Myanmar (Burma) - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 513

Introduction
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 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.

7

Although there are affordable flights from
Bangkok to Mandalay , and overland
arrivals became possible in 2013 with the
opening of four hai border crossings,
most people still start their visit in
Yangon . his 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.
Highlights of the southeast include the
precariously balanced Golden Rock at
Kyaiktiyo , and the limestone scenery around
Hpa-an . Until recently it wasn't feasible to

go much beyond Mawlamyine , but now
towns such as Dawei , further south, have
opened up for adventurous visitors.
West of Yangon is 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 River around Katha and
Bhamo offers a great chance to meet
locals, as do the hiking routes around
Kyaukme and Hsipaw in Shan State, which
pass through ethnic minority villages.

WHEN TO GO
Myanmar has a tropical climate , with the
southwest monsoon bringing rain from
May to October. Roads can become
impassable, particularly from July to
September. The central plains, however,
receive only a fraction of the rain seen on
the coast and in the Ayeyarwady delta.
From October onwards the rains subside;
the best time to visit most of the country
is from November to February, when
temperatures are relatively manageable.
From March to May, the country becomes
very hot, particularly the dry zone of the
central plains where Bagan and Mandalay
often see temperatures in excess of 40°C.

CHRONOLOGY
Around 11,000 BC The earliest known inhabitants settle
in the central plains, around the Ayeyarwady River.
2nd century BC City-states are founded in the central
plains by the Pyu, who came from present-day Yunnan
(China) and convert to Buddhism in the fourth century AD.
9th century AD The Mon, who originally migrated to
Burma from the east, establish a kingdom with Thaton as
its capital. The Bamar, more recent arrivals from Yunnan,
establish Pagan (now known as Bagan).