Burma

Burma in brief:

Capital : Naypyidaw
Wide : 678 500 km²
Border countries : Bangladesh, India, China, Thailand, Laos
Official language : Burmese
Currency : Kyat (MMK, in 2019: €1 = approximately 1 kyats)
Religion : 88% Buddhist, 6% Christian, 4% Muslim
Independence : from the United Kingdom in 1948
Diet : parliamentary republic
Administration : 8 regions + 7 “states”
Population : 56 million inhabitants
Visa for French people : 28 days via e-visa (€50)
Average daily budget : 27 € / person
Time difference with France : UTC +6h30
Best period : mainly from October to April
Flight duration : 15h minimum (direct flight Paris → Yangon, with stopover)
Electrical outlets : voltage – 230 V; plug type(s): C, D, F, G
Telephone code : + 95

Why go to Burma?

Burma was our very first trip since moving to Thailand, just 3 months earlier.

At the time (in 2008), it was a country that was still relatively secluded because of the junta in power since 1962. With tourism still underdeveloped, but therefore very low prices, the hotel we had in Rangoon was then $12 compared to now almost triple at $30 since the reforms and lifting of international sanctions.

Note that the current full name (Republic of the Union of Myanmar) as well as the national anthem and the flag were changed in 2010. The name Burma remains used more or less officially by a good number of foreign embassies and this is why I will remain the majority with this name.

The capital was moved from Rangoon towards the new town of Naypyidaw, created in the middle of nowhere 300 km north of Yangon (the official name of Rangoon, you have to follow!).

Old flag of Burma.

Tourism is now booming, so prices tend to soar, because more people are setting out to discover this country that was long "feared". Neighboring Thais in particular are going there in large numbers.

All this has recently been slowed down a bit by the massaging of the people. Rohingya in the northwestern regions of the country. But the enthusiasm remains palpable. Le Myanmar (official name still not recognized for certain countries…) has a rather turbulent recent history, but whose future can only be promising.

When we think of "Burma", the images that come first are the plain with thousands of temples and pagodas of Bagan, the fishermen of the lake Inle, cheeks decorated with the thanaka, a sun protection powder.

Paradoxically, to this day we have not yet seen the temples of Bagan nor the lake. This is obviously only a postponement, because they are undoubtedly among the essentials.

The first attraction of Burma remains surely the more "remote" aspect, due to its recent opening to the world. There is a certain desire to discover a country that is not too "despoiled" by tourism, as opposed to Thailand that many will consider "too developed" and more "authentic" (argh I don't like that word).

“A young Burmese woman with thanaka on her cheeks, characteristic of the country”

“Two young Buddhist monks on a street in Chaung Tha”

Traces of its colonial past are visible in most of the major cities, where the old administrative buildings, although not always in great condition, reflect the years under the power of the British Empire that dominated the region.

It is still complicated today to fully visit the country, due to sporadic but endless ethnic conflicts. Some areas remain inaccessible, others limited and require a special permit (see information on the foreign affairs website). But most of the interesting points are outside these murky areas.

Maps of risk areas according to France.

Burma remains a country with a welcoming population, very diverse in terms of ethnicity. And although predominantly Buddhist, like its neighbor to the right, the architecture remains typical Burmese.

In general, we remain in the Asian atmosphere, so with a really different culture. A lively street atmosphere, we feel safe and well received. Accommodation and food remain cheap even if we certainly do not have the same offer in terms of quality and quantity as in Thailand.

The food is little known to the general public and yet reveals some good typical dishes.

For transport, it is a little more chaotic due to the state of the roads and the style of transport, mainly local, so rather old buses, poor train network developed, but it's part of the adventure!

In terms of landscape, the country remains very varied, with mountains to the north and east, beaches to the south and west, many of which are wild and deserted, everyone should find something to suit them.

WE love

Its welcoming population
English is quite widespread
Cost remains cheap overall
Still not very touristy
The varied landscapes

We are less of a fan

Infrastructures from another time
Some regions still inaccessible and other restrictions
Food sometimes very fatty

Preparing your trip: advice before you leave

Here is a summary of some essential information to know before any trip to Burma.

Do I need a visa for Burma?

Obtaining your e-visa

It is necessary to first apply for a visa in order to stay in Burma. As things are changing for Burma, it is possible to apply online and it is therefore not mandatory to go to an embassy.

You will then receive an e-visa (electronic visa) which gives the right to a 28 day stay precisely. Knowing that to my knowledge, the latter is not renewable on site, it is therefore the maximum duration authorized for a tourist stay in Myanmar.

Cost of the visa = €50, which is not cheap if you are going as a family!

Despite this slightly off-putting price, it has the advantage of being extremely easy to obtain since in just a few clicks from home, you will be able to obtain this precious sesame.

To obtain it, go to Myanmar immigration official website, the instructions are quite simple but on the other hand it is no longer available in French (the screenshot shows you that it was once available in other languages).

Small clarification, you will need to know your point of entry into the country. So it is not possible to "improvise" if you are on a long trip to Asia, you will have to define in advance where to enter Burma.

For the requested address, what to put?

On the personal information page, you are asked to provide an address. Simply enter the address of the hotel in your first destination. If you are arriving via Yangon, for example, it is best to have at least booked a hotel in the city beforehand (to do this, I will redirect you on Agoda ou Booking if you prefer).

Note that you will not be able to do AirBnb or any accommodation with locals, so no other choices.

How long does it take to obtain the e-visa?

The official deadline is 3 working days, but in general, one day is enough, in short, it is very fast so can be done at the last minute (even if it is never really recommended eh).

Can you cross the land border with an e-visa?

While initially the latter was only valid with an arrival via one of the country's international airports (Yangon, Mandalay or the capital Naypyidaw), it is also available at the land border in Kawthaung – bordering Thailand. Accessible via Ranong, it was during my previous visit to this city that I was making a quick visit to the neighbor, my most recent stay in Burma.

Since Covid, after a temporary suspension of the e-visa, although it is available again, the following entry points no longer seem to accept the electronic visa to date...It is also necessary to have a health coverage covering Covid 19.

Tamu – bordering India, in the northwest of the country. Accessible via the town of Moreh in India.
Rihkhawdar – also on the border with India, in the northwest of the country. Accessible via the town of Zokhawthar in India.
Tachileik – border town with Thailand in the northeast of the country. Accessible via Mae Sai on the Thai side.
Myawaddy – also bordering Thailand, in the center of the country. Accessible via Mae Sot on the Thai side (it is by this land border as I entered Thailand during a stay in Burma in 2014).

To sum up, if you plan to arrive via Laos by land, note that this is not possible because there are no border posts accepting the e-visa (and to my knowledge, no posts at all allowing foreigners to enter the country via neighboring Laos).

myawaddy border post - mae sot - burma thailand

Border crossing at Myawaddy.

And what if I'm not comfortable with the Internet, you ask? There's always the "classic" option, via an embassy.

Apply for your visa at an embassy

The first time I went to Burma, the e-visa option did not yet exist, so I applied through the Bangkok embassy. The same will be valid through the Paris embassy or elsewhere.

Embassy of the Republic of Myanmar in Bangkok

Even though she has moved since I came, Burmese Embassy in Bangkok is still located along Sathorn Avenue, in this case at this address:

150 N Sathon Rd, Khwaeng Silom, Khet Bang Rak, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10500, Thailand (the old address was 132 of this same avenue, so right next door). The nearest BTS (skytrain) station is Surasak.

Opening times: Monday to Friday; Morning (for visa applications): 09:00 – 12:00, Afternoon (for visa collection): 15:30 – 16:30

Here is normally the list of requested documents:

The completed and signed visa application form (you can print it from the official website of the Bangkok embassy)
2 passport photos (one for the form and one for your visa).
Your passport – this must be valid for more than 6 months and have at least 2 free pages
A photocopy of the first page (with name information etc.)
1 Baht, cash only, possible in dollars ($600)
Attach a copy of your round-trip plane ticket

The advantage of Bangkok compared to other embassies is that it is possible to obtain the visa on the same day as the application. However, this service is paid, if you can wait, the normal delay is 2 days (I think, if not 3).

