Review of Burma / Review of Myanmar

After the 2013 travel retrospective where I talked about my travel review of 2013, I will continue to give my opinion on the different countries I visited in 2013. Find my latest opinions in the recent articles: opinion on Brazil, opinion on Portugal, opinion on Dubai.

I am going to tell you about my last trip, and it is no small matter. Here is my opinion on Burma (Myanmar):

My opinion on Myanmar

Country visited: Myanmar or its other name “Burma”.

Duration of stay: 19 days during the high season (late December to early January).

Living conditions in Myanmar and the security aspect in Myanmar.

Myanmar is a very poor country and compared to other countries I have visited such as Indonesia or China, I really felt that Myanmar was very behind, but it is a country that is evolving very quickly and changing every day. For example, they still use landline phones although many people have mobile phones in the city.

There is a lot of work to beautify the roads and the Burmese speak good English in tourist places such as Inle Lake or Bagan, but in the big cities, it is still very uneven.

Regarding security, I always felt safe in Myanmar, even when I was crossing very poor neighborhoods. I went out very little at night, but I never felt in danger.

There are many signs saying “Take care of tourists” or “Prenez soin des touristes”. During my visit to a park in Rangoon, we were told several times “Welcome in Myanmar”. People are very nice and welcoming. You can feel that the Burmese know they need tourism to get by or to improve their living conditions and they make us feel it.

Temple 10 km north of Sagaing

Stop	Duration	Main activity
Yangon	2 days	Shwedagon Pagoda
Bagan	3 days	Sunrise over the temples
Mandalay	2 days	U Bein Bridge
Inle Lake	3 days	Canoe + floating villages
Hpa-An	2 days	Buddhist caves

Apart from Mandalay and Rangoon, I rather felt like I was in a small town.

One thing that will strike you upon arrival is the traffic chaos in the street and people like to honk to signal their presence. It’s a bit like in India, very noisy.

Budget in Myanmar

During my stay in Myanmar, I spent an average of 25 euros per day over 19 days including food, accommodation, and visits. It’s much less than I thought.

When you are a tourist, you pay much more than the locals. You have to pay each time a photography fee like an entrance fee to a place (whether with a camera, phone, tablet, or camera). The price varies between 200 and 1000 Kyatts.

It is possible to withdraw money almost everywhere in tourist areas, but some ATMs close after 5pm in small towns. It is possible and even preferable to pay in dollars.

For example: the entrance fee to the main pagoda in Rangoon is 8 dollars or 8000 Kyatts. Knowing that 1 dollar equals 970 Kyatts (December 2013 – January 2014). It is better to pay in Dollars.

Shwedagon Pagoda

You can pay everywhere in dollars except it is preferable to pay in Kyatts for food.

You often have to pay entrance fees to tourist sites:

• Inle Lake: 10 dollars
• Bagan archaeological site: 15 dollars
• Tourist site package in Mandalay; 10 dollars, etc.

Food is cheap and you can eat for 1 or 2 euros at street stalls or less than 5 euros in a restaurant. I tend to eat more “street food” and try local specialties.

Unlimited Myanmar food for 3500 Kyatts (Less than 3 euros).

Bus travel across Burma:

• Rangoon – Kalaw: 20000 Kyatts (15 euros) in VIP with meal included,
• Inle – Bagan: 11000 Kyatts (9 euros)
• Bagan- Mandalay 7000 Kyatts (5.5 euros),

Collective bus travel always cost us less than 15 euros.

If you want to optimize your budget, it is best to be 5 for renting a private taxi or boats:

• Van trip from Pindaya to Kalaw: 20000 Kyatts (15 euros) for 5 people

Pindaya Cave

• Boat day trip around Inle Lake from Nyaungshwe: 20000 Kyatts (15 euros) for 5 people
• Van trip to Mount Popa from Bagan: 40000 Kyatts (30 euros) for 5 people.

Mount Popa

• Solo motorcycle ride in Mandalay: 20000 Kyatts (15 euros) per person, but I did it by bike for 2000 Kyatts (at least 6 hours of cycling).

