Why Myanmar Belongs On Your Travel Wish List Now

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Why Myanmar Belongs On Your Travel Wish List Now

When people think of Myanmar, several things come to mind: an oppressive military government, the Nobel Peace Prize–winning efforts of dissident Aung San Suu Kyi, that Seinfeld episode, a refugee crisis.

What comes less readily to our thoughts is that the country long known as Burma was once the richest in Southeast Asia, thanks to its plentiful natural resources from rubies and sapphires to rice and teak.

And in important ways, the country is still quite abundant, despite its traumatic history: British colonialism, Japanese occupation in World War II, a coup and miserably failed experiment with socialism the 1960s–’80s, a dangerous drug trade, a devastating cyclone, and a brutally repressive military dictatorship from 1989 until, well, the jury is out.

But elections were held in 2010 and will be again this fall, Aung San Suu Kyi was freed from house arrest, and things are improving. (The advice against going has changed to an invitation to come and support local businesses.) The economy was decimated, there was tremendous suffering, and the GDP is still low and poverty high. It’s hard to come away without feeling grateful for your own insane good fortune at having been born somewhere else.

That’s not meant to be a downer. But it’s impossible to separate Myanmar’s past from its hopeful present. And the backdrop makes the richness that shimmers through that much more alluring.

Read more: http://www.forbes.com/sites/annabel/2015/07/13/why-myanmar-belongs-on-your-travel-wish-list-now/

[phuketrichard]

been three times now in past year,

great country, easy to travel ( air, bus, boats, trains, taxi's motorcycle rentals)

accommodations run an average of $25-40 for a twin room (25% higher Oct- March)

Food,..... well eat at shan or Chinese restaurants

[BuaBS]

It's still a country that suppresses & kills minorities. Going on guided tours , staying in cities...maybe , but touring the country , no way ! Driving around in Myanmar in your own car like I do (did) in Thailand ? No way.

A lot of military , lawlessness , easy to disappear as a lone traveller. But you can say that of Cambodia too.

Saying the junta is gone , is like saying there are no red khmers in Cambo's government.

Hygiene is poor in Thailand , you can imagine what it is like in Myanmar.

Still if they ever get their sh-t together , it could be a BIG competitor for Thailand. Lots of nice islands , beaches , less jaded people like the Thai after decades of tourists.

[phuketrichard]

It's still a country that suppresses & kills minorities. Going on guided tours , staying in cities...maybe , but touring the country , no way ! Driving around in Myanmar in your own car like I do (did) in Thailand ? No way.

A lot of military , lawlessness , easy to disappear as a lone traveller. But you can say that of Cambodia too.

Saying the junta is gone , is like saying there are no red khmers in Cambo's government.

Hygiene is poor in Thailand , you can imagine what it is like in Myanmar.

Still if they ever get their sh-t together , it could be a BIG competitor for Thailand. Lots of nice islands , beaches , less jaded people like the Thai after decades of tourists.

what?? have u ever been there?

I have and traveling is not any different than anywhere, easy to book trains, bus's, boats

I have traveled by train, boats an rented a motorcycle for a 5 day trip.

i travel far out of the tourist areas and have never experienced anything bad

U want to talk about killing minorities

look here and next door in Cambodia

[Andrew65]

It's still a country that suppresses & kills minorities. Going on guided tours , staying in cities...maybe , but touring the country , no way ! Driving around in Myanmar in your own car like I do (did) in Thailand ? No way.

A lot of military , lawlessness , easy to disappear as a lone traveller. But you can say that of Cambodia too.

Saying the junta is gone , is like saying there are no red khmers in Cambo's government.

Hygiene is poor in Thailand , you can imagine what it is like in Myanmar.

Still if they ever get their sh-t together , it could be a BIG competitor for Thailand. Lots of nice islands , beaches , less jaded people like the Thai after decades of tourists.

I visited Myanmar in 2000, even at that time, China was pretty much doing many of the things that Myanmar was/is accused of (and staunchly supporting Myanmar). Yet people say nothing, and continue to visit China.

[Tomtomtom69]

It's still a country that suppresses & kills minorities. Going on guided tours , staying in cities...maybe , but touring the country , no way ! Driving around in Myanmar in your own car like I do (did) in Thailand ? No way.

A lot of military , lawlessness , easy to disappear as a lone traveller. But you can say that of Cambodia too.

