8 Reasons to Fall in Love with Burma
For decades, Burma (officially renamed
Myanmar by its military government, the Junta) isolated itself from
western eyes. It began to open to tourism in 1996, but its use of
forced labor and the imprisonment of Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San
Suu Kyi led to international economic sanctions and an unofficial
tourism boycott.
Now though, things
are changing for the better. Aung San Suu Kyi is free, the country’s
opening up to the west, and an official visit by Hilary Clinton
recognizes the Junta’s efforts to bring Burma into the modern world.
Burma is finally ready for its moment in the spotlight. Here are eight
reasons why you should visit Burma now.
1. Freedom from the beaten backpacker path
Decades
of tourism development in Asia has made it harder and harder to feel a
thrill of exploration. In Burma, that thrill comes back with a
vengeance. As you explore, you’ll find that the path is yours to
forge. Without a major tourism industry, everything feels exciting and
new, and the only time you’ll see another tourist is at your hostel.
It’s easy to feel as if you’re the first tourist the country has ever
seen, and that’s a feeling you won’t soon forget.
The
only flights into Burma are from neighbouring countries. Air Asia, one
of Asia’s cheapest carriers flies twice a week from Bangkok to Rangoon
for less than US$50. Burma’s tourism infrastructure is still relatively
immature, but it does have plenty of hostels at major cities and
tourist sites and some even have websites offering advance booking. To
make life easy for yourself, book into a hostel online for your first
night. The next day, take some time to visit other hostels and move if
you need to. Hostels in tourist areas outside of cities tend to be
clustered together, so in these areas your best bet is to just wander
around, walk into your favourite one, and ask for a room.
2. The sprawling temples of Bagan
Bagan,
a centuries old religious capital of ancient empires and home to bygone
emperors, is a 26 square mile plain of over 4000 temples. To really
understand its vastness, you need to hop on a hot air balloon, available
only between October and March every year, and float with the breeze
across the plain. Outside of balloon season, a view across Bagan is a
short pre-sunrise horse and cart journey away to Shwesandaw Paya – the
ironically named “Sunset Pagoda.”. Waiting for you at the top is an
uninterrupted vista, with temples big and small stretching to the
horizon, all being gently tickled awake by the warm light of the rising
sun.
To reach Bagan, you have to pass
through the town of Nuang U. It has a jetty, a ferry pier, an airport,
and a long haul bus stop visited by busses from Rangoon, Mandalay, and
Inle Lake. A lot of visitors like to take the trip downriver to Nuang U
from Mandalay, while those with a tighter schedule fly in on one of
Burma’s many local airlines. Buses to Bagan only run overnight and
aren’t known for creature comforts. Avoid the trains which are slow,
prone to delays, and often break down. The price of each of these
options varies every year, so always bring extra cash.
3. Side streets of Mandalay
Mandalay.
Its heavily romanticised name conjures an ethereal sense of calm,
romance, and serenity, but the reality couldn’t be more different. It’s
a city of wild disarray. Diesel fumes fill the air and old colonial
buildings line the bustling streets. All around, decades of paint peel
from walls, turning the city into a giant patchwork of colour. Off of
the main streets is where you’ll see life. Down one street, people
playing Chinlone – Burma’s national sport. Down another, vast abandoned
shopping malls, remnants of a tourism boom that never came. Down a
third, a sea of street food, snacks, and market stalls. There’s no
predicting what’s round the corner and you’ll find yourself wandering
for hours in a fascinated stupor.
As
Burma’s second largest city, Mandalay is easily reached from anywhere in
the country with local busses and flights entering and departing at
least once a day from most major destinations. It’s also home to Good
News Travels, one of the Lonely Planet’s recommended travel agents.
Pay them a visit early on in your trip to make sure your adventure is as
smooth as it can be.
4. No “tourist price”
With
almost 90% of people identifying as Buddhist in Burma, the country is
extremely devout. Perhaps because of strong Buddhist beliefs in
fairness to all people, the idea of a “tourist price” is relatively
rare. Ask any local how much a journey should cost, and nine times out
of 10, that is the first price offered by a driver. In souvenir markets
where price gouging is expected, starting prices are surprisingly
reasonable, stall owners are keen to bargain, and tend to avoid the
strong arm bargaining tactics used elsewhere in Asia.
