The Mysterious Myanmar

While the rest of the South East Asian courtesies like Vietnam and Cambodia are fast opening up for the foreign tourists after a long period of the cold war when they were hidden under the iron curtain, one country has remained closed for the foreign tourists. Its Myanmar most popularly known as Burma, its not that it’s a communist country that does not allow entry to the foreign tourists but the corrupt and non democratic military junta that has been ruling this beautiful country for decades now is the main reason behind the foreign tourists not considering Myanmar as a tourist spot. But if you take the dictatorship out of the equation then there is no way that Myanmar can be stopped from becoming the fore runner in the tourism industry of the region. The reason is its breath taking scenic beauty that has remained unaltered and the stunning historical buildings and sites that has always caught the imagination of the foreign tourists before the time when the military junta came in to power.

The new capital of Myanmar is the remote town of Mandalay which has been built in the past few decades to create a safe haven for the ruling elite of the country. But the real city of the Myanmar that has a lot of history attached to it is Yangon. You can find a cheap flight to Yangon from most of the major regional airports, especially that of China and Vietnam who have a warm relationship with the current government which is facing sanctions from the most of the world. The only direct flight for Yangon from Europe goes from Frankfurt with the Lufthansa so if you are not in the region then it will be good option to fly with Lufthansa.

Yangon is still the economic and social hub of the country and the hassle in its streets resemble closely to the other major cities in the region. There are quite a few hotels in the city but it will be difficult to find any thing luxurious here as the sanctions put on by the international community has resulted in a decline in foreign investments so there are not many five star hotels in the country. But you can find a decent hotel at a competitive price quite easily and it will be a wise idea to research a little to find the best price and facilities as there are quite a few rip offs in the tourism industry of the Myanmar. In the city of Yangon the greatest attraction is the Shwedagon Paya Stupa which will be glittering in the sun if you arrive in Yangon in the day time and will be crimson gold if you look at it in the afternoon. There are many other stupas and other historical buildings in the city that are worth visiting.

For beholding the breath taking natural beauty of the country head to Kalaw in the northern Myanmar. It is fast becoming a favorite destination for the back packers that want to enjoy an awesome trekking experience but don’t have that much money to spend on their ventures. Inhle Lake in the region will provide you with the excellent location for a camp site because of its gorgeous natural settings.