Hello: Mingalaba

Thank you: Chezube

How are you: Nei kaun: ye la

Currency and exchange rate (2018): $1=1539 kyat

Times to visit: 

• The ideal time to visit is during dry season but before the heat becomes unbearable, between November and February

• Wet season is from July-September

​

CULTURAL NOTES:

• The country is super modest in clothing and action. For women, cover knees and shoulders at all times (try wearing a longyi). 

• When shopping for antiques, have the store provide certificates of authenticity, avoid wildlife souvenirs and antiques of religious nature.

• While black market money changers are available, you'll get better rates at authorized changers. 

• Local customs include wearing thanaka makeup and chewing betel nut, the former acts as sunblock, the latter as a way to stain the teeth and repulse westerners.

• I recommend visiting the country in the off season, tours and accommodation will be cheaper and places like Bagan will feel more special because you will be one of the only people there. 

• Myanmar has only recently been opened to tourism. Be patient with people and amenities.

• Be conscious of restricted areas, often due to protected tribal land or religious conflict.

​

With the Rohingya crisis, should I visit Myanmar?

Many tourists and backpackers avoid Myanmar due to the refugee crisis and genocide. Deciding whether or not to visit the country depends on you, the traveler. Educate yourself and then decide if, morally, you can justify the visit. Does visiting the country validate the government? There is no clear answer. My own views are these: I don't endorse genocide but I also don't endorse punishing a whole country for the actions of centralized power. While in the country I had someone tell me they never wanted to visit America because of how we treat immigrants and I found myself saying “the people aren't their government.” That’s kind of how I felt here. I met so many locals really struggling to make ends meet because tourism has plummeted. To me, questions of morality made me more of a conscious ethical traveler: I supported locals whenever I could, educated myself on the country's politics, and listened to the realities of life from local perspectives. Ultimately, the decision is up to you.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

 

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

As the old capital of Myanmar, this is often the first and last stop for backpackers in the country. While a couple days is satisfactory for most travelers, the city offers many opportunities to connect with other backpackers and locals and start gaining some cultural perspective.

​

STAY: 

• Shwe Yo Vintage Hostel

• Little Yangon Hostel

​

EAT:

• Nepali & Indian Food Restaurant

• 999 Shan Noodles Shop

• Nourish Cafe

• A guide to Yangon street food eating: https://thetravelintern.com/best-burmese-street-foods-yangon/

​

TO DO:​

• Visit the 2,600 year old Shwedagon Pagoda, known as the "mountain of gold"

• Visit the abandoned amusement park (watch out for stray dogs)

• Visit art galleries

• Find a cafe and plan your Myanmar travels

• Day trip to Kyaiktiyo Pagoda (golden rock), though I heard the journey is not so worth it

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

 

 

 

 

 

 

​

​

​

​

​

​

 

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

 

 

 

​​

• Depending on the time of year (November-April) take a hot air balloon ride at sunrise 

• Take a day trip to Popa Mountain - though the monastery is anticlimactic and monkey-ridden after a long climb, the actual location is pretty amazing, especially at a distance

 

WARNING: 

• Tourist entrance fee: a $25 entrance fee is required upon entry to the city, though, by making a deal with your taxi driver there is opportunity to avoid paying the fee (only 2% of the money goes towards preservation, the rest to who knows where). Your ticket is only checked at the 4 major temples but if you go on the tour through Ostello Bello and tell your guide you don't have the pass he can sneak you in.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

​

(Very) off-the-beaten-path trekking and a cultural peak into the lives of the Chin State people, culturally famous for women with face tattoos. An authentic glimpse into rural life and one of the highlights of my travels.

 

CULTURAL CONTEXT (supplemented by UnearthWomen.com):

Of all the cultural accessories donning the elder women of the Chin State, traditional clothing, beaded necklaces, and huge handmade earrings made of beads and calabashes, the most striking feature of their appearance is that their faces are covered in tattoos. The origins of facial tattooing in Chin State are said to be dated to the 11th century when a Burmese king captured a beautiful Chin woman for his bride. To save their women from similar kidnapping and lives of captivity, the Chin men from the tribe may have tattooed their women to make them ugly. Other hypotheses of origin include religious belief and tribal differentiation. Whatever the history, the practice became commonplace through peer pressure, parental forcing, and an obligation to prove ones love to potential husbands, as Chin communities began to believe that a woman who fills her face with traditional tattoos is more brave and beautiful than those who don’t. Called "ming" in Chin, facial tattoos are made from heating the bark of green pine trees and capturing the smoke in a mud pot. According to the Myanmar Times, the smoke is then mixed with a kind of bean leaf and the resulting liquid is injected under the skin, using the thorn of a cane plant. The painful process takes anywhere from a couple of hours to a couple of weeks, depending how well the color holds. Most girls were 12-15 when first tattooed. The process took two days and only then were those being tattooed recognized as true Chin women.

