Things To Do In Burma
Looking for some information to make your Burma-Myanmar diving holiday run smoothly?
Burma, for so long the pariah state of South East Asia, has some outstanding historical and intriguing travel destinations for the intrepid explorer, such as Rangoon, Bagan, and Mandalay - names evocative of colonial times, empires and civilisations of yesteryear, and packed full of impressive monuments, ruins and sites.
Myanmar shares borders with Thailand, Laos, Tibet - China, India and Bangladesh. Nearly half the country is covered in forests, with mountainous borders east with Thailand and north with Tibet, where you'll find South East Asia's highest peak - Hkakabo Razi at 5,881m. Central Myanmar is characterised by wide plains and rivers, where the Irrawaddy River (now Ayeyarwady) flows over 1,600 km providing the flood plain basis for the main agricultural industry of Burma - rice. Burma was previously the largest exporter of rice in the world, but is now one of the ten poorest countries in the world.
 The south of Burma meets the Bay of Bengal and the southern Mergui Archipelago runs parallel to the shared Burma-Thai peninsula and forms part of the Andaman Sea. It's here that you can explore hundreds of unexplored islands, undisturbed by the passage of time and the tourist masses of neighbouring Thailand. With a lack of world demand for Burmese fisheries, the seas are less exploited and richer than most, with little industrial fishing taking place. The Mergui Archipelago provides a frontier for Burma liveaboards diving exploration in a fascinating, out-of-this-world environment.
The rest of this page contains tourist information about Myanmar, formerly known as Burma:
 View a map of Burma
Tourist Security and Safety
Dive the World offers only Thai operated liveaboard cruises around the Burma Mergui Archipelago, from the port of Kawthaung (Victoria Point) on the Thailand-Myanmar border. We do not offer any tourist related land based activities or options in Burma. As such, we only offer you our advice on the security on board liveaboards cruising in Burma.
Every Myanmar liveaboard trip must check in at Myanmar Immigration Control
at Kawthaung. All tourist passports are held at immigration for
the duration of each cruise. After checking in to Myanmar, a Burmese
immigration official boards the boat and travels with each party
for the duration of each cruise. Therefore, every cruise is supervised
by the Burmese authorities and is extremely safe.
In addition to this, the Burmese Navy regularly patrol its waters for illegal and foreign vessels. We consider Burma diving liveaboards to be extremely secure adventures, and free of most risks that accompany other tours these days.
General Information
This section contains information about:
Burmese Politics
Since 1988 Myanmar has been under military rule. Dissent is suppressed, and political agitators are jailed for expressing their opinions. The opposition party leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, was placed under house arrest in 1989 and has spent most of her time since then in and out of house arrest and under various travel restrictions.
In Burma, there are a number of people who advocate boycotting travel to the country as a means of isolating the government and forcing reform. They argue that much of the money from tourism goes into the hands of the military heads who continue to deny Burmese citizens basic civil rights.
However, others feel that a travel boycott of Myanmar is counterproductive. They maintain that tourism is economically helpful and vital to the pro-democracy movement for the two-way flow of information that it provides.
Dive The World offers Myanmar diving only on liveaboards that are operated out of Thailand. We do not offer any land based tourist activities in Burma. We consider our activities reflect and support the current developed nation governments' attitudes to the political climate. After all, if western government intransigence changed and there was financial gain to be made, the current leaders of Myanmar would be ousted in a very short time!
Tourist Attractions
Yangon (Rangoon)
Yangon lies in the Yangon River delta in southern Myanmar, about 30km from the sea. This large city of four million people is crammed with trees and decayed colonial architectural charm.
Yangon is home to the gold-plated Shwedagon Paya, which dominates the city from its hilltop site. This mighty and magical monument was built in the 18th century and is surrounded by an incredible assortment of statues, temples, shrines, images and pavilions. Other sights include the colonial architecture of the legendary Strand Hotel, the colossal reclining Buddha in Chaukhtatgyi Paya and the peaceful Kandawgyi and Inya Lakes. Aung San Suu Kyi's residential house is also here.
Bagan
 One of the truly great wonders of Asia, this is an amazing, deserted city of some 5,000 pagodas and temples on the banks of the Irrawaddy River. The Bagan period stretched from the 11th to the 13th centuries, and an enormous number of magnificent buildings were constructed here. The city was sacked in 1287 by the Tartars and never rebuilt.
Mandalay
 This sprawling city is the cultural centre of Burma and was last capital of Burma before the British took over and is the country's second-largest city. Highlights of Mandalay include Shwenandaw Kyaung, the last remaining building of Mandalay Hill, the once extravagant, moated palace with spiralling stairways, temples and sweeping views; and the ancient Rakhine Buddha image at Mahamuni Paya.
