Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
When to go
Myanmar boasts a
tropical climate
, and as such the flux of hot versus cold and wet versus
dryisfarmoreapplicablethannotionsofspring,summer,autumnandwinter.Themaintour-
istseasonrunsfromNovembertoFebruary,whenthecountryisblessedwithawinningcom-
binationofazure-blueskiesandrelativelylowtemperatures,thoughthingsalsogetverybusy
around Burmese New Year, which usually falls in April and can wreak havoc with travel
plans.
November
is a grand month to visit - both temperatures and visitor numbers are still
quitelow,andmuchofthecountryremainsalushgreenfromtherains.
December
and
Janu-
ary
see Western tour groups arriving en masse, with accommodation at its most scarce; if
Chinese New Year falls in January, things can get particularly busy with domestic travellers
and those from neighbouring countries added to the mix. Chinese New Year can also fall
in
February
, which is when temperatures start to pick up. In Yangon, the huge Shwedagon
Festival often takes place in February, though it can fall in March too.
Aslongasyoudon'tmindgettinghotorwet,it'sperfectlyfeasibletovisitMyanmaroutside
the main season; New Year aside, you'll also see the country at its most refreshingly tourist-
free.Thecountrystarts tosizzle in
March
,andby
April
temperatures areattheir year-round
high - all the more excuse for Thingyan, a huge water festival which occurs around this time
… be prepared to get very, very wet, whether you want to or not. Those arriving after Th-
ingyanmaygetthesamekindoffeeling,since
May
seesthesuddenonsetoftherainyseason
- be aware that during the monsoon some places are inaccessible and transport services may
not run. Things only get wetter in
June
, and conditions stay that way through the month of
July
before the rains subside slightly in August.
September
is already usually dry enough to
make for pleasant travel, and
October
even more so.
Large as Myanmar is, this month-by-month advice generally applies across the board. Tem-
peraturesdotendtobeslightlylowerthefurthernorthyouhead,andtheshelteredpositionof
MandalayandBaganhelpsthemescapetheworstoftherainyseason,thoughthisalsomakes
them bake more in hotter months. If the heat's getting too much for you, head up to loftier,
cooler climes on the Shan plateau, such as Kalaw, Pyin Oo Lwin or Lashio.
