Burma (Myanmar) - Anyone been? Opinions?
Discussion
Hi all,
Am a bit of a one for getting off the beaten track and am considering a trip to Burma. Am hoping with it's isolation and lack of visitors it could be a fantastic place to go, like Laos was about 10 years ago.
Has anyone been? Any recommendations? Is it worth the hastle?
I am aware of the moral issues with visiting the place, this is the main reason why I am undecided. I'm planning on minimising my use of government hotels/airlines/services etc to keep my money away from SLARC - it would be a shame that the locals miss out on the benefits of contact with outsiders just because of the military regime. I'm open to comments on this though...
Ta!
Am a bit of a one for getting off the beaten track and am considering a trip to Burma. Am hoping with it's isolation and lack of visitors it could be a fantastic place to go, like Laos was about 10 years ago.
Has anyone been? Any recommendations? Is it worth the hastle?
I am aware of the moral issues with visiting the place, this is the main reason why I am undecided. I'm planning on minimising my use of government hotels/airlines/services etc to keep my money away from SLARC - it would be a shame that the locals miss out on the benefits of contact with outsiders just because of the military regime. I'm open to comments on this though...
Ta!
Not been there yet, but ask me in October. Going there in a couple of months for 10 days or so whilst in SE Asia.
Looking forward to it soooo much.
Apparently the North is much more 'local' and remote, if thats what you are looking for.
Not much help until I get back from there :grin:
Looking forward to it soooo much.
Apparently the North is much more 'local' and remote, if thats what you are looking for.
Not much help until I get back from there :grin:
I went a few years ago. I found the people to be nice enough and generally uninterested in tourists, which is how I prefer it. Worth making the effort but be prepared to see extreme poverty first hand. I also think you will find it difficult to venture too far off the beaten track.
You have to leave your passport with the boarder guards at your point of entry, which means you have to leave at the same point and obviously restricts overland travel. In exchange for your passport you are given your travel visa which states which regions you are allowed into, all of this needs to be cleared in advance together with deals of where you are going to stay etc.
I hear it is a little more relaxed now and would like to go back and see more of it before it changes.
You have to leave your passport with the boarder guards at your point of entry, which means you have to leave at the same point and obviously restricts overland travel. In exchange for your passport you are given your travel visa which states which regions you are allowed into, all of this needs to be cleared in advance together with deals of where you are going to stay etc.
I hear it is a little more relaxed now and would like to go back and see more of it before it changes.
I understand it has become more relaxed recently. Several of the 'visa run' companies based out of Ko Samui were heading to the Myanmar border and had some short trips for tourists whilst they waited for the visas to be organised. I'm not sure how restricted they were in terms of areas they could visit though.
Cheers guys, I'm hoping it will be a worth the effort also! I'm fairly used to seeing poverty, having been to Cambodia, Rwanada, India etc, though still not sure about the post-cyclone situation. I'm thinking the situation should be almost back to "normal" by now, certainly don't want to be a burden on resources if it's going to cause suffering.
Alfachick: Will be interesting to see how you get on - I'm looking to go toward the end of the year myself, possibly Novemeber.
Alfachick: Will be interesting to see how you get on - I'm looking to go toward the end of the year myself, possibly Novemeber.
No matter how good intentioned, or how hard you try, I'd imagine you'll never know for sure that the guesthouse/restaurant/shop you use aren't government owned etc. How would this be possible?
My Mrs' family are originally from Burma (a couple of generations back) and I'm desperate to visit, but not while the current junta is still in force.
Morally, each to their own, but it wouldn't sit right with me.
My Mrs' family are originally from Burma (a couple of generations back) and I'm desperate to visit, but not while the current junta is still in force.
Morally, each to their own, but it wouldn't sit right with me.
I looked at a bike trip to Burma, leave the bike in Thailand and cross over, I work with several Burmies so I asked them what they thought, and thay all say the same thing, Go there as an idependent from Thailand OK, spend your money direct with the people. But going on an organized tour and paying money at goverment hotels etc is not what the ordinery people want
Well Myanmar in my experience is a fantastic country. We had a bit of trouble getting our visas from the uk, we had to book all our hotels in advance, which was a bit s
t. But speaking to other folk who had got their visas in thailand they didnt have to booj hotels. We kept our passports on us for the whole trip, flew into Yangon. Traveling around the country is quite hard work, the roads and railways are in really bad knick. The people are very friendly. If you get off the beaten track a lot of them have never seen a white person before. Expect to be stared and pointed at. Its quite amusing really.