Be careful though, because there tends to be quite a few people at this embassy. With an opening at 9am, there is already a busy queue from 8:30am or even before…

The queue for visas at the Burmese embassy in Bangkok, when it was still at 132 Sathorn Street. Photo credit © Christine.

Embassy of the Republic of Myanmar in Paris

THEEmbassy of Burma in Paris is located at this address:

No. 60, Rue De Courcelles, 75008, Paris, France

Opening times: Monday to Friday; Morning: 09:00 – 12:30, Afternoon: 13:30 – 16:00

Apparently the latter no longer has an official website...

If you are applying for a visa by post, in addition to the documents mentioned above, you must also enclose a stamped envelope for the return of your documents. The time to obtain a visa is then around ten days.

Advice (from Brice, the Burma specialist!) : if you are looking for a hotel in Bangkok and not far from the Burmese embassy, I recommend the cooper Hostel, with rooms starting at €15, a super friendly owner, clean hotel, excellent reputation and very well-working internet.

Important note:

The visa is valid for 3 months. This means that once you have your visa, you have up to 90 days to travel to Burma. This should not be confused with the length of your stay (28 days MAX).

Transportation in Burma

Coming to Burma

Direct flights only exist inter-regionally. To my knowledge, there are no direct flight options from Europe (or very few). And even with a stopover, it is a less popular destination and therefore a little more expensive than going to Thailand in this case.

Depending on your background, it may be more advantageous to come via Bangkok and then cross a land border according to those mentioned above with your e-visa, or take a local flight via low-cost airlines to do for example a Bangkok – Mandalay. Without being excessive in terms of price, this saves a considerable amount of time for start your journey in the heart of Burma.

Planes on the tarmac at Yangon International Airport - Myanmar

Planes on the tarmac at Yangon International Airport. Photo credit: Z3144228 / CC BY-SA

In any case, you will probably have at least one stopover depending on the company chosen, except that a company with a good price for Yangon turns out to be Thai Airways, which stops in Bangkok.

Another possibility, the excellent company Singapore Ailrines, with a stopover in Singapore (at the equally excellent Changi Airport) offers prices that can be less than 600 €. Depending on your dates and current promotions (or not), another attractive company is Vietnam Airlines, which, depending on the outward or return journey, will stop in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) or Hanoi. Finally, the very good company Qatar Airways, remaining a safe bet for any destination in Asia, allows you to reach Yangon from Paris (with a stopover in Doha), for also less than €600 but to benefit from a stopover that is not too long, it is more like €630, which remains quite interesting.

Search for a flight to Burma

Getting around within Burma

Burma is not known for its excellent road network and comfortable transport... No. Tourism is still in its infancy, it is developing little by little, but remains all the more rustic as Burma is subject to controversy, many boycott it and its tourist boom has had difficulty taking off.

If we take our personal experience, the bus remained our main means of transport. It is cheap, serves many destinations, but it is indeed not the most comfortable, at least on medium journeys. However, there are more recent and modern buses that we were also able to test so it depends on your destinations, and your budget too.

The train remains relatively little used by tourists while the country's rail network, originally developed under the colonization of the United Kingdom, is quite substantial (more than 5 km of track).

Local transport remains, taxis from another time, rickshaw, trishaw or even horse-drawn carriage will be your options to get around a site.

Road transport

Long distance buses (coaches)

You should know that for the longest journeys, it is common for these to be night buses. Generally leaving between 16pm and 22pm for arrivals in the early morning (around 5-6am). As such, it is not to avoid any heavy traffic during the day, or even really save a night in a hotel. For the "average" Burmese, these buses allow them to avoid losing a day's work. In addition, the heat being more tolerable, this avoids possible engine overheating for buses that are sometimes at the end of their life. After Buses for long journeys are clearly more comfortable.

It is now possible to book certain journeys online via:

https://12go.asia/fr/ (also for the train or even private car depending on the route)

The most comfortable bus we have ever had.

On the bus Chaung Tha – Yangon. Nothing to complain about.

Intercity buses

Between cities, in our case, we mainly used the bus. With an average journey costing 7 Kyats per person (In 2014). We had fewer opportunities to make long journeys since we were travelling in a fairly restricted area of the country.

A little info: recent buses turn the air conditioning on full blast, if you are sensitive to the cold, bring a sweater or something to cover yourself with.

The roads are not in the best condition so journeys are longer than normal in terms of time/kilometres (take this into account when making your itinerary in Burma). For example, a trip from Kinpun (at the foot of Mt Kyaiktiyo, where the golden rock is located) to Mawlamyine is 150 km. Including a stop, it took almost 4 hours…

The Pathein – Chaung Tha bus.

Typically, a small local bus remains an experience in itself. The bus stations are generally basic, from those we took (except for a slightly better one, in Chaung Tha). No centralized platforms with numbers but independent counters distributed around a place, to take tickets according to the companies and destinations.

Despite this, you can usually find your way around by asking the locals where you want to go. The buses themselves are of various styles, again, depending on the distances.

Afterwards, on the intermediate routes, we have time to enjoy the scenery, because they stop often. Local buses are often dilapidated, in addition to the scheduled stops, there may be additional stops to cool the dying engine, and the general state of the asphalt is not kind to the tires.

At the various stops, you will see vendors of snacks, fruits and other things rushing around or even inside in the hope of making a sale, as is quite common in Southeast Asia.

The counter for the Yangon – Pathein bus.

Who wants?

Inside, if the buses are generally 32 seats, we often exceed this number or failing that, the total weight is at the limits of what the bus can support. Because in addition to people, the latter often serve as relays to transport all kinds of goods.

The back is filled with boxes, various cargoes and other non-human products. The aisles are also filled if necessary, often making the journey uncomfortable, the knees cruelly lacking space. If it is during the day and we add the heat, you have a rough idea of what awaits you. Prefer as much as possible the first two rows which should be a little spared by the mishmash of bags of rice, parcels and others.

Afterwards, said like that, it seems terrible but on the one hand, these are intermediate journeys that are like that, so not excessively long either, on the other hand it is not and fortunately, systematic. So you should not panic at the idea of taking the buses in Burma, there is much worse elsewhere.

interior bus mawlamyine - hpa an - burma

interior old bus pathein chaung tha burma

Taxis, trishaws and local transport in Burma

As in any country, you will be faced with several means of moving from one point to another locally. If we find classic taxis among the four-wheeled vehicles, generally in the big cities like Yangon, Mandalay, Pathein, Mawlamyine or Taunggyi, you will also find a network of public buses, along the main axes.

Regarding these city buses, the fares are low, at 50 or 100 kyat, yes yes, you read correctly, that's barely 6 cents! This is in any case the case in Yangon with the city's bus system, YBS (Yangon Bus Service). Good news in addition, since 2017, they offer an app available in English on Android.

Yangon City Bus (YBS) on Android

Convenient to find your way around, knowing that the buses serve the city center and the suburbs, so an extensive network. You have all the information on the different lines, color code etc. on the myanmore site. As a tip, have change, because with large sums it could be problematic…

City bus in Yangon.

Regarding taxis, they will be significantly more expensive (compared to the bus) especially given the tendency to gouge tourists... Because unless there is a change since my last visit, and in any case in Yangon, taxis do not have meters, so they can give you any price...

But there is a trend to be aware of, based in particular on the reference site for prices abroad (Numbeo), the base price should be around K1 – K000, then expect about the same per kilometer. So if you are going to the city center from Rangon airport, which is about 1 km, you should be looking at something between K500 and K15, or around €15-000.

If you want to hire a taxi for a day, expect to pay around K5 per hour.

Taxis on the streets of Rangoon (Yangon).

Then, similar to Thailand, we find pick-ups that make intermediate trips, sometimes around cities. These are fitted with three rows. For short trips it can work, but for longer ones, the comfort/price ratio will not be worth that of local buses. These pick-ups are often crowded, and the only way to avoid too much hassle is to reserve the seats at the front, more comfortable, but therefore negotiable at 25% or even 50% more expensive than those crammed in behind.

