Myanmar should i go

Tourists are safe in Myanmar and looked out for. While no foreign office or state departments are placing high warnings or statements suggesting avoiding travel to Myanmar unless necessary, there is updated advice. Since the end of does show a warning for significant risk of violence in the Rakhine state and the northwestern region of the country.

Like with any political situation, it is wise to stay up to date with developments and the advice of your foreign office in case of a Myanmar travel warning. The UK Foreign Office, for example, advises being more vigilant on the anniversary of the attacks in Rakhine on 25th August It is further advised including the official land border crossings to avoid the border areas, especially those with Thailand, Laos and China but also India and Bangladesh. This avoidance is due to drug smuggling activity and military and ethic militia activity where regular armed clashes take place.

Here is an overview of what the UK Foreign Office state in their travel advice:. Burmese people are the most genuine, friendly, warm-hearted and amazingly beautiful people I have ever met.

Not one will turn you away when you need help, and hardly anyone will try to short change you or be cheeky in a transaction.

They are so fascinated by the presence of outsiders, that you can see the sheer excitement on their faces. Smile and say hello, shake hands, hug, exchange e-mail addresses and revel in the great reaction you get back. The country formally known as Burma gained independence in from occupying forces. Other names were also changed, which is why you will see Rangoon now referred to as Yangon.

Both Burma and Myanmar are still used interchangeably, on the ground and the world stage. Flights to Myanmar are the usual option for travellers as the first mode of entry, with regularly scheduled services from Bangkok.

But, considering where Myanmar is located — bordered by China to the North and Northeast, Thailand and Laos to the east and India and Bangladesh to its west — there are multiple avenues for land entry. However, not all of them are advised due to safety. You will be given a list of options, from which you will need to choose one of the following:. You can exit at any of the International Airports and Land Border Checkpoints since your exit point does not need to be stated up-front.

Additionally, you may leave at the Htikee Land Border Checkpoint, although entry from here is not possible. While a month of travelling is not possible for everyone if you can make the most of your day visa for a Myanmar trip, do. This country is not one to be seen in a few days or a week, much like you can do the key highlights in the more easily navigable Cambodia and Vietnam. Myanmar is a vast country and travel times are long, plus it takes times to get to grips with how things work here and understanding the people, the culture and the political climate.

Spend at least two weeks here if you can — skimming this incredible landscape is an absolute waste. Taking into account the climate and tourism footfall, I recommend the following seasonal breakdowns.

The popular, high season is November to February when the weather is warm but not stifling, and attracts the most significant number of visitors.

This season, in turn, makes the limited accommodation options tricky to secure and will mean trying to book ahead or face paying out for the more expensive options left over. March to May is the time when the temperature rises in Myanmar and impending rains are due. I choose to travel in May, as the monsoon season typically starts in June. I wanted to arrive just before the rains, where there was a limited number of tourists, and I could walk into a guesthouse and get a room without any problems.

The only downside to this time of the year is that it is incredibly hot and I mean disgustingly, sweaty hot. No matter what time of the year you visit Myanmar, you are rewarded with incredible views.

What to see in Myanmar depends entirely on your own desired ration of culture and adventure, since the country is filled with everything from city exploration, multi-day hikes, cycling tours and river journeys. While no longer the capital of Myanmar, Yangon formerly Rangoon is not short on sights.

A city of British colonial architecture and modern developments mixed with the gleaming Buddhist temples and pagodas, you might be surprised how long you want to stay.

Bagan is a city filled with over 2, temples built between the 9th and 13th centuries. Hire a bike for the day and visit as many as you can, and clamber temple heights for sunrise and sunset.

Many travellers stay for two days to cover the temple grounds and have adequate rest from doing so in the heat. The second largest lake in Myanmar is located in the northern Shan State and is a vast basin, snaking off into tiny canals with small hand-built dams and floating gardens. People come here to see the fisherman using traditional fisherman methods, by operating the oar using one leg.

Hsipaw is known for its hiking trails, where I took on a three-day trek through this rural region of Myanmar towards Kalaw. Following that, the three-hour train journey from Hsipaw to the former colonial summer hideaway of Pyin Oo Lwin, across the Goteik Viaduct is a heart-racing journey and an unforgettable experience in Myanmar.

A bustling, dusty city in a river valley landscape surrounded by mountainous plains and rice paddy fields, Mandalay is a perfect combination of city exploration and countryside adventure. This Archipelago, off the far south coast of the long peninsula mainland of Myanmar, has hundreds of islands. The Archipelago used to require a government permit for a visit, but do double-check which areas are now open and which may still be subject to permission.

Yup, the Southeast Asia fatigue strikes again. While beautiful, it can be lethargic stumbling upon too many as they look similar bar slight differences in height and decoration. If limiting your pagoda hopping locals tend to love showing off the pagodas in their towns if showing you around , make a visit to the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon and the unique temples complexes of Bagan, your absolute must-sees from the bunch.

The need to have crisp, un-creased, unmarked, brand new US dollar bills for Myanmar remains. Since the vast majority of people fly into Myanmar from Bangkok, this seems to be a popular place to get hold of the bills. I changed my money at a currency exchanger called SuperRich in Silom, and the whole process took around an hour. If you have time, withdraw all your cash in Thai Baht, as using your card to get dollars means having to pay a 2.

You can exchange your dollars into Myanmar Kyat when you get to your hotel or guesthouse, in a local bank or at the airport — the latter not always being not as good a rate as the others. The stories are real — Myanmar is equipped with a sporadic scattering of ATMs. It has been known for ATMs to stop working or run out of money in more remote areas.

Typically, dollars are used for paying for your accommodation in Myanmar and some forms of transport, such as internal flights. Everything else from food, street snacks, tuk-tuks and guides are paid for in kyat. Should you find yourself low on dollars, most locals are happy to accept kyat instead. Still, you will be paying more — while the current exchange rate is approximately kyat to the dollar, many will round your dollar up to say 1, kyat. I was losing a small chunk each time. A Myanmar trip can be a budget one.

I ate street-food where I could find it or ate at local restaurants. Myanmar is expensive only if you choose to travel that way. Being aware of your money and how much you are spending will ensure that you pay the same amount here as you would in any other part of Southeast Asia. If you are a luxury traveller wanting to stay in and dine at the top end, government-owned hotels, then you will not be travelling responsibly in Myanmar. Each to their own, but if you travel irresponsibly here, then you probably should not be coming at all.

Traveling Myanmar means contributing to the wave of significant change here. With locals given more rights to trade privately, we must support them rather than line the pockets of the corrupt and controlling system. While your guesthouses will not always be the cleanest or most comfortable, or your food the most delectable, remember one thing — local support is the greatest thing you can give during this exciting stage of development in Myanmar.

For many, it will be time to embrace a new way of travelling. I choose to eat and drink at local establishments and bought items from local markets and street vendors. Not only did I feel I was giving something to those who deserved it most, but it was also the ideal opportunity to meet and get to know the local people, which in itself forms one of the most incredible memories of travelling in Myanmar. Responsible travel in Myanmar means putting your money straight into the hands of the local people.

More or less every single traveller carries a Myanmar Lonely Planet last updated in Whether you are a fan or not, this book has been thoroughly researched and is the only time I have entirely relied on it as a bible rather than a reference point. However, given the regular increase in tourism which local businesses have capitalised on, prices have risen from those printed. All accommodation and eatery options have been researched to provide travellers with a comprehensive list of places that are not government-owned.

Hostels are not as far and wide in Myanmar, although the big cities certainly have some options to choose from now. Hostelworld now also lists a variety of hostels or similar style properties in Yangon , Bagan , Mandalay and Kalaw. If you can, try to pair up with another traveller to cut costs — many guesthouses have double rooms, triples and dorms. The Myanmar bus is legendary in its own right. Your guesthouse can help you book your ticket in advance, and usually with the most trusted and decent company in that area.

However, they may charge an extra couple of dollars as a form of the admin fee. You can also take a chance and turn up at the local station to buy your ticket there. I only did this when my hostel had a better idea of schedules or called ahead and knew there would be adequate space. Some bus tickets now include a pick up from your accommodation. Double-check if that is the case. Bus journeys in Myanmar are incredibly long, sometimes averaging hours. Comfort is not a factor.

Make the toilet stop before you get on although once in a real emergency my travel buddy did beg the driver to stop and bring more than one layer with you. Get used to the Myanmar Buses. You will be using them a lot. Night buses are not sleeper buses , even though these are the buses which bring you to your destination around 3 or 4 am.

Pack your iPod, invest in some heavy-duty extreme earplugs or kindly ask for what was once amusing entertainment, now noise pollution, to be turned off. Never ask a driver about the time of arrival.

Due to superstitions based on a belief system of nats spirits that existed before Buddhism came to the fore, asking when you will arrive at a destination conjures up bad spirits and is taken seriously. The result? Unless necessary, avoid taking a taxi in Myanmar since it can be a wallet-draining experience. The only time you need a taxi is to and from an airport , where you have to suck up the extra budget and know you are being ripped off.

The only time a taxi can cost-effective and useful is if you hire a driver for a half or full-day. However, with traffic gridlock in cities or smaller towns being compact, getting around by foot is usually the best and quickest option. Prepare for the unexpected. When my night bus to Bagan arrived in the very early hours of the morning, my only option to get to my hotel was via horse and cart. There is still a haggling process to be had not helpful when you are sleepy , but since this is the main form of tourist transport here, it is only natural that they are waiting for new bus arrivals.

The far northern, mountainous area of Myanmar, alongside the western Chin State and the far reaches of the southern Mon State and Tenasserim region are generally off-limits to tourists unless you have applied for a government visa in advance.

Applying for a government visa in Myanmar usually has to be completed ahead of time, and can take months. It can also be costly since particular permits are not so commonplace yet. I have heard of some people applying for a government visa at the local bureau or via a tourism agency, and it was processed and granted quickly.

It can often come down to being lucky or depending on the particular area of Myanmar you wish to visit. However, a few other travellers and I managed to get all the way south to Dawei and Myeik in the far south without a permit as we heard while in Mawlamyine that it had been open for a couple of months.

It took days of long, arduous travel to get from place to place but it was a pleasure to visit areas that had never seen much tourism footfall, but which too deserved a slice of the tourism dollars. The restrictions mostly come down to the issue of safety for tourists, which locals have expressed is an absolute concern for example, there is little in the way of insurance for the boats.

However, our gut instinct was that we were also being watched a little. Not everyone wants to travel solo, and with Myanmar being a little more tricky to navigate and less-trodden than the typical Southeast Asia circuit of Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, you may want to consider joining a small group tour.

A small group, two-week Myanmar tour with G Adventures takes you in a loop between Mandalay and Yangon, covering all the major highlights of the country along the way. This trip includes riding local slow trains, taking scenic boat trips and embarking on a hill-tribe trek. The cost of this trip includes accommodation, some meals, and all transportation between each destination, including the internal flight. Politics is no longer limited to extremely private discussions maybe the more heated ones are.

A Burmese friend privately told me that it is OK to speak out against a situation or a person if you can back up your story. I am not sure how true this is, or she is just a rebel.

I was told stories by Chinese and Indians who, although born in Myanmar, are unable to visit the land where their grandfathers and great-grandfathers come from. The Burmese are always eagerly awaiting more remarkable changes and wanted us to share with them what people in our country thought about Myanmar. My limited conversation was always along the lines of:.

