myanmar travel

Yangon, Bagan, Mandalay and Inle Lake are four tourist highlights of Burma. As a result, tours from Yangon to Bagan, Mandalay and Inle Lake may be the most “classic” itinerary chosen by a lot of travelers when they tour Myanmar. Here we recommend a sample 8-day itinerary, covering typical attractions and activities in 4 “classic” destinations as a useful reference for you. Day 1-2: Yangon Your tours from Yangon to Bagan, Mandalay and Inle Lake will start by your arrival at the Yangon international Airport, one of 6 allowable ports to international tourists with Myanmar eVisa. Yangon is the former capital and the largest city in Burma. After checking in your hotel and relaxing, you can take a sightseeing tour around the city. Shwedagon Pagoda, nicknamed ‘” the jewel” of Yangon and considered as the symbol of Yangon tourism, is the most must-visit destination. Legend says that the 99-meter-high pagoda with gilded stupas was built more than 2,500 years ago, which means it’s the oldest

It can be said that cuisine, especially street food, is one of the most standout characteristics of Yangon tourism. The city seems to be built for snacking with delicious dishes that are equally diverse compared to any street food heavens in Southeast Asia such as Vietnam or Thailand. You can find the best street food in Yangon at temporary carts set up by vendors each morning, and the snacks and stews are sold throughout the day, reflecting a wide cross-section of different and ethnicities and cultures. Here are the best courses of stress food you should not miss on your tours in Yangon. Mohinga This is the unofficial national dish of Myanmar. A pungent fish broth is flavored with turmeric, pepper, and lemongrass, which swirls around slippery thin noodles. If you taste the dish for the first time on your tours in Yangon, you will hardly recognize fish immediately; it’s mixed with chickpea flour to make an appetizing thick stew usually served for breakfast. The assault of flavors in

Yangon – or Rangoon as it was known – the former capital of Burma, is the bustling city full of colors, amazing sights, and wonderful experiences. It is also a great place to shop – handicrafts, antiques, textiles jewels and the beautiful lacquerware that Burma is famous for. Here is our guide to the best popular places to go shopping on your Yangon tour . 1. Augustine’s Souvenirs This treasure used to be called Augustine’s Antiques; however as the Burmese government doesn’t allow antiques to be sold outside the country’s border, its name has been changed. Today, the shop concentrates on newer items but the quality remains to be guaranteed. Visiting Augustine’s Souvenirs when you tour Yangon, you can find carvings from Mandalay workshops, colonial-style furniture, lacquer from producers in the Shan States, gilded wooden statues and some beautiful 20th-century silver and brass temple offering bowls, which are sold by families in need of the cash. Make sure that you receive a receipt a

Rangon (or Yangon), the former capital of Myanmar, is a fascinating blend of buildings that have gone unchanged for nearly a century, plus modern café and bar. Many travelers consider Rangon as the first stop on their Myanmar tours and spend two or three days exploring the city and its outskirts. Here we suggest some useful tips for Rangon tourism Top three tourist sites around Rangon Shwedagon Pagoda The pagoda is the most important Buddhist shrine in Myanmar and considered as the symbol of Yangon tourism, nicknamed “the jewel of Yangon”. Surrounding the main gilded 95-metre stupa topped with a thousand diamonds is a wide platform filled with shrines and pavilions. Here visiting nuns, monks and pilgrims from all over the country pray, chant, eat and snooze beneath beautifully carved eaves. A visit to the Shwedagon Pagoda can last all day or half of day. You do not need to worry about the shortage of things to see as there are various mini-museums and photo displays throughout the

Mandalay is the second largest city and one of 4 tourist highlights in Myanmar (besides Yangon, Bagan, and Inle Lake). The city not only is the sacred land for major Buddhists’ pilgrimages but also contains many mysterious things that await being discovered. Here we provide you with Mandalay tourism useful information so that you could have best travel experiences in the city of Mandalay and its outskirts. The best time to tour Mandalay Summer in Mandalay lasts from March to May, and then temperature cools down in the rainy season. Because Mandalay is in the central dry zone, it receives far less rain than the more tropical south. Winter lasts from November to February. The peak time of Mandalay tourism season is in between October and December when it’s cool and dry. However, traveling in the high season may be much more expensive, so you can visit Mandalay in late winter (January and February) and early rainy season (June and July) when the weather is relatively good. How to get t

Mandalay was once the last imperial capital of Burma. It’s now the second largest city and recognized as the main religious center of the north of the country. It is said that half of the Myanmar monks live in and around Mandalay. Being one of 4 “classic” tourist destinations of Myanmar (besides Yangon, Bagan, and Inle Lake), a Mandalay tour is a great opportunity for you to explore the Burmese cultural and spiritual life. We recommend 8 places you should not miss when you tour Mandalay. 1. Golden Palace Monastery Most travelers choose Golden Palace Monastery as the first stop on their Mandalay city tour. The structure was originally a royal apartment built by King Mindon. After his death in 1878, his son, King Thibaw, moved it to the current location as he believed that his father’s ghost still lived there. Five years later, it became a monastery and has kept that role until now. The Golden Palace Monastery is famous for its unique and magnificent beauty, formed by teak carvings de

Myanmar, the charming country with stunning natural scenery, splendid gilded pagodas and friendly people, has become one of the hottest tourist destinations in Asia for the recent year. Taking a Myanmar vacation will be certainly a wonderful travel experience. However, traveling to Myanmar is quite expensive compared to some destinations in Southeast Asia such as Vietnam or Thailand. If you want to save your money, we suggest 5 following tips so that you can book cheap Myanmar vacation packages . 1. Book during the Off-Season The low season is between April and October when it’s hot and rainy, and the high season is from November to February when it’s cool and dry. You will have more chance of booking cheap Myanmar vacation packages in the low season, especially in July and August (the peak of wet season). However, note that some regions become inaccessible in this time and some, such as Ngapali Beach, close altogether in preparation for the high winds and heavy rainfall that batter

Fishermen who maneuver their boat by only one leg, beautiful floating gardens and houses on stilts, tranquil villages with ethnic minorities, it’s a small part of the Inle Lake’s magnificent universe. Traveling to Inle Lake will leave you with a lasting impression. These are five reasons you shouldn’t miss Inle Lake on your vacation in Myanmar. 1. Life on the lake Life on the shallow, 13.5-mile freshwater lake is utterly enchanting. No busy like Yangon, no noisy like Mandalay, and hot and dusty like Bagan, Inle Lake is far different from any other place you could visit on your Myanmar vacation. With no roads or sidewalks, visitors and locals alike get around in one-person-wide wooden boats outboard propellers which emit a noisy whine when at full throttle and can be raised and lowered depending on water levels of the lake. The villages full of charming single and two-story wooden stilt houses are situated on active waterways. Fishermen working on the lake use a unique rowing techniqu

If you tour Myanmar or any other foreign country, you will unavoidably feel unfamiliar mostly due to the language or cultural barriers, even when the country is famous for friendliness and hospitability. Hiring an experienced tour guide will be the best way to break the barriers and maximize your experience and enjoyment in your trip. Here are useful tips for you to choose a great tour guide Myanmar . Define a time-frame for your trip Are you seeking a single-day tour in Bago, a 2-week “cross country” program or something in between? Define clearly the duration of your trip when reaching out to prospective guides. Make sure that you provide the specific dates for touring right at the outset so that candidates can check their availability. Ask friends and colleagues for referrals Personal recommendations are always and quickest way to select a tour guide Myanmar. Ask your relatives, friends, and colleagues who have experienced their Burma trip with a guide. However, do not rely tota

What will you do in your tour to Burma ? Common answers are to visit majestic gilded temples sparkling in the sunlight, admire stunning natural landscapes, explore unique local cultures and enjoy delicious traditional Burmese cuisine. You may forget the equally interesting activity: shopping. You can find everything at a multitude of shops and markets all over Myanmar, especially souvenirs such as silk, lacquerware, wood carvings, and gems. We suggest 5 places you can visit in your tour to Myanmar to purchase unique presents for your beloveds, friends and even yourself. 1. Monument Books In contrast to Bagan Book House where you can find old books about Burmese history, this large modern bookshop has a good selection of books on contemporary Burma. There are also sumptuous photographic works. The bookshop is located just a few minutes walking from the Savoy Hotel, and next door is Yangon’s leading toy store. On a hot day, a lot of visitors and locals stop here for a drink since it ha

If you decide to tour Myanmar, you may put yourself in a difficult situation, as there are so many attractions and sights in the Golden Temple Country that you could not know which places you should choose for your Myanmar tour itinerary . To help you have the best decision, we suggest the following destinations. 1. Yangon Yangon, the former capital of Myanmar, is one of the most attractive destinations while traveling in Asia. This is why you can not exclude the city from your Myanmar tour itinerary. Traveling to Yangon, you will be completely enchanted by the shady parks, the lakes and verdant tropical trees that make Yangon be nicknamed the “Garden of the East”. In addition the impressive beauty of the gilded Shwedagon Pagoda (Golden Pagoda), the jewel of Yangon, you will be extremely surprised by the variety of splendid hotels, excellent restaurants which are equally comparable to those of any the other growing cities in the world. Besides visits to the religious sites, you can

If you want to tour Burma , Visa is certainly the first procedure which must be completed. You can apply for your tourist Visa online (eVisa) or at Myanmar embassies/consulates. Note that Myanmar visa on arrival tourist has not been available since 2015, which means you have to get the Visa before your trip. Here is all useful information for you about Myanmar tourist Visa. Visa exemplification There are only 7 countries that are exempted from visa for 14 days in Myanmar. These countries are Laos, Philippines, Thailand (only by air), Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Vietnam. While Singapore passport holders have 30 days free of visa. If you are a passport holder of the countries above and wishing to tour Burma in a period of longer than 14 days, you can apply for an eVisa. While on the other side, Myanmar launched the eVisa to 100 countries in the world. Check the list of these countries at: Where to get your tourist visa? Online Applying for a tourist eVisa through the official

For recent years, the remarkable development of Burmese tourism has been synonymous with the rapidly increasing number of travel agencies who operate various tours throughout Myanmar. If you want to tour Myanmar, but you are confused about choosing the best Myanmar tour operator for you tip among thousands of travel units, the following tips may help you. 1. Determine your travel style Although most of the tour operators offer a variety of tour types, each of which has their own strength in particular areas. So, you need to determine clearly which type of tour you want. Is it budget, mid-level or luxury tour? Is it private, guided or small group tour? Is it discovery or adventure tour? The more you clarify your want, the more you choose a really suitable Myanmar tour operator. Pick about 5 units before coming to the next steps. 2. Verify Quality Make sure that the Burma tour operators you chose have a history of providing services with good quality. The best measurement is what pa

Myanmar has become one of the hottest travel destinations in Asia for recent years. There’re many reasons for that such as the development of tourism infrastructure and the more open policy for international travelers. Particularly, the integration of tourist eVisa since 2014 has facilitated the procedure for entering Burma. To provide you with a comprehensive overview of what should not be missed when you tour Burma, here are the 10 most famous Myanmar tourist attractions . 10. Pindaya Caves Pindaya Caves, which is situated on the outskirt of Pindaya town in Shan State, Eastern Myanmar, are a Buddhist sacred pilgrimage site. There are hundreds of Buddhist statues and statuettes sheltering inside the deep and dark cave; the oldest dates back to 1773. Rumor has it that if you follow them until the other end of Pindaya Caves, you will be led to the Burmese former capital of Bagan which hundreds of kilometers away to the west. 9. Kakku Pagodas Imagine being teleported to the middle of

The ancient city Bagan, one of four Burmese tourist highlights (besides Mandalay, Yangon and Inle Lake), is famous for housing more than 2,200 religious sites. However, fewer people know that it’s the center of lacquerware manufacturing in central Myanmar, so you can buy high-quality lacquerware at reasonable prices in your Bagan Myanmar tour . In additions, a wide selection of arts and crafts and souvenirs are available in many stores, which are listed below. U Ba Nyein Lacquerware Workshop The Workshop has a large showroom to display the best goods they have to offer. You can find here everything, from plates to cups, ashtrays to vases, jewelry boxes and furniture (lacquer tables and chairs). Address: No. 52, Khaya Rd, Bagan, Myanmar Phone Number: 061-65056 1517 Group Handicraft Shop Located at Wet Kyi Inn village in Old Bagan, 1517 Group Handicraft Shop sells lacquerware, woodcarvings, sandalwood and Glass mosaic. If you want to watch the complicated processes making both lacq

You may hear a lot about the charm of Myanmar with incomparable natural landscapes, majestic golden temples, and the unique culture, but only when you tour Myanmar could you really know how beautiful the country is. A lot of people tend to choose large group tours to Myanmar for cost saving. However, if you want to have the ultimate experience in the Golden Temple Country, we think that it will be hard to beat Myanmar small group tours because of the following reasons. 1. Stress-Free Sightseeing Trying to move around attractions and sights with a large group at the best of time may be very challenging. You will be particularly aware of that when visiting the ancient city of Bagan where there are more than 2,200 religious sites, which means you have so many must-visit destinations and have to move constantly from one place to another. If you’re stuck at the back, you are able to see or enjoy anything. Being squeezed among strangers or up against the wall is not certainly for anyone.

The former Burmese capital of Bagan is a must-visit destination in your private Myanmar tour, famous for an amazing number of religious sites dating back the 12th century. More than 2,200 pagodas, temples, and stupas remain today, displaying the sacred beauty of Buddhism. If you are wondering what to do in your Myanmar Bagan tour , it will be very easy to think about the following suggestions. Create your own Walking Tour of Old Bagan The town of Old Bagan is home to many of temples and ruins, and where you will find the best concentration. It is easy to do your own walking tour of the town as the temples here are all quite close together. The flexibility of walking is clearly undeniable and it takes only a few minutes to move among temples. Walking allows you to stop whenever you want. You can also walk from one temple to another on little paths instead of the roads in many sections and you will be able to explore without crowds. Note that the weather in Bagan is extremely hot and

A decade ago, traveling to Myanmar was very difficult due to strict controls of the military government. Since the country opened up, the political stability and development of tourist infrastructure have made Myanmar become one of the hottest destinations in Asia. Visitors all over the world have the desire to travel to the Golden Temple Country; a lot of whom wonder whether they should tour Myanmar on their own or booking a Myanmar package tour . If you are a non-experienced traveler and go to Myanmar for the first time, Myanmar tour packages may be the better choice. Here are 10 tips for you to pick the most suitable tour. 1. Selecting the right tour operator for your Myanmar package tour Every region has special tour operators. If you consider Bagan as the highlight of your Myanmar package tour, do not choose the operators experienced in Mandalay tours! You need to check their background – how long have they operated in a particular region and what do their customers evaluate th

You may hear a lot about the charm of Myanmar with incomparable natural landscapes, majestic golden temples, and the unique culture, but only when you tour Myanmar could you really know how beautiful the country is. A lot of people tend to choose large group tours to Myanmar for cost saving. However, if you want to have the ultimate experience in the Golden Temple Country, we think that it will be hard to beat Myanmar small group tours because of the following reasons. 1. Stress-Free Sightseeing Trying to move around attractions and sights with a large group at the best of time may be very challenging. You will be particularly aware of that when visiting the ancient city of Bagan where there are more than 2,200 religious sites, which means you have so many must-visit destinations and have to move constantly from one place to another. If you’re stuck at the back, you are able to see or enjoy anything. Being squeezed among strangers or up against the wall is not certainly for anyone.