Visit to the Golden Land – Myanmar

by Melo Villareal March 21, 2013, 3:17 am 1.7k Views

I still can’t believe our Myanmar adventure was already over. To be honest, I almost decided not to pursue visiting Burma due to some previous travel arrangements, but my love for adventure made me decide to join 8 other travelers in exploring one of Asia’s exotic wonders. I’m currently writing articles about our adventure in Burma, but for now, here are the things you need to know before visiting Myanmar.

Monks in Kabar Aye Pagoda in Yangon

Along with several holiday destinations in the world, which leaves a fascinating memory in the heart of travelers, Myanmar is one such place that enlivens the divine beauty and blends ethnic traditions. Myanmar, also known as the Golden land (because of the availability of Gold in plenty), holds the pride of hosting the world’s largest and finest monuments; the best teak wood, living mummies, and mesmerizing islands.

Temples and Pagodas in Bagan

The culture of Myanmar is highly influenced by Indian and Chinese traditions. Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, is a sovereign nation situated in the southeast of Asia, surrounded by China, Thailand, India, Laos, and Bangladesh, which remains a perfect and exotic destination for tourists.

Burmese Kid in New Bagan

Burma has unlimited mineral, agricultural, and energy resources. The country was the world’s largest rice exporter back in the 1950s. Burma has since been reduced and has become one of Asia’s most underdeveloped countries. Myanmar is now considered one of the most promising tourist destinations in Asia. With the increase of tourist arrivals, few luxury hotels and limited standard accommodation are currently available.

Convenience Store

Places of interest

Table of Contents

Myanmar has the world’s largest Shwedagon Pagoda, the oldest golden monument, which is 2500 years old, Shwethalyaung, a statue of the reclining Buddha(181 feet[55m]long), and the largest ringing bell – Mingun Bell weighing 90.55 metric tones and 26ft high. The world’s largest man-made book (Buddhist Bible) can also be seen. This book was created with seven hundred and twenty-nine white marble stones protected by small white temples that are also a real attraction for tourists.

Shwedagon Pagoda

On my future visit to Myanmar, I will definitely check out the Worlds largest man Made caves and Living Mummies covered in Gold. I will also visit other monuments and historical places, walk in the amazing floating islands and try scuba diving in the corals of southern Myanmar.

What to eat

Myanmar cuisine is a blend of many regional traditions. Since it is situated on the coastline, seafood remains the most common food.

Food and Beverage in Myanmar

The mouth-watering Myanmar and Thai delicacies like Mohinga, Onnokauswe, Laphet thote, Nan Gyi thoke, Shan food, and Curry also make the trip refreshing and remarkable. Although I found most of their dish very oily, each dish is very unique and is made to satisfy the tastes of different people with different flavors.

Street Food Vendor

What to Wear

Myanmar is conservative, and ladies are expected to wear long skirts. Yes, even men are wearing skirts in Burma, which are called longyi.

Pinoy Travel Bloggers wearing Longyi in Shwedagon Temple (photo by Dong Ho)

The weather is pretty weird so make sure to bring a jacket because it’s pretty cold in the morning and light clothing for the humid afternoon. Wear slippers while roaming around town; it’s more convenient to remove slippers than shoes when entering temples.

Ron and Monette of FlipTravels.com in Silhouette

Visa Application

Myanmar Visa application takes 3 business days if you will be applying your Myanmar in Manila Philippines. Travelers holding Tourist Myanmar Visa are allowed to stay for 4 weeks/28 days. The Myanmar Visa visa fee is US$ 20. Tourist Myanmar Visa On Arrival (VOA) applications from all countries over the world are accepted & process.

Visa on Arrival at Yangon International Airport

Foreign Exchange and Banking

The official currency of Myanmar is called Kyat (pronounced as “CHAT”). Travelers cannot exchange US Dollars to Kyat outside of Myanmar, so make sure to bring enough US Dollars when traveling to Myanmar. US Dollars are the primary currency accepted by most hotels, car rental, trains, boats, and tour operators. Currency Exchange shops only accept crisp US Dollar Bills without any creases, tears, pen marks, stamps, or folds, and they should not be printed before 2006. And as always, $100 bills will get you a better exchange rate than smaller bills.

Kyat – Myanmar’s Legal Tender

ATM Machines in Yangon International Airport

ATM Machines are now available in the airport and in some areas of Yangon but always bring enough cash just to be on the safe side.

What to Buy

Myanmar has always remained a shopping paradise for tourists to buy puppets, lacquerware (which is made into bowls, cups, vases, and various items), exotic souvenir’s in the form of wall hangings, and genuine jade jewelry at a very low cost, and various colorful artifacts.

Jade Accessories in Bogyoke Aung San Market

There are no Shopping Malls as big as Mall of Asia and Vivo City in Yangon, but you will find many interesting things in Bogyoke Aung San Market – a major bazaar located in Pabedan township in central Yangon. Bogyoke Aung San Market (near Traders Hotel) has many licensed shops, which is a safe place to buy precious stones like Jade, rubies, and sapphire.

Bogyoke Aung San Market

Myanmar is also famous for its tapestries which are decorated with gold and silver thread, usually depicting the Buddhist scriptures. One of the most popular antiques is the old Raj coins. You may also want to buy textiles in Myanmar, like their traditional long gyia sarong worn by both men and women.

Best time to visit Myanmar

The best time, or rather the peak season, to visit Myanmar is from November to February when the climate is very cool and cozy. Overall the trip to Myanmar, the Golden Land, will open a new insight for every visitor and will give divine peace through rejuvenation of body, mind, and soul.

Novice Monks in Bagan

Transportation in and around Myanmar

There are no direct flights to Yangon from Manila. Most foreign visitors arrive in Yangon, which offers direct flights from most major cities in Asia, but the nearest are Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. Local flights and tour packages can be arranged with local travel agents and tour operators. (Contact – Exotic Myanmar Travel and Tour Services – [email protected] www.exoticmyanmartravel.com)

Japanese Bicycles in Bagan

Public Transport in Myanmar

Horse Carts in New Bagan

Myanmar offers Rail Transport, but there are currently no rail links to adjacent countries. Local transport in Yangon is usually by Bus, Taxi, horse carts, and bikes that you can rent in the nearest hotel or hostel near you. Taxi in Yangon are not metered; you are free to negotiate the rates before you hop in the cab and head across town. It’s best to ask locals about the going rates to avoid paying too much for the ride. Motorcycles are not allowed in Yangon.

This post is just about general info and travel tips to Myanmar; I will post more destination and attraction-focused blog posts soon:)

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Written by Melo Villareal

Melo Villareal is the Online Publisher of Outoftownblog.com. He is an Accountant by profession who left the corporate world at the age of 23 to explore his beautiful country and the rest of the world. Today, Melo works as a part-time Social Media Manager for local and international clients. His full-time work focuses on discovering interesting culture, explore different cuisines and take memorable photos from local and international destinations he's visiting.

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