The poverty situation there is very bad worse than Cambodia.
You can go for trecks in the miuntains around inly lake if you get a guide. WILL WRITE MORE WHEN HOME PHONE HAS fkED UP GRRR-
t. But speaking to other folk who had got their visas in thailand they didnt have to booj hotels. We kept our passports on us for the whole trip, flew into Yangon. Traveling around the country is quite hard work, the roads and railways are in really bad knick. The people are very friendly. If you get off the beaten track a lot of them have never seen a white person before. Expect to be stared and pointed at. Its quite amusing really. The poverty situation there is very bad worse than Cambodia.
You can go for trecks in the miuntains around inly lake if you get a guide. WILL WRITE MORE WHEN HOME PHONE HAS f
kED UP GRRR-from experiance in Rangoon and up to the temples in Bagen you will need USD cash for everything, and they have to be brand new crisp notes that are not folded in any way!!!!!
For internal flights again, pay in cash USD at the airport the day before departure.
Mobile phone usage is very heavily restricted (impressed that Alfachick was online there) with foreign mobiles generally not allowed to roam.
Hotels will often request you to settle up your bill each morning (again because of the USD Cash thing)
On leaving they can and will quiz you on everything you have from the pictures you have taken to the contents of your laptop and IPod!!!
For internal flights again, pay in cash USD at the airport the day before departure.
Mobile phone usage is very heavily restricted (impressed that Alfachick was online there) with foreign mobiles generally not allowed to roam.
Hotels will often request you to settle up your bill each morning (again because of the USD Cash thing)
On leaving they can and will quiz you on everything you have from the pictures you have taken to the contents of your laptop and IPod!!!
right phone seems to be working now. Sigh. Xjs john - in cambodia now hence phone 
If you have time take the train from yangon (rangoon) to mandalay, it takes ages but is well worth doing during the day to see some of the country. Inly lake is popular because it is amazing and well worth your time, and you can get away from the beaten track by taking a guide for a 2 or 3 day hike if you want. The temples at bagan are very touristy but worth seeing.
The people are willing to help you and generally very lovely.
In regards to the political situation, one guy that we spoke to said that if tourists stop coming then it would be very bad for the people as a lot of folk rely on money that they make from guiding etc. It is easy to get your money into the hands of the locals. Just get talking to them. Hardly anyone has a mobile phone, the govenment give a quota to each province, to buy a handset is $2000 yes 3 zeros.
The government also open the peoples mail infront of them. So dont send inappropriate things or money unless it is very well hidden. Also there is now a government official in every village. Crazy.
We had no problem when we came to leave with the gov' asking us what was in our bags ipods etc.
Great country. Go as an independent traveler though and try to get your money to the people not the gov'.
Also no hse which is ace!
If you have time take the train from yangon (rangoon) to mandalay, it takes ages but is well worth doing during the day to see some of the country. Inly lake is popular because it is amazing and well worth your time, and you can get away from the beaten track by taking a guide for a 2 or 3 day hike if you want. The temples at bagan are very touristy but worth seeing.
The people are willing to help you and generally very lovely.
In regards to the political situation, one guy that we spoke to said that if tourists stop coming then it would be very bad for the people as a lot of folk rely on money that they make from guiding etc. It is easy to get your money into the hands of the locals. Just get talking to them. Hardly anyone has a mobile phone, the govenment give a quota to each province, to buy a handset is $2000 yes 3 zeros.
The government also open the peoples mail infront of them. So dont send inappropriate things or money unless it is very well hidden. Also there is now a government official in every village. Crazy.
We had no problem when we came to leave with the gov' asking us what was in our bags ipods etc.
Great country. Go as an independent traveler though and try to get your money to the people not the gov'.
Also no hse which is ace!
XJSJohn said:
Alfachick said:
Also no hse which is ace!
Thats SE Asia in general 
Have an Anchor on Bar Street for me
We had plenty of offers from local girls to swap just about anything on the vesel for sex, or goats, or chickens, whatever we had.
A bar of quality foreign soap for barter could work wonders.
Gassing Station | Holidays & Travel | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff