Between many other things you should know about Myanmar when you visit the country, here is a list of things I find interesting. I have visited the country 3 times and here are some of those inputs:
-they don’t accept folded dollars, even if just a tiny bit that you can’t even notice. Deal with it. You will not be able to exchange those folded notes very easily
-you might be the only foreigner in that place very often
– you will not see streets made for tourists, filled with tour operators and fancy restaurants
-please don’t wear shorts, it just doesn’t fit the country. Adapt to where you are
-people in Myanmar are not all Burmese. Myanmar has many states and in each state, they call themselves another thing. You have Shan people, Kachin people, Mon people, Karen people, Chin, Rakhine, and many others. Look at it as the USA. Usually, when I met American travelers they don’t say they are from the US, they say the state where they come from. Same with Myanmar
-there are many areas still in confront. But don’t worry, if it’s not safe, they will not let you go there
–don’t go to forbidden places to foreigners unless you wanna step on a landmine
-a local bus is not a bus. It is an open truck.
-women can’t go to certain spots in religious areas
-people have red teeth due to the betelnut mix they chew
-you can’t go everywhere you want
-traveling outside the most touristy cities is not that easy, or cheap
-don’t worry, Myanmar is safe
And most of all, adapt to their culture and respect their rules. You are the visitor, you should adapt, not the other way around.
If you would like to read other travelers’ testimonials about Myanmar travel, please check here.
You can read more unique things about Myanmar here.
