Myanmar (formerly known as Burma) is a country in South-East Asia whose history unfortunately was not taught when I was in school. We were more familiar with the ancient governments from Cambodia and Indonesia. We did learn more about the country in Geography classes but there was not much I could remember. I would have to read more about the country and I would do that from time to time as I am updating my blog posts. Geographically speaking, Myanmar shares its borders with countries like Thailand, Laos, China, India and Bangladesh. The country is big hence there is a diverse ethnic groups and culture.
Myanmar has just opened its door to tourists only recently after being governed by the military regime for 50 years. The country has a lot to offer to foreigners who are already tired of common places people flock to like Bali, Siem Reap or Jogjakarta. The tourists' spots are linked to its history of Buddhism, hence there will be a lot of temples and pagodas to be visited - but you would be awed by people of the past's obsession with religion and these mega structures had a lot of stories to tell. Tourism industry is developing and more people, including Malaysians, are going to Myanmar now and Yangon itself could be an interesting place to shop.
The first thing one needs to do before going to Myanmar is to apply for the tourist's visa. This could be done easily online and among the important items you have to fill in will be the address of your accommodation, and you need to upload a passport sized photo with a white background. The visa would cost you USD50, and you could use your card to do online transaction. The visa was quite expensive actually but then, there was no other choice. The easiest way to get to Myanmar is through Yangon as there are many airlines flying direct there but you could also get to Mandalay via Bangkok.
The currency used in Myanmar is Kyat. I could not get the Myanmar's dollar notes in Kuala Lumpur but there were many counters offering money changer service at the airport, and I did that as soon as I arrived there. When I was there, the rate was about 1000 Kyat = RM2.76 (we rounded it up to RM3.00), so things could still be relatively cheap. At the same time, USD is widely accepted.
Moving around in Yangon was easy especially when I could use GrabTaxi. The traffic could be real bad during peak hours though. Crossing the roads was a challenge as vehicles did not stop for pedestrians so we did a lot of running when crossing the streets, like the locals. For long distance travel [Yangon-Bagan, Mandalay-Yangon] we took super VIP express bus which was comfortable for the 9-hour trip. In Mandalay, we had the chance to use GrabThoBane, which was actually a tuktuk. L have been using Grab in a few countries like Thailand and Laos and found that it was really helpful and I would not be overcharged.
People of Myanmar were generally friendly. This was the place where both men and women wear sarongs called Longyi on the streets. The formal ones for men would be the white shirt tucked into the Longyi. How cool it would be for me to go to work in my sarong every day. They also consumed betel nuts and betel leaves so you could find people spitting everywhere, even in the airport. People at the market was also not aggressive but the taxi drivers trying to offer you their service could be a bit irritating - but that happens in other places too. Despite the fact that Myanmar was once colonized by the British until it gained independence in 1948, many locals I think did not speak English.
We also found mosques in Yangon and Mandalay, which meant there were Muslim communities too. When there were mosques, most of the time, people could find eateries selling halal food around the area, and we had our meals outside a few times. Therefore Muslim travelers should not worry too much. However, there was no halal restaurant available in Bagan but we were prepared with our instant rice, noodles and bread brought all the way from Malaysia. We also went into a supermarket and a few small shops and found there were many Malaysian halal products like biscuits and snacks on the shelves there (Suddenly I feel proud to be a Malaysian). In other words, you will never go hungry when you are in big cities in Myanmar.
We were in Myanmar for 5 days, exploring Yangon, Bagan and Mandalay. Believe me, that was just a small percentage of Myanmar was covered and there should be more interesting things Myanmar has to offer. I do not mind coming back to this country to see other places and its people in the future - and I still have extra Kyat in my keeping. And I just hope this will also change your perception of Myanmar and be ready to explore Asia's latest attractions.
OTHER RELATED POSTS OF MY VISIT TO MYANMAR
Y A N G O N
B A G A N
Watching the Hot Air Balloons During Sunrise
M A N D A L A Y
People of Myanmar were generally friendly. This was the place where both men and women wear sarongs called Longyi on the streets. The formal ones for men would be the white shirt tucked into the Longyi. How cool it would be for me to go to work in my sarong every day. They also consumed betel nuts and betel leaves so you could find people spitting everywhere, even in the airport. People at the market was also not aggressive but the taxi drivers trying to offer you their service could be a bit irritating - but that happens in other places too. Despite the fact that Myanmar was once colonized by the British until it gained independence in 1948, many locals I think did not speak English.
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