Myanmar – Everything You Need To Know Before You Go

Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, is unlike any other country in Southeast Asia.  Because it only opened its borders to tourism in 2012, the country remains relatively untouched by tourism, which makes for a very laid-back and friendly vibe.  But with a lack of infrastructure, traveling in Myanmar can be challenging at times.

But it’s all worth it when you see the ancient temples and pagodas, untouched beaches, lush rice fields, picturesque countryside and traditional culture.  The Burmese people are so lovely, warm and genuine and they aren’t jaded by tourism yet, like in Thailand and Bali, etc.  Myanmar is one of the most photogenic countries in the world.  It’s often described as “what Southeast Asia used to be”, before over-tourism happened.

Myanmar may not seem safe due to what you see and hear in the news, but it is a very safe country for travelers.  More on that below.

 

MY EXPERIENCE

 

I traveled Myanmar for 2.5 weeks and visited Yangon, Kyaiktiyo, Hpa-An, Kalaw, Inle Lake, Bagan, and I spent a few days volunteering at the Thabarwa centre near Yangon.  I would LOVE to go back and spend more time in Myanmar and see the places I missed, like the coast, Mandalay, Hsipaw and Naypyitaw.

Myanmar is one of the few places where I did not travel as a solo female traveler because a friend happened to be in Myanmar at the same time.

BEFORE YOU GO

 

YOU WILL LIKELY NEED A VISA

Most nationalities can apply for an e-visa on arrival, which is $50US and it’s valid for 30 days.

TAKE DUKORAL

It’s an over-the-counter oral vaccine that protects you from traveler’s diarrhea for 3 months.  This means you can enjoy street food, at discretion, without worry.  However, Dukoral cannot protect you against parasites, which have very different symptoms.

 

GETTING IN

 

Fly into Yangon or cross the border by land from Thailand or India.

It’s not currently possible to bring a vehicle from India into Myanmar unless you’re happy to pay $100US/day to have a Burmese government escort with you for your entire time in the country (this happened to an Indian friend of mine).  It is, however, possible to drive a motorbike to the border, sell it, cross the border and then buy a cheap motorbike on the other side for a few hundred dollars.

However, it’s not currently possible to cross from Bangladesh or Laos.

 

WHEN TO GO

 

The best time to visit Myanmar is between November and February, which is also high season.  The dry season runs from October to May, but it starts to get really hot between March and June.  The monsoon season is from June to October.

I traveled Myanmar in January when it was hot during the day and cool at night in the south.  In the north, it got quite cold in the mornings and nights.

 

COMMUNICATION

 

THERE ISN’T A LOT OF ENGLISH IN MYANMAR

But you can get by just fine.  Mostly the older generations speak English (which is the opposite of norm) because that’s when the British were around.  But then they left, so English became obsolete.

WIFI IS SLOW

If it’s even available and works at all.  Get a SIM card to stay connected.

 

THE COUNTRY, THE PEOPLE, THE CULTURE

 

TOURISM IS BOOMING BUT THE INFRASTRUCTURE IS STILL LACKING

You’ll need a lot of patience and accept lower standards of comfort.  It can cause frustration at times.

THERE ARE MONKS EVERYWHERE

Myanmar has the most monks per capita.  However, this is partially because it’s not uncommon for families to send their young boys off to be monks because they cannot afford to look after them, but they know they will be looked after as monks.

BEWARE OF FAKE MONKS

Real monks only accept food donations.  They NEVER beg for money.

MYANMAR IS A VERY CONSERVATIVE COUNTRY

You can wear what you want, but it’s more respectful and you’ll feel more comfortable if you cover up a little.  You’ll need to cover your shoulders and knees for visiting pagodas.  This goes for men too.

MEN AND WOMEN WEAR A TRADITIONAL LONGYI

Which is a wraparound skirt and looks like this:

YOU MUST TAKE OFF YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU ENTER PAGODAS AND TEMPLES

This is common in Buddhist temples, homes and hostels throughout Southeast Asia.

MANY LOCALS WILL WANT TO TAKE THEIR PICTURE WITH YOU

Many of them rarely/never see foreigners, so you’ll feel like a celebrity.  But sometimes they don’t ask and just take pictures.

DON’T BE OFFENDED WHEN LOCALS MAKE A KISSING NOISE AT YOU

It’s their way of getting your attention.