They make connections between cities and intermediate places, generally making numerous stops to load/unload. They are thus found between Bagan and Mount Popa, or, not far from there, between Myingyan and Meiktila (which brings you closer to Kalaw and its trek departure point) or around the Golden Rock in Kyaiktiyo to name just these examples.

After the transport par excellence in Burma, there are motorcycles, fitted with sidecars, which are locally called "saiq-ka" but whose generic term is rather trishaw. There will sometimes be simple motorcycle taxis, as we could find in Bago from the bus stop and which we took to our hotel. We also find its penchant without an engine, but clearly more intended for the most deprived locals.

More rarely you will come across types of tuk-tuk similar to the Thai or Indian neighbors. A trip costs on average 4 – 000 kyats depending on the distance (€7 – €000). Also quite common are the old-fashioned horse-drawn carriages or even carts pulled by oxen (rarer though).

Short ride on a motorbike taxi when arriving in Bago.

Car, motorcycle and bicycle rentals

To date, it is not not possible to rent a car private for oneself, or at least it is restrictive. Basically you will often read that it is necessary to rent a vehicle with a driver. The country is not yet "open" enough to let foreigners roam freely on their roads. You will find for this various agencies allowing a rental by the day or even for several days. After all, it is not cheap. A round trip between Yangon and Bago for example is priced at $110 on this site.

But recently, it has become possible to drive yourself. To do so, you must obtain authorization from the government agency MTT and the Road Transport Administration Department (RTAD; 01-36113). However, the constraint is that you must be accompanied at all times by a local... so a guide in short, because otherwise I can't see how you would take a random guy as a "guarantee"... Basically, these restrictions are there to prevent the government from having to deal with accidents involving foreigners.

On the other hand, it is possible in some places to rent a motorbike or scooters, generally outside the big cities, even if it is a priori possible to find some in Mandalay. This is what we did during a memorable day in Chaung Tha, between the beaches. We managed to find a bike for 10 K per day (€000), the usual rate you should find. Gasoline costs next to nothing and you will find bottles selling it by the liter almost everywhere on the side of the road (normally 650 K per liter, or barely 40 cents).

We also rented a scooter to visit the surroundings of Hpa An, a great region to see and ideal to explore in this way.

Concerning Bicycles are much more widespread and cheap. Prices are around 1 K per day For a basic bike, it can go up to 4K if it is offered by a high-end hotel. Always make sure to check the bases, brakes that work, tires inflated correctly to avoid any problems.

You could even buy them on site, you can find bikes generally coming from India, China or even Thailand, sold for barely €100.

If you are a long-distance traveler and with your own mountain bike (preferable in Myanmar), you should not have any problems with customs, and traveling within the country (outside of restricted areas) is not a particular problem (there is little traffic outside the cities). If you are looking for a company offering bike rentals, sales or even bike tours, you have Cycling Myanmar, based in Yangon: https://www.cyclingmyanmar.com/

Another possibility, still in Yangon, the company Thin Asia Tours: https://think-asia-tours.com/

Rail transport: taking the train in Burma

It is often forgotten but there are also trains in Burma. The train was introduced by the British in 1877. But it is not actually the preferred means of transport because it is not the fastest way to get to your destination. Allow 15 hours for the journey from Yangon to Mandalay! On the other hand, it remains quite affordable with a rate in this case of €15 (i.e. €1 per hour 😊)

Map of the railway network in Burma. Credit Maximilian Dörrbecker (under CC license)

The country has 858 stations spread along its 5 km railway network. As the map (which is from 403) shows, there are plans to extend the line to connect the western town of Sittwe (near Mrauk U, an important historical site) to the main network and then add an extension to Mergui (Myeik) from Dawei (also called Tavoy).

Similar to Thailand, Burma has a similar shape, the tracks mainly cover a north-south axis, with less scope for east-west routes. The transport company managing the network, Myanmar Railways (MR) was originally formed by three separate companies operating in different regions of the country.

In addition to being rather slow, due to the aging state of its network (with a gauge of 1 m and few double tracks), Myanmar trains are not very fresh either. You generally have to be patient because delays and stops are frequent, but as they say, that's part of the journey!

As for booking, it is not necessary for day trains. Ticket offices in major cities are normally able to issue tickets to foreigners. This may not be the case in smaller stations. For sleeper trains, it is best to buy your tickets two days in advance, or more in high season (November to March).

It is possible to book online via this site: https://myanmartrainticket.com/

This is not the official website of the railway company but a (normally) reliable solution to get your tickets safely and in advance.

So, apart from the 647 km of the Yangon – Mandalay axis (which passes through Bago, Naypyidaw, the new capital or Thazi), which are regularly used by passenger trains, the rest is quite neglected. Also except for the Yangon Circle Line, this train running in a loop around Rangoon, which we had taken this time.

The different classes

There are up to four classes in Burma depending on the train. For the most part, however, there are only two, superior and ordinary. The seats of the superior class are normally reclining, more comfortable obviously but above all open to reservation. This is not the case for the seats of the ordinary class, harder with a straight back.

Then, depending on the lines, there is a 1st class on some trains. Contrary to the name, it is not an ultimate superior category… It is barely an improvement of the ordinary class, still with wooden seats, but padded at the buttocks.

No class on the Yangon circular train.

You also have the night trains, called "upper class sleeper" or "regular sleeper", counting as a separate class. This class consists of a cabin with generally 4 berths, otherwise 2 as well as air conditioning and clean toilets at the end of the corridor.

There is a variant on a train between Yangon and Bagan (the 62), which has private cabins, including toilets, but with an atypical layout. The special sleeping car is divided into four separate, completely self-contained compartments, each taking up the entire width of the carriage, each with its own entrance vestibule, toilet and a seating/berth area with 4 berths. This sounds great in terms of privacy, but you have to understand that in terms of socialising and the travel experience, it can be restrictive. There is no corridor and no access between compartments or from your compartment to the rest of the train, so passengers in this class cannot meet other people or use the dining car.

Shipping

With over 1 km of coastline and numerous islands in the south, you can imagine that Burma is minimally equipped to navigate these waters, whether rivers or the sea. One of the most popular routes being the cruise between Mandalay and Bagan. Afterwards, if it is precisely in "cruise" mode, therefore more luxurious, it is necessarily more expensive. The duration varies from two days to a week depending on the type of boat and the budget.

In its luxury version, the cheapest is a priori the Deluxe Suite at Sanctuary Retreats, available from $450 for two days of sailing.

Ferries on the river at Mawlamyine.

Otherwise, you have to turn to government ferries, much cheaper but necessarily less comfortable. It is managed by the IWT (Inland Water Transport: http://www.iwt.gov.mm/). Popular routes include the Yangon – Mandalay route (via Pyay), a 423 km route with 28 piers, if you are really a fan of this type of transport.

For shorter journeys, ferries will generally be simple, wooden and with a capacity limited to less than 30 people.

In our case, apart from a trip to visit the surroundings of Chaung Tha on a kind of boat, and others of the same kind to cross the rivers of this same region, we only took a boat in Burma during our trip between Ranong (in Thailand) and Kawthaung.

Arriving at Kawthaung wharf. The type of boat taken is at the bottom right.

Air transport

Unlikely to opt for this mode of transport as it is rather expensive and there are relatively few airports where you would be likely to travel to/from. In addition, the safety and maintenance standards of the aircraft are not as stringent as in more developed countries.

Some companies, although renowned, have not been able to maintain themselves in a barely emerging market, including companies such as Air Bagan or Air Mandalay which stopped their operations in 2018 (despite their respective websites still being online but not offering a search tool and therefore flights).

Arriving at Yangon (Rangoon) airport.

BUT, with the revival of tourism in the country, some companies stand out like Yangon Airways which is rising from its ashes. Taking a plane can be interesting in this case for inter-regional flights if you are on a long-haul trip in Asia.

Because I did it for the other destinations I cover on this blog, here is a summary of the companies available in Burma, if ever:

- - Air Kanbawza, Also simply known as Air KBZ, it is a small private company, based in Yangon, with a fleet of 8 aircraft (all ATR 72-600). Existing for 10 years, it has expanded to the international network with some destinations outside its soil. We can mention Guangzhou in China, Gaya and Kolkata in India, Singapore, Seoul or even two connections with Thailand, Mae Sot and Bangkok.
  - Golden Myanmar Airlines, an airline based like other companies, it had great ambitions at its beginnings (in 2012), operating several aircraft including two A320s (for the record, one of them was damaged following a trip on the tarmac, beyond repair, it has since been converted into an "Airbus Café" in Bago). Today, it only operates three aircraft, also ATR 72-600s, between the country's main airports (11 destinations).
  - Man Yadanarpon Airlines, a recent airline (2014), also based in Mandalay and also owning three ATR 72-600s, the flagship aircraft in Burma. The latter serves slightly more airports than the previous one with 15 destinations across the country.
  - Myanmar Airways International (MAI), belonging to the same group as Air KBZ, it is the largest private company in the country and the oldest if we ignore the national company (below). To date, they operate 9 Airbuses (A319 and A320) to Asian destinations, mainly China, but also Phnom Penh in Cambodia, Kolkata in India, Singapore, Taipei and Bangkok.
  - Myanmar National Airlines, the country's only national airline, operating 19 aircraft to 33 destinations, including Hong Kong, Chengu in China, Singapore as well as 3 cities in Thailand, Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket.
  - Air Thanlwin, formerly Tangon Airways. A small airline that owns a fleet of 4 ATR-72s, operating only domestic flights.

Book a hotel in Burma?

It is not necessarily mandatory to book everything in advance. However, booking can be useful to avoid disappointments if you had spotted a nice little guesthouse or hotel but it turns out to be full.

This is what happened to us in particular Mawlamyine where we ended up in a rather miserable hotel for want of finding anything better at the time (and because typically, we don't necessarily want to lug our bags around for miles).

Well, of course, sometimes when you book you still get some unpleasant surprises, but in general it saves time.

For simple rooms, that is to say basic, without air conditioning, you can find around $10-15. If you want a minimum of comfort in a single room with air conditioning, expect at least $30-35.

A hotel with an excellent reputation in Mawlamyine, the Cinderella Hotel. Full when we went (€40 per night anyway).

If you are looking for a AirBnb, you won't find. The law in Burma makes it impossible for an individual to sleep at a Burmese individual's house. Camping is not too common either and I don't even know if there are dedicated sites.

hotel yangon burma — A decent room in Yangon for $30.

room hotel mawlamyine burma — A single room without air conditioning for $12 in Mawlamyine.

For a more upmarket hotel, like a boutique hotel, expect to pay around $80-100. To give a concrete example, during my stay in Kawthaung, I stayed at the Victoria Cliff Resort, considered a 4*.

Two swimming pools, beautiful sea view and great restaurant, €80 per night.

sea view victoria cliff resort kawthaung burma — The view from our room at Victoria Cliff.

a swimming pool at victoria cliff resort kawthaung burma — One of the hotel's swimming pools.

Book your hotel in Burma with Booking

Health and Safety in Burma

Do I need travel insurance?

Travel insurance can often make a difference in the outcome of an unexpected mishap while traveling abroad. And especially if you are going on a trip of several months in Asia, good insurance can be more than welcome, because credit card insurance is limited.

The maximum amount for healthcare costs covered by traditional credit cards may prove insufficient (around €10 compared to €000 for dedicated travel insurance) and does not cover civil liability.

I advise you ACS Travel & Expatriation Insurance Solutions.

I would like to point out that if you subscribe to the insurance via the link, I will receive a small commission. This is a simple way to help keep the site running, because insurance is preferable anyway and it will therefore be beneficial for both you and me.

What vaccines and what do I need to know for my health?

Much like its neighbor Thailand, there are no mandatory vaccinations as such, however, several are recommended (and may be even more depending on your destination points).

Recommended Vaccines

RAGE
HEPATITIS B
TYPHOID
JAPANESE ENCEPHALITIS

Also, according to the recommendations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Burma, in addition to the always recommended diphtheria-tetanus-polio (DTP) vaccination update, a measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine if you have children and an anti-tuberculosis vaccination is also desirable.

I don't know the quality of care in general in Burma since I haven't had to test it... But except in big cities, I doubt you will find a well-equipped hospital. This is where good insurance can be useful, to cover the costs of transfer and repatriation.

To give you an idea, here is what is apparently a small local clinic in Pathein.

Otherwise, if you plan to go trekking or do any other sporty activity, have a check-up before you leave to avoid any unpleasant surprises. If you are taking medication, don't forget to bring your prescriptions.

In Rangoon there is a branch of an excellent Thai hospital if ever:

Samitivej International Clinic, there is even a French doctor in the care team: at Parami Hospital, 11th floor (11th floor, 60 (G-1) New Parami Road, Mayangone Township, Rangoon. Tel: +95 931911541, +95 931911542, mail: Samitivej.yangon@gmail.com

Another option, at the SOS International clinic: Inya Lake Hotel, 37 Kaba Aye Road, Rangoon. Tel: +95 1 657 922, +95 1 667 879.

For your safety

Some areas are still littered with landmines today. scattered in conflict zones (linked to the independence fighters of certain ethnic groups). In the States kayin (Karen), Shan, kachin et Kayah, it is therefore strongly recommended to stay on the main roads and regularly used paths, do not go on hazardous exploration, opportunities, Mine and device explosions are regularly reported.

Even though it is valid in many countries, avoid taking pictures of anything that is a military building, the military themselves or the police.

Burma remains a major producer of opiates (opium), obviously do not accept to test if you are offered one. Besides the fact that I'm not going to draw you a picture "drugs are bad", drug-related offenses are severely punished in Burma.

Remember that the central plains around Bagan in particular are prone to earthquakes. (the last major one in 2016, measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale, damaged the site and caused 3 deaths).

Pratical information

– Emergency numbers –
Police: 199
Hospital: +95 1 667 879

What to see and do in Burma?

If we look at the information on the administrative division of the country, we still often see the notion of 7 regions, and 7 states making up Myanmar. In reality, as written in the section "Burma in brief", there is today an 8th region, formed by the separation of Naypyitaw, the new capital, formerly attached to the Mandalay region. If we detail a little, we have the seven regions that form what a Burmese will concretely call Burma, in the sense populated by the majority of the Burmese ethnic group (also called Bama):

Ayeyarwady Region (Irrawaddy Delta, with capital: Pathein)
Bago Region (capital: Bago, also known as Pegu)
Magway Region (capital: Magwe)
Mandalay Region (capital: Mandalay)
Sagaing Region (capital: Sagaing)
Tanintharyi Region (formerly Tenasserim, capital: Dawei, formerly named Tavoy)
Yangon Region (capital: Yangon, still commonly called Rangoon)

The seven states each correspond to one of the other main ethnic groups making up Burma, namely:

Chin
kachin
Karen (also called Kayin)
Kayah
My
Rakhine (more commonly known as Arakan State);
Shan

It is also this ethnic composition specific to the country which contributes to the country's sinking into armed conflicts, with many of these states not recognising the legitimacy of the central Burmese power (which is also largely militarised despite the country beginning to open up over the last 10 years).

To simplify this division here, I will define 6 large “regions” to talk about the different sites to see across Myanmar.

- - The Irrawaddy, which includes the regions of Ayeyarwady, Yangon and Bago.
  - West and Bengal region, comprising Rakhine State and Chin State.
  - Mandalay and the central region, which includes the Magwe region, Mandalay and the new capital, Naypyitaw.
  - The Eastern States, consisting of the larger Shan State, Karen State and the smaller Kayah State, all three bordering Thailand.
  - South, which ends this list, with therefore the Mon State and the Tanintharyi region, along the Andaman coast.

