Full name: Republic of the Union of Myanmar
Common name: Myanmar or Burma
Name in the language of Myanmar: Pyidaunzu Thanmăda Myăma Nainngandaw
Main cities: Nay Pyi Taw (capital); Yangon (former capital, largest city); Bagan (historical city); Mandalay (second largest city)
National day: January 4th
National flag: The flag of Myanmar, has three stripes from top to bottom – yellow, green and red – with a white star in the middle. The three colors symbolize unity, peace and tranquility, and courage and determination, respectively.
Location
Myanmar is located on the Southeast Asian Peninsula and it shares borders with five neighbors: India and Bangladesh at the northwest, China northeast, and Laos and Thailand southeast.
Myanmar's location and topography result in a typical tropical monsoon climate.
The most obvious feature of the climate is that there are three seasons in the year: the dry season from November to February, the hot season from March to April and the wet season from May to October. So if you are planning a trip to Myanmar, November to February is the best time to visit.
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Excellent planned and executed Myanmar excursion
Asia Highlights and their local Myanmar partner "mAsia" did an excellent job in planning and execution of a one week trip to Myanmar.The various tour guides and drivers had good knowledge and good command over English. More
Gerd,
Jan 2018
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My experience in Thai
All of this was well organized by the local office. The holiday was wonderful. Our guide, Mr. Longdy( Siem Reap)were exceptional. He shared his extensive knowledge of the many wonderful places we visited, and were flexible to take us to additional places along the way based on discussions. Thank you so much .shared their extensive knowledge of the many wonderful places we visited, and were flexible to take us to additional places along the way based on discussions. More
kelli,
Jul 2023
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Seamless Planning
From the day I submitted an inquiry request, I instantly received a response from Monica asking my preferences for my trip. She has been attentive and responsive to our every needs and we very much appreciate it. Looking forward to our trip in November but many thanks to Monica for making this experience to seamless thus far. More
Sana Samhouri,
Jul 2023
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Very professional agency for a memorable trip to Asia
A special thanks to Albee who worked with us and helped to tailor the itinerary to our taste, she was amazing and always available for whatever we needed. The trip would not have been the same without her and her team. Thank you! More
Daniela,
Jul 2023
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It was our first time in Cambodia and …
It was our first time in Cambodia and we had a wonderful time. The accommodations, food, and sites were really beautiful. We ended our trip with a relaxing massage. Sam was very accommodating to our needs and knowledgeable. Thank you for the laughter and for being so kind. More
Amy Oakes Moon,
Jun 2023
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Our guide Borin - never boring!
Our guide Borin, in Cambodia, was knowledgeable, understanding and thoughtful in every aspect of the plan he put together for our trip to Siem Reap and in its execution. He can read the room, and knew exactly how to pace the tour, when to pause, when to break, and how to prepare us for the maximum benefit. He is extremely kind and caring, and it showed at every turn. He also is a dab hand with the camera, and we have a lot of great pictures to show for it. Kudos to my Asia Highlights coordinator - Cathy Chen, for picking Borin. Borin works with a driver (007) who was also very kind and caring. Whenever we returned to the car, he would have cold towel rolls and chilled water to refresh us. So amazingly considerate. It was an unforgettable experience More
David Muliyil,
Jun 2023
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Great visit!
Our guide, Anna, was fantastic! She was highly informative and a delight to spend our days with. Would request her again if we were to return! More
Alejandra M Almonte,
Jun 2023
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We've had such a great experience…
We've had such a great experience planning our honeymoon with Alisa at Asia Highlights! We gave her our dream itinerary, thinking that it might be impossible to do all the things we wanted, but Alisa made our dreams a reality! She's gone so far above and beyond to answer ALL of our questions and make little adjustments that will make a huge impact on our experience. More
Lauren,
Jun 2023
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Alisa knows how to work fast and please a customer.
Alisa is very helpful and works very fast. I am a very difficult client because Inknow what I want in therm of hotels and comfort. She had a lot of patience with me, and moved a lot the plan of the trip, always following my requests. It was a pleasure organizing my trip with her. I recommend her a lot! Thanks Alisa. Malala from Argentina. More
maria laura artola,
Jun 2023
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Trip-of-a-lifetime
In addition, I want to specifically mention the guides provided in certain locations. Rum, in Siem Reap, made the most memorable experience possible. His positivity was contagious - even when it felt like 1000 degrees and we were tired. He brought it all to life, and created a couple days of Ankor Wat, etc. that we will never forget! He heard my daughter's request for specific Cambodian food, and changed our itinerary to go to a village and eat at a locally known shop. He brought the dessert she asked about to us in the car! Overall, he and his driver "Lucky" were a reason to go to Siem Reap. In addition, the other guides (minus one which was switched out immediately) were stupendous. Mon in Bangkok was friendly and provided a great day there; Eak in Chiang Mai gave us a world-class food-tour and day touring the city and its surrounding temples with lots of laughs; Tommy in Hanoi kept us from getting killed in the traffic and gave a stupendous food and architecture/history tour - so very friendly and funny; the fishing village tour in Hoi An, as well as the side-car tour in Saigon, were both unforgettable! Thank you Sharon, and Asia Highlights. Would definitely use again for future trips! More
Teri Simpson,
Apr 2023
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Cambodia and Vietnam adventure!
Our guide in Cambodia, Meas Darapolaith (Pol), was absolutely amazing. He was knowledgeable, friendly and so helpful. His English was excellent and he shared important insights about history and the magnificent sites we visited. We highly recommend him! More
Jennifer Roth Krieger,
Apr 2023
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My daughter and I wanted to discover SE…
My daughter and I wanted to discover SE Asia. Being the first in that region, we wanted to use a tour service company. We ended up using Asia Highlights. From the beginning we were impressed with their services. We left home with of mind because all the pre-travel arrangements were taking care and communicate to us efficiently. All our questions were answered promptly. Once in the countries, we were welcome by our excellent tour guides. Everything was taking care for us. We did not have one issue. They selected the right tours guides for us, they were highly knowledgeable and so much attentive to our needs. We had Dhat in Vietnam and Borin in Siem Reap, Cambodia. I highly recommend Asia Highlights. I came back home so much rested, and with plenty of wonderful pictures and memories. I will definitely use Asia Highlights again for my next trip to Asia. More
Isabelle Dessaux,
Apr 2023
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Fabulous tour and guide in Cambodia
We have been touring Cambodia, guided by Borin ( and driver 007) for the last 2 days. What a fabulous experience! Borin has been a wonderful guide, the best so far in Southeast Asia, explaining the history and culture of Cambodia through his tours of the temples in and around Angkor, as well as the Landmine museum. He has answered all our questions, made sure we were comfortable, and that we have had great food. 007 made sure we always had enough water and cool towels for our face/neck.We highly recommend Borin as a tour guide for Cambodia!! More
Monica,
Mar 2023
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Best Travel Service for Asia Travel
Alisa Liu was in charge of making the arrangements and she helped us from the start to make all of the arrangements and also helped us when we had questions and requested some adjustments. Her service is of the highest professional level. We are 100% confident that our trip will be perfect. We’re also 100% confident that, if anything comes up during our trip, that Alisa will be there to guide us through and take care of us. We won’t even consider using another agency for travel around Asia and we would like to have Alisa work for us again. More
Leo Pospichal,
Mar 2023
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Tour of Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand
The tour guides and drivers were another high point. All were very good, friendly, knowledgeable and spoke English well. There were two that I want to call out for their excellence. Chan Sovannarith in Siem Reap was our guide in Cambodia. He really made the experience special. His knowledge, willingness to answer all my questions, helpfulness and general attitude made him fun to be around. In order to praise the second exceptional guide I have to explain about an unfortunate occurrence that I had. I'm normally a very active senior, but after leaving Cambodia for Laos I was suddenly struck by the most intense back pain I've ever experienced, couldn't even roll over in bed (turned out to be sciatica). The guide, Mr. Sonophet, really went the extra mile. He went with my traveling companion and bought a back brace and medications for me. When that didn't help much he took me to a clinic where I was seen by a doctor, given a shot and pain meds. He hand-made a walking stick for me that I'm still using! He made it possible for me to somewhat participate in the activities, i.e. a bed on the boat down the river. When it was time to move on to Bangkok he got me a wheelchair at the airport. I can't thank him enough for these kindnesses! This problem lasted for the remainder of the trip, through Bangkok and Phuket and these guides were also very helpful getting wheelchairs, etc. It was a terrible disappointment to have this wonderful trip disrupted, but it would have been SO much worse without the great help that I received from the guides and my poor travel companion! More
Deb M,
Mar 2023
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In good hands with Sam
Sam Ol took very good care of us - lots of information, listened to and answered all our questions, was passionate about the places we visited and about his people and country. He was kind, had a great sense of humor, and made sure we felt safe and comfortable at all times. He helped us to fall in love with Cambodia in 3 short days. More
Carol Jones,
Feb 2023
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Best tour guide in Cambodia
When we first arrived at the airport in Siem Riep it was so nice to be greeted by Mr Sam Ol. We instantly fell at home when we saw his friendly smile. We were impressed by his great English and knowledge of the temples. On the tour to the temples Sam took care of us every step of the way. He took awesome pictures of us. It felt like we were on a tour given by our brother who is also a professional photographer. Also, we appreciate his humor as well as the fact he had an answer for every question we had. I give Sam 5 stars, best tour guide ever :) More
Len S,
Feb 2023
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Mr. Sam
Mr. Sam our guide in Cambodia, he and the driver out standing service they went above and beyond touring, my wife so amazed beautiful country, we're planning back here near the futures. Thank Mr. Sam,We'll feedback the whole trip next week when we be home in US More
Pho Lover,
Feb 2023
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Vietnam/Cambodia/Thailand
We are still in the middle of our trip, but we are just finishing up our time in Cambodia and our guide, Borin, has been AMAZING!!! He has truly made our time here unforgettable and I plan on referring all of my friends and family to come visit this beautiful country! Thank you, Borin, for everything you did to make our trip so fantastic! More
Danielle Blount,
Feb 2023
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Excellent service and Wonderful Guides
All of our guides have been terrific. Mr. Sam in Siem Reip was especially wonderful. Both he and our driver were polite, safe knowledgable and informative. Sam made our trip memorable and enioyable. We will definitely recommend Sam and Asia Highlights to our friends. More
Kaaren,
Feb 2023
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Quick Facts
Politics
Myanmar ended military rule in 2010 and carried out democratic reform. It is now a federal state with a presidential system, which implements the system of multiparty democracy. The political situation is now relatively stable.
Economy
Gross domestic product (GDP) growth in Myanmar is predicted by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to average a rapid 8.6% annually. This growth will be first in the world among the 200 countries being tracked by the IMF. But Myanmar is still one of Asia's poorest countries; its economy is under-developed and plagued by corruption.
Society
There are 135 ethnic groups in Myanmar, though about 68% of the people are ethnically Burmese. The official language is Burmese but some people know English or Chinese; so don't worry about the language problem if you plan to visit. It is a Buddhist country and most of the locals are kind and friendly to visitors.
Tourism
As a Buddhist country, Myanmar has many religious tourist resources. Temples and pagodas, including one of Asia's three largest Buddhist relics in the ancient city of Bagan, are widespread.
Besides, the country's secluded beaches have become the main attraction to tourists. In recent years, Myanmar has paid more attention to the development of tourism. Hotels and infrastructure generally are constantly being built and improved.
History
Myanmar is an ancient civilization with a long history, which can be traced back 5,000 years.
Important Periods in the History of Myanmar
The Bagan Dynasty | 1044–1297 | The first unified empire of Myanmar |
Hanthawaddy Kingdom | 1287–1531 | The famous Shwedagon Pagoda was built during this period |
Ava Kingdom | 1364–1555 | Ava spent its time at war and there was much turbulence |
Toungoo Dynasty | 1531–1752 | The most powerful feudal dynasty in the history of Myanmar |
Konbaung Dynasty | 1752–1886 | The last dynasty of Myanmar |
Colonial Period | 1885–1948 | Myanmar was a British colony |
Military Government Period | 1962–2010 | In 1962 General Ne Win staged a coup and established a military government |
Recent Developments
The leader of the National League for Democracy, Aung San Suu Kyi, was released in 2010 after being under house arrest for 15 years. On March 15th, 2016, her most important partner Htin Kyaw was elected President. He is the first non-military president of the past 50 years.
On April 1st, 2016, the resumption of the new government marked the end of more than a half-century rule of military government.
Exploring Myanmar
Popular attractions
In Myanmar, you can visit the golden Shwedagon Pagoda, which can be seen from all over the city of Yangon. If you want to observe the lives of Myanmar's traditional fishermen, you can visit Inle Lake. If you'd like to see one of the three largest Asian Buddhist relics, you can't miss Bagan.
You can also enjoy the stunning sunsets from the world's longest teak bridge, Ubien Bridge. If you want to escape all the hustle and bustle, Ngapali Beach will supply much-needed peace and quiet.
Myanmar is patiently awaiting your visit.
Popular souvenirs
Many souvenirs are worth buying and bringing home: sand paintings, jade, jewelry, wood carvings, woven products, traditional clothing, and lacquer products all make good gifts.
Popular foods
Latphet (salad with tea leaves, cabbage, tomatoes, nuts, pepper and garlic), yin thohk (ginger salad with sesame seeds), khauk swè thoke (wheat noodle salad with dried shrimps, shredded cabbage and carrots, dressed with fried peanut oil, fish sauce and lime), mohinga (rice vermicelli in fish broth with onions, garlic, ginger, lemon grass and sliced tender core of banana-stem), ohn-no khao swè (curried chicken and wheat noodles in a coconut milk broth similar to Malaysian laksa and Chiang Mai's khao soi) are all popular local foods.
Culture
Religion: About 89% of the Burmese believe in Theravada Buddhism. Under the long-term influence of Buddhist thought, giving alms has become a national habit. Tens of thousands of pagodas and temples have been built with donations from the people.
Art: Traditional arts and crafts include silk weaving, pottery, tapestry, gemstone engraving, and gold-leaf making. These traditional handicrafts may be the best souvenirs for you.
Performance arts include various dance shows: Kinnayi Kinnaya dance, Mount Popa's Guardian Spirits dance, Nat dance, Oil Lamp dance, Ramayana dance, U Min Gyaw dance, Zat Pwe Duet dance, and Zawgyi dance. Some of the restaurants in the big cities offer dinner accompanied by these kinds of dance shows, so you can enjoy food and entertainment together.
Way of Life
Traditional clothing: Myanmar has been expert in preserving traditional culture. In Yangon, more than 80% of people still wear national costume. A longyi is a piece of cloth 2 meters long and 80 centimeters wide worn around the waist, and reaching the feet. The longyi go by different names according to the wearers: the men's are called "paso", while the women's are called "htamain".
Food: Myanmar abounds with rice and rice is the staple food. Locals are used to drinking coffee or tea and eating snacks in tea houses in the mornings. With many rivers and beside the sea, Myanmar is also rich in fish and shrimp, so dishes with fish or shrimp are common. Burmese food is characteristically acidic, spicy, light, and non-greasy.
Traditional festivals: Myanmar celebrates many festivals each year, most of which take place on important dates in the Burmese lunar calendar. