Minglaba! Myanmar (Hello! in Burmese)

Myanmar or Burma (if you are British) was really on top of my list in 2012. Despite it being difficult to book hotels and domestic flights I just had to go, and so I made it happen! Little did I know it would have been much better to have gone in 2011, as the country is changing real fast and, in some instances, not in the right direction “me thinks”, at least when it comes to treating visitors.

I did love the trip as it was quite an adventure. Reading up on the country post trip I can only feel sad for the sufferings inflicted on a country with such nice, smiling and gentle people despite their poverty.

Burma is possibly one of the last countries immune from massive tourism development as years of economic sanctions and political isolation has retained much of its authentic character and charm. It will take between 50 to 60 years for it to catch up with its regional neighbours. The locals seem to be just as overwhelmed with the sudden influx of tourists and are reacting by increasing prices, in many cases doubling and tripling.

The country doesn’t have technology or infrastructure to deal with the masses of visitors. Everything is done manually, so even if you do get a flight booking you can never be sure to get on the flight and need to reconfirm one day before. In my case I had a flight from Mandalay to Inle Lake but in both directions I suffered changes, and in one case even the airline was changed!

Myanmar is still very rural – no tractors used in farming that is mostly done by buffaloes; toilets are usually holes in the floor with no toilet paper, and you can only “miraculously” get a decent coffee. Having said that I backpacked through most of my journey except for a few luxury days in Inle Lake. Travelling this way is always tougher, but is a more authentic experience as you get to feel the land and its people.

Pictured left: A “barter” card

The Burmese are a gentle, sweet and hospitable people. Most of the women, with some men and children, walk around with a white paste on their faces, a mixture made of natural product from a tree, to protect them from sunburn. A very intriguing sight indeed.

They also like tattoos and, according to a man I met at the market, they are a form of protection. I bought an interesting booklet with Buddhist tattoo designs and, no I am not going to have a tattoo although, if I were to have one, it would be a Buddhist symbol and a small one maybe.

You can see temples everywhere in Myanmar  – all over the landscape and are generally well kept. How is it in a country with so much poverty, the temples are all well kept?

If you’re planning to visit Myanmar It is better to visit as soon as possible before it becomes too commercial. You should book well in advance as, through my expereince, it was really not easy at all to find hotels or domestic flights. I also found it bit tough and hot getting around, so I recommend going in the cooler season.

Useful tips

• Best time to visit is from November to February even though it is hot. If you go in the hotter months it would be quite uncomfortable, as most places don’t have air-conditioning.
• If there are two of you going consider booking with a travel agency, as you then don’t have to worry about anything and can stay in nice hotels. If you’re travelling solo then this option is too expensive. Exploring the country the way I did it though is more adventurous and you get to meet people, but then you have to be prepared for certain amount of frustrations at times.
• Take tissues as toilets (usually holes in the floor) normally don’t have toilet paper
• Don’t eat seafood unless you want to risk an upset tummy
• You can pay with US dollar at most tourist sites (in some you can only pay in USD)
• Take a torch as there is not much light at night.
• If you are hostelling and coffee is sacred to you take a little kettle and Nescafe, or just take Nescafe sachets. Have them for breakfast too if you don’t want to have the super sweet coffee that is usually served.
• Always have snacks with you as when hunger hits you will not find a 7-11 round the corner like in Thailand
• Have several different USD notes/denominations as most people don’t have change, and it could become a real hassle at such times.
• Always get your internal flights reconfirmed as they can and do change. You may have a flight on one airline but could end up on a flight with another airline, and sometimes earlier or later than originally stated.
• Take earplugs as the hotels, usually the one star, are noisy.
• Always, and I mean always, negotiate prices especially for taxis, guesthouses, while shopping etc as the operators of such services tend to increase prices when they see foreigners.
• If you take a motorbike instead of taxi it is normally half price (that’s for the risk you take haha…)
• USD dollar CB serial numbers are not accepted, so check your notes.
• Lower USD value notes may get a lower exchange rate when converting into kyat (Burmese currency), but they’re useful for paying entrance fees, and if a not gets damaged it’ll not be such a big deal. So take a mix of notes
• An Internal flight cost sapproximately USD100.
• In many places the operators ask you for a surcharge to take photos. I paid a few times and then realised most people don’t pay, so after that I just walked through and took photos without paying. However, if you are law-abiding go ahead and pay.
• Check travel forums, like Lonely Planet Thorntree forum, for latest information posted by travellers on the country.
• Take mosquito repellent.

General information

• Myanmar is safe. I like other travellers, was concerned that walking around with so many dollars could be an issue. However, I didn’t hear of any muggings or robbery,
• Do get acquainted with the local currency, if not you can end up paying too much for services. That was happened to me as I paid five times more than I intended to a trishaw driver. However, on hindsight it was better that the money was in his pocket than in mine –  my “unintentional” good deed for the day!

Examples of prices

• Basic guesthouse: USD25
• Luxury hotel: US150
• Coffee at airport: 1,500 kyat (USD1.70)
• Bottle water (medium size): 300 kyat (USD0.35 cents)
• Meal in Burmese restaurant: 4,500 kyat (USD5) including big bottle of Myanmar beer
• Dining in a good hotel: approx. USD25 – USD40 (may include wine)

Part 2: Maria explores Mandalay, Myanmar’s second largest city and the last royal capital.