The country known as Burma or Burma is now called Myanmar. Rangoon, which was the capital of that country, was also changed to Nay Pyi Taw. The ruler who ruled the country in 1987 had an influence on the astrology of that capital change. According to him, the most successful and prosperous city is the new one. But that ruler did not get to stay in the chair for long after changing that name. Also, the new capital buildings and highways that have been built have gone to waste, and Paluma is the capital of the world. So, there are more than 54 million people in this country of Myanmar, almost twice the population of Sri Lanka. The 676,578 square kilometer country of Myanmar is located between India and Thailand, bordering China and facing the Bay of Bengal.
1. Yangon
If you are going to Myanmar, the easiest way for a Sri Lankan is to enter Myanmar from Yangon Airport. You can enter Yangon from Colombo by AirAsia, Thai Lion Air, Thai Airways, Malaysian Air etc. Yangon is a beautiful city with many Buddhist shrines. We were subject to the Whites since the 1500s-1600s. But the country of Myanmar surrendered to the Whites in the 1880s. Those old European-influenced buildings make Yangon beautiful. Since Myanmar is a poor country, old buildings etc. still have to be taken care of in the same way. There is a railway around Yangon called the Circular Way. This train service that goes around the city is also famous among tourists. Although it is a small distance of 50-60 km, the train service is not modernized, so it takes about three hours to travel around here by train.
2. Bagan
Now if we look at the countries of Asia, Burma is also an extremely poor country for Sri Lanka. Since its independence from the Whites in 1948, Burma claims a lot of internal conflicts that have not stopped until now, and it holds the record as the country with the longest war in the world. Even though it is a poor country now, there are evidences that this country used to be a very prosperous country during 900-1300. The former Burmese kings at that time had controlled the parts of neighboring Thailand or then Siam as well as parts of Manipur which now belongs to India under the Burmese Empire. There are about 2000 temple complexes in Bagan that were built at that time in Myanmar, which was a Buddhist country. Air balloon service is now going to visit these shrines in Bagan. Even if you have to pay 50 dollars to enter this land, Bagan is a shrine worth seeing and worshiping as a Buddhist.
3. Inle Lake
Inle Lake is a large lake belonging to Myanmar. Now it has become popular due to its tourism activities. Cycling around the lake, hiking in the mountains near the lake and visiting the settlements around the lake are popular among tourists. The fishermen of this lake located in the Shan province still kill fish in the old ways. Tourists also get the chance to see the magnificent cave complexes by going through boats in Inle Lake. In our country, like Ella and Mirissa, the region around Inle Lake is also a popular place among backpackers who go to Myanmar.
4. Hsipaw
Burmese Basa, inspired by Pali and Indian languages, is used in Burma. Similar to ours, similar letter symbols are also used in Burmese Basa. Some Burmese are hard to pronounce for whites as well as for us. This is a popular trek from Sipo province to Kalav province on foot along the mountain road. Still, not only in the villages of Burma, but also in the cities of Burma, the old habits of people have remained. The journey on foot, enjoying the people’s life, farming activities, natural beauty, landscapes, brings peace to the western tourists.
5. Mandalay
Mandalay is the second busiest city in Myanmar after Yangon. This city and Yangon are connected by a river. Bicycle tours, car tours and beautiful boat rides along the river can be arranged in this Mandalay. Generally, tourists who want to visit the interior of the country come to Mandalay and go inland from there. Tourists are not allowed to enter certain parts of Myanmar due to the ongoing conflicts.
6. Ngapali Beach
Since Myanmar is located facing the Bay of Bengal, they have a beautiful sandy beach. Several of these beaches are popular among tourists. Tourists can enjoy the environment of Mudu Beach quietly in this Mudu Beach environment, which is not full of tourists like in the neighboring Thailand. Fishing activities are also done near this Mudu beach, so you can get delicious and relatively cheap sea food such as crabs, shrimps, lobsters etc. Tourists coming from Thailand cross the borders of Thailand and Burma and reach the beaches of this Burmese country.
7. Elsewhere
Due to military conflicts, Burma was under sanctions for a while. Therefore, Burma was a bit isolated from the world. Culturally, this isolation caused the old traits to remain in the life of the Myanmar people. Buddhist festivals, cultural events, food and clothing, etc. can be enjoyed in a different way in Myanmar. There are beautiful Buddhist temples all over the country. Buddhist tourist groups from our country also go to Myanmar to see these spacious and beautiful temples. Also, Myanmar has a part of the Himalayas where the snow melts
belongs to There are also regions in Myanmar where tribal groups live where not many people have seen eye to eye. So, as well as popular places, the whole of Myanmar is a lot of experiences, which is what the YouTube tourists who have been there and talk about it in detail say.
8. Is Myanmar travel cheap?
If we take Southeast Asian countries, it is easy to travel to countries like Thailand and Vietnam, which have good transportation facilities. There are still temporary plank bridges to access some provinces of Myanmar. Accommodation fees are also a bit high in Myanmar. There are three ways to go from one place to another: boats, bus services, and trains, but as a whole, traveling in Myanmar is a long and inconvenient experience. One Sri Lankan Rupee is equal to 7 Kyats in Burma. That means the value of Burmese currency is low. So, for someone who likes difficult travel experiences looking for new things, Burma is a tourist region worth seeing and experiencing.
