Myanmar Summary

🛑 BIG DOUG UPDATE (2026): The Climate Has Changed

Since Barbie and I took this trip, the political situation in Myanmar has completely flipped. In February 2021, a military coup d’état threw the country back under a brutal, repressive military regime, sparking widespread civil war and major conflict across the country.  Virtually every major government—including the US, Canada, and Australia—now lists Myanmar as a Level 4: DO NOT TRAVEL zone due to armed violence, explosions in major cities, and the risk of arbitrary detention.

Beyond the obvious safety hazards, you also have to weigh the heavy ethical dilemma: by visiting right now, your tourist dollars directly line the pockets of a repressive regime. The following post below reflects our authentic flashpacker experience, back in 2016, during a unique window of democratic opening—but the realities on the ground today are a completely different,

Note, the below post is my reflection of Myanmar back on our 2016 trip.

Myanmar: Stepping Into Southeast Asia’s Ultimate Time Warp

Myanmar, the largest country in Southeast Asia, also happens to be the least visited in the region. That’s largely due to the controversial military dictatorship that controlled the country in recent years.  A lot of people have been scared of visiting because they fear it might be dangerous or volatile.  However, the truth is that for foreign travelers, the country is probably the safest in the entire region.

Part of Myanmar’s appeal is all the mystery.  Unlike other Southeast Asian countries, you will find very little comprehensive information online, which only adds to the allure of this once heavily closed-off nation.

The Rapid Opening of Burma

Myanmar (formerly known as Burma) was isolated under that military dictatorship for decades, but it is now undergoing major political changes and opening up to tourism.  Under the old regime, every foreigner who visited was required to register and log basically every single step of their trip. Over the last several years, that situation has completely changed.  There is far less regulation for tourists now, and no need to log your trip details in most areas. In fact, I rarely saw any military or police presence during my entire time in Burma.

With a massive flow of foreign investment and a steady increase in visitors, the country is changing fast.  Because Burma was isolated for so long, a visit here can feel like stepping back in time into a world that has been cut off from modern society.  You will see rickshaws, crumbling colonial ruins, people wearing the traditional longyi cloth with thanaka bark smeared on their faces, and cows roaming the dusty streets.

You can really turn back the clock here.  There’s no such thing as a 7-Eleven or even a Starbucks, which seem to be on every single street corner in the other Southeast Asian countries we’ve visited. Even McDonald’s has not yet succeeded in bringing their brand of tasty poison into Myanmar.  The country has also yet to be completely overwhelmed by Western clothing; it was really cool seeing the locals still proudly dressed in their traditional clothing.

Flashpacking a Changing Circuit

Myanmar is fast becoming the must-visit country for backpackers in Southeast Asia.  My initial impression upon landing in the busy capital city of Yangon was that it looks exactly like Asia did 20 years ago.  It still offers a genuine experience, far away from the masses you find in neighboring countries.  My best advice is to go there right now, before it is completely overrun by foreigners and before things change too dramatically.

Because changes are happening so quickly, I found it a bit challenging to locate up-to-date information on what to expect.  Fortunately, the country is starting to get its shit together, and the usual obstacles and hassles of traveling here have been significantly alleviated:

• Cash: There are now ATMs available to get cash, meaning you no longer have to bring a massive wad of pristine US currency for your entire stay.
• Connectivity: SIM cards are readily available for an unlocked iPhone, which is quite helpful for internet access since the Wi-Fi in most areas still kinda sucks.
• Visas: Visas are much easier to obtain now via their online e-visa program, eliminating the need to wait in long lines at local embassies.
• Transit: A bunch of domestic airlines are now operating between major cities. In years past, long, uncomfortable, bumpy, vomit-inducing buses were your only mode of transport.

The times when Myanmar was a well-kept secret and completely “off the beaten track” are mostly gone.  Many foreigners formerly boycotted the country at the request of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi to avoid contributing money to the repressive military regime.  But as Myanmar opens up, sanctions lift, and life rapidly changes, more travelers are venturing in.  Since 2011, tourism has doubled every single year, with well over 1 million visitors arriving in 2015.  The good news is that a highly efficient tourist infrastructure is beginning to be put into place to make travel here quite easy.

The Hit List:

Myanmar is a country filled with incredible and sometimes completely surreal sites. If you are planning a route, the most popular core destinations on the traveler circuit are:

• Yangon: The bustling, atmospheric capital.
• Mandalay: The cultural heart and former royal capital.
• Bagan: The massive, unforgettable plain of ancient temples.
• Inle Lake: Famous for its stilt-house villages and unique fishermen.
• Ngapali Beach: The go-to stretch of coastline for some relaxation.

If you want to get further off the beaten path, you can easily visit smaller, quieter places such as Hsipaw, Mawlamyine, and Hpa-an, plus many others.

Myanmar is an amazing place, and it’s great to see that there is still a country in Asia that hasn’t been completely overrun yet.  Great people, great food, and remarkably comfortable to visit.  We had zero problems with anything.  It is easily the best country in Asia to visit right now—simply a happy place.  I’m just glad I saw it before everyone else shows up, and I hope to visit again soon because I am keen to see more of it.

Thru the Binocs

I may have touched on this in a previous blog post, but I just felt the need to reiterate it here.  You may be wondering why I have given mostly glowing reviews to the places we’ve visited on this round-the-world journey.  I can tell you straight up: Big Doug is not sugar-coating anything.  That is just not the way I roll.

I would attribute our incredibly high success rate entirely to diligent research prior to setting out, which effectively allowed us to weed out all the shitty, overrated tourist traps.  If you do your homework, you will be rewarded with an amazing trip.