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<\/p>\nThinking about travelling to Myanmar? Don\u2019t wait! The country formally known as Burma, is still new and enigmatic, but it\u2019s growing fast and soon tourism will be the norm. You don\u2019t wanna miss this place! There\u2019s a lot to know about the best of Myanmar travel, so to help, here’s how to prepare for backpacking in Myanmar.<\/p>\n
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I\u2019m a backpacker and travel photographer from Los Angeles, and have been cruising around the world since 2014. Thanks to a sort of gravitational pull, I always find myself somewhere in Southeast Asia. I had an incredible 3 weeks navigating this country and I would love to share my experience with you.<\/p>\n
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First, apply for the visa<\/a>. Tourist visas are valid for 28 days and cost $50 to apply. They say to allow 2 weeks to receive an approval, but I was approved the same day. It may vary depending on your passport. You can also get your visa at the embassy in Bangkok. I will say, the Myanmar visa situation is constantly changing, so check a government website before visiting just in case.<\/p>\n Will Hatton aka The Broke Backpacker<\/a>\u00a0advises: “You could easily spend two months exploring Myanmar, there is a huge amount to do here. Realistically, the longest you can easily spend in the country is six weeks \u2013 the full month visa and the fourteen days overstay that are allowed. With six weeks, I would definitely aim to explore some of the beaches of Bengal as well as the South of the country; there is some true backpacking gems down there which have yet to be properly discovered. Bagan is without a doubt the highlight of Myanmar and, if you can afford the time, I recommend spending four or five days at Bagan\u2026”<\/em><\/p>\n You can fly into Yangon or Mandalay International Airports. The cheapest way to get there is usually to fly to a regional hub such as Bangkok or Singapore, and then fly into Myanmar. If you\u2019re flexible on your date, I recommend checking out Skyscanner<\/a> to see the best time to fly.<\/p>\n They say to bring new, crisp US dollars, as there are no ATMs! You might have come across this while researching your trip. I remember reading about it while I was in the Bangkok airport, boarding my flight to Yangon. I freaked. But it\u2019s totally no worries! As of 2015, this statement doesn\u2019t really hold true anymore. Upon arrival into Myanmar, you can walk right up to an ATM and withdraw kyats (local currency) with your ATM card. Just make sure you don’t have any outrageous international charges.<\/p>\n As the country develops, the ATMs multiply. In tourist areas and larger towns, there are heaps!<\/p>\n For one person, I spent about $20-30 a day, though I was not actively trying to save money. I ate where the locals ate and spent freely on excursions and buses around Myanmar.<\/p>\n This will be the bulk of your spending. Hotels are a bit expensive because of the lack of rooms to accommodate the influx of tourists. I never booked ahead of time, but most places asked if I had a booking (though it was never a problem). During high season, I would highly recommend booking in advanced to avoid any frustrations. Download the Hostelworld app<\/a> to find the best hostels in Myanmar<\/a>, guesthouses and hotels. You can also ask the receptionist at your current guesthouse to call and book you a room at your next destination. They are happy to do it!<\/p>\n The Broke Backpacker: “These days, backpacker hostels are popping up all over Myanmar, especially along the traditional backpacker triangle – Bagan, Inle and Mandalay. Gone are the days of slumming it in a guesthouse and travelling in Myanmar is really starting to get almost too easy!”<\/em><\/p>\n Transportation can be a money grabber as well. You can save on accommodation by taking over-night buses to your next destination. I was surprised how nice some of these buses were, seeing how underdeveloped the parts of the country are. There are VIP buses that are bit pricier (around $15-20 for a 12 hour ride), but they\u2019re absolutely worth it for long journeys. If you take the VIP bus, you\u2019ll have a comfortable reclining chair, AC, blanket, TV, and they\u2019ll even provide dinner! I highly recommend taking at least one train ride and truly embracing the Burmese lifestyle.<\/p>\n A few tips on getting the train is Myanmar (courtesy of @Isabel_Clift<\/em><\/a>):<\/em><\/p>\n Comprehensive information on train travel in Myanmar, including schedules and ticket prices, can be found on\u00a0The Man in Seat 61<\/a>.