I've been to Burma at the beginning of December 1993. Burma (now formally called Myanmar, but I'll stick to the traditional name) has been alternately open and closed to tourism in the last decade, but it seems that the military government finally realizes that tourism has its advantages, so more and more tourists are expected there. Yet, Burma is still one of the countries in Asia which has seen the least number of Westerners, and it is one of the things that makes a visit there so special. Naturally, things change very quickly in a country that is opening itself to tourism, so the information I give here should be taken as a guide only - I wouldn't want to get angry e-mails from people who spent half a day looking for a hotel that no longer exists :-). I travelled in Burma with the 1993 edition of the Lonely Planet guide to the country, and it was already out of date but still quite useful. Anyway, the best source of information is people who'd just been there, or travellers that you meet in the country (there won't be many of them, though). Bangkok, being the main gateway to Burma, is a good place to gather such information.
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Two things make Burma an attractive place to visit. One of them is the scenery, dominated by thousands of pagodas in every possible color, shape and size. The second, and most important, is the genuineness of the country and the people. Being unexposed to the west for many years, a tourist in Burma is as much an attraction to the locals as they are to him. Walking in the street, a 'white person' feels that people are staring at him curiously, and will often try to communicate with him, just for the sake of 'contacting with the world out there'. Unfortunately, this will probably change soon, as more and more tourists will get to the country, and therefore I recommend going there as soon as possible. However, since most areas in the country are still closed to tourists and will open very gradually, Burma probably has the potential of remaining authentic at least for the next few years.
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Burma is governed by a military government, which is known to be very cruel with its opponents. Trying to avoid any 'western, democratic influence', the government is doing its best that the locals will have as little contact as possible with westerners (e.g. moving the entire village of Pagan away from the tourist attractions there). When you do get in touch with the locals, please avoid from bringing up political issues, and do not try to convince them to take you to areas closed to tourists - you might get them in serious trouble !
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At the end of 1993, the only way to get to Burma was by air. An exception for this is crossing the border in northern Thailand for a one-day visit to the local tribes. Anyway, the only 3 airlines that fly to the country are Myanmar air (flying to Bangkok and Bangladesh), Thai (daily flights to/from Bangkok) and Bangladesh airlines. Naturally, most people will arrive from Bangkok, and a round trip cost (in November 93) around 200$US, depending on the airline.
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a visa should be obtained from Burmese embassies (there are ones in Bangkok, Kathmandu, Delhi and most other Asian capitals) in advance. It took me 1 hour to get it in Kathmandu, but it usually takes a day. When I got my visa, the maximum allowed stay was 2 weeks. However, as far as I know, since early 94 visas can be issued for a whole month.
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Where to visit and for how long?
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When I was there, only the centre of the country, which has 4 major interesting area, was open to tourists. Other areas were off the limits, and it was impossible to get there - the locals are too afraid of the military government to risk themselves taking you there. The four areas are the Capital Rangoon (currently called Yangon), Inla lake, Mandalay and Pagan (aka Bagan). From my experience, 2 weeks are about the right time to see these major attractions without being too much in a hurry, but without spending too much time 'getting to know the people' either. If more areas are open to tourist, or if one wants to get to know the locals better, a longer stay will be required.
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As in other Asian countries, Burma uses FEC - Foreign Exchange Currency, also known as 'tourist money'. On arrival to the country, each tourist must exchange 200$US (in cash or TC) with 200 FECs. Paying for formal services must be done in FECs - this includes accommodation and transportation, though most hostels will accept US dollars in cash as well. For food etc. one should use kyats (pronounced chats) - the local currency. In December 93, the official exchange rate was 1$=6 kyats. The black market rate, however, was 100-120 (!!!) kyats per dollar (a little less per 1FEC, which you can change to kyats as well). For those who are not reluctant of using the black market (and the locals are not !), this makes the stay in Burma almost as cheap as other Asian countries. Accommodation would cost 15$ (or FECs) for a double room, and a reasonable meal might cost around 50 kyats - 9$ if you visited the bank, 50 cents if your rickshaw driver was friendly... If you run out of FECs, you can change more US cash in any bank, though most places will accept US dollars as well. Quite often they'll be willing to change FECs back to dollars if you have too many of them at the end of your trip, and sometimes even buy your kyats back. In some tourist attractions there are special prices for tourists. Many travellers have stories of ways they refrained from paying these high rates, but it's up to the traveller to decide whether he/she wishes to cooperate with the dictators or not...
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As a part of the government's policy to prevent the locals as much a possible from being exposed to the bad influence of western tourists, only few, approved hotels in each city are allowed to accommodate foreigners. Don't try to convince other places to host you (though the prices are much cheaper !) - they're too afraid to do it, and they've got a reason too - the military government might imprison for a long time people who break such laws. The conditions in the approved hostels are moderate to good - a double room with a fan, and sometimes with en-suite shower/toilets or even air conditioning, will cost 15-18$US.
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Being unexposed to tourism in particular and to the west in general, the Burmese people are very kind, quiet and friendly. The military government tries to prevent and harmful western influence (which might, god save us, bring some democratic ideas to the people's minds !), and it does is quite successfully. Not only are the numbers of tourists maintained low - they also do not allow the import of any western-culture goods. The latest pop music, for example, that many locals heard is Elvis. For this reason, the 'white' traveller is as much an attraction to the Burmese as they are to him. The locals often try to communicate, hear stories, or just stare at these 'weird people'. Communication is a problem, because the government also stopped the teaching of English in schools. Therefore, the ones who speak the best English are the elderlies, and it is not uncommon for young people to call their parents or grandparents to help them understand the tourists. Import of western goods is both forbidden and impossible (due to international boycott), so the locals are very happy to receive or trade unique local souvenirs and gifts. DO NOT bring to Burma whiskey or cigarettes - so many people brought them in that they are no longer worth their price. 2-dollar T-shirts that you can buy in Bangkok will not be worth much more than that when you trade them for a souvenir in a shop in Burma, but they will make a local very happy (esp. if they have a 'made in USA' label or a Michael Jackson picture :-), and even a pair of used Levis jeans might get you a discount on something. Also bring a few small souvenirs (even just nice-looking pens) with you - you are most likely to experience very friendly encounters with the locals, and you'll probably want to give them something in return.
OK, after such a long introduction, it's time to give more details about 'what did I do there'. Following is my itinerary - as long as only 4 areas are open to tourists, most visitors will follow about the same route, with minor changes. |
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