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Travel advice for Myanmar (Burma)
From travel safety to visa requirements, discover the best tips for traveling to Myanmar (Burma)
Book your individual trip, stress-free with local travel experts
written by Jo James
updated 8.10.2018
While researching the new Rough Guide to Myanmar (Burma), Jo James discovered the Tanintharyi Division – a blissful corner of the country that has only recently opened up to travellers.
As we coasted downhill towards the village I tried, briefly and unsuccessfully, to suppress a grin. The road ahead curved along a soft sweep of sand. The village, San Hlan – a few rows of wooden huts topped with shaggy palm-frond roofs – ran right down to the water’s translucent edge. Teak fishing boats the colour of dark chocolate bobbed in the bay, primary coloured flags fluttering from bow and stern. Just beyond, the Andaman Sea stretched to the horizon, a sheet of silky blue. Try not smiling with that kind of view.
I was just outside the town of Dawei in Myanmar’s southern Tanintharyi Division, researching the new Rough Guide to Myanmar. Until recently Tanintharyi was a rather tricky place to visit. Foreign travellers were restricted to flying in and out of the three main cities (Dawei, Myeik and Kawthoung), and day trips to places like San Hlan were impossible unless you were in possession of a sheaf of permits from Yangon or Naypyidaw. Tantalising rumours of the Myeik Archipelago’s islands leaked from the visitors who made it that far – along with James Bond-esque tales of island military bases, crony-owned casinos and semi-aquatic sea gypsies – but there was little information about the mainland beyond.
Image by Jo James
Late in 2013 the travel restrictions were relaxed, and it’s now possible to travel as far south as Myeik overland. (Between Myeik and Kawthoung it’s still necessary to fly or take one of the boats that thread through the edge of the archipelago, passing palm-edged islands and scaring up shoals of flying fish – a rare instance of official restrictions being anything other than an annoyance.)
While the Myeik Archipelago may be Tanintharyi’s main draw, the coastline around Dawei is the surprise star. With a motorbike, a full tank of petrol and a sense of adventure you’re free to beach-hunt at will. Fishing villages spill right down to the gloriously clear water at San Hlan and elsewhere, a lone golden stupa looks out over the Andaman Sea at Shin Maw, and dirt tracks lead to gorgeous stretches of sand everywhere. Save for the fishermen, there’s seldom another person in sight.
Image by Jo James
The region’s tourist industry is still in its infancy. Thirty minutes’ drive north of Dawei, Maungmagan Beach is the only spot on the coast that’s even remotely prepared for visitors, with one government ‘resort’ and the charming Coconut Guesthouse near its dark sand beach – oddly one of the less attractive in the area. Dawei itself is the most convenient base for exploring the beaches south of Maungmagan. Fortunately the small town has plenty of decent accommodation and a pleasing lack of sights – there’s little to distract you from getting out to the coast.
The only shadow on the sunlit horizon is the question of how long Dawei’s alluringly undeveloped shoreline will remain intact. Just a few hundred miles north of Phuket, the area will be catnip for hotel developers. While I was in San Hlan the fishermen told stories of mysterious businessmen who were already busy buying up swathes of the coastline for a pittance, in preparation for a future property boom.
Image by Jo James
The Myanmar government also has grand plans for Dawei, with a vast deep-sea port planned for the ridiculously long Nabule Beach. I rode out to there during my visit to see the project site. A wide, sandy track led to the isolated shoreline, and a series of ambitious signs stood in front of scrubby deserted lots, proclaiming things like “LNG Terminal – 35 Acres” and “Main Port 2km”. However, in 2013 the lead developer was booted off the development, and while there is a chance that it will be resuscitated, the port is in limbo for the time being.
Where the access road met the shore, a lone flagpole stood with the Myanmar flag whipping in the wind. Six fishermen were building a bamboo raft in preparation for a festival a few days later. The villagers would gather on the beach to push the raft, decked with tinsel and carrying a Buddha statue, into the waves to protect their boats for another year. While Dawei’s days as a beautiful backwater may be numbered, for now the area is still home for the fishing communities who have lived here for generations – as well as a handful of grinning travellers.
The Rough Guide to Myanmar (Burma) will be released in February 2015, but you can buy the Rough Guides Snapshot Myanmar (Burma) here, and you can explore Burma in depth with this immersive guide.