THE PAGODAS ARE VERY BEAUTIFUL TEMPLES WITH A STYLE THAT IS UNIQUE TO MYANMAR

SHWEDAGON

INDEIN

BAGAN

KYAIKTIYO

VOLUNTEER AT A THABARWA CENTRE

They’re run by monks and they’re open to everyone- Buddhist or non-Buddhist, young or old, sick or healthy, but most people there are sick or poor.  It’s one of the very few ethical and volunteer programs I’ve come across and heard of in all of my travels.  And it’s free to volunteer, like it should be.  See more on voluntourism and what to know before you volunteer.

THE NEW CAPITAL, NAYPYITAW, IS A GHOST TOWN

Which makes for a very unusual tourist attraction.  Naypyitaw, which means “Abode of the King”, was quickly built from scratch, out of jungle and farmland, 320km north of Yangon, the former capital; thus residents were forced out, displaced and forced to help build the city.  The city boasts 20 lane highways, golf courses, shopping malls, beautifully landscaped boulevards, reliable electricity and fast wifi, which are all luxurious rarities in Myanmar.  It’s rumored that the city cost $4 billion dollars to construct, in the poorest country in Southeast Asia.

But the city is empty, aside from government officials and a few people who are forced to work there for very low wages.  It’s very bizarre and apocalyptic.  There are very few hotels and there are very few tourist attractions and entertainment in the city, aside from a few golf courses, a zoo (which was relocated from Yangon) and a replica of Shwedagon pagoda.

It is speculated that the capital was relocated to the middle of nowhere in order to avoid an uprising and that these unnecessarily massive highways were built to enable aircraft to land on them in the event of anti-government protests.  The city is basically a massive isolated compound for a dictator and his oppressive military regime.

TREKKING IS POPULAR

Particularly around Inle Lake and Hsipaw.

BURMESE WOMEN USE THANAKA TO PROTECT FROM THE SUN

And sometimes as makeup.  The cream is made by grinding tree bark and mixing it with water.

THE FISHERMEN AT INLE LAKE GET SUPER EXTRA FOR TOURISTS

But it’s all a show.

THERE ISN’T MUCH OF A HOSTEL CULTURE… YET

Which means solo and budget travel can be a little more difficult because it’s more challenging to meet other travelers.  And accommodation adds up quickly, if you’re on a budget and if your currency isn’t strong against the US dollar.  There are hostels in Yangon and a few in Bagan, Inle and Mandalay.

BUT THE CHECKOUT TIME IS OFTEN 12PM

Which is so awesome.  And so rare in the rest of the world.

BYOTP (BRING YOUR OWN TOILET PAPER)

Most public toilets don’t supply toilet paper (they use a “bum gun” or bucket of water instead), so you’ll likely want to carry a little toilet paper with you.  They often don’t have soap either, so also carry hand sanitizer. You also can’t flush the toilet paper because the pipes can’t handle it. There is usually a garbage where you can dispose of it.

YOU DO NOT GO TO MYANMAR FOR THE NIGHTLIFE

There is next to no nightlife in Myanmar, aside from a few bars in Yangon (including a weird club (JJ Entertainment Club) I went to which is heavily policed with a group of security guards manning every 3m/10ft on the dance floor).  I was stopped from taking my drink on the dance floor, I was stopped from taking photos with new traveler friends, etc.  They were the fun police.  We’ll talk more about this controlling surveillance later.

The lack of nightlife keeps the young, partying backpacker crowd out of Myanmar because it’s unappealing in a region that’s full of nightlife and getting drunk everyday.  I’m also a backpacker who is super into nightlife too, but Myanmar is worth taking a break and chilling out for a bit.

Myanmar is an early to bed, early to rise kind of country, as places shut early at night outside of Yangon.

 

GETTING AROUND

 

YOU CAN FLY TO AND FROM THE MAIN CITIES

If you’re not on a budget and if you’re short on time.  But smaller towns you’ll want to visit do not have airports.

EVERY BUS YOU TAKE BETWEEN CITIES IS 8-10+ HOURS

Even if you only go around 250km.  And many of them are night buses which dump you in your ghost town of a destination at 4-5am (but, to be fair, this seems to be a night bus issue all over the world).  And the night buses are regular buses, meaning they are not sleeper buses with reclining seats.  There are no toilets, the AC is freezing cold and they blast loud music videos.

 

THE FOOD

 

THE FOOD IS DIRT CHEAP… BUT IT’S VERY HIT AND MISS

I was backpacking Myanmar on a budget and eating street food and at budget places… but that isn’t a problem for food in Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia etc.

USE A FORK AND SPOON TO EAT

Push the food onto the spoon with the fork.  Knives are rarely used.

 

MONEY AND COSTS

 

BURMESE KYAT IS THE CURRENCY

$1 US  =  1,330 Kyat.

MYANMAR IS A CASH BASED COUNTRY

You will very rarely use your credit card

BRING US DOLLARS

US dollars are the preferred currency in Myanmar because it’s stable.  You need US dollars for bigger expenses like accommodation, attraction entry fees, tours or long distance buses.  Smaller purchases like groceries, souvenirs and street food can be paid for in Kyat.  Make sure the US dollar bills are nice and new and without damage or they may not be accepted.

FOOD, SIGHTS AND TRANSPORT ARE CHEAP

You can get street food for $1-2US, buses between cities cost $4-20US, and attractions are reasonable.  Even the entrance fee to Bagan is 25,000K ($18US), which is good for 3 days.

ACCOMMODATION IS ON THE PRICIER SIDE 

Especially if you’re a budget and/or long term traveler, if you’re traveling during high season, and especially if your currency isn’t strong against the US dollar (I was all 4 of these).  When you can find them, hostel dorm rooms cost around $10US/night.  $25US/night is the average and cheapest price my friend and I paid for a private room in a guesthouse (split between 2).  You can expect a very basic private room, sometimes with an ensuite bathroom, and very old furniture.  Sometimes they don’t have wifi, and if they do, it will be very slow, if it works at all.

However, a lot of these budget rooms and bathrooms were quite literally the most disgusting places I have ever stayed in my life.  For perspective, I’m a budget backpacker who predominantly travels to developing countries, stays in hostel dorm rooms, so I’m used to roughing it.  Do not let this scare you off of traveling this lovely country, but if you want to stay in nicer hotels, you’ll have to spend more money.

EVERYTHING IN BAGAN IS MORE EXPENSIVE

It’s Myanmar’s bread and butter.

HOT AIR BALLOON RIDES AT BAGAN ARE VERY POPULAR BUT VERY EXPENSIVE

They cost $380US+.  After the hot air balloon ride I did in Cappadocia in Turkey (which was exponentially cheaper), I learned that I felt that looking at the balloons was more beautiful than being in one.

 

SAFETY

 

MYANMAR IS A VERY SAFE COUNTRY FOR TOURISTS

The country may not seem safe due to what you may see and hear in the news, but it is a very safe country for travelers.  Petty crime is nearly non-existent and hassle levels are very low.  But still practice regular precautions.

DO NOT DRINK THE TAP WATER

Stick to bottled or filtered water.

 

FEMALE TRAVELERS

 

MYANMAR IS VERY SAFE FOR SOLO FEMALE TRAVELERS

Dress modestly to be more respectful of the culture, attract less attention and feel more comfortable.

 

LGBT TRAVELERS

 

IT IS ILLEGAL, BUT THINGS ARE SLOWLY CHANGING

There is an active gay scene in Yangon, with gay bars and a pride festival.  See this interview with a gay local in Yangon here.

 

THE DARK SIDE OF MYANMAR

 

Since independence from the UK in 1948, the ongoing internal ethnic conflicts in Myanmar have been the world’s longest civil war.  And Myanmar is the world’s second largest producer of opium, after Afghanistan.

Because of this, a good chunk of Myanmar is off limits to foreigners.  The northern states are off limits due to the civil war and landmines.  And the Rakhine state is off limits due to the brutal ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya muslims, who are the most persecuted minority in the world.  For this reason, some people may choose to not travel to Myanmar, which is a fair and ethical decision, but know that the government’s actions are not reflective of its people overall.

The Burmese government practices an extremely oppressive military regime and heavy censorship.  They ensure very limited contact between locals and foreigners because it is illegal to discuss politics with foreigners.  Which makes you wonder how much the Burmese people really know about what’s happening.

 

MORE ON TRAVELING SOUTHEAST ASIA

 

Southeast Asia – Everything You Need To Know Before You Go

29 Reasons Why You Need To Travel to Southeast Asia

How To Stay Safe in Southeast Asia

What to Expect While Traveling in Developing Countries

Vietnam – Everything You Need to Know Before You Go

Responsible Travel in Southeast Asia

Etiquette in Southeast Asia