250 Word Travel Guide: Myanmar
Cost | Travel $, Room $$, Food $,
WiFi | Weak •)
Solo Female Travel | Secure ****
Vegetarian Availability | Sometimes •_-
WHAT TO SAY
Say Myanmar, NOT Burma (British colonial name)
(Spelled phonetically)
Hello = Min-ga-la-ba
Thank you = Jay-zu-tin-ba-day
Goodbye = Ta-ta
THINGS TO CONSIDER
Currency = kyat (chot)
Dress = Conservative-ish (Cover knees, shoulders)
Majority Religion: Buddhist
Thingyan Water Festival + New Year Holiday, 10 days mid-April (Makes travel more difficult)
Expect occasional power cuts/outages
Best weather: November - February
WHERE TO GO
Shwedagon Pagoda
Sule Pagoda
Biggest city
Aung San Bogyoke Market
People's Park
Circle Train
Other Travelers' Tips:
Skip Mandalay
Hsipaw mountains/trekking
Off the Beaten Path:
Pin Oo Lyin, Mindat/Mount Victoria
WHAT TO EAT
Local produce: Mangosteen, Rambutan, Durian, Jackfruit, Rice, Corn, Legumes/Pulses (peas, beans, lentils, peanuts, soybeans, tamarinds), Sesame, Sugarcane, Spices (Coriander, Ginger, Turmeric, Red Chili)
Aung San Suu Kyi
Basically the Ghandi/MLK of Myanmar. Former political dissident & Nobel Peace Prize winner. Her NLD (National League for Democracy) party was elected and is in the process of transferring power. Everyone loves her & you will see her face everywhere.
Recommended Reading:
Letters from Burma by Aung San Suu Kyi
Freedom from Fear by Aung San Suu Kyi
Finding George Orwell in Burma by Emma Larkin
If you have any other questions or concerns, feel free to ask in the comments below.
Much Love,