Knowing that there are only 28 days for the visa, most focus on the area around Mandalay, Yangon and the East, which include a large majority of the sites among the unmissable and classic of Burma. But by detailing all that, we quickly realize, as for any country, that there is a lot to do!

The Irrawaddy

This encompasses the whole delta of theIrrawaddy, , the name of the main river irrigating this large plain area, making it a prosperous region. This is why the ancient capital, Yangon, was established here, just like New, an ancient vestige of a Burmese kingdom.

It is not for nothing that we started by visiting this region, it mixes a cultural approach with important historical and religious sites (old town of Bago, Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon) and beaches, Chaung Tha and Ngwe Saung which we visited. We also passed through Pathein, a town known for its umbrella factories.

If I go into a little more detail. Things to see in Yangon, well besides obviously the Shwedagon Pagoda, there is also the essential Sule Pagoda, which is located in the middle of a roundabout, next to the town hall. The last important pagoda in the city, quite lively with flower sellers around, Botataung Pagoda, located not far from the river.

If we stay on the religious side, due to its colonial past, there are also several churches and even a cathedral in Rangoon, St. Mary Cathedral. For a market atmosphere, it happens at Bogyoke Market. While walking around the old town, you can see some beautiful buildings, such as The Secretariat, which was the headquarters and administrative headquarters of British Burma, or even the central railway station.

If you want to see a city park, go through the Mahabandula Park, otherwise a stroll around the Kandawgyi Lake is essential. The latter is especially known for its floating restaurant (the Karaweik) whose architecture is already worth a look (reproducing that of the royal barges), and eating there gives you the right to a traditional dance show.

If you go through Pathein, besides the umbrellas, you can stroll along the quays, typical atmosphere guaranteed, and a pagoda not to be missed, Shwemokhtaw Pagoda.

Bogyoke Covered Market in Yangon.

And in terms of beach, if the most famous is Ngwe Saung, equipped with a few luxury hotels, therefore more oriented towards international tourists, we preferred to stay in the most local Chaung Tha, charming in itself, but whose wild surroundings were much more pleasant.

Concerning New (or Pegu for French speakers), I am not going to name all the temples as there are so many grouped together in this ancient capital of the Mon kingdom. But the best known are the Shwe Maw Daw Pagoda (sometimes written as one word Shwemawdaw), the Kyaik Pun Pagoda and its four seated Buddhas or even the Shwesandaw Pagoda. That's for the pagodas themselves, otherwise we can mention the temple with a thousand monks, Kya Kha Wain Kyaung, the temple of the sacred serpent (soberly referenced Snake Pagoda) or the large reclining buddha of Shwe Tha Lyaung, which is covered, otherwise there is not far away an equally large Buddha in the open air, Naungdawgyi Myathalyaung. Finally even if it is a reconstruction, you can also visit the Kan Baw Za Thadi Palace (also named Kambawzathardi Golden Palace).

If you are going to Ngapali beach (West Bengal region), you can possibly stop by and see the pagoda Shwe Myin Tin (Akauk Taung)The term "pagoda" is actually there to indicate that it is a religious site, but here it is not a stupa, but sculptures of Buddhas in the walls of a cliff bordering the Irrawaddy River.

Ngwe Saung Great Beach.

West and Bengal region

It is unfortunately a region that has been sadly highlighted due to the Rohingya crisis... Yet it is in this region that you have one of the most beautiful sites in the country, Mrauk U. It is a historical site. comparable to Bagan in importance even if less spread out and with fewer temples. The most important of them, Koe-Thaung is an architectural marvel. Mrauk U is located 2 hours from the coastal city of Sittwe. When I say that it is one of the most beautiful sites in the country, it is because it is much less frequented than Bagan, therefore more intimate, but with superb ruins worth the trip. Because the disadvantage is that Mrauk U is worth it, especially since the area, due to the conflict, is not always accessible.

The region's primary attraction remains without a doubt the Ngapali beach, which has become one of the country's main seaside resorts. For nature lovers, but if you prefer the mountains, you can go to the Nat Ma Taung National Park (နတ်မတောင်အမျိုးသားဥယျာဉ်), located 200 km west of Bagan is one of (only) nine national parks in Burma.

koet-thaung mrauk u rakhine temple burma

Koet-Thaung Temple in Mrauk U. Photo credit: Go-Myanmar.com / CC BY-SA

Ngapali Beach. Photo credit: ReflectedSerendipity from United Kingdom / CC BY-SA

Mandalay and the central region

It is the most visited region of Burma, and Mandalay, the country's second largest city, is probably more popular than Yangon. It must be admitted that Mandalay has some beautiful temples and palaces, besides being a good starting point to get to the famous Bagan historical site. We can mention the view of the city at Mandalay Hill, a hill topped with a temple, dominating the north of the city. Not far away is the pKuthodaw Agoda and Shwenandaw wooden monastery (also called Atumashi Kyaung). Another interesting temple, the Mahamuni Buddha Temple, which houses an important bronze Buddha statue.

South of the city, in Amarapura, the famous attraction is the U Bein Bridge, spanning Taungthaman Lake for 1,2 km, making it the longest teak bridge in the world and featuring over a thousand pillars to support it.

U Bein Bridge south of Mandalay. Image by Hailey Bluez de Pixabay

A little outside of Mandalay, to the northwest, you can see the Mya Thein Tan White Pagoda and the ancient temple of Mingun Pahtodawgyi. To the northeast, it is Hsipaw that you can stop at. Also spelled Thibaw, the town is renowned for its treks in a beautiful mountainous region and some local attractions such as the ruins of a temple "soberly" called "little Bagan", or the ancient Shan palace.

To the south, less than 20 km away, you will find an ancient capital with some beautiful remains, Ava (also known by its new name, Inn Wa), whose Lay Htat Gyi Temple, Judson Memorial Stone or the Myint Mor Taung Pagoda. Crossing the river you will then be at Sagaing, an important religious center, capital of the province of the same name. If "technically" it is part of the northern region, not covered on this page because it is largely inaccessible, I am talking about it here because of its proximity to Mandalay. There we visit in particular the Umin Thonze Pagoda and Tilawkaguru cave monastery.

As I mentioned a few lines above, this central region is home to one of the most spectacular sites in Asia, the ancient kingdom of Pagan, more commonly known as Bagan. The plain, located southwest of Mandalay, along the Irrawaddy River, was the seat of the first capital of the Burmese empire, from the 9th to the 13th century. Today it is a vast archaeological site where thousands of temples are spread out, some of them superbly preserved. I will mention for pleasure, the Ananda Temple, Shwezigon Pagoda, dhammayangyi or even the immense Thatbyinnyu and its 60 meters high.

View of temples in Bagan. Image by vinatourist83 de Pixabay

Not far from Bagan, you can take a trip to the Mount Popa, an ancient volcano best known for its perched temple, accessible via a 700-step staircase!

To complete, if you go up to Mandalay from Ngapali beach (or vice versa), you can go through Prome (the old name of the current Pyay in fact), next to which is the Sri Ksetra historical site. Ruins from an earlier period in Bagan are visited, dating back to between the 3rd and 10th centuries, when the Pyu Kingdom dominated the region. Sri Ksetra, with the Beikthano archaeological site and the ruins of the Halin World Heritage are all registered under the UNESCO World Heritage List under the term " Ancient Pyu Cities"

The Eastern States

Widely represented by the Greater Shan State, this region also borders Thailand, making it a possible area to visit in conjunction with northern and western Thailand. The main attraction is undoubtedly Inle Lake, where you can admire the traditional fishermen on their boats, all surrounded by mountains. You can embark on a boat tour via the Lwe Nyeint village. There are also some pagodas worth a look around the lake, as they include a large number of stupas. In this genre, we can see the pagodas of Shwe Inn Thein, not far from those of Nyaung Ohak, whose vegetation covering the buildings gives a special atmosphere to the site. Further away from the lake, behind the mountain and to the south of Taunggyi, you have the complex of Mwe Taw Kakku Pagodas, which has the largest number of stupas in one place.

