Myanmar is a fabulous travel point, there is such an abundance of color, exotic places and interesting attractions. Few persons know about Myanmar, some only know it as Burma, the old name, and most people have the same reaction when they hear something like this from northern Thailand’s neighbors: “Myanmar, is this even a country?”
It is also amazing, shocking and strikes you as a cold shower since you make the first step in the airport. Even though I seriously documented myself before going out this summer, nothing prepared me for the reality that you will find there. Whether you want to get there in the very near future, or want to enrich your general culture a little, you should know a few things about Myanmar.
Religion: About 89% of the population of this country practices Buddhism. This means that the rules specific to any other Buddhist country also apply here, especially with regard to temples, where you are not allowed to walk around with bare shoulders, dresses or shorts, footwear, and even socks. The best idea would be to get a pair of slippers, possibly from the velvet – yes, yes, the velvet! -, because, honestly, you will have to go down a lot of times. The people of Myanmar are not only religious but superstitious. Often, at dusk, hundreds of people sit quietly on foot, listening to the teachings of the Great Monk, blocking access to a whole street. Therefore, it would not hurt if, before this trip, you read a little about Buddhism and the customs of the place, so that such meetings do not take you by surprise. Men with skirts, women painted on the face, chewing tobacco and velvet slippers.
Dust country: Before we got here, we didn’t imagine there could be such a dusty country as Myanmar. It’s true that I had read about it, but we thought it must be an exaggeration. It wasn’t. It didn’t take long and I understood that a cloud of dust was practically floating above this country. The worst feeling I experienced was in Nyaungswe (a small town near Inle Lake), in Bagan, in Mandalay and its surroundings. The surgical masks were very useful, which we recommend wholeheartedly if you plan to spend a few days in the area. People: The 17 days I spent in Myanmar started a new challenge for us, to discover another people who are at least as friendly and welcoming as the Burmese. Everyone greets you, everyone smiles, the children gather flowers or fruits with their hands to give them to you, just so, when you visit there, whole families sit and smile broadly if they see that you want to make them picture, it even compliments you at every turn. Discover additional details at https://globalhawkmyanmar.com/.
The bottom line is simple: there are two completely different styles of travel, and prices are tailor-made. Returning, however, to our experience, a room at a decent hotel (repeat, not luxurious) starts at $ 30-40 / night, domestic flights are about $ 70-100 / person, compared to the $ 7- you get on the bus, the balloon flight in Bagan starts from $ 300 / person. The food also cost us a lot – about $ 5-7 / person for a dinner – and the trips were not too cheap. Comparing, therefore, with Thailand or Bali (both destinations where we have spent quite a long time), Myanmar ranks among the most expensive destinations, despite much worse tourism infrastructure.
Burmese chew betel leaves mixed with various powders and tobacco as a drug that gives them a euphoric state, broken teeth and stained lips and addiction. You will see them spitting the reddish-brown mixture all over the street. Do not be surprised if in a restaurant, shop or hotel you have five employees around you. One asks you, one takes your money, one writes, one gives you the product, one checks. Most of the time they get in the way of each other and they don’t really get what they want to do. Have patience and do not raise the tone, you will not solve anything with this. Discover more info on https://globalhawkmyanmar.com/en/tour-program/trekking-tour/.