10 days / from2372 USD
Old World Myanmar
Myanmar offers visitors a tantalisingly exotic culture of gilded stupas, red-robed monks and elaborately carved teak palaces. Discover the country’s rich cultural heritage as you take in its spectacular charms.
customize ⤍9 days / from2840 USD
Myanmar Family Adventure
An ideal short tour for families and first-time visitors to get a glimpse of what Myanmar is all about, discover the land of rice and rivers, breath-taking pagodas and stupas. Meet the locals in Mandalay, Yangon and Inle Lake and sleep on the Ayeyarwady for a real family adventure.
customize ⤍4 days / from383 USD
Love Yangon
Explore the intriguing architecture, captivating art and delightful culinary scene of Yangon with a visit to Myanmar’s bustling former capital.
customize ⤍10 days / from3427 USD
Myanmar Dreams
One of the least developed countries in Southeast Asia, Myanmar offers a magical visitor experience. From your base in some of the country's most deluxe resorts, get out and explore the untouched treasures that Myanmar has to offer.
customize ⤍9 days / from1126 USD
Classical Myanmar
Experience the best of Myanmar with this trip of a lifetime. See historic Yangon, before moving on to the great plains of beautiful Bagan with its ancient Buddhist pagodas. Discover Mandalay’s hidden gems, see ancient capitals and boat around Inle Lake.
customize ⤍12 days / from4044 USD
Famous Waterways of Myanmar: Inle Lake and the Irrawaddy River
Experience Myanmar as never before: cruise along the Irrawaddy River, take a boat trip around Inle Lake and Sagar, and fly over Bagan and its many temples in a hot-air balloon. This comprehensive trip also explores the cities of Yangon and Mandalay.
customize ⤍10 days / from2071 USD
Myanmar In-Depth
Get to know this fascinating and exotic country in more depth with this unique trip, which has been specially created to give a more in-depth understanding of Myanmar and its culture, and includes visits to Yangon, Inle Lake, Mandalay, and Bagan.
customize ⤍7 days / from1532 USD
Myanmar Honeymoon
Myanmar is the perfect destination for couples in search of a romantic getaway that marries luxury and indulgence with the sense of discovering a rich vein of cultural heritage. Visit the plains of Bagan with its many temple complexes, and luxuriate on the shores of Lake Inle, and much more.
customize ⤍8 days / from1390 USD
The Flavours of Myanmar: A Culinary Journey
Discover the tastes and flavours of Myanmar with this unique, culinary-themed trip. Frequent the teahouses of Yangon, learn how to cook traditional Burmese dishes in Bagan, sample local specialties in Mandalay, and then continue to Inle Lake, home of the Intha people, before returning to Yangon.
customize ⤍5 days / from842 USD
Majesty and Mystery in Myanmar
Less well-known than neighbouring Thailand, Myanmar is a country that still retains an air of exotic mystery. Discover it for yourself on this unique trip, which has been specially created to develop a greater understanding of this alluring country.
customize ⤍6 days / from1155 USD
Mesmerising Myanmar
Myanmar is a mesmerising and exotic land, shrouded in mystery and cloaked in spirituality. The mere mention of its name conjures up images of golden Buddhist stupas piercing dense smokey fog. This unique trip takes in some of Myanmar's most impressive and mesmeric sites.
customize ⤍13 days / from2049 USD
Myanmar’s Ancient Treasures
From the old-world charms of Yangon to the lush rice paddies of the Ayeyarwady Delta and the iconic sights that surround modern Mandalay, now is the time to visit the jungle clad hills and central river valleys of Myanmar.
customize ⤍4 days / from890 USD
Mrauk U: Myanmar's Best-Kept Secret
Discover the ancient city of Mrauk U with this unique trip. Formerly a major trading port, Mrauk U was once the wealthiest city in Asia. Today, it remains Myanmar's best-kept secret: its well-preserved archeological remains are surrounded by atmospheric misty hills, just waiting to be discovered.
customize ⤍10 days / from2508 USD
Off the Beaten Track in Southern Myanmar
This exciting, active trip is split into two parts: the first takes in the best that Southern Myanmar has to offer, including Yangon and Inle Lake; whilst the second ventures off the beaten track, exploring ancient pagodas, rivers, mountains and caves.
customize ⤍11 days / from2946 USD
Myanmar Highlights
A visit to Myanmar is a magical experience. Explore Yangon, with its busy harbour bustling markets and glistening pagodas. Encounter meditating Buddhas and traditional villages, and be awestruck by mystical Mandalay’s hidden gems.
customize ⤍Book hostels for your trip, and don't forget to purchase travel insurance before you go.
written by Jo James
updated 8.10.2018
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