Saying the junta is gone , is like saying there are no red khmers in Cambo's government.

Hygiene is poor in Thailand , you can imagine what it is like in Myanmar.

Still if they ever get their sh-t together , it could be a BIG competitor for Thailand. Lots of nice islands , beaches , less jaded people like the Thai after decades of tourists.

what?? have u ever been there?

I have and traveling is not any different than anywhere, easy to book trains, bus's, boats

I have traveled by train, boats an rented a motorcycle for a 5 day trip.

i travel far out of the tourist areas and have never experienced anything bad

U want to talk about killing minorities

look here and next door in Cambodia

You are absolutely right, Phuketrichard. I think what many people like BuaBS don't realize is that much of the negative media coverage about the "evil generals" who "rape and kill minorities" is simply biased and corresponds to the same negative narrative that western media have been forced to preach for decades, until the country started opening up in 2011.

Gullible westerners who believe anything the biased western media tells them and who have obviously never been there will always support what they see as "the underdog" in this case, brutal ethnic armies that have done nothing to secure a better future for their people but instead have fought with the central government for almost 60 years producing hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing their home villages, often never to return, building and laying land mines (OK, the Tatmadaw or Burma army has done the same) and have never been able to provide the conditions for foreign investment or tourism to prosper, not to mention they have never provided jobs for their own people other than taking in soldiers, mostly child soldiers to fight for a lost cause.

Only the central government has made better conditions possible, in fact it was the central government on Aug 28, 2013 which opened up 4 land borders between Thailand and Myanmar for overland tourism for the first time in over 50 years. And it was a selfish ethnic army, the DKBA that recently battled with government forces, all because the government wants to secure it's new asset (a brand new Thai built road that connects the border town of Myawady, opposite Mae Sot, to connect with the interior of the country), forcing the temporary closure of that road and land access from Thailand earlier this month. http://www.irrawaddy.org/burma/casualties-on-both-sides-as-conflict-between-dkba-govt-drags-on.html

The old government was hardly perfect and neither is the new government, but to suggest they are any worse in their dealings with either their own ethnic minorities or human rights in general compared to it's regional neighbors, is very short-sighted indeed. One need look no further than the suppression of the identity of the Muslim ethnic Patani Malays in Thailand, who form a majority of the population inhabiting the 3 southernmost provinces next to the Malaysian border, who are indoctrinated with Thai language and culture, at the expense of their native language and culture to see what the brutal subjugation of their culture has caused - an insurgency that has killed thousands and continues without a ceasefire or solution in sight. Yet that doesn't seem to deter millions of Chinese, Russian, Indian, Malaysian, western, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese and many other tourists from other countries from visiting Thailand, year after year (though they don't normally visit those provinces affected by the violence), so why should Myanmar be any different?

I first visited Myanmar (Tachilek) on a day trip from Mae Sai in 2000 and then flew to Yangon for the first time in 2004, the differences between then and now is that with the exception of Tachilek, which felt like an extension of Thailand that drives on the opposite side of the road as it does now, was a certain sense of paranoia with military everywhere and few tourists compared to now, where both locals and foreigners are quite free to talk openly with each other about politics and with none of the paranoia that existed back in those days. In fact, I feel freer travelling in Myanmar, not to mention freer to express my opinion than in Thailand, which is an amazing testament to how things have changed in just a few years, in positive ways in Myanmar, and negative ways in Thailand.

[phuketrichard]

It's still a country that suppresses & kills minorities. Going on guided tours , staying in cities...maybe , but touring the country , no way ! Driving around in Myanmar in your own car like I do (did) in Thailand ? No way.

A lot of military , lawlessness , easy to disappear as a lone traveller. But you can say that of Cambodia too.

Saying the junta is gone , is like saying there are no red khmers in Cambo's government.

Hygiene is poor in Thailand , you can imagine what it is like in Myanmar.

Still if they ever get their sh-t together , it could be a BIG competitor for Thailand. Lots of nice islands , beaches , less jaded people like the Thai after decades of tourists.

I visited Myanmar in 2000, even at that time, China was pretty much doing many of the things that Myanmar was/is accused of (and staunchly supporting Myanmar). Yet people say nothing, and continue to visit China.

china is the worst Human rights violator in the region and also is the largest donator of aid, in not only Myanmar, but also Laos and Cambodia.

