Myanmar: any thoughts?

[Totoro]

Thinking about visiting Myanmar (Burma) over the Xmas holidays. Any recent experiences or thoughts?

I'd stay clear from the Bangladesh border, would go more towards the north.

 

[Nemo2]

Nothing worthwhile I'm afraid, but the thread took me back to the time we were trying to head overland to Australia from London.......we visited the Burmese Embassy in London and were granted an audience with a bunch of guys in suits, (none taller than 5'), and all wearing those Hamid Karzai hats.

After we had posed our questions, they conferred amongst themselves, and then one, very politely and formally, told us that there were only two ways we could go through Burma......."By plane or by ship".

In other words "Gidoutta heah".

 

[97guns]

Very dangerous country to travel, lots of travel advisories out there, look them up

 

[brett]

Have considered it. This year will be our fourth winter starting our travels in Thailand. So far it has been north to Cambodia and Vietnam, south to Malaysia and then Australia. This year we include the Philippines on the way home but the rest of the sched is still wide open.

Thinking seriously of some time in Laos and/or Myranmar. DW not keen on the latter so who knows what we will do. Need to do some proper research. Perhaps some time in the south.

 

[Danmar]

Did a river cruise up the Irrawaddy in 2011 on the "Road to Mandalay". Was fantastic. Truly unspoiled. The temples of Bagan a high point.

 

[OldShooter]

We have q week scheduled in January but are considering canceling. Not for danger; there's nothing serious there. Just to avoid supporting the regime's brutality.

 

[OldShooter]

Very dangerous country to travel, lots of travel advisories out there, look them up

IMO most "advisories" are silly. there are obvious places to avoid, like Syria, Afghanistan, and Eastern Ukraine, but in Myanmar and most countries where there are hot spots it is enough to just avoid them.

Most of the world thinks that there are drug dealers with AR15s on every USA street corner. For example: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2016/08/11/travel-warnings-united-states/88458238/

It's just silly, IMO, to extrapolate hot spots to cover a whole country. That, unfortunately, is what has happened in Egypt and many people there are suffering for it.

Avoiding a country for moral reasons is another matter altogether.

 

[97guns]

I don't travel to countries where I can easily get into trouble, Brazil, Venezuela and Philippines for sure I would never try going

 

[OldShooter]

I don't travel to countries where I can easily get into trouble, Brazil, Venezuela and Philippines for sure I would never try going

Too bad. You are going to miss a lot of interesting experiences.

I guess it would be easy to get in trouble trying to buy drugs in those countries, but since I'm not doing that I wouldn't be afraid to go to any of them. I would avoid things like un-escorted visits to the Brazilian favelas of course.

In my experience, countries take special care to make sure tourist areas are safe.

 

[CoolChange]

I don't travel to countries where I can easily get into trouble, Brazil, Venezuela and Philippines for sure I would never try going

I've been to two of these three in the past year with zero trouble but too much great food.

 

[travelover]

Seems like a lot of people are leaving Myanmar right now at the point of a gun, according to the news. I'm not sure I'd want to reward that behavior with my tourist dollars.

 

[OldShooter]

Seems like a lot of people are leaving Myanmar right now at the point of a gun, according to the news. I'm not sure I'd want to reward that behavior with my tourist dollars.

Yes. That's our dilemma too (post #6). The travel company owner is arguing that pulling out doesn't affect the government, it just reduces earnings for the ordinary people who are innocent of the wrongdoing. Not sure what to do ...

 

[Blueskies123]

There is a big difference between Myanmar and Brazil assuming you stay away from bars and drugs late at night.

 

[EarlyRiser]

We did a cruise that did an overnight Yangon in Feb 2015. We booked a private tour of Yangon and a flight to Bagan, an overnight of a beautiful hotel and a private guided tour of the pagoda's and flight back to Yangon and they dropped us off at the cruise ship. We had a guide and driver in each place. Reasonably priced and amazing experience.

 

[Aerides]

Yes. That's our dilemma too (post #6). The travel company owner is arguing that pulling out doesn't affect the government, it just reduces earnings for the ordinary people who are innocent of the wrongdoing. Not sure what to do ...

Having read about what's going on there... sounds like ethnic cleansing, very disturbing... would not be on my list at present.

 

[Nemo2]

.. sounds like ethnic cleansing

However, if you asked a Buddhist, it would likely be classified as 'payback'.......there are simmering tensions almost everywhere.

 

[97guns]

I'm just afraid to go into some countries, took a cruise to Hawaii With a stop in Ensenada and I didn't get off the boat. From the deck of the boat I could see military personnel on the ground with M16's

 

[travelover]

However, if you asked a Buddhist, it would likely be classified as 'payback'.......there are simmering tensions almost everywhere.

There are "tensions" and "payback", but what I'm seeing in Myanmar on the news is ethnic cleansing of the worst sort.

 

[Nemo2]

There are "tensions" and "payback", but what I'm seeing in Myanmar on the news is ethnic cleansing of the worst sort.

Much like ('The Former' as the media likes to say) Yugoslavia, it simmers for generations, and as soon as the strongman/military steps aside it's Mark Antony's "Cry Havoc".

 

[Totoro]

Thanks for the replies so far - still on the fence about going now, the situation seems to escalating and spreading. I don't scare easily (went to Nepal during their civil conflict), but there are limits where it crosses over in stupidity.

I might go to Ecuador instead and wait it out for a year.

 

[jmaker]

Make sure to visit Yangon and Bagan.

 

[NW-Bound]

There are "tensions" and "payback", but what I'm seeing in Myanmar on the news is ethnic cleansing of the worst sort.

I just saw the following story on Myanmar. The atrocities make my skin crawl. I don't want to provide an excerpt or a summary. The article title is enough, and people wanting more details can read this themselves.

Rohingya Recount Atrocities: They Threw My Baby Into a Fire

 

[Danmar]

Make sure to visit Yangon and Bagan.

Agree. The Shwedagon pagoda complex is remarkable. May have been the world’s first religious theme park? We toured Bagan on bikes. The sunset was fabulous.

 

[97guns]

No babies thrown into fires for me, no thank you

 

[martyp]

I went in February 2016. Fascinating and beautiful country. The people I met were wonderful and very welcoming to Americans. I went to Yangon, Bagan, then took a boat to Madalay. I felt very safe. The government won’t let you go to conflict areas anyway. I understand moral concerns based on recent events. Depending on where you draw that line you will miss out on a lot of countries.