The decision to visit Myanmar was kinda spontaneous – like a lot of things in my life. I was based in Bangkok for 3 months and was looking for my next destination. While countries like Thailand or Vietnam are already full of tourists I stumbled upon some images of Myanmar and was amazed by the beauty. So I booked a flight to Mandalay – an amazing decision.
They always tried to help me, even if they didn’t speak a lot of English. I will always remember the moment when a villager offered to pay for my lunch and insisted on doing so.
All of the destinations are so different from each other – which is why I loved Myanmar so much. Mandalay was a big surprise for me. It has some famous spots and is absolutely beautiful. However, it is usually just a quick stop for most tourists visiting.
I spent almost a week there and I just loved it. From beautiful pagodas and temples to incredible views and fancy restaurants – Mandalay has a really cool vibe.
Bagan and Inle Lake are probably the two most touristic places in Myanmar – and I can understand why. Both places are incredibly beautiful and an absolute must-do on your visit to Myanmar. Bagan is without a doubt one of the most magical places I’ve ever seen.
When it comes to Yangon – well, it’s a crazy city. The traffic is absolutely chaotic (even though motorbikes are banned in the center) and everything is really hectic. There are some really interesting attractions to see and it’s definitely an interesting contrast to the rest of the country.
Eventually, Hpa An was an absolute gem. The landscapes there are simply incredible and wherever you’ll head, you’ll find stunning landscapes, caves, and interesting locals. Hpa An, just like Mandalay, really surprised me.
Visit Hpa An and Yangon in Myanmar
Picking a favourite destination in Myanmar is a hard decision, but I’ll go with Hpa An. Objectively, Bagan is probably a bit more special, but Hpa An just feels “raw” and unexplored.
Yes, you will find other tourists there, especially when visiting the popular caves. But if you just rent a bike and drive around you’ll find incredible landscapes without any other foreigners in sight. And that is just a different feeling than standing on a pagoda with 50 other tourists trying to take an Insta shot of the balloons over Bagan.
I also loved Yangon. This is where I took a bicycle tour (guided) and we went to a local village across the main river of the city. That was an unforgettable experience. While we were driving around the village kids constantly ran out of their home to give me high fives – and everybody was greeting me with a smile.
It was something small – but I got really happy that day, especially as I saw the joy in the eyes of these kids. It’s these moments on your travels when you connect with people without even speaking their language, that makes me extremely happy.
Meeting the Amazing Locals of Myanmar
The locals in Myanmar were always, and I mean it, super friendly and helpful. If I compare it with other countries that I visited in South East Asia, only the Philippines were on a similar level for me in terms of friendliness.
I could give you hundreds of examples, but I will just tell you one from Bagan. A friend and I were searching for a great view during sunset and stumbled upon a temple somewhere close to a local settlement.
As it was closed, I asked around and the locals not only opened their temple for us but also led us to the rooftop and let us stay there for the whole duration of the sunset, without expecting anything in return.
Whenever I was talking with locals I just felt like they are truly friendly and want to make your stay great. This is what I recommend to people who want to immerse themselves in the culture of Myanmar. Be open-minded and talk with the locals on the same level. Don’t behave as if you are something better. Then opportunities will come up.
I was traveling with a local in Hpa An who showed me some secret caves – got invited by young monks for lunch and had amazing conversations with locals all over the country. If you come to Myanmar open-minded, you will have a great cultural experience.
Food and Accommodation Options in Myanmar
As a vegetarian traveling in Asia, I’m usually a bit limited in trying the local cuisine. However, there was one dish that completely made my trip: Tea Leaves Salad. Up to this date, I don’t know its exact ingredients, but it is a super delicious vegetarian dish that I ate almost every day after I found out about it in Bagan.
Generally, I liked the food in Myanmar. However, the food in other countries like Thailand has more variations and is (for me) a bit tastier.
When it comes to accommodation, I had a good mix of everything to be honest! While I stayed in hostels with dorm rooms most of the time, I stayed in a fancy boutique hotel in Yangon (Hotel G Yangon) and an absolutely stunning overwater resort in Inle Lake (The Serenity Inle Lake Resort).
In Myanmar, you can find budget and luxurious options in all touristic places. So there is something for every kind of traveler.
Travel Tips for your Visit to Myanmar
My number one tip is to really visit Myanmar! It’s such a beautiful country and definitely worth visiting. I recommend having a look into the buses as they are super affordable and comfortable. I used a company called J Bus which runs “Vip Buses”. It’s basically like in a plane (just with more space) as you get food, have a tv and just super comfort.
Another thing to consider is to research about the current situation in Myanmar. I tried to avoid spending my money on anything related to the government. That is really hard, but I tried to support the locals as much as I could, rather than the government.
About Me: Michael Gerber
It all started when I went to San Diego in 2016 for 3 months, with a plan to improve my English and have a great time too. I met so many people from all over the world – and felt absolutely free and great.
Hey everybody! I am Michael, currently 25 years old and originally from Switzerland. While it may sound surprising, I am not a crazy traveler for that long! As a kid, we did some summer vacations (mainly in Europe) and ski holidays in Switzerland during winters, but we never really traveled.
It all started when I went to San Diego in 2016 for 3 months, with a plan to improve my English and have a great time too. I met so many people from all over the world – and felt absolutely free and great.
At the same time, I started uploading snapshots from my phone to Instagram, which I really enjoyed and started to do more frequently after my stay in California. And I can say the same thing about traveling: since then I didn’t stop and went on a trip after trip, whenever I had time and money.
Some months later I bought my first DSLR (cheap Nikon camera) and became somehow successful on Instagram, which led to the idea to work as hard as possible on my business (which includes Social Media, my Blog, and many other things nowadays) and started traveling full time in July 2018.
