BURMA

BURMA

From Heaven:

hii everyone!!

 

You see this is my first entry in this Blog.Right now I am in BURMA now known as MYANMAR and i thought i might shed some light on the country and some interesting insiders for people wanting to visit this place.

 

MISCONCEPTIONS

 

* Yes there is military rule in the country but that does not make it a bad place and frankly speaking becasue of the military rule the crime rate is minimal.

 

* No it is not a backward country.The captiol city YANGON is a completely modern city with six lane roads,shopping malls etc.In fact it is much more ahead than the big cities of INDIA.

 

* You do not have to fear about anything if you are visiting as a tourist.The Government promotes tourism and tourists are very well treated by everyone.

 

WHEN TO GO

Climate wise, the best season for visiting Myanmar is November to February, when it rains least and isn't too hot. If you're hitting the hill stations or the Rakhine coast, try March to May - on the other hand, Bagan and Mandalay are intolerable during these months. Myanmar is least crowded in May, June and September.

EVENTS

Festivals are drawn-out, enjoyable affairs and generally take place or culminate on full-moon days. There's often a country fair atmosphere about these celebrations, and they may feature stalls, pwes, music and boxing bouts. Independence Day on 4 January is marked by a seven-day fair in Yangon. Around the middle of April, the three-day Thingyan (water festival) starts the Burman new year. This is the height of the hot season, and it is sensibly celebrated by throwing buckets of cold water at anyone who dares venture into the streets. Girls chase boys through the streets, covering their bound victims in soot and parading them about; later, cows and fish are dressed up, adorned and set free by processions of dancing drummers. In October, the sober three-month Buddhist 'Lent' ends and the Festival of Light celebrates Buddha's return from heaven. For three days Myanmar is lit up by fire balloons and paper lanterns and families make offerings at the local pagoda.

 

Money & Costs

Currency: Kyat

Meals

• Budget: K12-18

• Mid-range: K18-60

• High: K60-90

• Deluxe: K90+
  
  Lodging
  

• Budget: K10-18

• Mid-range: K18-60

• High: K60-120

• Deluxe: K120+

Myanmar's compulsory exchange requirement, which compelled foreigners to change US$200 dollars to FECs (Foreign Exchange Certificates) upon arrival in the country, was scrapped in September 2003. As travellers' cheques cannot be changed into the local currency, and there are no ATMs, cash is the only way to go. US dollars give the best exchange rate.

Costs will vary depending on whether you use officially approved hotels and transport or take the increasingly available opportunity to arrange your own. US$20 a day will get you a room in a budget hotel.If you're travelling very cheaply, you can get by on about $10 a day. If you want your own bathroom and a choice of restaurants, budget $25-30 a day. Flying or taking express trains would add about $5 a day to that budget. If you want to stay somewhere fancy, you can pay anywhere between $25 and $300 a night.

Tipping is not really part of the Burmese culture, but 'presents' are. A minor bribe will get you a long way with Burmese bureaucrats. Money isn't necessary - cigarettes and pens will speed things up a bit, foreign t-shirts will work miracles.

 

ATTRACTIONS

 

Yangon (Rangoon)

Yangon lies in the fertile delta country of southern Myanmar on the Yangon River. Although the population hovers around 4 million, the city seems so full of trees and shade that some neighbourhoods are practically jungle, giving it a totally different feel from other Asian cities of comparable size.

At night, Yangon's wide boulevards come alive with hordes of stalls selling delicious food and piles of huge cigars. If you can close your eyes to the decay of the old colonial architecture downtown, you'll probably agree that this is one of the most charming cities in Asia.

 

 

 

 

From Heaven (feed)
See also links to this feed and more from this feed