It is also a region suitable for treks, the most popular being to leave from the locality of Kalaw, , and reach the lake over two or three days by crossing the countryside on foot. If you take a jump slightly further north, you can go to the Pindaya caves, home to thousands of statues of Buddhas of all sizes.

The rest of the region is largely unexplored as it is inaccessible due to ethnic tensions. However, it is possible from Mae Sai, Thailand's northernmost town, to reach Tachilek and explore this isolated part of Shan State. The most interesting is around Kengtung. As you head to the mountain villages a little further north of the city, don't miss the Wan Seng Monastery (listed Wan Seng Monastery – วัดบ้านแสน on Google Maps). If this seems not possible to me (for lack of authorization), there are nevertheless beautiful waterfalls to see further West by going along the Pang River. There is in particular the series of falls simply marked Waterfalls on Pang River and further south, Kengtawng Waterfalls (whose name is confusing with the Keng Tung waterfall, which is of little interest).

Pang River Falls. Photo credit: Nut nongbua

If we move on to the interests of Kayah State (assuming that it is accessible, because the region is, again, prone to ethnic conflicts), I mainly spotted and noted the Taung Kwe Pagoda, in the small town of Loikaw. The temple overlooks the town as it is located on a natural promontory.

Finally Karen State (or Kayin), there are quite a few things to see, mainly around Hpa An, the main attraction of the region and easily accessible from Mae Sot on the Thailand side. One of the main sites to see is the Kyauk Ka Lat Pagoda, a small temple built around a rock formation that juts out in the middle of a lake. In town, you can see a beautiful sunset along the Salween River (called Thanlyin in Burma, Salween being the name given by the Thais, while the latter runs along the border further north) on your way to the Shwe Yin Mhyaw Pagoda.

As you gravitate around Hpa An, you will find some interesting caves such as the one in Kaw Ka Thaung, which is primarily a Buddhist sanctuary rather than a place to see for its stalactites. Near the Salween River, southwest of Hpa An, is the KawGon Cave and its facades filled with sculptures of Buddhas. Not far away, there is also another cave worth a look, the Yathae Pyan Cave.

In a different style, mixing Buddhism and natural beauty (large hall, huge stalagmite, small lake), you have the Sadan cave. Typically, the latter is crossed on foot in one direction, the return can be done by boat (it is not obligatory, because it requires an additional fee). Last cave that I can suggest, the bat cave. If it is a spectacle that you have never witnessed, this is the occasion, because around 17 p.m., when the sun sets, millions of bats will then come out of this cave, also on the banks of the Salween River, to go and feed, revealing then a long impressive ballet of these mammals.

As it is a region that has some reliefs, it is beautiful to see by taking height. It is possible in several places. In less known, you first have the small hill, facing Hpa An where is located the Pha Bhu Taung Pagoda (listed as ဖားပုတောင်ရှုခင်း).

The spot par excellence being if not the summit of the Zwegabin mountain (also spelled Zwe Ka Bin), which, in addition to offering a sacred view, is surmounted by a pagoda. At the foot of this same mountain is the Lumbine Buddha Garden, a garden housing thousands of aligned Buddha statues, and whose path continues to reach the height of the Ahtet Yay Ta Khun Monastery. Another spot on this same mountain range, further north, is Mount Kyar Inn, also topped with a pagoda and with a view of Hpa An. The advantage is that it is more accessible (the other spots have a large number of steps) because there is a car park near the summit.

A little further away, another great spot to dominate the surroundings is at the Taung Wine Pagoda. If you want to gain even more height, it is possible at Mulayit Taung Mountain, which reaches 2 m near the border with Thailand, if you go further south.

Panorama of Mount Zwegabin.

South

We end this section with the two southern regions bordering the Andaman coast, Mon State and the Tanintharyi region. And if I tell you, Mount Kyaiktiyo, More precisely the Golden Rock, this should ring a bell when you think of Burma. Well, it fits into this region since the site is located near the town of Kinpun, in the far north of Mon State. This rock balanced on the summit of this 1 m mountain attracts many pilgrims, because it is one of the three sacred sites in the country (along with the Mahamuni temple and the Shwedagon pagoda in Yangon).

Continuing further south, you arrive at Mawlamyine (formerly Moulmein). It is incidentally the 3rd city of the country and former capital of British Burma (hence the presence of an old church, St Matthew's Church). The city obviously has its share of pagodas among which Kyeik Tha Lan, which dominates the city on its hill. If you want to learn more about the local culture, you can take a look at the My Cultural Museum, which is seriously lacking the means to make it a truly attractive place. The city's primary attraction is actually outside, 20 km to the south.

The monastery of Win Sein Tawya is indeed the must-see in the region, with its impressive 180m reclining Buddha long and 30 m high (the size of a 10-storey building).

Further south, you can reach the town of Dawe (also called Tavoy), from where you can stroll along some beautiful wild beaches. One of the closest being Shine Thar Yar Beach, known for its pagoda on an islet (Myaw Yit Pagoda) accessible via a pontoon on the sea. I can also mention further south, Tizit Beach, and as a bonus, on the road to Mergui, the small beach of Phoe Shann Beach, also with a pagoda on an islet.

And so we arrive at Mergui, also called Myeik, a town that serves as a “gateway” to the north of the archipelago of islands Mergui (or islands Myeik then). Because if Thailand is famous for its islands, especially those of Surin or the Similans, on the Andaman coast, Burma also has its share of natural wonders and heavenly beaches. Only, it is even better preserved, but the price to pay is consequently, more important.

Among the remarkable islands, we can mention the large Zadetkyi Island, which has superb reefs and is home to a community of its (almost ex) sea nomads, the Mokens, in the north (although this visit does not seem possible to me due to the proximity of a military base nearby..). There is also the group of islands around Macleod IslandIncluding Nyaung Oo Phee Island South, Pyin Sa Island in the East or even the small ones Cockburn Islands North.

aerial view archipelago mergui islands burma

Aerial view of the Mergui Islands archipelago.

In the south of the archipelago, there is Kawthaung, a border town with Ranong in Thailand (but separated by an arm of the sea), from where it is also possible to visit some of the islands of the archipelago, notably Horse Shoe Island (horseshoe island), Drake Island or, Bruer Island.

To sum up, it is a whole coastal region, so mainly focused on beaches and islands, even if if you look a little, you will always find a few temples and pagodas where you can recharge your batteries.

Destinations

Yangon

Mandalay ...

Bagan

Inle Lake

Chaung Tha

New

Kyaikto (golden rock)

Mawlamyine

Hpa An

Things to see / things to do

The ancient capital, visit of the pagodas of Shwedagon and Sule, Bogyoke market, Kandawgyi lake

Among the classics are the wooden U-Bein Bridge, the imposing Shwenandaw Monastery, the Royal Palace

The ancient ruins of the Pagan Kingdom and its countless temples and pagodas

The balancing fishermen with their wicker baskets

The beautiful beaches, the villages along the canals

Ancient royal city with ancient temples

An important place of pilgrimage for Buddhists with its golden rock suspended in balance

Its streets with some colonial buildings, the large reclining Buddha of the Win Sein Taw Ya temple

The garden of a thousand Buddhas, caves, viewpoint at Mt Zwegabin

Burma landmarks on a map

Here is a map to locate and summarize all the destinations and places of interest in Burma:

Burma map - points of interest to see and do

Route suggestions

To help you, here are some suggestions for quick routes:

For an express discovery of the country in 1 week:

Yangon (2 nights) – Mandalay (2 nights) – Bagan (1 night) – Inle Lake (1 night) – Pindaya (1 day)

For an extended discovery over 2 weeks:

Yangon (2 nights) – Mandalay (2 nights) – Bagan (2 nights) – Kalaw (2 days trek) – Inle Lake (2 nights) – Pindaya (1 day) – Bago (1 night)

Small clarification, if I put Pindaya "one day" and not "one night", it is because it is not necessary to sleep there, the visit is commonly done from Inlé Lake for the day.