View of Sagaing

Sunset on the U Bein Bridge

Temple at Inwa

U Bein Bridge

• 3-day treks from Kalaw to Inle Lake: 40000 Kyatts (30 euros) with meals included

House above Inle Lake

Bike rental in Bagan was 1500 Kyatts per day (or 1000 Kyatts for half a day) and 2000 Kyatts (or 1500 Kyatts for half a day) in Mandalay.

1300 Kyatts = 1 euro.

Accommodation in Myanmar

We stayed in guesthouses or low to mid-range hotels throughout the trip. The most expensive hotel we paid for was in Rangoon, the first two nights at 20 Dollars per person or 15 euros.

For the rest of the stay, we paid less than 20 dollars (15 euros) for two people, most of the rooms we took had the toilet and shower outside which explains the price. You can add 5 euros more to have the shower and toilet in your room.

The rooms are very rustic. Except in Rangoon, we always had breakfast included each night. When you arrive it is better to book several nights because they ask you where you are staying, here is a selection of accommodation for all audiences in Yangon.

We had not booked any accommodation except for the first two nights and we always found something within our budget although in Bagan, we had to wait until the next day to get a room, but we were in high season and during the end of year holiday period. To avoid being like us, here is a selection of accommodation in Bagan.

Warning: Hotel prices can vary, you sometimes need to negotiate (it works better in big cities). In Mandalay, I paid 15 dollars for the first two nights and 13 dollars for the next two, because I had negotiated even though they told me no discounts were possible. If you choose to go to Mandalay, here is a selection of accommodation

Even though accommodation is more expensive than in other Southeast Asian countries, it is still very affordable compared to South America where you get the same service but share the room with other travelers.

My favorites in Myanmar

My favorites are:

• The many beautiful sunsets all over Myanmar.
• The sunrise in Bagan with the hot air balloons, it was simply magical.

• The welcoming and friendly locals.
• The authenticity of certain places and the few tourists (around Inle Lake or along the Irrawaddy River).
• The beauty of Inle Lake.

 Fisherman at Inle Lake

What I did not like in Myanmar:

• The rather greasy food.
• The entrance fees for some temples and tourist sites.
• The omnipresent poverty and children begging.
• The rather slow internet connection.

 Street stand in Mandalay

Living in Myanmar?

I really enjoyed Myanmar and it is the most beautiful country in Asia I have been to so far, but I don’t see myself living there, either in the big cities or the small towns. Maybe when Myanmar is a bit more developed, but at the moment, I don’t think about it.

The cultural differences and the language make it very difficult to form long-term friendships in Myanmar.

If you are preparing for your departure, take a look at our guide on e-visa for which complements the topic well. The feedback on Burma / Myanmar also provides useful pointers to avoid unpleasant surprises. And for further inspiration, the article on 2013 Germany Bali is worth a detour.

Things to do in Myanmar

• Visit Rangoon in two days maximum
• 3-day trek from Kalaw to Inle Lake
• A boat tour of Inle Lake
• Take your bike and visit the temples in Bagan
• A walk along the Irrawaddy River
• See beautiful sunsets and sunrises in Bagan, at the U-be-in bridge or Mandalay hill, Mount Popa, etc.
• Take a motorcycle or bike tour (for the brave) around Mandalay (Inwa, Sagaing, Mingun, U-bein bridge).

 What I would have liked to do more in Myanmar

• A 3-day trek to Hsipaw to see other ethnic groups and villages in northern Burma.
• Go see the beauty of Pa-an.
• Sunbathe on the beaches at Ngapali on the Burmese coast.

My conclusion on my stay in Myanmar

If you want to get away or escape the tourists (there are always tourists everywhere, but fewer in Burma :D), and you don’t worry about what you eat, Myanmar is made for you!!!

Myanmar offers very diverse activities at modest prices: hiking, boat tours, bike rides, temple visits, etc.

Myanmar is one of the most beautiful countries I have seen so far and I want more. I would like to deepen my knowledge of this country during another visit on my tour of Asia in 2016.

Myanmar is a country that is evolving rapidly, so now is the time to go!!!

Here are some guides to help you:

And you? What are you waiting for to go to Burma (Myanmar)?