Short URL: http://tnot.es/MM - National Anthem of Myanmar.
Officially called the Union of Myanmar, Myanma Naingngandaw, the
country was known as Burma until June 19th, 1989.
Myanmar
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Bagan, Burma
Travellers, Burmese Culture and Language, Ethnic Groups in Burma, Getting Around Myanmar, Getting
to Burma, Inle Lake, Irrawaddy, Mandalay, Map of Myanmar, Myanmar Sightseeing, Myanmar Tours, Myanmar Travel Guides, Myanmar Visas,
Upper and Lower Myanmar, Yangon.
Countries neighbouring Myanmar are: Bangladesh,
India, China, Laos
and Thailand.
The administrative capital of Myanmar is Naypyidaw; a planned city
about 320km north of the previous capital, Rangoon (Yangon).
The coastal region is known as Lower Myanmar, while the interior
region is known as Upper Myanmar.
The seven-day visa seems to be a thing of the past, and you should
be able to travel more leisurely with the thirty-day visas now on offer. The situation
could always change overnight though.
You are officially required to change $300 into Foreign Exchange
Certificates at the inflated official rates; similar to the system once used in China.
An isolated and remote country, unspoiled by mass tourism, Burma
is for the traveller, not the average tourist.
Airlines and Airports:
Getting to Burma means flying. Myanmar Airways fly to and from Bangkok daily. There are
also flights from Hong Kong and Singapore.
Thai and Biman also fly from Bangkok and Dhaka, and if you're coming
from China, Air China will fly you in from Kunming.
Aeroflot also have connections in the region through Bombay, Vietnam
and Laos.
Myanmar by Air
As the seven-day visa seems to be no more, there is no real need to
fly with the Fokkers around the Yangon - Bagan- Mandalay - Heho circuit.
Myanmar by Road
Buses and pick-ups can get crowded, and road is not the preferred way
of travel from Yangon to Mandalay.
Myanmar by Train
Daily Yangon to Mandalay express trains leave in the evenings for the
14 hour journey. There are other trains, but just getting the tickets can be an ordeal.
Myanmar by Boat
You could spend a week of your thirty-day visa getting up the
Irrawaddy. Most people prefer to go by train to Mandalay, and take the boat down to Bagan.
The former capital city of Myanmar is still known in some circles
by the British name of Rangoon.
Yangon is located in the southern part of the country, in the
Irrawaddy delta.
King Alaungpaya, or Alompra, founder of the last dynasty of Burmese
kings, chose the site as the administrative capital of Lower Burma in the mid-1750s, and
named it Yangon - the end of strife.
Rangoon was captured by the British in 1824, but they relinquished
control two years later.
It again come under British rule at the end of the Second
Anglo-Burmese War, in 1852, and was occupied by Japanese forces during World War II.
When Burma gained independence in 1948, Rangoon became its capital.
Accommodation in Yangon
Hotels
in Yangon:
Find hotels in Yangon with special online rates.
Compare Myanmar Hotel Prices
Bagan, Inle Lake, Kengtung, Mandalay, Nyaung Shwe, Yangon.
The World Peace Pagoda was built here in 1952; in honour of the
2,500th anniversary of the death of the Buddha.
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Shwedagon Pagoda:
This ancient Buddhist shrine, the most sacred temple in Myanmar, is almost 100 m high and
coated in gold leaf that shimmers in the sunlight. |
The Sule Pagoda, in the centre of Yangon, is also over
2,000 years old.
Mandalay is Mayanmar's second city. Its many monasteries and
pagodas attract almost everybody up the Irrawaddy from Yangon.
Mandalay was the last capital of the independent Kingdom of Burma,
until it was captured by the British in 1885.
Accommodation in Mandalay
Hotels
in Mandalay:
Find hotels in Mandalay with special online rates.
Formerly called Pagan, this deserted city had thousands of temples
scattered around the area, before Kublai Khan rode through in 1287.
Most of the important sights have been restored and reconstructed.
Bagan:
Known as the city of four million pagodas, Bagan is one of the richest archaeological
sites in Asia.
The official language of Myanmar is Burmese - Myanmar, with the
Myanmar alphabet based on Sanskrit.
The Burmese are racially akin to the Tibetans and the Chinese.
Indigenous minorities have their own languages and cultures and
each minority group has its own state.
The Karen
Traditionally, most Karens are farmers who farm the nutrient rich
soils of southern Burma and eastern Thailand. The religion of the Karen majority is
Animism and Buddhism although there is a sizeable population of Christians among the
Karens.
The Karen.
The Chin
Related to ethnic groups in neighbouring Assam State, India, and live
in the north-western mountainous region. They are mostly hunters and fishermen and are
often ruled by head priests.
The Kachin
Hill people concentrated in the far north of the country and ruled by
hereditary leaders.
The Mon-Khmer
Believed to be the first major ethnic group to have migrated to the
area live mostly in the delta region.
The Shan
Related to the Thai, live mainly in the hills along the Thai border.
Myanmar's principal river, also called the Ayeyarwady, is formed
in the north of the country by the confluence of the Mali and Nmai rivers.
The river is navigable by steamers all year as far north as Bhamo, and
smaller boats can travel up the river to Myitkyina even during the low-water season from
October to February.
One of the few areas in the Shan states that foreigners are
allowed to visit.
The Inlelake-area is one of the nicest areas to stay a while longer
when you are travelling through Myanmar.
Backpacking in
The Golden Land:
More than 120 photos and a travelogue about an adventurous journey to Myanmar in November,
2000. Travel tips, country info, book reviews and FAQ. Follow Bernhard Heiser on a
fantastic trip.
Burmese
Days - Photo Gallery:
Alex Sievers presents his quality images taken on a four week trip through Burma, during
the monsoon. Images from Rangoon, Bago, Pyay, Mandalay, Bagan, Kyaiktiyo, Kalaw and Inle
Lake.
Myanmar Festivals
Get more out of your visit to Myanmar by planning to coincide with one
of the many cultural festivals around the country.
Travel
to Myanmar:
Browse Amazon's best-selling list of books on travel in Myanmar.
Regional Directory - Search
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