Unless you
enjoy being mercilessly ripped off, do not under any circumstances
change Burmese Kyat (KS) before entering the country. The official
exchange rate is extortionately expensive, totally unrealistic, and most
of your money will go straight into government coffers. Instead, ask
your hostel owner where to change money after you arrive. They’ll
normally direct you to a man standing on the street corner. Give him
your USD (only new, clean, and unmarked bills are accepted) and he’ll
give you Kyat at a more realistic rate. In early 2011 USD100 equalled
KS88,000 through a street exchange, but at today’s official exchange
rate, the same amount would only get you KS6,510. Once you have your
Kyat, short journeys on a rickshaw will cost around KS2,500 (just under
USD3) and a decent local meal will set you back from KS1,000 toKS2,000.
5. Leg Rowers of Inle Lake
If
you’ve seen photos of Burma, chances are you’ll have seen an image of
an Intha leg rower – a usually a man or boy – with his leg wrapped
around a paddle and steering a boat laden with fishing nets on Inle
lake. When you come across a leg rower on your tour of the lake, watch
as they use both hands to untangle nets or prepare bait, while steering
and powering themselves along using their leg. No straps, no motor,
just balance and practice. They move so quickly and so efficiently you
can’t help but wonder why leg rowing didn’t catch on elsewhere.
The
best way to Inle Lake is by air from Mandalay or Rangoon, landing in
the small transit town of Heho. Tickets cost around US$100 per person
on Air Mandalay. From Heho, take an airport taxi to Nyaungshwe on the
banks of Inle Lake.
6. Handmade Lotus Fibre Silk
The
stilt village of In Phaw Khone in the middle of Inle Lake is the only
place in the world where people spin thread from lotus root fibres.
Standing in the workshop, you can watch craftsmen expertly turn lengths
of sticky brown root into some of the most valuable and sacred fibres on
earth. It is a painstaking process, taking over two months of labour
to produce just one kilo of fibre. That rare fibre is then used to
create reams of fabric and robes, generally given as gifts of devotion
to Burma’s monks. Of course, lotus fibre fabric and clothes are
available for sale but because of the amount of labour involved and the
rarity of the raw materials, they don’t come cheap.
Pure
lotus fibre fabric is course and muddy brown in colour, yet it costs
upwards of US$100 for a piece the size of a handkerchief. For a more
appealing souvenir, buy a lotus fibre and silk blend, available in all
the colours of the rainbow, immensely strong, and much more reasonably
priced.
7. Glittering Shwedagon Paya
At
over 2500 years old, Shwedgaon Paya is the oldest buddhist pagoda in
the world. Inside it rest relics of the last four buddhas: Kakusandha’s
staff, Konagamana’s water filter, a fragment of Kassapa’s robe, and a
few strands of Gautama’s hair. These elements make Shwedagon Paya the
most sacred site in Burma, a place that all Burmese Buddhists dream of
visiting once in their lifetime. Step inside and the first thing you’ll
see is gold. Everywhere. Every spire, every rooftop, every detail is
covered in gold. It glitters in the morning light, glows as if lit by
an inner fire during the day and absorbs the deep red of the sky at
sunset. It is at once raucous and serene. In its many individual
temples, groups and individuals kneel in silent prayer. In the main
area, children dressed in ceremonial fineries with faces ornately
painted, are held on the shoulders of their fathers. Behind them follow
a long line of family, friends, and musicians, all part of a child’s
ordination into the monkhood. A dream come true for many Burmese.
After
dark, take a taxi to Shwedagon Paya’s north gate, avoid the tourist
lift and walk up into the main temple area with the locals. The
entrance fee for tourists is US$5 with an additional US$5 camera fee.
8. Streets of smiling faces
Thailand
may be called the country of smiles, but compared to Burma it is
positively miserable. In spite of Burma’s reputation, it seems to be
among the happiest countries you will ever visit. On every side street,
in every village, every town, and every city you’ll be greeted by
smiling faces. Everyone is friendly beyond measure, eager to talk to
you about your trip in Burma and hear your stories of home. It is such a
friendly place, and everyone’s English is so good, that you could
easily talk away your entire day.
Perhaps
this friendliness, like the lack of a tourist price, stem from Burma’s
devout buddhist populace and their belief that everyone should be
treated as a friend. Perhaps it is a form of passive defiance against
the aggression of the Junta. Whatever the reason for it, few places in
the world will make you feel as welcome as Burma.
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