest of Asia. Most of the population is not only living below the poverty line, but also being ignored by their government, so keep this in mind when deciding on a price
IMPORTANT THINGS TO KNOW!!Safety:
- We found in our month that we were at NO time in any danger at all. The general population are amazingly generous even though they have nothing, and are very grateful for the small amount of tourism that does occur. However there are certain areas of the country that are definate NO-GO zones to foreigners. If you do wish to visit these areas make sure you have the right permits.
- Journalists are still not very welcome so do NOT write that you are a journalist on your entry form!
- ALWAYS ask permission before taking photos as you could be in a lot of trouble if you accidentally photograph something you shouldn't have.
- There are military checkpoints on most roads and your passport and visa WILL be checked. It is always a good idea to have a couple of spare copies to hand out like candy along the way.
- Also if you have allergies to dust, hay fever or Asthma, bring medication as you will most likely need it. Myanmar is a very dusty place...
Morally - If I go am I in turn supporting the regime?
- To be honest, this was the biggest concern we had when deciding whether to go or not.
And the answer is, yes, to a degree you will be financially contributing to the regime. And yes, you do need to play by their rules to a certain degree.
BUT! If you don't go and let your money help the local community, they are far worse off than if you didn't go at all.
It is actually quite simple to reduce your "regime contribution".
* Avoid government run hotels (a good rule of thumb is to stay clear of any hotel that has either the name of the country or the name of the city in it. eg, Yangon Hotel) who give 100% to the government and instead stay at locally run guesthouses who only have to pay 20%.
* Eat on the street and not at "foreigner restaurants."
* Travel by yourself and not on a "tour."
* Travel by bus (buses are owned privately and only give 20% of their takings to the government) instead of government owned and run trains or planes.
* Buy your souveneirs from local markets or wandering salesman (and not from official "shops".)
Electricity and the internet?
- There is electricity but it is sporatic and unreliable. Most people have their own generators as backup. The internet is accessible in most cities and we did not even have trouble accessing Facebook. Be careful what you post though as it is most likely monitored.
- BRING A TORCH!
Money:
- As there is pretty much no electricity, there are NO ATM's. Credit cards are only accepted at government run hotels where you will be charged at the "official" exchange rate and charged a hefty surcharge.
- You must bring US$ with you and they MUST be brand new - clean - flawless notes. Even a single pen mark may be rejected. Unlike the rest of the world, the best place to change money is NOT the bank. They will only buy your money at the "official" rate of something like 4 kyat per dollar which is ridiculous compared to the street rate of around 110 kyat per dollar!! We found the best rate was in Yangon (near the Sule Pagoda.) Make sure you still keep some US$ with you as you can ONLY pay for accomodation in $.
- Make sure you have enough money with you for the entire month!!
Food: The food is a little oily due to the fact that they have no refrigeration so they mostly preserve their food in a bowl with a thick film of chilli oil. Most food is spicy, or swimming in chillies and there isn't a big selection for vegetarians. But on the other hand there are lots of markets where you can quite easily pick up some salad stuffs. Street food is cheap, and quite good quality with a dish with rice and meat costing less than a dollar.
Beer: There are a few different local beers but the best and most widely available is "Myanmar beer" which is generally sold for around the same price as a bottle of water!! Although, due to the lack of refrigeration, it is more often than not, warm....
Tea and water: There are lots of different types of tea, or "cha," as it is known as and it is delicious! There are quaint tea stands on most street corners serving up tiny little cups for about 20c.
Water is not drinkable from the tap but bottled water is available everywhere you go..
Transport: Travelling can take a long time in Myanmar as roads are a little sporadic and full of pot holes, so bring a small pillow and snacks, and watch out for the chicken at your feet. Some buses are super luxurious! Others are dirty old clapped out buses where you are reminded that you paid for the "seat" and not for the "leg space" which can be occupied by chickens in cages, and the toilet on board is full with bags of potatoes!! (But hey! It's all part of the adventure!)
