The borders of Mynamar have only been re-opened since 2012. They are furiously working to get the proper infrastructure in place to support the adventurous and curious tourists. Roads are constantly being paved and widened, hotels being built, and tourist routes being established.
Visitors are pretty much funneled into certain areas of the country (via tourist coaches rather than local transportation) with some areas simply off limits to foreigners. There are indeed some very unsafe areas that experience violence related to the persecution and ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya people. There are rumblings of a tourism boycott because of such politics.
But if you stick to the "acceptable areas" (which is what they really want), it is safe and you will see some amazing things and meet some wonderful people. The golden Shwedagon Pagoda, the indigenous tribes, Bagan, it's all breathtaking.
The dusty little dirt towns start to get a bit old after a while and you will find fewer hostels and guesthouses and more overpriced proper hotels.
Nov 2015
The daily total includes all lodging, food, booze, transportation, sightseeing, visas, etc. I don't include the money I spend on gifts for friends and I do not include the flight price.
| Lodging (shared) | Food | Booze | Transportation | Other Stuff | $1 Exchange |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $13.53 (✓) | $3.48 | $0.53 | $4.74 | $5.90 | 1280 |
It was pleasantly easy to be vegetarian in Myanmar! Learn the phrase Thet That Loot and you're good to go. Not only did everyone seem to understand it, they got a kick out of me using the Myanmar term.
| Language | Meaning | Phrase / Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
Burmese |
without life | thet that loot thet like bet, that like bat, loot like loot, silent Ts so more like the tha LOO and the "th" are more like a soft "t" |
Helpful information and fun adventures!
