The Union of Myanmar, or Burma, is a country which has been open recently to the world after a long time of sanctions and isolation. But also because of this isolation that makes Myanmar become one of the most attractive tourist destination in South East Asia at the moment.
Myanmar is a diamond-shaped country with its East-West width 925 kilometers and North-South width 2100 kilometers, having borders with China, Laos and Thailand in the East, Bangladesh and India in the North and Indian Ocean in the West and South. Irrawaddy River runs through the center of the country and creates a delta in the west coast.

Bagan and its thousands of pagodas

Myanmar is an emerging tourist destination with a lot of potentials in the South East Asian region. It is the biggest country in size in South East Asia, and 40th of the world. Known among most tourists as the “Golden Land”, the country is rich in cultures and natural attractions. When travelling to Myanmar, you would find people here, most of whom are Buddhist, really friendly, kind and gentle.

Culture and history:

Culture of Myanmar is heavily influenced by Buddhism and the cultures of its neighbors, especially India and China. Mons are respected everywhere in Myanmar. In traditional villages, pagodas and temples are the centre of daily and cultural lives of the Burmese. There are also hundreds of festivals all year round, the most important of which are Buddhist ones. Many villages and locals have their own rules and customs, which are also very interesting to learn about.
When visiting temples and Buddhist destinations, tourists have to leave their heads and feet bare, no hat, shoes or socks allowed, also they can’t wear shorts, too thin T-Shirts or too short skirts. Some special places even forbid women to enter at all. Also remember to do your research and ask in advance if you want to take photos or film in these places.
Beside religions, the British colony also left a significant Western influence in Burmese culture. The education system of the country follows the model of the UK. And many architectures under the influenced of Western style can also be found everywhere, especially big cities such as Yangon. Some people, for example the Karen in the southeast, and the Kachin and the Chin in the northern and northwest, are Christians.
Respecting the Monks (in Burmese called Sangha) and the olds as well as taking care of children are Burmese customs. When greeting the Monks, you can’t shake their hand but put your hands together and respectfully bow your head.

Transportation:

You can get to Myanmar from other countries by plane, but there are not so many international flights to Myanmar, though you can take a flight to the country from ASEAN countries, especially cities such as Bangkok, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. Over land you can go through the border acrossings between Thailand and Myanmar.
To move around Myanmar, plane is the best choice since the transportation system in Myanmar is not really good. Train and bus are also your options, though be prepared for delayed schedules, slow speed and poor services, especially overcharging for foreigners. On the other hand, you can also rent a car, a motorbike or bike and drive around yourself. Just make sure you have all the required papers and the vehicle works well. An interesting way of moving around is horse cart, especially in Bagan, where you can also choose bikes or electrical bikes to explore the ancient city. On water, you can choose ferries or boats, which are worthy to try.

Weather:

Myanmar has a tropical climate with 3 seasons: hot season (from March to April), rainy season (from May to October), and cool, quite dry season (from November to February). The cool season is considered as the best time to travel to Myanmar, but it also means that there are quite many tourists around. In May, July and September, there are not so many tourists. For the Golden Rock Temple, the weather up in the mountain peak is cool all year round (about 15-20°C), rainy, cloudy and misty.

Things to do:

Myanmar is a country with rich history and many religious architectural monuments. Some of them are Shwedagon pagoda in Yangon, Mandalay Palace, Kyaiktiyo Pagoda (also called Golden Rock), or The Bagan Archaeological Zone with its thousands of sacred pagodas, which is considered as the main attraction for Myanmar’s nascent tourism and one of the largest and most important historical sites in South East Asia. Besides, Myanmar’s tourism also attracts international tourists by pristine and peaceful nature of Inle Lake or unique customs of Pa’O people.

Floating garden in Inle Lake, Myanmar

Not only historical and religious sites, Myanmar also offers you relaxing experience with its beautiful and worth-visiting beaches, such as the heavenly Ngapali Beach, Kanthaya Beach, Ngwe Saung (or Silver) Beach, or Chuang Tha Beach. Burmese beaches are famous for their calm pristine beauty and waves with potentials for surfing.
You would of course want to go shopping when travelling to Burma to bring something home from this fabulous and mystery country. Then textiles, precious stones, lacquerware and thanaka powder should me on your shopping list. However, there are not so many department stores or duty-free shops, which can only be found in big cities. So you would want to look into local markets and little boutique shops around Inle Lake and Bagan to find many interesting stuff with friendly prices.
Burmese cuisine is a unique blend of Indian, Chinese and Buddhist goodness. Like in many other Asian countries, rice and vegetables are the core of every Myanmar’s meal. In many Myanma saa thauk sain (Burmese cafeteria-style restaurant), you go to a counter of pre-cooked dishes, choose whatever you want and pay for it. One of highlighted cuisines of Myanmar are ăthouq salads, leq-p’eq and various noodle dishes.

A trip to this mysterious and wonderful country is definitely worth it, especially if you care about Asian culture, history and lifestyle and are interested in Buddhism with its rich influence and practices in people’s daily lives. Make sure to do your research and plan your trip carefully, and you would have memorable time in this festive and magical “Golden Land”.