Burmese culture combines many influences from the indigenous Mon people, neighboring countries, British colonial rule, and Buddhism. Buddhism’s impact on everyday Burmese life is easy to see; no matter where you go, you’re likely to stumble across a brilliant golden pagoda or monks wrapped in burgundy-colored robes. Continue searching, and you’ll uncover Myanmar’s rich arts and cultural heritage such as traditional marionettes, music and dance, elaborate garments, and masterful handicrafts.

Myanmar today is a fascinating blend of ancient traditions and 21st-century modernization. The former capital of Yangon (Rangoon) remains the country’s largest city, commercial hub, and home to striking high rise buildings and modern amenities. As you pass sleek, state-of-the-art buildings, you may also come across thousand-year-old ruins teeming with history.

When visiting Myanmar, it’s important to remember that the country recently emerged from many years of isolation. While the Burmese are known for their warm hospitality, many people have had limited exposure to diverse cultures and customs. Please make sure to be extra sensitive to local traditions and practices. In addition to your tour guide’s suggestions, follow these guidelines and your Myanmar trip is sure to go smoothly.

In Myanmar, conservative clothing tends to be the norm. Whether you’re at a temple or strolling along a major street, it is a good idea to keep yourself well-covered. At Buddhist pagodas and sacred sites, it is absolutely critical to dress modestly. Bare legs or shoulders are considered offensive, so please wear a long skirt or pants, and cover your shoulders, arms, and torso. It is also customary to remove your shoes when you enter a temple or private home. Emotions tend to be reserved as well, so strive to keep strong feelings to yourself and avoid public displays of affection.

Burmese Buddhist traditions dictate that a person’s head is the most esteemed part of the body and the feet are the dirtiest. Make sure to not touch a person’s head, show the soles of your feet, and to touch or point at anything with your feet. For modesty reasons, men should avoid touching Burmese women on any part of the body, and women should avoid touching monks. Please do not step on a monk’s shadow, and take care to avoid crossing your legs in front of monks and elders -- these groups are highly respected in Burmese society. It is also polite to accept offerings or gifts with both hands.

Lastly, reverence to the Buddha is critically important in Myanmar. Please make sure to never turn your back to a Buddha image. Also, do not display potentially offensive images of the Buddha (for example, ones that are more secular rather than sacred in nature). If you have a Buddha tattoo, please make sure to keep that area of your body fully covered at all times.

Myanmar cuisine is a true cornucopia! Culinary influences come from Burma's indigenous peoples, as well as China, India, and colonial Britain. You can sample everything from traditional favorites to crisp samosas, fried tohu (with tofu and chickpeas), and steaming cups of tea. In Myanmar, dishes also vary from region to region. Rice, noodles, and soups are common staples found throughout most of the country. However, since growing rice is difficult in the highland regions, the locals typically rely on millet, wheat, or sorghum.

In Myanmar’s rich culinary diversity, you’ll find a few common threads: strong sour and savory flavors, a bounty of salads and fresh vegetables, and fish sauce. Unlike Thai and Indian cuisine, Burmese food isn’t usually too hot or spicy. You’ll want to try mohinga -- widely considered Myanmar’s national dish and often eaten for breakfast. This fortifying meal includes a rich fish and shallot broth with mounds of rice noodles, morsels of catfish, and crisp vegetables. Curries are also common and feature a wide range of proteins such as fish, pork, beef, lamb, or shrimp. Side dishes often include fluffy rice, a scattering of fried vegetables, and a salad.

Myanmar offers a staggering number of salads! These refreshing side dishes often have vegetables, fruit, and plenty of other unique additions. Laphet is a famous example and combines tea leaves, dried shrimp, fried peas and garlic, and peanuts. This salad may look a bit strange at first, but it’s crunchy, delicious, and offers a nice dose of caffeine. In addition to salads, Burmese tea culture is equally fascinating. Myanmar has borrowed and reshaped tea traditions (green tea from China, black tea from Great Britain, and milk from India) to make satisfying brews that are truly Burmese at heart. Interestingly, tea in Myanmar can be sipped or even eaten.

If you sit down for a meal with locals, you’ll likely be served tea -- although the elderly will be served first out of respect. Expect to sit on a mat around a low, circular table. In Myanmar, every dish is typically placed on the table at the same time (rather than served course by course). You’ll be delighted at the variety; most meals include many mouthwatering foods to enjoy!

Domestic and International Flights
Yangon, Mandalay, and the capital city Naypyidaw are home to Myanmar’s major international airports. Currently, most of Myanmar’s international flights take you to surrounding countries like Thailand, Vietnam, China, and Malaysia. Domestic air travel is a fast and convenient way to see this beautiful country, and you can catch flights to Yangon, Bagan, Mandalay, and Inle Lake with relative ease.

Boats and Cruises
Myanmar is home to a variety of waterways that are perfect for boat travel. From the fabled Irrawaddy River and picturesque Inle Lake to the coastal regions, you'll find so much to explore. Enjoy the relaxing, slower pace of boat travel as you take in views of beautiful waterscapes. When sailing through Myanmar, you can also select from a wide range of boat styles and comfort levels including small ferries, private boats, and luxury cruise ships.

Taxis
Driving conditions in Myanmar are fairly poor and obtaining driving permission is especially complicated. There are plenty of licensed taxis in Myanmar, and taxi travel is usually preferable to taking a rental car. In Myanmar, it’s also customary to negotiate the taxi price before the ride begins. If you’re in Yangon, you can make use of a ridesharing service such as Uber or Grab.

Health
Before you travel to Myanmar, please be sure to take a few precautions to ensure your health and safety, as well as prevent serious illnesses. Healthcare in Myanmar continues to develop, and Yangon does have decent hospitals. However, medical care is still fairly poor overall in Myanmar, and needles are not always clean. We highly recommend that you purchase high-quality travel insurance. In the case of an emergency, your coverage can ensure that you’re taken to a well-equipped medical facility -- potentially outside of the country. We also strongly encourage you to travel with a basic first aid kit and bring items such as mosquito netting, strong insect repellent, painkillers, and medications to safeguard against common ailments. In Myanmar, mosquitos may carry malaria and/or zika, so it is especially important to protect yourself from bites.

Travel Insurance
No matter where you travel, All Asia Tours always highly recommends that you purchase travel insurance. Unfortunately, serious accidents can happen in any country and without warning. In the event of a medical emergency, the likelihood of having to be transferred to a nearby country for medical treatment substantially increases in Myanmar (compared to the rest of Southeast Asia). Please make sure that your travel insurance is comprehensive and covers emergency medical flights, evacuations, expenses, and all other potential health- related situations.

Vaccinations
It is recommended that you update your measles-mumps- rubella (MMR) vaccine, diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine, varicella (chickenpox) vaccine, and polio vaccine. In addition, hepatitis A & B, typhoid, Japanese encephalitis, and rabies vaccinations are recommended. Please also be advised that certain vaccinations and special prescription medications can take time to be fully effective. We strongly encourage you to visit your doctor at least 6 weeks before your trip. For more information, please visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. There is no risk of yellow fever in Myanmar, however, proof of yellow fever vaccination is mandatory if you are coming from or have recently visited a yellow fever zone. Please note -- this is an international regulation.

While Traveling...
Take care to only drink bottled water, brush your teeth with bottled water, and be cautious about any drinks that are served with ice cubes -- especially at food stalls. The ice could be made from contaminated water. It’s also a good idea to pay close attention to food handling and preparation at street stalls/market vendors to avoid consuming raw or partially cooked fish and meat. Avoid mosquito and insect bites by regularly using insect repellent and mosquito netting (when available), as well as wearing neutral-colored clothing with long sleeves, pants, and socks. Please also make sure to take extra, meticulous care to avoid mosquitos at all times of the day.