To exploit the 28 days, in 2 variants:
- - - Yangon (2 nights) – Mt Kyaiktiyo (1 night) – Mawlamyine (2 nights) – Hpa An (3 nights) – Yangon (1 night) – Pyay (1 night) – Bagan (2 nights) – Mandalay (3 nights) – Kalaw (1 night) – Inle Lake (2 nights) – Pindaya (1 day) – Ngapali (3 nights) – Sittwe (1 night) – Mrauk U (2 nights) – Yangon (2 nights) – Pathein (1 night)
  - Yangon (2 nights) – Bago (1 night) – Mt Kyaiktiyo (1 night) – Mawlamyine (2 nights) – Hpa An (3 nights) – Yangon (1 night) – Sittwe (1 night) – Mrauk U (2 nights) – Bagan (2 nights) – Mandalay (3 nights) – detour to Pyin Oo Lwin or Hsipaw if you are looking for mountain air (2 nights) – Kalaw (1 night) – Inle Lake (1 night) – Pindaya (1 day) – Yangon (2 nights) – Pathein (1 night) – Chaung Tha (2 nights)

My itinerary (see below) in the central area:

Yangon – Pathein (1 night) – Chaung Tha (3 nights) – Yangon (3 nights) – Bago (1 night) – Mt Kyaiktiyo (1 night) – Mawlamyine (1 night) – Hpa An (2 nights)

See the article on our itinerary in Burma on the central zone

28/03/2010

My first impressions of Vietnam

Short article to describe my first impressions of our first trip to Vietnam, with an itinerary from south to north.

Climate:

Just like its neighbor in Thailand, it is mainly a so-called humid tropical climate. We can therefore distinguish 3 seasons:

- Dry season from late October to February: it's "winter"This is the dry season, with temperatures remaining generally warm but pleasant during the day, even mild further north, and “cooler” in the evening.

- Dry AND hot season from March to May: it's "summer"". Higher temperatures, the feeling is clearly heavier than the rest of the year in the central and southern part.

- Rainy season from June to October: It's the monsoon. Regular rains, generally not continuous but intense, mark the often gray days, with little blue sky.

When is the best time to visit Burma?

The ideal period is between November and February or even March. depending on the areas. The weather is then dry and sunny and the heat quite bearable to make the most of the visits. Twice, I went there in December, with good weather as expected, and once at the end of October in the south. (To Kawthaung) where I had received a little rain because at the end of the rainy season.

He's less recommended to visit the central and southern area of Burma during monsoon season (unlike Thailand which seems to me to be much easier to access all year round, despite the rains), due to the state of the road network on the one hand but also above all because the quantity of rain is greater and the monsoon clearly more marked than in its neighboring regions.

Forget Sittwe and the Mrauk U site as well as the Mawlamyine and Hpa An area, it is particularly wet at this time. For the regions of Mandalay, Bagan, Inle Lake, it is less the case and remains relatively "visitable" all year round.

overcast sky late october kawthaung burma — Overcast skies in Kawthaung at the end of October.

Yangon

Forecasts :

YANGON WEATHER

Conditions:

Jan.

Feb.

Mars

Apr.

May

June

Jul.

August

Sep.

Oct.

Nov.

Dec.

Yangon

	Jan.	Feb.	Mars	Apr.	May	June	Jul.	August	Sep.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.
T°C Max	33	35	36	37	34	31	30	30	31	33	34	32
T°C Min	17	19	22	24	24	23	23	23	23	24	22	18

Average monthly rainfall in Yangon

Sunshine / rainy days:

	Jan.	Feb.	Mars	Apr.	May	June	Jul.	August	Sep.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.
Rain*	0	0	1	2	13	25	26	26	19	12	5	0
Sun**	10	10	9	10	6	6	3	2	3	6	9	9

* Average number of rainy days
** Average daily sunshine (in hours)

Mandalay ...

Forecasts :

MANDALAY Weather

Conditions:

Jan.

Feb.

Mars

Apr.

May

June

Jul.

August

Sep.

Oct.

Nov.

Dec.

Mandalay ...

	Jan.	Feb.	Mars	Apr.	May	June	Jul.	August	Sep.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.
T°C Max	28	31	36	38	36	34	33	33	33	32	29	27
T°C Min	13	15	20	25	26	26	26	25	25	23	19	15

Average monthly rainfall in Mandalay

Sunshine / rainy days:

	Jan.	Feb.	Mars	Apr.	May	June	Jul.	August	Sep.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.
Rain*	1	1	1	3	8	7	6	9	8	7	3	1
Sun**	10	10	10	10	9	7	6	5	7	7	9	9

* Average number of rainy days
** Average daily sunshine (in hours)

Pyin Oo Lwin

Forecasts :

PYIN OO LWIN Weather

Conditions:

Jan.

Feb.

Mars

Apr.

May

June

Jul.

August

Sep.

Oct.

Nov.

Dec.

Pyin Oo Lwin

	Jan.	Feb.	Mars	Apr.	May	June	Jul.	August	Sep.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.
T°C Max	22	24	27	29	28	26	25	25	26	25	23	21
T°C Min	5	7	11	16	18	19	19	19	19	16	12	7

Average monthly rainfall in Pyin Oo Lwin

Sunshine / rainy days:

	Jan.	Feb.	Mars	Apr.	May	June	Jul.	August	Sep.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.
Rain*	1	1	1	3	8	7	6	9	8	7	3	1
Sun**	10	10	10	10	9	7	6	5	7	7	9	9

* Average number of rainy days
** Average daily sunshine (in hours)

sittwe

Forecasts :

SITTWE Weather

Conditions:

Jan.

Feb.

Mars

Apr.

May

June

Jul.

August

Sep.

Oct.

Nov.

Dec.

sittwe

	Jan.	Feb.	Mars	Apr.	May	June	Jul.	August	Sep.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.
T°C Max	27	29	31	34	31	30	29	29	30	31	30	28
T°C Min	15	16	18	24	25	25	25	25	25	24	21	17

Average monthly rainfall in Sittwe

Sunshine / rainy days:

	Jan.	Feb.	Mars	Apr.	May	June	Jul.	August	Sep.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.
Rain*	0	0	0	3	13	23	25	25	18	10	4	0
Sun**	9	9	9	8	6	4	3	3	4	6	8	8

* Average number of rainy days
** Average daily sunshine (in hours)

Mawlamyine

Forecasts :

MAWLAMYINE Weather

Conditions:

Jan.

Feb.

Mars

Apr.

May

June

Jul.

August

Sep.

Oct.

Nov.

Dec.

Mawlamyine

	Jan.	Feb.	Mars	Apr.	May	June	Jul.	August	Sep.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.
T°C Max	32	33	34	35	32	29	28	28	29	31	32	31
T°C Min	17	20	23	25	24	24	23	23	23	23	22	20

Average rainfall per month in Mawlamyine

Sunshine / rainy days:

	Jan.	Feb.	Mars	Apr.	May	June	Jul.	August	Sep.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.
Rain*	5	0	6	22	23	27	28	29	25	22	5	4
Sun**	7	8	10	12	11	7	6	7	8	9	7	7

* Average number of rainy days
** Average daily sunshine (in hours)

Mergui

Forecasts :

MERGUI Weather

Conditions:

Jan.

Feb.

Mars

Apr.

May

June

Jul.

August

Sep.

Oct.

Nov.

Dec.

Mergui

	Jan.	Feb.	Mars	Apr.	May	June	Jul.	August	Sep.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.
T°C Max	31	32	32	33	32	30	29	29	29	30	30	31
T°C Min	21	22	23	24	24	23	23	23	23	23	22	21

Average rainfall per month in Mergui

Sunshine / rainy days:

	Jan.	Feb.	Mars	Apr.	May	June	Jul.	August	Sep.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.
Rain*	10	8	15	18	26	28	29	28	28	28	19	10
Sun**	9	10	9	9	9	7	6	7	7	8	7	9

* Average number of rainy days
** Average daily sunshine (in hours)

What budget for Burma?

