MYANMAR - a.k.a. BURMA

Many people refuse to travel to Burma because of the current political situation - they don't want to support the military junta currently ruling the country. Others opt to avoid nationally-owned travel services, guides, hotels and government "Department of Archaeology" dollar fees as much as possible. To see a run-down on both sides of the issue, check out http://www.lonelyplanet.com/worldguide/destinations/asia/myanmar/

One side effect of the closed nature of Burma is that, comparitively speaking, very few tourists go there (last year roughly 600,000; 11 MILLION visited Thailand!) This means people's lives are less geared towards (exploiting) tourists. Except for the biggest cities you will not be hounded, but tourist facitilies are much more basic.

Visas:

Pretty much everyone needs one. For information and to download the forms you need -

http://www.myanmar-embassy-tokyo.net/visainfo/visa-information.html (leave blank any information you don't yet know). Allow 2 weeks.

You must enter the country within 3 months of the visa's date of issue and the visa is good for up to 4 weeks' stay; if you overstay you must pay a 3 USD/day fine.

Money:

Kyat (pronounced "chat"). Currently the exchange rate is approx. 1300ks to 1 USD. You will often pay in US dollars but they must be brand new. Prices are cheap.

When to go:

Our summer is the hot & rainy season, aka "low season" for tourists. Our winter is the (comparitively) cool & dry season, aka "high season" for tourists.

Getting there:

You can't fly directly. You can transit either via Bangkok, Singapore, and several western Chinese cities (others are doubtless available if you search.) You can book your connecting flight cheaply and easily with Air Asia online (http://www.airasia.com). It is possible to cross into the country by land, though maybe not to exit!

to stay:

An average cost for a room is 20 USD/night including breakfast, based on 2 people; around 10 USD single. Hostels/dormitory type places are cheaper. Generally you can bargain and you have more bargaining power if you plan to stay for a few nights.

Mother's House Hotel - in Taungoo, about halfway between Mandalay and Yangon (Rangoon). Ideal for an overnight stop between cites. Find it on the Journeys website below.

getting around:

Buses - The advantage is that you can get most anywhere pretty cheaply. The disadvantage is that while they are useful for getting between A and B, if you want to stop somewhere along the way you can forget it. Also buses are very slow, foreigners are charged a premium ticket price and seats can sometimes be sold out for several days at a time.

Taxis - You will still need to hire taxis upon arriving at your destination to reach many of the tourist sites.

Flights - There are also flights between the major cities if you want to chance the local airlines (not great flight records).

Car and driver - If there are 2-3 of you, you may find it cheaper to hire a car and driver. Cost is variable depending on factors such as vehicle size, number of days, amount of driving, route (some roads are really bad), etc. You can hire a driver for a few days to travel long distances. Your driver will be put up by your hotel and generally given breakfast. He sometimes receives a small commission from the hotel for bringing you. Unlike some countries, where you will be steered towards places offering higher commissions, this doesn't appear to happen here.

eating and drinking:

Eating at a tea house is very affordable - typically less than 1 USD for more food than you can consume. They generally offer various rice dishes, curries (Burmese style), pancakes, various snacks.

Restaurants are very similar to tea houses, but the choice of food is greater. Chinese style dishes are common, as are Indian in some places. Around 3-5 USD for a restaurant meal.

Sodas and bottled water are about 15-30 cents. Fresh juices about 40-60 cents per large glass. A bottle of beer about 1.15 USD.

shopping:

Souvenirs - gorgeous handwoven silk scarves and brocades; handworked bronze statuary; teakwood carvings; sand paintings. Be sure to bargain - the opening price is often twice as high as what you will end up paying. Nearly everything is handmade as opposed to the mass-produced options found in other countries.

to see:

Burma is really about history, culture, religion - it's not about nightlife. Many of the most famous historical sites will have 10 USD entry fees just to cross over the threshhold and look around. This will inevitibly go to the government and not to the upkeep of the site. Many people choose to forgo these sites, especially since so many nearly identical places abound. Use your own judgment.

Places:

Yangon

Yangon is not so appealling.

to stay:

Okinawa - $18/night for a very nice room, $15/night for a basic one

to see:

Shwedagon Pagoda is probably the one thing you shouldn't miss; after that, it's up to you.

Sule Pagoda nice all lit up at night - but it still couldn't hold a candle to Shwedagon.

Inle Lake

If you can get there, plan to spend a day out watching fisherman, visiting villages on stilts, discovering the floating farms (tomato gardens), stopping at the various workshops, pagodas and monasteries - all only accessible via boat. But - even on cloudy days - beware sunburn! (All that water reflects those UV rays.)

Mandalay

Visually it's a much nicer city than Yangon and there is so much to see, but you will be mobbed by hordes of people trying to sell you souvenirs and this really spoils the experience. Also, monks at all the monasteries/pagodas/temples will appear and start leading you around - and then, when you leave, ask you to pay money, which they aren't supposed to do. It's up to you if you feel they earned it and you want to donate or not.

to stay:

Mandalay View Inn - very nice. Around 30 USD a night but open to bargains.