The USA is trying to play a catch up game now since they pretty much left the area after the Vietnam failure.

Only country in the region that gets US aid is Thailand,,,,, go figure

I have been in an out, of what was Burma, since 1988 an the changes are all for the better. Back than you were limited to a 7 day visa and had to have a currency paper with you to record all your transactions and exchanges, you were severely limited where you could go and you could not voice your opinion at all or even talk to a local without them possible getting in trouble. Now you can travel thru 80% or more of the country and discussions go on in every coffee shop and the country is finally entering the 21st century

True its not perfect but where is?

Edited July 15, 2015 by phuketrichard

[siam2007]

Visited for the first time in 2010 and then again 2011 and 2012, when you could feel the country is changing and opening up, but still was unspoilt. Smiles abounf and the loveliest and friendliest people you can imagine. will be back later this year and from what I can see from recent pics, it has changed a lot plus hordes of tourists now. Wonder if I will still like it. But happy for the Myanmar people that their lives are becoming less miserable than before, though it#s a slow process.

One thing I absolutely HATED is the double-pricing everywhere, flights, Hotels and particularly food in Restos.

[phuketrichard]

i never experienced any double pricing in my travels

listed prices for food/boats/trains/hotels ( yes their not cheap but locals do not pay half)

gasoline for motorcycle

Hoards of tourists?? get out of Yangon, Hsipaw, Bagan & Inle lake

my last trip in march/april up north in 1 week we saw 2 other tourists!!

[Tomtomtom69]

It's still a country that suppresses & kills minorities. Going on guided tours , staying in cities...maybe , but touring the country , no way ! Driving around in Myanmar in your own car like I do (did) in Thailand ? No way.

A lot of military , lawlessness , easy to disappear as a lone traveller. But you can say that of Cambodia too.

Saying the junta is gone , is like saying there are no red khmers in Cambo's government.

Hygiene is poor in Thailand , you can imagine what it is like in Myanmar.

Still if they ever get their sh-t together , it could be a BIG competitor for Thailand. Lots of nice islands , beaches , less jaded people like the Thai after decades of tourists.

Apart from your first points that I have already addressed in my reply to Phuketrichard (and therefore you) I'd like to address some of your other points.

You can generally travel independently in most parts of the country - exceptions are areas for which you need permits, in which case, a car with driver (and possibly a separate guide) may be required, or in some cases (increasingly), just a permit. More areas of the country will surely open up in the near future.

Driving around Myanmar? That is possible in your own foreign registered car by independent means only in border areas adjacent to Thailand such as Myawady and Tachilek, if coming across from the respective Thai cities on day trips. Tachilek may permit your Thai car to remain in town for up to 14 days at a time, but can't leave the city limits. However, no third party insurance is offered for your car, so you take all the risks yourself. Exceptions are if you go on a tour, which can consist entirely of just your vehicle, with a government guide from the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism (MHT, formerly MTT). The reason why you can't (yet) travel independently by car, going anywhere you wish is due to security concerns, especially in border areas. Probably if there was a way of getting into the country via a secure route and travelling only in the central part of the country, the government might have been OK with that even some time ago, but even with the now open border crossings with Thailand and new ones that will undoubtedly open in the near future (including at least one with China), there continues to be occasional problems with security, the most recent incident having taken place along the new Asia Highway located between Myawady and Kawkareik, which is near the main overland crossing between Thailand and Myanmar. Having said that, foreign expats are permitted to drive their own Burmese registered vehicles themselves throughout the country as long as they don't enter restricted areas. All of this is subject to change, and with any luck after the November elections (or the entry into force of AEC 2015), foreign registered vehicles may be allowed to enter Myanmar with fewer restrictions than is currently the case, according to rumours I have heard.