Currency in Burma: The local currency is called the Kyat, which is roughly pronounced "tchiatte". It is divided into 100 pya which act as cents. But there is a particularity. Burma is one of those rare countries that does not use coins (in the case of Myanmar, I will specify that there are normally none in circulation anymore.

Another peculiarity is that its currency is not convertible outside the country. Its rate was even forced until no later than 2012, with an official rate of around 9 kyats for 1 euro, when the black market offered a rate of 1 kyats shortly before the government finally aligned itself with this rate officially. In 100, the rate is around 2020 kyats for 1 euro.

The banknotes currently in circulation in Burma are as follows:

50, 100, 200, 500, 1, 000 and 5 K

Values range from 6 cents for the smallest note to just €6 for the largest note. As the country is still largely cash-based, expect to get used to handling these notes.

With a fairly "bastard" rate, it is not easy to find your way around the conversions, the simplest thing is to round up based on a base of €1 = 1 K.

For small amounts, you can for example take the numbers before the 3 zeros, divide it by two and add 10 to this number. For example, an item at 75 K = 000/75 = 2 + 37.5 = approximately €10. This method does not work beyond 47.5 kyats obviously because the gap widens, in which case you have to add +200, from 000 kyats, add +20 etc.

You've probably heard that dollars are widely accepted (provided they're in good condition), but that's becoming less and less true. A few hotels and restaurants might take them, but the national currency is now the preferred currency. You'll also find that you'll rarely be served a card with rates in dollars, and you'd lose out on the exchange rate anyway.

However, it is best to have some in case some hotels display their prices in dollars, in which case you might as well pay the amount requested and avoid conversion.

In case you're wondering, your euros won't do any good in Burma, at least not for paying. For exchange it's obviously preferable.

Hotels / Accommodations

Burma is still in its infancy when it comes to tourism. The offer is starting to expand, but prices remain proportionally higher than Thailand if we take an equivalent quality.

SOME POINTS OF REFERENCE:

For dormitory guesthouses, possible for less than $10
For guesthouses in rooms and basic hotels, $12-15
For decent and mid-range hotels, from $30
For the highest end, I would say starting at $50 minimum.

Meals / drinks

Food in Burma is generally cheap. There are small restaurants everywhere with regions each having their own speciality (as is often the case in fact). You may not find as many flavours as in Thailand, but in the regions visited, I was able to taste quite a few good dishes, on the other hand, it was often greasy, not in the pejorative sense as such, because after all it was filling.

SOME POINTS OF REFERENCE:

A small bottle of water (0.33 litres) costs on average 400 K (0,3 €)
A basic meal costs on average 4 K (000 €) per person
For a slightly more elaborate meal, expect to pay 10 K (€000) per person.
Coffee: 4 K (2,5 €)
A 0,5 litre local beer – 1 K (€800)

Meals / drinks

This is what cost us the least. Transport is very accessible and varied enough to get around almost everywhere. Not to mention sites like Bagan that you can visit by bike for next to nothing.

SOME POINTS OF REFERENCE:

Motorbike rental: between 6 and 000 (€10 to €000) kyats
On average the bus cost us 7 kyats (€000) per person.
For taxi rides, expect to pay an average of 4 kyats for a short trip.
Average price for visits: 10 kyats (€000)

Small budget
^€ 15-20
jour
10 € for 2

4 € per person

7 € per person

Free activities

Medium budget
^€ 20-30
jour
27 € for 2

8 € per person

6 € per person

5 € per person

Comfortable budget
^€ 40-70
jour
50 € for 2

15 € per person

10 € per person

8 € per person

Minimum daily budget suggestion / person – €25 (Note: budget for a mid-budget holiday, with 1 or 2 hotels, otherwise mostly guesthouses; meals mainly in simple restaurants and use of public transport and paid visits but not all sites)

Since we're talking about money. If previously the dollar was the common currency or even the main one used, from now on, it is the local currency which is preferred. So change well your money Before, when we arrived in 2014, we were fooled, thinking that the dollar would always be current, but no! It's quite simple, apart from 2 hotels where we were able to use the dollars we had, we had to change everything else into Kyat.

Articles about Burma

Find the list of articles concerning Burma!

16/02/2015

Burma

From Myawaddy to Mae Sot: A Guide to Crossing the Land Border Between Burma and Thailand

Continue reading...
12/02/2015

Burma

Hpa An: From Kyauk Kalap to Lakkana village

Another day of exploration in the surroundings of Hpa An, and what a day since it marks our last of this stay.

Continue reading...
09/02/2015

Burma

Hpa An: From Hpan Pu Mountain to the Bat Cave

I will split the articles on Hpa An into 2, like the 2 fabulous days we spent there

Continue reading...
05/02/2015

Burma

A day in Mawlamyine, the first capital of British Burma

After the Golden Rock, a major place of pilgrimage for Buddhists, a completely different atmosphere awaited us at

Continue reading...
02/02/2015

Burma

The Golden Rock: A Spiritual Climb to Mount Kyaiktiyo

Next stop on this journey in Burma, Mount Kyaiktiyo and its golden rock. An important stop because it is here

Continue reading...
27/01/2015

Burma

Bago: a day in the heart of Buddhist temples

Let's continue, if you like, this journey through Burma. After Yangon (formerly Rangoon), the next logical step

Continue reading...

Any opinions, suggestions? Leave me a comment!

Burma Asia Country Guide

Roman

19/06/2019

Romain B.

When I discovered Thailand in 2006, I certainly didn't expect to settle down there 2 years later! Since then, I've been based in Bangkok and I regularly travel throughout Asia. I share my stories, photos, advice on expat life in Thailand and on Asian countries, for those who want to discover the land of smiles, who are looking for a bit of adventure and those who dream of Asia (or those who just want to dream ;-)

Comments:

Erkland Cyrille

16/04/2021

Thank you for this valuable advice, so well detailed. It will be very useful for our next trip with our junior.

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Burma

Burma in brief:

Why go to Burma?

WE love

We are less of a fan

Preparing your trip: advice before you leave

Do I need a visa for Burma?

Obtaining your e-visa

For the requested address, what to put?

How long does it take to obtain the e-visa?

Can you cross the land border with an e-visa?

Apply for your visa at an embassy

Embassy of the Republic of Myanmar in Bangkok

Embassy of the Republic of Myanmar in Paris

Important note:

Transportation in Burma

Coming to Burma

Search for a flight to Burma

Getting around within Burma

Road transport

Long distance buses (coaches)

Intercity buses

Taxis, trishaws and local transport in Burma

Car, motorcycle and bicycle rentals

Rail transport: taking the train in Burma

The different classes

Shipping

Air transport

Book a hotel in Burma?

Book your hotel in Burma with Booking

Health and Safety in Burma

Do I need travel insurance?

What vaccines and what do I need to know for my health?

For your safety

What to see and do in Burma?

The Irrawaddy

West and Bengal region

Mandalay and the central region

The Eastern States

South

Destinations

Things to see / things to do

Burma landmarks on a map

Route suggestions

See the article on our itinerary in Burma on the central zone

My first impressions of Vietnam

Weather / When to go to Burma?

Climate:

When is the best time to visit Burma?

Forecasts :

Conditions:

Average monthly rainfall in Yangon

Sunshine / rainy days:

Forecasts :

Conditions:

Average monthly rainfall in Mandalay

Sunshine / rainy days:

Forecasts :

Conditions:

Average monthly rainfall in Pyin Oo Lwin

Sunshine / rainy days:

Forecasts :

Conditions:

Average monthly rainfall in Sittwe

Sunshine / rainy days:

Forecasts :

Conditions:

Average rainfall per month in Mawlamyine

Sunshine / rainy days:

Forecasts :

Conditions:

Average rainfall per month in Mergui

Sunshine / rainy days:

What budget for Burma?

Hotels / Accommodations

SOME POINTS OF REFERENCE:

Meals / drinks

SOME POINTS OF REFERENCE:

Meals / drinks

SOME POINTS OF REFERENCE: