Myanmar Overview
population
53,582,855 (2017) (26th)
area
676,578 km2
language
Burmese
currency
Kyat (K) (MMK)
weather
Tropical
timezone
UTC +6:30 (MMT)
Myanmar is a country with rich history and many religious architectural monuments. Some of them are Shwedagon pagoda in Yangon, Mandalay Palace, Kyaiktiyo Pagoda (also called Golden Rock), or The Bagan Archaeological Zone with its thousands of sacred pagodas, which is considered as the main attraction for Myanmar’s nascent tourism and one of the largest and most important historical sites in South East Asia. Besides, Myanmar’s tourism also attracts international tourists by pristine and peaceful nature of Inle Lake or unique customs of Pa’O people.
Not only historical and religious sites, Myanmar also offers you relaxing experience with its beautiful and worth-visiting beaches, such as the heavenly Ngapali Beach, Kanthaya Beach, Ngwe Saung (or Silver) Beach, or Chuang Tha Beach. Burmese beaches are famous for their calm pristine beauty and waves with potentials for surfing.
You would of course want to go shopping when travelling to Burma to bring something home from this fabulous and mystery country. Then textiles, precious stones, lacquerware and thanaka powder should me on your shopping list. However, there are not so many department stores or duty-free shops, which can only be found in big cities. So you would want to look into local markets and little boutique shops around Inle Lake and Bagan to find many interesting stuff with friendly prices.
Burmese cuisine is a unique blend of Indian, Chinese and Buddhist goodness. Like in many other Asian countries, rice and vegetables are the core of every Myanmar’s meal. In many Myanmasaathauksain (Burmese cafeteria-style restaurant), you go to a counter of pre-cooked dishes, choose whatever you want and pay for it. One of highlighted cuisines of Myanmar are ăthouq salads, leq-p’eq and various noodle dishes.
A trip to this mysterious and wonderful country is definitely worth it, especially if you care about Asian culture, history and lifestyle and are interested in Buddhism with its rich influence and practices in people’s daily lives. Make sure to do your research and plan your trip carefully, and you would have memorable time in this festive and magical “Golden Land”.