However, with recent political events, the topic of Aung San Suu Kyi and her policies might once again be the subject of very sensitive discussion. I always stand by my word that whether you are great at picking up languages or not, the two most important words you should always learn are hello and thank you.

Travelling to Myanmar is just the same and understanding these basic phrases certainly makes interaction with local Burmese people more special. Anything else you learn along the way is a bonus. Not only is it polite, but it is well received. Be prepared for most locals to giggle in response — they are not mocking you; they are just not expecting it. Now is your chance to bring out your hidden miming skills. My best mine, after failing to find a toilet by showing a piece of toilet paper, was to act out a squatting motion.

Embarrassing as it was, it did the trick as well an inciting a few giggles from the locals. I also find wordless picture books handy in these situations too! It will either not work or be slow. I found this more difficult, as a writer, but if you can, try to suck up the loss of fast, reliable and consistent communication with the outside world. In Southeast Asia, bartering is a given; a game that is often expected and enjoyed.

Shopping in Myanmar will seem very different since bartering is almost unheard of. You can rarely negotiate your room rate i. Unless the price is ridiculous, take it for what it is — you are helping out a local after all. Myanmar is no exception to such sights and encounters. WHAT time is it in Myanmar?

Why is there a minute difference? Myanmar Standard Time is a little different. You see, while the rest of the world is plus or minus time ON the hour, Myanmar does it differently with half-hour time zones.

No clocks changes here. The kissing noise in Myanmar is in no way a derogatory sound aimed at you, but the Burmese way of calling attention. The majority of Burmese locals chew on leaves containing a mixture of tobacco and betel nut which turns their mouth and teeth red. They are neither bleeding nor spitting out blood. This cultural trait emerges on all Myanmar trips.

Any plagiarism of this Myanmar travel blog or travel any of its descriptions used on other sites and blogs without attribution is not information authorised by myself for use. Know your source. Becki Enright is a British Travel Press Award-winning writer whose work focuses on changing perceptions about misunderstood aspects of destinations. Her writing combines storytelling with insight into the social, historical, political and economic factors that shape the country or place in relation to tourism.

This was incredibly informative. Thank you. So glad we came across your post. We are in Laos at the moment and have our flights booked to Mandalay for Oct 14th. We are super excited to travel the country before everyone else decides it is the next Thailand. Thanks for all the greats tips. Thanks Becki for this amazingly informative article. My friends and I are flying in on Saturday, so extremely useful to have an up to date idea of what challenges and wonders we are about to encounter!

Thanks a lot. This is truly informative. Am planning to go for 2 weeks to this newly open up country this coming Feb. Gov Travel. Passports International Travel U. Stay Connected. Law Enforcement. Travel Advisories. Y Z All. Burma Myanmar Travel Advisory. Travel Advisory June 16, If you decide to travel to Burma: See the U. Follow the Department of State on Facebook and Twitter.

As we mentioned before, there are plenty of no-go areas in Myanmar. That being said, you should always keep your eyes open and stay aware of your surrounding no matter where you are. The northern parts of Shan State, the state of Kachin above that, Southern Chin , and Rakhine State home to Rohingya Muslims are hectic to visit and sometimes totally off-limits.

Certain towns within these areas, like Hsi Paw in Shan are ok to travel to but, overall, the areas around them are generally not safe. You can still attempt to visit these areas — just be sure to contact a local agency or expert and check what the situation is like first. If you want to increase your safety during your stay, read on for our insider travel tips. Myanmar is a land of wonders with a myriad of interesting sights.

You can go to Myanmar and have a safe, fun, and definitely memorable trip. That means understanding the culture and social norms as much as the current situation. Be prepared for what life throws at you on the road.

And honestly? But because society is still developing, women are still faced with certain limitations. And the easy antidote to that is to make some friends, take a tour, or simply to chatting to some local ladies. Read on for more detailed information on how to have a safe trip to Myanmar. Travelling with children in Myanmar is not exactly straightforward and probably not that easy. For one thing, you need to get permission from the government to hire a car.

The roads are not in great condition and cities are often just jam packed with cars. Neither have a lot of rules in place. The road itself is precarious with huge dropoffs and cliffs that make you hold your breath. Not knowing the roads, armed bandits, animals in the road.

Just not worth it. If you feel like you need to travel quickly, just hire a driver. Splitting the price of a private car between you and a few other travellers makes it pretty cost-effective, too.

There is Grab, however. A simple complaint to Grab should have your money swiftly winging itself back to you, though. By that, we mean that sometimes the taxis can be a little old and sometimes the drivers can be speedy. There are plenty of taxis in large cities.

In addition, get ready to negotiate. You can also get taxis between major towns. This is basically a private car.

The guys driving these taxis can range from perfectly fine to maniacs. Private taxis can be arranged through your accommodation. You can also shop around. Nyaung Shwe, a popular spot on Inle Lake , has many taxi companies on its main street.

For train geeks and people who just like train journeys alike, the trains in Myanmar are awesome. The famous loop train line that runs from central to northern Yangon and back again is actually a fun day out.

Buy your ticket, sit back, and watch locals hop on and off. You can also get buses around cities. Both of these are safe. Long distance buses are another way of getting around the country and these range in quality. Riding a bus is always an experience, though. The best thing to do? There are also boats that you can use. The famous Ayeyarwady River, amongst others, allows ample opportunity to get your skipper on. From standard government boats to ultra luxury colonial-feeling cruises, there are a number of ways to get around.

Mandalay to Bagan or the other way round is a popular route, for example. A full-sized money belt that stays tucked under your clothes keeps your documents and cash organized during your travels and assures nothing critical gets left behind or stolen.

Burmese food has an unfairly bad reputation. A lot of places look ropey as hell, but, the thing is, everyone eats in them, from locals to other tourists.

So sit down with your si beer draught beer and a bowl of peanuts and wait…. If you find a source of purified water, be sure to fill up your own water bottle to the brim — you never know when the next one will come.

You can get around by plane or bus, hiring a car with a guide or by boat and train. Delays and travel at odd hours are all a part of a typical long-haul journey. Factor in more time than you usually would and be prepared for unpredictability and sometimes a bit less comfort than you might be used to. But hey! This is all part of travel, enjoy the bumpy ride! Domestic flights often operate on a circular route around the country with planes stopping off at different airports on a set route within a single day — you may have to go via a different airport to reach your final destination.

And while some processes could be described as quaint paper tickets and little stickers the boarding staff put on you to indicate your destination , the lack of security can be a little alarming. But then, with the exception of Yangon, Mandalay, Naypyidaw and Bagan, most regional airports are basically just shacks.

Some of the regional buses are ok, and most do have air conditioning — but some are in a bit of a shoddy state. Trains take a more scenic route than busses and give you a much better chance to mix with locals. Image of Gokteik Viaduct via Zellner Travel. Comprehensive information on train travel in Myanmar, including schedules and ticket prices, can be found on The Man in Seat We have a choice of independently-run hostels and guest houses in Yangon av. Hostel and guesthouse culture is growing, but it will take time for infrastructure to catch up with the number of new visitors.

At the moment, demand for accommodation in Myanmar still outstrips supply. Use dollars to pay for accommodation, domestic plane tickets, train fares and entrance fees. Smaller items like food, crafts and local bus fares can be paid for in kyat. Read How to Deal with Money in Myanmar for comprehensive information on getting the best exchange rate and using money in Myanmar. Mid-May to mid-June sees the start of monsoon season, which peaks between July and September and tails off in October.

Rakhaing State gets the most rain in this time, while the dry zone between Mandalay and Pyay sees the least. But the most enjoyable and eye-opening was probably the one from Yangon to Dawei in the Tanintharyi otherwise known as Tenasserim region in the south of the country.