<\/p>\n Its cheap, tasty and there\u2019s plenty of it! I was spending anywhere from 80 cents to $3 USD for a meal. Street food is the way to go in Myanmar. Most places give you free tea with your food, so feel free to pull up a plastic stool on the street and enjoy. Influenced by its neighbours, Myanmar cuisine is a mixture of Thai, Indian and Chinese food. One of the most interesting parts about Burmese restaurants is the way they get the attention of the server. They make a kissing sound with their lips! I thought someone was hitting on me the first time I heard this, but sadly no. Yangon is the only place in the world I\u2019ve seen people do this.<\/p>\n The Broke Backpacker: “The food in Myanmar is probably some of the least known delicacies in the world and, if you eat local, it\u2019s possible to have a banquet of about a dozen dishes for just a couple of dollars!”<\/em><\/p>\n The Broke Backpacker:“Myanmar is opening up super fast and although huge swathes of the country are still inaccessible there are now plenty of true off the beaten path adventures that can be attempted by backpackers in search of some real adventure. Crucially, it is now possible to explore large parts of Myanmar by motorbike – you can rent or buy a bike in the country and although some areas remain off limits (you cannot technically bring a bike into Bagan or Inle) it is now possible to explore large chunks of the rural countryside\u2026 If you have a tent, this makes epic backpacking adventures even more possible.<\/em><\/p>\n “Myanmar is a fantastic place to head out on a trek and the sky really is the limit\u2026 You can head off on extremely ambitious two week treks around Shan or Chin state and the Chinese Himalayas, which require special permits, are one of the last backpacker frontiers in South East Asia offering a whole bunch of un-climbed peaks\u2026 In Chin state, it\u2019s possible to stay with communities who have never even seen a backpacker before – providing you\u2019re willing to hike for several days to get there!\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n “The Myanmar \/ India border is now finally open meaning that it\u2019s possible to travel all the way from Europe to South East Asia without having to go via China\u2026 With the relaxing visa situation in Iran and a stable security situation in Pakistan, the once bustling hippie trail to Thailand is showing signs of life once more and travellers who want to discover something a little bit different can overland it to India, Nepal, Pakistan and Iran via Myanmar from South East Asia\u2026 “<\/em><\/p>\n Yangon quickly became one of my favourite cities. The chaos was stimulating and exhausting at the same time. But if you spend some time walking around, chatting to locals and expats, you\u2019ll find there\u2019s a lot more to do than meets the eye. Visit the Shwedagon Pagoda at sunrise or sunset – it\u2019s considered to be Buddhism\u2019s holiest temple. Take a seat at one of the many tea stalls on the street. Hop in a taxi, head to 19th Street downtown to sit with a mix of people and have barbecue and cold beer. Spend the afternoon on the Circular Train, where locals are selling and trading goods right on the train. Or you can go get an awesome Burmese massage for $3.50, treat yo self!<\/p>\n Rent an electric bike and explore the ancient temples of Old Bagan. Bagan actually holds the largest collection of 11th- and 12th-century temples, pagodas and ruins in the world. I recommend staying in the Nyaung U for cheaper accommodation that\u2019s still close to all the temples. If you\u2019re not too picky, you could snag your own temple to perch on for sunset.<\/p>\n Take the train from Mandalay to Hsipaw. It\u2019s absolutely one of the most scenic train rides in Myanmar so have your camera ready!<\/p>\n Trekking! All the guesthouses will book treks for you. Ask for the harder route with less foot traffic. They\u2019ll take you to a village that not everyone goes to. It\u2019s perfect for those who like to get off-the-beaten-path.<\/p>\n Probably the most touristy place in Myanmar, but it\u2019s still amazing. Find a guesthouse and book the day boat around the lake the next day. The tours stop off at different floating markets and stilt restaurants. Tip<\/strong>: I\u2019m sure you\u2019ve seen the photos of the leg-rowing fisherman. Be aware, there are some \u201cfisherman\u201d on the lake who are only there to pose for photos. So if you take a photo, they may ask for money.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Wi-Fi is almost non-existent. Sometimes a hotel or restaurant will have it, but it\u2019s frustratingly slow. If you need to be connected like me, I highly recommend getting a Ooredoo (a Myanmar carrier) SIM card at the airport when you arrive. Make sure your phone is unlocked and you can top it up as needed.<\/p>\n If you decide not to use a SIM, download the app maps.me<\/a>. <\/strong>You can download and use maps offline. Super helpful for getting around and knowing where you are.<\/p>\n The Broke Backpacker:\u00a0” I first visited back in 2011 and found myself flung into the Asia of one hundred years ago. Unlike some other places in Asia I never felt like I was getting ripped off in Myanmar. In 2011, there was very limited accommodation, no ATMs and no WiFi\u2026 the situation is changing rapidly and now Yangon even has a bustling digital nomad scene, Chiang Mai eat your heart out! The internet is admittedly fairly slow in the country but it\u2019s improving all the time and if you want to unplug for a few weeks, Myanmar is the place to do it.”<\/em><\/p>\n Expert Myanmar adventurer Marcus Allender: \u201cI\u2019ve been lucky enough to travel to all the states and divisions of Myanmar over the last few years, and I\u2019ve had a number of unforgettable overland trips. But the most enjoyable and eye-opening was probably the one from Yangon to\u00a0Dawei\u00a0in the Tanintharyi (otherwise known as Tenasserim) region in the south of the country.\u00a0<\/em>This remote area has only recently opened up to foreigners, having been shut off for fifty years, which made us feel like real pioneers! And when you go to less developed places like these it really is quite humbling how welcoming and generous people are \u2013 even more so given their poverty. People in Myanmar are known for the friendliness, but the way were treated there was something else.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cWe took a mixture of pick-up trucks and trains, and the journey itself was both challenging and bone-jarringly uncomfortable at times \u2013 but that only added to the sense of adventure. It was best simply to avoid thinking about how dangerous it was sitting on the crowded roof of a truck, hurtling down rough roads at high speed (you can also get buses down there, but we were travelling during a holiday period when they weren\u2019t running). And while trains in Myanmar can be bouncy and slow at the best of times, the railway line south from\u00a0Ye\u00a0to Dawei took things to another level: the tiny carriages twist and turn through the beautiful Tenasserim hills, literally pushing through the branches of the jungle, stopping at villages that look no different to how they would have done one hundred years ago.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cOne of the wonderful things about Myanmar is that as peace treaties are signed with rebel ethnic groups, more and more previously closed-off areas are becoming accessible \u2013 and there is rich opportunity to discover and explore hitherto unseen places. Just be prepared for basic facilities and infrastructure!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n The Broke Backpacker: “My main advice for Myanmar? – Get out of the tourists traps of Inle and Mandalay (definitely still head to Bagan, it\u2019s unreal) and go find your own adventure in the mountains of the North, the jungles of the South or along the Western Coastline\u2026”<\/em><\/p>\n I hope this was helpful! Have fun, stay safe, and enjoy the adventure. Go Myanmar!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n If you liked this article, check out:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":59,"featured_media":138162,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"hw_hurry":"Bagan is the highlight, so rent an electric bike for the temples and stay in Nyaung U for cheaper rooms nearby.\nTourist visas cost $50 and last 28 days, and you can now withdraw kyats from ATMs, so you don't need crisp dollars.\nSave on beds with overnight buses, where VIP seats cost around $15 to $20 for a 12-hour ride with dinner included.","hw_related":"[{\"id\":2790,\"score\":0.8268999999999999683808482586755417287349700927734375,\"hook\":\"\"},{\"id\":32498,\"score\":0.62380000000000002113864638886298052966594696044921875,\"hook\":\"\"},{\"id\":1271226,\"score\":0.67679999999999995718980017045396380126476287841796875,\"hook\":\"\"},{\"id\":30547,\"score\":0.5946000000000000174082970261224545538425445556640625,\"hook\":\"\"},{\"id\":1286,\"score\":0.578699999999999992184029906638897955417633056640625,\"hook\":\"\"},{\"id\":79443,\"score\":0.6349000000000000198951966012828052043914794921875,\"hook\":\"\"}]","footnotes":""},"categories":[9473],"tags":[264393,264421,264357],"class_list":["post-31669","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travel-tips","tag-asia","tag-myanmar","tag-travel-tips","wpbf-post"],"yoast_head":"\nPreparing your travel money<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\nFinding Accommodation\u00a0in\u00a0Myanmar<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\nMyanmar Transport<\/h2>\n
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Food in Myanmar<\/h2>\n
Best things to do in Myanmar<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\nTop 10 Myanmar Travel Destinations<\/h2>\n
Yangon<\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\nBagan<\/h3>\n
Mandalay<\/h3>\n
Hsipaw<\/h3>\n
Inle Lake<\/h3>\n
Internet connectivity in Myanmar<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\nA little inspiration<\/h2>\n
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