A beautiful and culturally rich country cursed for decades with a brutally oppressive regime, Myanmar (Burma) has in recent years been making headlines for its tentative steps towards democracy. Following the softening and then removal of a fifteen-year tourism boycott led by the National League for Democracy – Myanmar’s leading political opposition party – tourist numbers have swollen but the infrastructure has not yet grown to accommodate them all. Although this means that finding a cheap bed is harder than before, it does make this a fascinating time to discover Myanmar’s glittering golden stupas, bountiful rice fields, enigmatic ruined temples and picturesque mountain paths. Most memorable of all, though, are the encounters with people eager to introduce foreigners to their country and their culture. What remains to be seen is whether today’s modest political reforms translate into lasting change.
Tailor-made travel itineraries for Myanmar (Burma), created by local experts
10 days / from2372 USD
Old World Myanmar
Myanmar offers visitors a tantalisingly exotic culture of gilded stupas, red-robed monks and elaborately carved teak palaces. Discover the country’s rich cultural heritage as you take in its spectacular charms.
view tour ⤍9 days / from2840 USD
Myanmar Family Adventure
An ideal short tour for families and first-time visitors to get a glimpse of what Myanmar is all about, discover the land of rice and rivers, breath-taking pagodas and stupas. Meet the locals in Mandalay, Yangon and Inle Lake and sleep on the Ayeyarwady for a real family adventure.
view tour ⤍4 days / from383 USD
Love Yangon
Explore the intriguing architecture, captivating art and delightful culinary scene of Yangon with a visit to Myanmar’s bustling former capital.
view tour ⤍10 days / from3427 USD
Myanmar Dreams
One of the least developed countries in Southeast Asia, Myanmar offers a magical visitor experience. From your base in some of the country's most deluxe resorts, get out and explore the untouched treasures that Myanmar has to offer.
view tour ⤍9 days / from1126 USD
Classical Myanmar
Experience the best of Myanmar with this trip of a lifetime. See historic Yangon, before moving on to the great plains of beautiful Bagan with its ancient Buddhist pagodas. Discover Mandalay’s hidden gems, see ancient capitals and boat around Inle Lake.
view tour ⤍12 days / from4044 USD
Famous Waterways of Myanmar: Inle Lake and the Irrawaddy River
Experience Myanmar as never before: cruise along the Irrawaddy River, take a boat trip around Inle Lake and Sagar, and fly over Bagan and its many temples in a hot-air balloon. This comprehensive trip also explores the cities of Yangon and Mandalay.
view tour ⤍10 days / from2071 USD
Myanmar In-Depth
Get to know this fascinating and exotic country in more depth with this unique trip, which has been specially created to give a more in-depth understanding of Myanmar and its culture, and includes visits to Yangon, Inle Lake, Mandalay, and Bagan.
view tour ⤍7 days / from1532 USD
Myanmar Honeymoon
Myanmar is the perfect destination for couples in search of a romantic getaway that marries luxury and indulgence with the sense of discovering a rich vein of cultural heritage. Visit the plains of Bagan with its many temple complexes, and luxuriate on the shores of Lake Inle, and much more.
view tour ⤍8 days / from1390 USD
The Flavours of Myanmar: A Culinary Journey
Discover the tastes and flavours of Myanmar with this unique, culinary-themed trip. Frequent the teahouses of Yangon, learn how to cook traditional Burmese dishes in Bagan, sample local specialties in Mandalay, and then continue to Inle Lake, home of the Intha people, before returning to Yangon.
view tour ⤍5 days / from842 USD
Majesty and Mystery in Myanmar
Less well-known than neighbouring Thailand, Myanmar is a country that still retains an air of exotic mystery. Discover it for yourself on this unique trip, which has been specially created to develop a greater understanding of this alluring country.
view tour ⤍6 days / from1155 USD
Mesmerising Myanmar
Myanmar is a mesmerising and exotic land, shrouded in mystery and cloaked in spirituality. The mere mention of its name conjures up images of golden Buddhist stupas piercing dense smokey fog. This unique trip takes in some of Myanmar's most impressive and mesmeric sites.
view tour ⤍13 days / from2049 USD
Myanmar’s Ancient Treasures
From the old-world charms of Yangon to the lush rice paddies of the Ayeyarwady Delta and the iconic sights that surround modern Mandalay, now is the time to visit the jungle clad hills and central river valleys of Myanmar.
view tour ⤍4 days / from890 USD
Mrauk U: Myanmar's Best-Kept Secret
Discover the ancient city of Mrauk U with this unique trip. Formerly a major trading port, Mrauk U was once the wealthiest city in Asia. Today, it remains Myanmar's best-kept secret: its well-preserved archeological remains are surrounded by atmospheric misty hills, just waiting to be discovered.
view tour ⤍10 days / from2508 USD
Off the Beaten Track in Southern Myanmar
This exciting, active trip is split into two parts: the first takes in the best that Southern Myanmar has to offer, including Yangon and Inle Lake; whilst the second ventures off the beaten track, exploring ancient pagodas, rivers, mountains and caves.
view tour ⤍11 days / from2946 USD
Myanmar Highlights
A visit to Myanmar is a magical experience. Explore Yangon, with its busy harbour bustling markets and glistening pagodas. Encounter meditating Buddhas and traditional villages, and be awestruck by mystical Mandalay’s hidden gems.
view tour ⤍Where to go in Myanmar (Burma)
Although there are now affordable flights from Bangkok to Mandalay, most people still start their visit in Yangon (Rangoon). This former capital makes a great introduction to the country, with evocative colonial-era buildings, some of the country’s best restaurants and the unmissable Shwedagon Paya – the holiest Buddhist site in the country. Relatively few tourists head southeast from Yangon, other than to the precariously balanced Golden Rock at Kyaiktiyo, but Mawlamyine and Hpa-an are great places to hang out, whether you’re exploring caves full of Buddhist art, sleeping at a mountain-top monastery or visiting home-based workshops.
West of Yangon are a handful of beaches, with Ngapali the most highly regarded, but Chaung Tha and Ngwe Saung much more affordable. Most travellers instead hasten north to Mandalay, the hub for ‘Upper Burma’ and the base for visiting the remains of several former capital cities, or to Bagan further west for its stunning temple-strewn plains. East of Mandalay is Kalaw, the starting point for some great walks. A trek from Kalaw is one way to reach the magnificent Inle Lake, with its stilt villages and famous leg-rowing fishermen. If time allows, a trip on the Ayeyarwady (Irrawaddy) River around Katha and Bhamo offers a great chance to meet locals, as do the hiking routes around Hsipaw in Shan State, which pass through ethnic minority villages.
The ethics of visiting Myanmar
The question of whether to visit Myanmar – and if so, how to minimize any negative impact of that decision – has long been a complicated one. For many years, the official position of the National League for Democracy (NLD), the opposition political party of which Aung San Suu Kyi is the Chairperson and General Secretary, was to urge foreigners not to visit the country as it put money directly into the pockets of the regime. Still, some tourists did visit each year, arguing that the majority of their money was actually going to individuals and private businesses. Similarly, many people within Myanmar felt it was important that foreigners visited to see the truth of what was happening. In 2010, the NLD softened its stance, saying that it only opposed package and cruise tourism. Then, in May 2012, in the wake of the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urging an easing of international sanctions against Myanmar, the NLD dropped the boycott entirely.
Nevertheless, it would be a mistake to think that the ethical dilemma has completely gone away. Although the new government is nominally civilian, in reality the same military figures are still largely in charge. In addition the prominent business leaders commonly described as cronies – who became rich through dealing with the regime, and in some cases allegedly through trading in arms or drugs – still own many of the country’s largest businesses, including hotel groups, banks and airlines. And although the government is praised internationally for reforms such as the release of some (but not all) political prisoners and a reduction in censorship (so that NLD posters are now a common sight), some people within the country see these as surface changes intended to please foreigners – particularly the US, which hopes to lure Myanmar away from its main trading partner, China – rather than anything more fundamental.
Furthermore, it should be remembered that the suppression of dissent and suspension of the democratic process were not the military junta’s only crimes. It was also fighting what has been described as the world’s longest-running civil war, with policies that amounted to ethnic cleansing and – in the eyes of some observers – attempted genocide. Although ceasefires have been signed with some of the ethnic militias, vast swathes of the country – particularly in northern Kachin State – remain off-limits to tourists while the new government continues to fight with rebel armies (some of which, it must be admitted, are motivated as much by profit from the drug trade as they are by a thirst for democracy). If free and fair elections are held in 2015 then the NLD is expected to win a landslide victory, but it remains to be seen how they propose to keep the peace with ethnic minority groups who consider the NLD to represent only the Bamar majority – particularly if the military’s stranglehold is weakened as democracy takes root. Already the NLD has been accused of becoming too close to the generals and their cronies as it seeks their political support and funding for social projects. Some compromise is inevitable, not least because the military can veto a proposed change to the constitution to allow Aung San Suu Kyi (as someone who married a foreign national) to run for President.
Bearing all this in mind, travellers should consider limiting the amount of their money that makes it to the government and its associates. Some expenses are unavoidable, including visa fees, while others are hard to avoid if you want to see some of the main tourist attractions, such as the $10 multi-site fee in Mandalay. It can also be difficult to know exactly which businesses in Myanmar are affiliated with the government or its cronies. On the other hand, by staying in budget accommodation your money is already more likely to be going to ordinary individuals or small family businesses than to companies with strong government links (and in this guide we have tried to avoid recommending such places). The same goes for services such as vehicle hire or trekking guides – there are plenty of opportunities to use small companies and freelancers, which often leads to a better experience anyway. Some visitors also consider avoiding planes and even trains (which are operated by the government).
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Fact file
Population 55 million
Language Burmese (Myanmar)
Currency Kyat (K)
Capital Nay Pyi Taw
International phone code +95
Time zone GMT + 6hr 30min
Top image: Mount Popa © Boyloso/Shutterstock
Travel advice for Myanmar (Burma)
From travel safety to visa requirements, discover the best tips for traveling to Myanmar (Burma)