Myanmar Travel Guide : Food, hotel, Cost, Weather & geography, History, language, culture, things to see and do and how to reach

You can find about travel advice such as public places & services, best restaurants, activities, sightseen and other key facts of the Myanmar .

Myanmar is a country in Southeast Asia. Myanmar is bordered by Bangladesh and India to its northwest, China to its northeast, Laos and Thailand to its east and southeast, and the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal to its south and southwest. Myanmar is the largest country in Mainland Southeast Asia and the 10th largest in Asia by area. As of 2017, the population was about 54 million. Its capital city is Naypyidaw, and its largest city is Yangon (Rangoon).

Early civilisations in the area included the Tibeto-Burman-speaking Pyu city-states in Upper Myanmar and the Mon kingdoms in Lower Myanmar. In the 9th century, the Bamar people entered the upper Irrawaddy valley, and following the establishment of the Pagan Kingdom in the 1050s, the Burmese language, culture, and Theravada Buddhism slowly became dominant in the country. The Pagan Kingdom fell to Mongol invasions, and several warring states emerged. In the 16th century, reunified by the Taungoo dynasty, the country became the largest empire in the history of Southeast Asia for a short period.The early 19th-century Konbaung dynasty ruled over an area that included modern Myanmar and briefly controlled Manipur and Assam as well. The British East India Company seized control of the administration of Myanmar after three Anglo-Burmese Wars in the 19th century, and the country became a British colony. After a brief Japanese occupation, Myanmar was reconquered by the Allies and granted independence in 1948. Following a coup in 1962, it became a military dictatorship under the Burma Socialist Programme Party.

For most of its independent years, the country has been engrossed in rampant ethnic strife and its myriad ethnic groups have been involved in one of the world's longest-running ongoing civil wars. During this time, the United Nations and several other organisations have reported consistent and systematic human rights violations in the country. In 2011, the military junta was officially dissolved following a 2010 general election, and a nominally civilian government was installed. This, along with the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and political prisoners, had improved the country's human rights record and foreign relations and has led to the easing of trade and other economic sanctions. There is, however, continuing criticism of the government's treatment of ethnic minorities, its response to the ethnic insurgency, and religious clashes. In the 2015 election, Aung San Suu Kyi's party won a majority in both houses. However, the Burmese military remained a powerful force in politics and, on 1 February 2021, again seized power in a coup d'état.

Myanmar is a member of the East Asia Summit, Non-Aligned Movement, ASEAN, and BIMSTEC, but it is not a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. It is a country rich in jade and gems, oil, natural gas, and other mineral resources. Myanmar is also endowed with renewable energy; it has the highest solar power potential compared to other countries of the Great Mekong Subregion. In 2013, its GDP (nominal) stood at US$56.7 billion and its GDP (PPP) at US$221.5 billion. The income gap in Myanmar is among the widest in the world, as a large proportion of the economy is controlled by supporters of the military government. As of 2020, according to the Human Development Index, Myanmar ranks 147 out of 189 countries in human development.

Foods in Myanmar :
(1) Tea leaf salad : 

This is the most popular Myanmar food. To make the dish, the sour, slightly bitter leaves are mixed by hand with shredded cabbage, sliced tomatoes, nuts and peas. The dish can be a snack, an appetizer or, coupled with a plate of rice.

(2) Shan-style rice : 

Known as fish rice, this Shan dish is among the most typical Myanmar food. It combines rice that's been cooked with turmeric and topped with flakes of freshwater fish and garlic oil. This cuisine becomes a delicious snack when served with leek roots, raw garlic and deep-fried pork rinds. When staying at Sanctum Inle Resort Myanmar you can try this rice.

(3) Curry : 

The curry is a delicious meal to try with pork, fish, shrimp, beef or mutton. These include rice, a tart salad, a small dish of fried vegetables, a small bowl of soup and a large tray of fresh vegetables and herbs

(4) Tea shop meal : .

Tea shops are great places to enjoy cups of milky tea and also various cuisines of Myanmar. They serve baked sweets as well as meaty steamed buns and dim sum. The often served dishes are deep-fried savory snacks, deep-fried bread served with a potato curry or baked breads.

(5) Sweet snacks : 

Unlike sweets elsewhere in Southeast Asia, sweet snacks aren’t generally packed with sugar. They are getting their sweet flavors from ingredients such as grated coconut, coconut milk, rice flour, cooked sticky rice, tapioca and fruit.

