Burma is Back
Burma or Myanmar?
A lot can be read into what you choose to call the country. Burma is the historic British name, but the old ruling military junta officially renamed it Union of Myanmar
in 1989. The NLD does not recognize the legitimacy of that government
to have changed the name. Many countries, including the UK, continue to
use Burma, viewing use of Myanmar as tacit approval of the government,
whereas the UN has adopted Myanmar as it believes all member states have
the right to choose their names. However, Burma is not an inclusive
term, but refers to the Bamar people, ignoring the many other peoples
living within the borders. However, for the most part, local people call
it Myanmar.
In 2010, Myanmar received only 300,000 foreign visitors (excluding border tourists on
visa runs). Contrasted with Thailand’s 14 million tourists, you could
be forgiven for thinking that you are headed to an undiscovered
paradise. However, visitor numbers to Burma have exploded this year, and
some of the tourist infrastructure is struggling to cope, with many of
the hostels fully booked. On the other hand, the bus network has rapidly
improved. Direct routes now link the major tourist sights, and a new
highway joins Yangon and Mandalay via the new capital of Nay pyi daw,
slashing journey times. In addition, there is free transport to and from
bus stations often located unhelpfully far out of town.
As
in other Southeast Asian countries, your guesthouse can sell you almost
anything you could want, from bus tickets and tours, to bike hire and
money changing. There are also numerous agencies willing to help if you
are trying to spread your spending or are looking for something
specific. This makes getting around surprisingly easy, if painfully
slow, and you are free to wander in the central core of the country,
where Myanmar’s big sites are contained in a triangle – eight to ten
hours either side of Mandalay.
Several
factors generally combine to keep travelers in the central core of the
country. There is little chance to dawdle as travelers are only issued
one-month visas. In addition, there are stringent requirements for
permits to visit outlying areas, and restrictions that make entering
Burma overland from any of its neighbors almost impossible. With
minorities making up a third of Myanmar’s population, but concentrated
in states on its borders, there are a number of wars and insurgencies
being fought at the fringes of the country. Just a few months ago, civil
unrest broke out between Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims for the second
time this year.
Why Burma is different
But
Burma is a fascinating country and a joy to visit, in part because
foreign tourists are still, at the moment, such a novelty. There is none
of the hassle you get elsewhere in the region, and very little crime
aimed at backpackers. This is despite the fact that with no banks that
accept foreign cards, every traveler is obliged to carry all cash for
their entire stay in clean, crisp, new US dollars. Keeping them pristine
enough for anyone to accept is all part of the challenge, as at every
transaction your money will be scrutinized for the smallest mark, nick,
or tear.
Even the hawkers at tourist
sites only half-heartedly offer you their wares, before switching to
more interesting topics like where you come from and how old you are.
People stop you in the street just to ask how you are. You wait for the
ulterior motive, for the offer of a guide, to take you to a relative’s
shop, or to exchange money, but it rarely comes. Often, having inquired
about your country of origin, there is a nod, a flash of a smile, and
then they are gone.
Until recently,
almost all tourists were obliged to start and finish their visits in
Yangon, as Rangoon is now known. However, Air Asia now offers an
international flight direct into Mandalay three times a week, giving
future travelers the option of spending their entire stay upcountry where
the bulk of the sights are. This would be a shame, as Yangon is still
very much worth a visit. It is home to the Shwedagon Pagoda, a
thousands-of-years-old gilded stupa that shines in the bright tropical
daylight. Set on a hill in the center and visible from everywhere in the
city, at night it is lit up and glows like a beacon. Walking inside the
enormous complex, barefoot and surrounded by shining marble and
gleaming gold, you forget you are in the center of the dirt and bustle
of one of the biggest cities in the country, as birds wheel overhead,
monks pray, pilgrims pass, lovers stroll, and children play.
In
contrast, the city of Mandalay is neither as romantic, nor as exotic as
Kipling’s title would have you believe. These days it is a crowded,
polluted city of a million people. The Royal Palace of the last Burmese
kings burned down during WWII fighting between Britain and Japan. While
there are a number of old temples and monasteries sprinkled throughout
the city, its real draw, other than being at the end of the easiest and
smoothest bus ride you will experience in Myanmar, are the ruined and
abandoned royal capitals that surround it. Although eyebrows were raised
at the junta’s decision to spend billions on the new capital, it is in
line with long-held Burmese tradition for each new dynasty to build a
new capital.
These periodic building
booms have left a number of ruins for tourists to explore, including the
temple-topped hill of Sagaing, blessed with fantastic views over the
Irrawaddy River, where an entire family queued to have their photos
taken with us. Further upriver, workmen and boats marshall huge cargoes
of teak on its way from the highlands to the coast. Nearby, the remains
of Inwa are visited by horse and carriage, as huge stone temples dot a
huge area of paddy fields, the wooden houses in-between having
long-since rotted away. At Amarapura, U Bein’s Bridge is the longest
teak bridge in the world. As it winds its way picturesquely across the
lake, it is crossed by schoolchildren and monks, while fishermen stand
up to their noses in water in its shade, waiting for a bite.
Bagan
Bagan
is Myanmar’s top sight. The headline story of a plain sprinkled with
over four thousand temples built more than one thousand years ago would
grab anyone’s attention. But don’t come here expecting another Angkor.
Instead, the authorities have applied a unique philosophy to the ruins,
which is to reconstruct them all as good as new. The reconstructions
have received some criticism for paying no attention to original designs
or construction techniques. In such an active earthquake zone, many of
the temples appear to have been little more than bare foundations when
reconstruction began, but you are now confronted with newly-cemented,
good-as-new temples.
The advantage
this gives is an incredible view from afar at sunrise or sunset, as you
look over a mist-shrouded plain studded with thousands of spires.
However, up close many of the temples disappoint: instead of clambering
through atmospheric ruins, you will be cycling between twenty-first
century buildings.
Lake Inle
Lake
Inle is a stunning place to be. Among the communities on the lake, it
is still possible to visit ancient temples which do look their age and
retain their atmosphere and mystique. But even here we saw some of these
starting to be rebuilt with fresh concrete. Hiring a motor canoe in
town to visit the surrounding communities is easy, as everyone has a
boat and is keen to take you out. The lake fishermen are famous for
their unique leg-rowing technique, allowing them the vantage point to
spot fish while they row and to plunge their wicker-basket nets in to
snare them.
While many of these
villages are heavily-geared to the tourist trade, they also afford the
opportunity to meet Shan and Pa-Oh people who come to the markets to
trade. Lake tours invariably involve trips to various factories and
“shopping opportunities,” but in contrast to other countries, there is
no pressure to buy. For once being afforded the time to actually watch
the manufacturing processes of lacquerware, gold leaf, silk, carvings,
paper umbrellas, and boatbuilders without being hurried through to the
inevitable shop, it was a very interesting experience, and a relief not
to have to fend off the heavy sales techniques prevalent elsewhere in
Asia.
The food at Inle is incredible.
I enjoyed freshly-caught lake fish every day, be it grilled, stuffed,
curried, or smoked. There is also a local Myanmar vineyard that is a
popular cycle ride away, as well as hot springs and picturesque
teakwood-temples to keep you interested away from the lake. Inle is the
perfect place to relax before braving the overnight bus back to Yangon.
Burma
is a fascinating country. Its turnaround has been startlingly fast:
expect to see Aung San Suu Kyi’s face adorning everything from carrier
bags to t-shirts. As more and more travelers tag it onto their Southeast
Asian trips, expect visitor numbers to go through the roof. But If you
do decide to visit, be aware of the implications of your trip, and try
to be careful where you spend your money. Having been closeted from the
outside world for so long, people seem genuinely happy to see a
foreigner and are pleased for the opportunity for their views to be
heard. In terms of politics and freedoms, Myanmar still has a long way
to go, but if it’s on your list, now is the time.
HUONG VIET TRAVEL – MEMBER OF PATA, ASTA, IATA
Add: 20 Nguyen Truong To Str, Hanoi, Vietnam
Tel : (84-4) 37162149 Fax: (84-4) 37161738
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Add: 20 Nguyen Truong To Str, Hanoi, Vietnam
Tel : (84-4) 37162149 Fax: (84-4) 37161738
E–mail address: sales@huongviettravel.com
Website: www.huongviettravel.com | http://www.aseantravelandtours.com | http://www.visavietnamonline.com | http://www.huongvietjsc.com
Vietnam Travel Packages | Vietnam Visa | Cambodia Tours | Myanmar Tours | Laos Tours | China Tours
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