Mynamar Discover and Let the Journey Begin (video)
Thailand is a beautiful country for a holiday, but what you should definitely keep in mind is that Thailand is also a great base for visiting other countries in Southeast Asia. With a budget airline you can fly quickly and cheaply to, for example, the neighboring country Myanmar. A beautiful destination with an authentic culture.
Myanmar is the largest country in Southeast Asia and borders Bangladesh, India, China, Laos and Thailand. In the southwest, it has a long coastline that includes the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea (parts of the Indian Ocean).
The country is a former British colony and was occupied by the Japanese during World War II. Burma became independent on January 4, 1948. In 1989, the government officially changed the name to 'Union of Myanmar' to emphasize the unity of the different ethnic peoples living in this country. These include the Bamar (the actual Burmese), the Shan, the Mon, the Karen, the Chin ……..etc. They all speak a different language or dialect.
There are 46 million people living in Myanmar. The capital Yangon (formerly Rangoon) has about 5 million inhabitants. More than 80 percent of the population is Buddhist. The rest are Christian, Muslim, Hindu or even animist. Buddhism has a great influence on the daily life of the population. Traditional family ties and respect for the elderly are central.Hospitality and sincere friendliness are characteristic of the Burmese.
The culture of Burma is very authentic because it has had relatively little contact with non-Asian foreign cultures. Many Burmese are therefore quite shy when it comes to a conversation with a foreigner. The authenticity of the culture can be seen in many ways. Both the men and women wear some kind of make-up (Thanaka) that serves as a sunscreen and many men wear a long skirt (longyi). Although this might be interpreted as absurd in the West, it is completely part of the authentic culture there.
Video: Mynamar Discover and Let the Journey Begin
Watch the video here:
[youtube]http://youtu.be/SHRI91Hk2lc[/youtube]
Beautiful video with beautiful music. But from what I understand from previous posts on this blog, it is almost impossible to explore Myanmar on your own. You are therefore bound to organized group tours. And not everyone is a fan of that.
In 2012 I traveled through Myanmar for 2,5 weeks, it was a fantastic experience, super beautiful country and very friendly / shy people.
Total nonsense that it is impossible to travel through the country on your own, and that it should be with an organized trip.
At that time there were no ATM's that accept foreign bank cards, so it was a bit of a hassle to change $ because they were very strict with the bill checks.
Now there are just ATMs and you can withdraw local money (Kyat).
NO problem at all traveling through Burma on your own. I did that for the first time 32 years ago. No one stood in your way at all, despite all the crazy stories. The infrastructure is excellent and it is wonderfully adventurous. I have been to that country 7 times now and the last time was a year ago. Then I was scared to death. Terrible, those crowds of tourists who know everything better and have little or no respect for the culture in Burma. Changing money was never a problem, even when I came there for the first time (32 years ago).
Now watch out: pickpockets and scammers abound. Exchange money only at official banks.
Burma has always been my paradise. Fantastic beautiful country !!!!!!!!!!!! There are buses, boats and trains and private individuals who will take you everywhere.