Weather & geography in Myanmar :

Myanmar has a monsoon climate with three main seasons. The hottest period is between February and May, when there is little or no rain and temperatures can rise above 40°C (104°F). The rainy season is generally from May to October, giving way to dry, cooler weather from October to February.

Burma has a long coastline that borders the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal. Its topography is dominated by central lowlands that are ringed by steep, rugged coastal mountains. The highest point in Burma is Hkakabo Razi at 19,295 feet (5,881 m). The climate of Burma is considered tropical monsoon and has hot, humid summers with rain from June to September and dry mild winters from December to April. Burma is also prone to hazardous weather like cyclones. For example, in May 2008, Cyclone Nargis hit the country's Irrawaddy and Rangoon divisions, wiped out entire villages and left 138,000 people dead or missing.

Per day Cost in Myanmar :
You should plan to spend around MMK92,746 ($56) per day on your vacation in Myanmar, which is the average daily price based on the expenses of other visitors. Past travelers have spent, on average, MMK13,772 ($8.39) on meals for one day and MMK5,663 ($3.45) on local transportation.

History of Myanmar :

Burma's early history is dominated by the successive rule of several different Burman dynasties. The first of these to unify the country was the Bagan Dynasty in 1044 CE. During their rule, Theravada Buddhism rose in Burma and a large city with pagodas and Buddhist monasteries was built along the Irrawaddy River. In 1287, however, the Mongols destroyed the city and took control of the area.In the 15th century, the Taungoo Dynasty, another Burman dynasty, regained control of Burma and, according to the U.S. Department of State, established a large multi-ethnic kingdom that was focused on expansion and the conquest of Mongol territory. The Taungoo Dynasty lasted from 1486 to 1752.In 1752, the Taungoo Dynasty was replaced by the Konbaung, the third and final Burman dynasty. During Konbaung rule, Burma underwent several wars and was invaded four times by China and three times by the British. In 1824, the British began their formal conquest of Burma and in 1885, it gained full control of Burma after annexing it to British India.During World War II, the "30 Comrades," a group of Burmese nationalists, attempted to drive out the British, but in 1945 the Burmese Army joined British and U.S. troops in an effort to force out the Japanese. After WWII, Burma again pushed for independence and in 1947 a constitution was completed followed by full independence in 1948.From 1948 to 1962, Burma had a democratic government but there was widespread political instability within the country. In 1962, a military coup took over Burma and established a military government. Throughout the rest of the 1960s and into the 1970s and 1980s, Burma was politically, socially and economically unstable. In 1990, parliamentary elections took place but the military regime refused to acknowledge the results.During the early 2000s, the military regime remained in control of Burma despite several attempts for overthrow and protests in favor of a more democratic.

 

Language in Myanmar :

The official language is Burmese, spoken by the people of the plains and, as a second language, by most people of the hills. During the colonial period, English became the official language, but Burmese continued as the primary language in all other settings.

Culture of  Myanmar :

The culture of Myanmar has been heavily influenced by Buddhism. Burmese culture has also been influenced by its neighbours. In more recent times, British colonial rule and easternisation have influenced aspects of Burmese culture, including language and education.

Place to visit in Myanmar :

(1) Sule Pagoda: Place For Meditation

(2) Mount Popa: Paradise For Hikers

(3) Chauk-Htat-Gyi Buddha Temple: Pay A Visit

(4) Shwedagon Pagoda: The Most Sacred Pagoda

(5) Bagan: For Breathtaking Views

(6) Inle Lake: Go For Boating

(7) Ngwe Saung: Laze Around On The Beach

(8) Kyaiktiyo Pagoda: Witness The Balanced Rock

Hotel in Myanmar :

(1) Merchant Art Hotel

(2) Hotel Shwe Yee

(3) Savoy Hotel

(4) Governor's Residence, A Belmond Hotel, Yangon

(5) Pan Pacific Yangon

(6) Rose Garden Hotel

How to reach in Myanmar :

The cheapest way to reach Myanmar from outside the region is usually to fly to a regional hub such as Bangkok or Singapore. Current routes within Asia include flights to Yangon from Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Bangkok. Connections with Mandalay are limited to Dehong, Kunming and Bangkok.

Travel Guide for Myanmar : Food, hotel, Cost, Weather & geography, History, language, culture, things to see and do and how to reach. – Published by The Beyond News (Travelling).