Pintaya Cave

Also a highlight - much more than expected. Upon entering you see a giant golden stupa but you don't realize until you ascend that there are literally thousands more golden Buddhas filling the caverns behind. There's even a section of the place called the "labyrinth".

Bagan

You may want to spend 2-3 days here. Just needs to be seen and experienced (see picture above). More than 2000 ancient stupas scattered across a plain.

to stay:

TOP TIPS:

• Most people use a private guide. It's not necessarly required, but if you don't speak Burmese it is definitely something to consider. You can also squeeze more into your schedule and get better bargains. They'll only provide as much or as little as you want. Daily rates are reasonable and hotels generally feed and lodge them.
• Few people outside of guest houses and restaurants speak English.
• Visitors are still quite a rarity and, except in Yangon and Mandalay, often honored guests or a curiousity. This is a more conservative society - both men & women should wear long pants to avoid offending and some more holier sites won't let you in in shorts. You may even need to cover up on the beach.
• Follow common sense about using money belts, not flashing large amounts of money, etc. Thievery is a minor problem, but does exist. Also, in bigger communities be aware of people who will offer you gemstones or attempt to "give" you (= press on you) blessed flowers or bracelets or whatever and then demand payment after. Though prices are minimal from our point of view, it is annoying.
• Be aware of several serious diseases. In particular, Malaria is considered a serious threat - although not so much on the main tourist routes. Consider taking anti-malarials and at least use a DEET-containing mosquito repellent and a mosquito net - if for no other reason than being able to sleep soundly at night.
• Food is handled as sanitarily as possible, under the circumstances - typically your meal will be cooked only after you order it. Avoid anything which has been cooked and sitting out for a while as there is little access to refrigeration and lots of flies.
• The water is NOT safe to drink, but bottled water can be purchased everywhere. Often a meal will come with a plate of fresh vegetables and herbs. Eat at your discretion - they've probably been washed in unbottled water.
• No matter how careful you are, don't expect to go without 'holiday tummy'.
• Women should never touch a monk, unless he initiates the contact (such as a handshake). Also, women are sometimes not allowed full access to holy sites - for example, to ascend to the top of a pagoda or stupa or sit in certain places. Sometimes these places are labelled; if not, someone will quickly and politely let you know.
• Thanika - a yellow sandalwood paste that women and children use on their faces. It is sunscreen, skin toner and fashion. If foreign woman try it, they will LOVE you! Typically it is only worn by adult men if you are gay. Being gay in Burmese culture seems generally acceptable.

Links

http://www.journeysmyanmar.com/index.htm - Journeys Nature and Culture Exploration - lots of info and you can book flights, rooms, etc.

One traveller's view:

"Burma was fascinating. Fabulous. Exotic. Thought-provoking. I felt like I'd gone a few hundred years back in time. People are still living subsistance lives. And they live these lives in woven sugar-cane huts up on stilts. One room for all and no furniture except perhaps a sleeping platform. Pigs and chickens and cows and water buffaloes all living underneath the hut, too. Everyone still wears the traditional longhi (like a sarong), both men and women. You see people out in rice paddies plucking rice by hand or plowing fields with the oxen (or water buffalo) pulling very rudimentary plows made out of sharpened logs. Life is basically communal - women cooking over fires in front of houses, kids out playing, men working. People sit and nap and bathe - everything out front, basically along the road. (The bathing occurs fully dressed in longhi, by the way). Laundry is done in ponds and along rivers, you see people pounding clothes with sticks and rocks, and then the clothes are spread out on the grass and rocks to dry. It was amazing how clean everyone is - everywhere is muddy and/or dusty, people are working out in the fields, but they all are always wearing pristine clean longhis.

Nothing modern. No electricity or plumbing. An outhouse out back. No electronics. At the end of the day you could see people gathered at the community tea shop with the entire village sitting about drinking tea and watching the single TV, which was generally powered by a private generator. Basically, though, when the sun went down the day was over.

Burma is Buddhist and the people are very devout. There are temples and monasteries in every village, no matter how tiny. And stupas (cone-like towers housing buddhas) are scattered across the landscape by the hundreds, many of them either painted white or covered in gold. Giant buddhas can also be seen from miles away atop hills and mountains, probably 30-50 feet high on average.

The Burmese also believe in Nats, spirits. There are 37, I believe. There are small shrines set up to them everywhere - along roadsides, next to temples, etc. - where people make offerings of fruit and flowers and alcohol, of anything they have of value. Apparently Nats are not considered gods so much as powerful spirits that need to be appeased (because they could be malicious) and possible entreated (in cases where their support or help is desired). They are the indigenous religion predating Buddhism, but apparently continue to be worshipped in tandem with Buddhism.

The people themselves are incredibly kind and generous, often sharing whatever they have. They always have a smile, and will come up and talk to you, even if you don't understand a word they are saying."