Doubtful that a lone traveller would just "disappear". The Myanmar government has for decades been paranoid about it's international reputation and as a result, has generally refused to allow foreign travellers from visiting certain parts of the country without permission for their own safety. While more parts of the country have opened to tourism over the years, particularly in the last couple of years, such that it is now possible to visit most of the country, security concerns, particularly in Kachin and parts of Shan States, as well as western Rakhine State near the Bangladeshi border have either flared up again or been ongoing throughout the years and thus continue to force these parts of the country to remain closed, at least without a permit. Very occasionally some foreigners slip past the checkpoints and enter these conflict zones unofficially, being careful not to stay too long or staying off the radar, but it's only if you go to these areas that you are putting yourself at risk. Just now a group of Thai friends of mine crossed the border illegally to Laiza, Kachin State, just next to the Chinese border to visit a local friend whom they are studying with in Yunnan province. I told them they shouldn't go as foreigners aren't allowed there, but they went anyway so I guess if they are caught or arrested it's their own fault (although being Thai they can blend in a bit better amongst the locals but that doesn't make their illegal actions excusable - being foreigners and having no business or personal interests there they shouldn't even be there and in fact, I think they are stupid for doing so). So unless you do something stupid like those Thais I know did (they are a group of 4-5 age 20 something international students in Kunming), you'll be fine and indeed, nearly all the places foreigners are allowed to visit in Myanmar are considered to be very safe, far safer even than most parts of Thailand.

As for Cambodia? Same thing...unlikely to disappear unless you get up to something you shouldn't especially in Sihanoukville, but then again, the same thing can be said for Pattaya.

Hygiene in Myanmar is reasonably OK. Toilets are cleaner than their Chinese counterparts and without the huge population pressures of say neighboring Bangladesh or India, it also doesn't have the same sanitation issues. There is garbage here and there, but it's not necessarily any worse than I've seen in other parts of the region. Cambodia appears to be a bit dirtier in my opinion, but neither country has got anything on India.

As for your last sentence, I agree that Myanmar can compete very well with Thailand and in many ways already offers much more - snow capped mountains and high altitude trekking, culture etc. which you don't find in Thailand for example. Already now you can visit and find a much more welcoming, less jaded and more authentic tourism experience in many parts of the country. The tourist demographic is also different - there are more middle aged and older travellers, mostly westerners with the occasional Japanese and Koreans, and the odd Thai tour groups (mainly in Yangon) and fewer backpackers, fewer Chinese and Indian tourists unlike what you see in Thailand nowadays. Most tourists to Myanmar tend to be very interested in the culture and don't just come to get drunk or hook up with the local women.

[Tomtomtom69]

i never experienced any double pricing in my travels

listed prices for food/boats/trains/hotels ( yes their not cheap but locals do not pay half)

gasoline for motorcycle

Hoards of tourists?? get out of Yangon, Hsipaw, Bagan & Inle lake

my last trip in march/april up north in 1 week we saw 2 other tourists!!

As the other poster has mentioned, dual pricing is unfortunately still prevalent in Myanmar BUT unlike in Thailand, you don't have restaurants, boat operators, transport operators etc. randomly jack up the prices when they see a foreigner, especially ones who don't speak the local lingo (which is most of us, of course). Instead, what you have is a holdover from years gone by when some hotels, some train journeys, yes even some domestic flights charged one price for locals, and a higher price for foreigners (which is no longer that much higher unlike 10-15 years ago when the discrepancy was much higher). I have the feeling that as the country modernizes, they are starting to slowly do away with dual pricing, and it could be entirely gone from transport and hotels in the next couple of years. Indeed, quite a number of hotels I've stayed at no longer practice it (or perhaps never practiced it, as they are quite new) and I have confirmed this with them.

Quite a number of tourism sites charge foreigners more, but again, they're easy to avoid because generally speaking only the more established tourism sites like Inle, Bagan, Shwedagon, Golden Rock, Mandalay Hill practice this kind of dual pricing, other places either charge nothing or the same for both locals and foreigners. So it depends on where you go and what you do. By contrast, in Thailand hundreds of places, from museums to national parks, temples and even private amusement parks charge foreigners more but in Myanmar it's probably no more than a couple of dozen, and then only the most well known sites as mentioned.

Myanmar does not have hordes of tourists outside of the major cities, and even in these cities, during the low season it's not that busy either. Just over 2 weeks ago in Yangon, I saw only a small number of tourists in the main downtown areas. By comparison this time of year in downtown Bangkok, probably 50-100 times more foreigners.

[siam2007]

oh I forgot to mention: BEER MYANMAR is great and the No.2 of my BEST BEERS IN ASIA after SINGHA ;-)

[phuketrichard]

Carlsberg and Heiniken just opened breweries in the past 2 months

Beer Singh arghhhhh doesn't come close to Beer Laos :-)

[StephanieGodfrey]

because this country is so charming, from majestic landscape, laid-back life, helpful & adorable people, to mystery places