Safety
Many regions of Myanmar are safe for travelers. You rarely have to worry about scams or other types of hassles. Petty theft and crime are extremely rare, especially compared to neighboring countries. To protect yourself from potential problems, pay close attention to your guide’s recommendations, practice common sense, and purchase travel insurance to protect yourself from theft, loss, or other problems. Please also make sure to consider the important points below:

Insect & Animal Bites
As previously noted, mosquitos can pose major health problems in Myanmar, so make sure to take careful safety measures. Some rural areas of Myanmar may have quite a few rodents, and some regions also have significant numbers of monkeys. These animals may bite, so take care to protect yourself, keep your distance, and store food away.

Scams and Petty Crime
In Myanmar, penalties for crimes -- especially against foreigners -- are exceptionally strict. As a result, scams in Myanmar are quite minor, and you rarely need to worry about bag-snatching or pick-pocketing. Please be careful of people trying to sell you jewels or gems on the street; the vast majority of these stones are fake. Some locals may also try to get you to visit a particular souvenir shops so they can receive a commission.

Road Safety
The road system in Myanmar is still developing, and some roads are not in good condition. In cities, drivers don’t always follow the rules of the road, so pay careful attention when traveling by vehicle or crossing streets as a pedestrian.

Official Language: Burmese
Locals will greatly appreciate it if you use a few key phrases in Burmese. We highly recommend that you travel with a Burmese phrase book and try saying some basic words such as:

'Mingalaba' = Hello / Goodbye
‘Kyeizu tin ba deh’ = Thank you
‘Kyeizu pyu yue’ = Please
'Taung pan par tal’ or ‘Wun neh ba deh’ = I'm sorry (or ‘Sorry naw’ works, too)

Currency: Kyat (MMK)
Kyat is Myanmar’s preferred currency, so expect to make most -- if not all -- your purchases with it. There are thousands of ATMs in Myanmar, and you’ll have no trouble finding one in a major city. It also pays to shop around for the best exchange rates. Crumpled bills may or may not be accepted for exchange, so it’s best to call your local bank in advance and request the cleanest, most pristine bills possible. In Yangon and other Burmese tourist destinations, credit cards are increasingly accepted by high-end hotels and shops.

Time Zone: GMT+6.30h
Myanmar doesn’t follow Daylight Saving Time; Myanmar time (MMT) is followed throughout the entire year.
During Daylight Saving Time, if it is noon (PST) in the United States, then it is 1:30 AM in Myanmar. When Daylight Saving Time ends, noon (PST) is 12:30 AM in Myanmar.

Internet Access: Since Myanmar recently opened its doors to the outside world, internet access is not as prevalent or streamlined here compared to other Southeast Asian nations. In large cities, Wi-Fi is available for customers in most of deluxe hotels, but it can be fairly unstable.

Electricity:
Myanmar’s electrical infrastructure is still developing. Blackouts can occur almost anywhere -- including major cities like Yangon. In addition, local power sources in many remote towns only operate during night hours. Plenty of hotels have their own generators, but these are not always stable and sometimes supply limited hours of electricity during the day.
Voltage: 230V
Frequency: 50hz

Common Plug Types: C, D, F, and G
Myanmar uses many different plug types, so we highly recommend that you bring universal plug adapters.

Burmese New Year: Thingyan
Thingyan, Myanmar’s most important festival, follows the lunar calendar and takes place over a few days in mid-April. This combination New Year’s celebration and water festival is an exciting, joyful experience -- a perfect time to take a Myanmar trip! However, please be aware that some stores and businesses may be closed, and travel may be more challenging than normal, so make sure to plan well in advance. Please also note that International New Year’s Day (January 1st) is not a public holiday in Myanmar.

At All Asia Tours, we are always happy to provide you with the extensive advice and information you need as you prepare for your journey. Please never hesitate to ask.