Photo trip report: A month in Myanmar

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buksida
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Re: Photo trip report: A month in Myanmar

Post by buksida »

Thanks for the comments (heading to Cambodia shortly so watch this space!)

I'll do a comparison to Thailand now as I do with all the Asian countries I visit ...

The People
Burmese are very unlike Thais, they are not as self-obsessed and crave knowledge like no other Asian people I have come across. People will approach you on the street just for a chat, occasionally they want to sell something but a lot of the time they’re just curious about your culture – this just doesn’t happen in Thailand (it takes about a week to let your guard down and welcome people to approach you). Thais are extremely nationalistic and largely intolerant of anything non-Thai, including Myanmar. The Burmese almost find this amusing and shrug as if to say “we’ve had far greater enemies in our past than the neighbours”. The Chinese are not very popular there though as the government has virtually opened the doors to business and property to them, often depriving locals. Despite 60 years of oppression and a diabolical education system English is widely spoken unless you get into the isolated tribal regions.

The Motoring
The roads are subsiding, cracked and potholed (except Naypyidaw), so driving in Burma is similar to taking a trip from Hua Hin to Prachuabkirikhan on highway 4! Generally the cars are all a lot older so simply can’t go as fast on these surfaces, this is why Thailand still tops the world for road fatalities. The bus drivers are utter lunatics and a danger to anyone around them. Amusingly many of the cars are right hand drive, but they drive on the right so it makes for some hairy blind overtaking maneuvers. Gasoline is cheaper than here and taxis are about half of the price even though they don’t have meters. There were very few police seen and no clandestine road blocks in tourist towns, you’ll get stopped because they want to chat to you – not extort money.

The Prices
The media will have you believe that Burma is expensive and you can’t get a room for under a hundred bucks. Rooms were plentiful and ranged in price from 500 baht up to 5,000 depending on your level of comfort and amenities. However in peak season December to February you’ll certainly pay a lot more and availability will be limited. Cost of travelling by taxi, train and bus is a little cheaper than Thailand but not much. Food prices are very similar and drinking is less than half the price. Foreigner entrance fees are pretty much everywhere but they are very reasonable and nowhere near what Thailand charges (150 baht park entrance compared to 400).

The Environment
A lot of effort goes into cleaning public parks and monasteries and temples are immaculate but sadly the plastic generation exists in Myanmar too and trash can be found everywhere that people are living in large numbers. Soi dogs are also prevalent but they seem a little less aggressive than the ones in Thailand. Buffalo, cows, goats and geese will just wander across a road and the pace of life is a lot slower in Burma – they don’t all seem to be obsessed with rushing around getting somewhere before they left.

The Tourism
I can only say go now before it gets spoilt, even at major tourist destinations such as Bagan and Inle you can still feel relatively isolated – mass tourism has not arrived yet. The hospitality and service industry blows Thailand out of the water, Burmese go the extra mile to do anything for you, Thais are too busy playing with their phones.

Visas are still a problem, tourists only get 28 day visas and long-termers have to leave every three months to renew working visas. If you want to live in a private house instead of a hotel you need a special document from the government. They want to know exactly where foreigners are at all times – though I see Thailand going down this route soon.

Eating and Drinking
The food is extremely oily (used as a preservative apparently) and you will get ill at least once during a trip there. It is closer to Indian than Thai and far less spicy, price wise eating out is very similar in cost but the dishes tend to be a little larger than what you’d get here. Drinking is less than half the price, no alcohol monopolies in Myanmar though the local brew is heavily marketed everywhere. The Burmese like their beer and have ‘beer stations’ to serve thirsty workers - and there are no stupid time restrictions on having one.

The Shopping
No fast food, no 7-Elevens, no retail outlets ... yet. Small mom and pop stores sell the basics and you can pick up electronic goods for similar prices in the major cities. Books and newspapers are all over the place (in English too) and you can get all manner of clothing, trinkets, lacquerware, art, and buddha images in the main markets. It feels a little culturally deeper than Thailand which was described by a few Burma expats as being ‘homogeneous’.

Would I live there?
Not yet. There are still too many restrictions on foreigners; such as living in private houses, renewing visas, riding a motorcycle, and travelling into different provinces/areas. The internet simply doesn’t work outside of the major hubs of Yangon and Mandalay so this would be no good for those that make their living from it. That said, I see a far greater potential in Myanmar and hope for the future which Thailand seems to lack as it constantly takes one step forwards and two back.


I am to return after high season to explore the south of the country. Thanks for reading and please feel free to post any questions on Myanmar, I'll try to answer. A video will follow but they take time to edit so watch this space, all photos and the full report is on http://www.ontheroadasia.com
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Re: Photo trip report: A month in Myanmar

Post by caller »

Thanks for another excellent trip report, buksi. It certainly whets the appetite!
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Re: Photo trip report: A month in Myanmar

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Yes, thank-you for the report, it was well done. I don't think I'll be going there any time soon, too many temples for my liking!
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Re: Photo trip report: A month in Myanmar

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Great pics and a nice travelogue. My last trip was 40 years ago and I loved Pagan and the people were great.
Personally would love to see the Buddhist site in Rakhine state before the Rohingas destroy the "heathen" images.
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Re: Photo trip report: A month in Myanmar

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Had a conversation last night with some Thais about Burma and the people and they were adamant that they're all soulless heathens from the pit of Hades ... great to see a the results of total brainwashing from a mickey mouse education system!
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Re: Photo trip report: A month in Myanmar

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buksida wrote:Had a conversation last night with some Thais about Burma and the people and they were adamant that they're all soulless heathens from the pit of Hades ... great to see a the results of total brainwashing from a mickey mouse education system!
Seeing the above remarks, I've just asked Mrs BB her opinion of the Burmese. Her response was, "Same, same as Thai. Some good, some bad." Of course, she was only in the Thai education system for a year :twisted:
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Re: Photo trip report: A month in Myanmar

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Thanks for the comparison To Thailand Buksi (along with the great report) I only came onto this thread just now to ask if you could do just that... And there it was already.

:cheers:
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Re: Photo trip report: A month in Myanmar

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Any more pics of lacquerware Buksi?
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Re: Photo trip report: A month in Myanmar

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This one shows a couple of the stalls offering pots and plates etc... There were so many things to buy, I just dont like carrying a lot on the plane back so stuck to Jade, art and a few shirts.
DSC_1605.jpg
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Re: Photo trip report: A month in Myanmar

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Is there any good quality carved wood there? In Indonesia I bought some of those carved relief plaques like the ones on the stall above for my Mother and they're very well done on high quality wood but I haven't been able to find ones of the same standard anywhere in Thailand.
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Re: Photo trip report: A month in Myanmar

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Yes, plenty of it, especially in the Bayoke market in Rangoon.
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Re: Photo trip report: A month in Myanmar

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OK, cheers, I might have to try and visit sometime, I would like a couple of larger ones for my house in Hua Hin and I'm unlikely to get back to Indonesia anytime soon.
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Re: Photo trip report: A month in Myanmar

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Finally got round to finding and compiling my GoPro videos from the Myanmar trip so I spent today compressing a months worth of travelling into 5 and a half minutes!

Who is the happier man, he who has braved the storm of life and lived or he who has stayed securely on shore and merely existed? - Hunter S Thompson
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