Buses are the most common and reliable mode of transport and all companies make regular stops for meals and breaks and sometimes your meal is even included in the ticket. The restaurants they stop at usually serve an array of cheap and decent food and tea.
You can also travel by plane or train, however these are controlled by the military junta and as such we do not recommend these. The buses are reliable and regular enough to not need to consider either of these other modes of transport.
Budget: We travelled quite long distances and stayed at backpacker guesthouses. We ate very well and drank beer most days. We also did rather alot of shopping and still found we could quite easily stick to a budget of around US$15 each.
Yangon, with its beautiful temples, markets and horse-drawn carts patiently waiting at traffic lights; Bagan with its thousands of beautiful temples; the north with its different hill tribes and all the quaint little towns in between, there is something for everyone here. Make sure you bring good walking shoes as there is alot to see on foot, and alot of great hiking trails and hill tribes to explore.
Myanmar is certainly not like the rest of Asia, it is a lot poorer and has very minimal infrastructure. The people are amazingly friendly and willing to help you at any cost, despite their current situation. The country is also still fresh to tourism, so when haggling be aware that they are not as sharp or ruthless as hagglers in the rest of Asia. Most of the population is not only living below the poverty line, but also being ignored by their government, so keep this in mind when deciding on a price
IMPORTANT THINGS TO KNOW!!Safety:
- We found in our month that we were at NO time in any danger at all. The general population are amazingly generous even though they have nothing, and are very grateful for the small amount of tourism that does occur. However there are certain areas of the country that are definate NO-GO zones to foreigners. If you do wish to visit these areas make sure you have the right permits.
- Journalists are still not very welcome so do NOT write that you are a journalist on your entry form!
- ALWAYS ask permission before taking photos as you could be in a lot of trouble if you accidentally photograph something you shouldn't have.
- There are military checkpoints on most roads and your passport and visa WILL be checked. It is always a good idea to have a couple of spare copies to hand out like candy along the way.
- Also if you have allergies to dust, hay fever or Asthma, bring medication as you will most likely need it. Myanmar is a very dusty place...
Morally - If I go am I in turn supporting the regime?
- To be honest, this was the biggest concern we had when deciding whether to go or not.
And the answer is, yes, to a degree you will be financially contributing to the regime. And yes, you do need to play by their rules to a certain degree.
BUT! If you don't go and let your money help the local community, they are far worse off than if you didn't go at all.
It is actually quite simple to reduce your "regime contribution".
* Avoid government run hotels (a good rule of thumb is to stay clear of any hotel that has either the name of the country or the name of the city in it. eg, Yangon Hotel) who give 100% to the government and instead stay at locally run guesthouses who only have to pay 20%.
* Eat on the street and not at "foreigner restaurants."
* Travel by yourself and not on a "tour."
* Travel by bus (buses are owned privately and only give 20% of their takings to the government) instead of government owned and run trains or planes.
* Buy your souveneirs from local markets or wandering salesman (and not from official "shops".)
Electricity and the internet?
- There is electricity but it is sporatic and unreliable. Most people have their own generators as backup. The internet is accessible in most cities and we did not even have trouble accessing Facebook. Be careful what you post though as it is most likely monitored.
- BRING A TORCH!
Money:
- As there is pretty much no electricity, there are NO ATM's. Credit cards are only accepted at government run hotels where you will be charged at the "official" exchange rate and charged a hefty surcharge.
- You must bring US$ with you and they MUST be brand new - clean - flawless notes. Even a single pen mark may be rejected. Unlike the rest of the world, the best place to change money is NOT the bank. They will only buy your money at the "official" rate of something like 4 kyat per dollar which is ridiculous compared to the street rate of around 110 kyat per dollar!! We found the best rate was in Yangon (near the Sule Pagoda.) Make sure you still keep some US$ with you as you can ONLY pay for accomodation in $.
- Make sure you have enough money with you for the entire month!!
