The Burmese connection

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The summer is usually a great time to plan a long uninterrupted holiday to either an exotic beach to get your beautiful tan on or to a cool hill station to unwind. Well, having already done a couple of the aforementioned preferred destinations, I wanted to go on a backpacking trip with no prior plans in place and with only a week to spare for it (Oh and did I say a tight budget!?). After a quick research and possible options, the choice was zeroed in on Myanmar.





Myanmar or Burma if you prefer is Southeast Asia’s fastest growing backpacking destination since the government decided to relax a lot of the restrictions on travel a few years back. It’s still comparatively a little difficult place to visit when compared to its welcoming neighbors in South-east Asia but it also has a special charm that often grips first-time visitors. The country certainly offers a greater sense of stepping into the unknown than some of the increasingly commercialized backpacking towns and destinations in the region.





Ideally, one needs about three or perhaps four weeks to travel around Myanmar. It can be done in more or less time but travel in Myanmar is quite slow, as some days will be spent mostly in buses or trains (i.e. if you're a budget traveler). I had a week and as much as I hated rushing things I wanted to fit in most of the splendors of Burma. So here I unravel a few helpful tips, suggestions and my fond memories from my week in Burma.



E-visas and ‘Visa on arrival’ are now available for almost everyone and has made visiting the country that little bit easier. As an Indian national, I received my visa in three working days. My port of entry to Myanmar was Yangon city, formerly known as Rangoon. This former capital city looked a lot similar to most of the popular Indian metropolises. It’s a bustling city and an intoxicating introduction to Burmese life. British, Chinese and Indian influences are all also clearly evident in a city with an intriguing history, as well as the home of Aung San Suu Kyi where she spent years under house arrest.





Since most of my trip was planned on the fly, I walked around a lot, spent the entire day exploring the famous Burmese Pagodas such as Botataung, Sule and the ginormous Shwedagon Pagoda. This majestic stupa is a popular landmark in Myanmar and gets very crowded during the tourist season. Also known as the Golden Pagoda, is Burma’s most important Buddhist pilgrimage site and its a must visit.







Also managed to squeeze in a handstand albeit being told by a few monks not to attempt it. Apologies for those who find it disrespectful, clearly wasn't my intention.







To keep your accommodation cheap, visit hostelworld.com to avail great deals on your stay. I managed to stay in government stays in Yangon and Mandalay. The costs per person is around 10$ per night. Travelling to Mandalay the next day, the buses from Aung Mingalar bus terminal go to Bago while all Mandalay bound trains stop here and it is only about $1 for a ticket. It's a 9 hour journey.



Popular sights in Mandalay include<span> lots more pagodas and reclining Buddhas! You could do this as a day trip from Yangon or stay overnight. Either way you will need to head back to Yangon to continue your journey. If you’re not massively into the Buddhist/religious aspect then you could skip it altogether as Bagan is far more impressive.





I had the opportunity to spend sometime with these little monks who go to school like any other kids around the world. Taught them Engligh while on the go, truly a blessed experience.







The bus journey from Yangon to Bagan takes about 7 hours. As you enter Bagan, all foreigners need to pay 25$ as a tourism fee to enter the archaeological zone, but once you get in its the worth the fee. Perhaps the most iconic image of Myanmar. It has the largest and most extensive collection of Buddhist temples, pagodas and ruins in the world and is a truly incredible sight. As well as visiting the temples, you can witness monk and monkess initiation ceremonies and hire a boat out and explore the river. You can also do a daytrip to nearby Mount Popa which is an extinct volcano but very green and a bit cooler than the hot plains that occupy much of the country. The hostel I stayed at was called Ostello Belo, I along with a new friends hired a few e-bikes and set out to explore this beautiful hot spot.





My point of interest in Myanmar was Inle lake. The bus journey from Bagan to Inle lake takes about 8 hours. This is another essential stop on almost every backpacking route in Myanmar. It’s quite touristy by Burmese standards here but is one of the four main travel highlights of Myanmar (along with Yangon, Mandalay and Bagan). It’s a 20km long shallow lake and is home to many different tribes who live on the lake itself so it is an uniquely fascinating place.





On my last day in Myanmar, I was back in Yangon to board my flight to Bangalore with a long 10 hour lay-over in Bangkok. I spent a few hours exploring the Siam neighborhood for some amazing Thai food.







Myanmar should definitely be on your bucket list if you haven't visited yet. This country will surely surprise you! 😊

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