There are also the four nearby 'deserted cities' of Amarapura, Sagaing, Ava and Mingun. Mingun has some wonderful monuments in various states of disrepair, and is only accessible by river. The boat ride from Mandalay is a pleasure.
The People of Myanmar
45 million people live in Myanmar. 65% of the population are Burmese, 10% Shan, 7% Karen, and the rest of the population are made up of other smaller minority groups. There are several small ethnic groups originally from Burma now in Thailand, occupying the northern border areas, giving rise to sporadic tensions between the two countries.
 87% of the people are Theravada Buddhist, 5% Christian, 4% Muslim, 3% animists. The most common languages are Burmese, Karen, Shan and Kachin. Burmese has its own written script too.
Climate
Myanmar has a tropical, hot and humid climate throughout the year, though it can get chilly in the mountainous north. The dry and cool season runs from November to February. March to May is also dry but very hot. The rainy season runs from May to October with the wettest month being October.
The Myanmar diving season on liveaboards in the Burma Mergui Archipelago is restricted to dry season only, so we recommend visiting between November and early May. Check our Burma dive site descriptions for detailed diving seasons.
Health
Burma is a malarial area. However, there have been no reported cases of guests ever contracting malaria from a liveaboard boat, so if you only intend to visit Burma during your cruise, it's highly unlikely you will catch malaria. Other health risks include cholera, hepatitis, rabies and typhoid.
Common but avoidable health concerns are contaminated food, water and ice that can lead to diarrhoea, dehydration and hepatitis A or E. Make sure you drink only bottled drinking water.
Fungal infections are also very common. Wear loose clothes, wash frequently, and dry yourself carefully.
It's recommended that you seek medical advice about immunisations at least six weeks before you travel to Myanmar. Discuss your trip with your doctor and set out your vaccination requirements.
Self-diagnosis and treatment of any medical problem can be risky, so you should always seek medical help.
Tourist Visas
Tourists are granted a 28 day visa on arrival. However, things can and do change so you should contact a local Myanmar embassy or consulate for details.
Time Zones
There is only one time zone in Burma: +6.5 hrs GMT.
Business Hours
Banking hours are 08:30 until 15:30, Monday to Friday. Many shop stores are open 12 hours a day, every day.
Electricity
Electricity in Myanmar is 230 volts AC at 50 cycles. Several different plugs and sockets are in use, so travellers will need to be aware of this when using shavers, CD players or other appliances that require power mains. Bring your own plug adapter kits. There are frequent blackouts and power variations, especially during rainy season.
Photographic Facilities
It is advisable to bring photographic equipment and film from home as supplies are limited in Burma.
Postal Services
Post offices are open from 09:00 until 15:30 hrs. Myanmar postal services are unreliable. Important items can be sent by registered post. This is faster and safer but the cost is higher.
Telephone Services
International calls can be made from most major hotels. For International Direct Dialling dial 01 + country code + area code + phone number.
E-mail Services
There are very few internet cafes and only in the tourist locations and larger urban areas. Connection speeds are very slow in Burma.
Codes of Behaviour
Temples, Buddha, statues, and monks (it is not allowed for a woman to touch a monk, for example) are to be revered.
Buddhist and Chinese shrines are open to foreigners but you should dress appropriately when visiting. Shorts and sleeveless shirts are discouraged. A non-Muslim can enter a mosque during prayer time.
Hilltop houses have special spirit houses, which are closed to outsiders; entering them will violate their sanctity.
Burmese are amenable to being photographed but, if in doubt, ask first. Monks can be photographed and Buddhist ceremonies too.
 Burmese regard the feet of lower stature so do not point them at others or step over those seated or lying. Remove your shoes before entering a temple or house in Burma.
Likewise, the head is of high stature and is not supposed to be touched or slapped.
Tipping
Tipping is not part of the Burmese culture and not expected.
Clothing
Burma is a country in the tropical region, so light, loose cotton clothing is most recommended.
Criminality
Burma is generally a fairly safe, though due to travel restrictions a very awkward, place to travel. As there are very few tourists here, there is little opportunity to make a dishonest living from them!
Be aware, as in the rest of the world, pickpockets and con artists are more likely to be found in crowded areas such as tourist spots, bus and train stations, and festivals - so keep a watchful eye on your valuables in these places.
Officials
As is commonplace throughout all of South East Asia, bribing officials is a regular part of life in Burma. A minor bribe will get you a long way with Burmese bureaucrats. As the people of Myanmar are very poor, money isn't necessary - cigarettes, pens and foreign t-shirts will work miracles.
Interested?
Are you interested? If you'd like to sail back in time to the unexplored waters of the Burma Mergui Archipelago, then click below to check your options now for:
Be sure to book up in plenty of time to avoid limited choice! The best Myanmar diving opportunities are booked by repeat customers who book well in advance to ensure their reservation!
|