Food: The food is a little oily due to the fact that they have no refrigeration so they mostly preserve their food in a bowl with a thick film of chilli oil. Most food is spicy, or swimming in chillies and there isn't a big selection for vegetarians. But on the other hand there are lots of markets where you can quite easily pick up some salad stuffs. Street food is cheap, and quite good quality with a dish with rice and meat costing less than a dollar.
Beer: There are a few different local beers but the best and most widely available is "Myanmar beer" which is generally sold for around the same price as a bottle of water!! Although, due to the lack of refrigeration, it is more often than not, warm....
Tea and water: There are lots of different types of tea, or "cha," as it is known as and it is delicious! There are quaint tea stands on most street corners serving up tiny little cups for about 20c.
Water is not drinkable from the tap but bottled water is available everywhere you go..
Transport: Travelling can take a long time in Myanmar as roads are a little sporadic and full of pot holes, so bring a small pillow and snacks, and watch out for the chicken at your feet. Some buses are super luxurious! Others are dirty old clapped out buses where you are reminded that you paid for the "seat" and not for the "leg space" which can be occupied by chickens in cages, and the toilet on board is full with bags of potatoes!! (But hey! It's all part of the adventure!)
Buses are the most common and reliable mode of transport and all companies make regular stops for meals and breaks and sometimes your meal is even included in the ticket. The restaurants they stop at usually serve an array of cheap and decent food and tea.
You can also travel by plane or train, however these are controlled by the military junta and as such we do not recommend these. The buses are reliable and regular enough to not need to consider either of these other modes of transport.
Budget: We travelled quite long distances and stayed at backpacker guesthouses. We ate very well and drank beer most days. We also did rather alot of shopping and still found we could quite easily stick to a budget of around US$15 each.
Accommodation:
The price for a room in a guesthouse/non-government hotel is pretty standardised and was US$5 per person including breakfast when we were there. Below is where we stayed (prices per person):
Okinawa Guesthouse – Yangon $6 pp *******
no hot water. Interesting bfasts, great style and nice rooms, and really friendly and helpful staff, awesome location next to the Sule pagoda!
Myananda Hotel – Bago $5 ******
clean, big rooms with hot showers but construction outside. No atmosphere
Sea Sar Lodge – Kimpun $3 ******
nice bungalows but paper thin walls and a 24hour concert outside..
Bagan Central Hotel – Bagan $6 ********
big deluxe room and bathroom, average breakfast but great staff and quiet location.
AD1 – Mandalay $5 ****
noisy, dirty, cramped, stinky bathroom, no atmosphere but nice rooftop.
Mr Charlies – Hsipaw $5 ******.5
we had best room but others average. Super friendly staff and okay bfast. Nice verandah
Mingala Inn – Nyuangshwe $6 ********
big free bfast, comfy room, good staff, great location, meditation room! homely
White house – Yangon $5 ****
no hot water, no generator, tiny room, okay but breakfast not as good as promoted.
Okinawa Guesthouse – Yangon $6 pp *******
no hot water. Interesting bfasts, great style and nice rooms, and really friendly and helpful staff, awesome location next to the Sule pagoda!
Myananda Hotel – Bago $5 ******
clean, big rooms with hot showers but construction outside. No atmosphere
Sea Sar Lodge – Kimpun $3 ******
nice bungalows but paper thin walls and a 24hour concert outside..
Bagan Central Hotel – Bagan $6 ********
big deluxe room and bathroom, average breakfast but great staff and quiet location.
AD1 – Mandalay $5 ****
noisy, dirty, cramped, stinky bathroom, no atmosphere but nice rooftop.
Mr Charlies – Hsipaw $5 ******.5
we had best room but others average. Super friendly staff and okay bfast. Nice verandah
Mingala Inn – Nyuangshwe $6 ********
big free bfast, comfy room, good staff, great location, meditation room! homely
White house – Yangon $5 ****
no hot water, no generator, tiny room, okay but breakfast not as good as promoted.