​

GETTING THERE:

• Access via a series of minibus' from Bagan

​

STAY:

• Be prepared if you are a last minute planner that many guesthouses in Mindat will not house foreigners

• Best advice: make a reservation ahead of time

• Se Naing Family Guesthouse - can book tours and transport through them

​

TO DO:​

• Go trekking to see and stay with the cultural people of the region - tour will include homestay, guide

• At a separate cost visit Yun Eian, one of the last Chin woman of the Magan tribe who can play nose flute

• Visit the modest but impressive Chin Antiques and Culture Exhibition Center

​

​

​

​

As the second largest city in Myanmar, Mandalay offers what every large city in Asia does: congestion and crowds. I used my time here to catch up on sleep and plan the next leg of my adventures. Many travelers use Mandalay as a starting / ending point for their travels in the country.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

 

STAY: Ostello Bello

 

TO DO:

• Buy the Mandalay Archaeological Zone Ticket (10,000 kyat) and explore Mandalay Palace, Mahamuni Phaya, and Kuthodaw Phaya

• Climb Mandalay Hill for sunset

• Visit U Bein Bridge, the longest teak bridge in the world

​

 

 

GETTING THERE: 

• 12 hour slow train ride from Mandalay - emphasis on the slow and the closest you’ll feel to a train falling apart but featuring amazing views from Mandalay

• Overnight bus from Inle Lake

​

TO DO:

• Authentic trekking among the hill tribes (some treks are closed due to military presence)

​

​

 

The starting point for the Inle Lake trek, Kalaw is a small city but some backpackers spend a week or more hiking the area.

​

EAT:

• Sprouting Seeds Cafe - talk to the owner about his permaculture/social enterprise work, volunteer opportunities available

• Nayparli (Nepali food)

​

TO DO:

• Day hike the surrounding landscapes

• Compare local tour companies for Inle Lake trek (I used Jungle King, the cheapest during the low season)

​

Inle Lake Trek:

​

 

 

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

The must-see tourist attraction of the country, Inle Lake is a must-see for tourists and backpackers alike. The rugged mountains of the Shan State provide the perfect backdrop for this massive lake and its many villages and farms built directly on the water. 

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

 

 

 

LAKE ZONE ENTRANCE FEE: 13,500 Kyat or $10 USD good for five days 

​

​

STAY: 

• Ostello Bello Nyuang Shwe

​

EAT: 

• Nyuang Inle Shan Noodle

• Linn Htat

​

TO DO:

• Rent a boat for sunrise (find a driver near the bridge the day before and set a time to meet in the morning) and visit:

  • The floating gardens

  • The morning fishermen (if you tip them they will pose for photos)

  • Morning market

  • Inn Dein Pagoda Complex

  • **Make it clear that you do not want to visit any shops

• Rent bikes and do a loop around the lake

  • Visit Htet Eain cave and monastery

• Visit Red Mountain - a French-Myanmar owned vineyard

​

​

 

A surprisingly amazing place. While the city itself does not offer much by way of food, accommodation, or company, the surrounding area is full of caves, temples, and beautiful scenery.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

STAY:

• Soe Brothers Guesthouse

​

TO DO:

• Take the ultimate tour via Soe Brothers by tuk tuk if in a group or via motorbike if by yourself. The tour includes the following stops:

  • Yathae Pyan Cave - make sure to explore the full length of the cave

  • Kawt Goon Cave (3000k extra entrance fee)

  • Kyauk Ka Lat Pagoda

  • Lumbini Garden

  • Water Lake Monastery

  • Saddan Cave

  • Kawt Ka Thaung Cave

• Visit Bat Cave at sunset and witness thousands of bats fly into the night

• Hike Mount Zwegabin for sunrise (be prepared for a monastery at the summit)

​

​

​

​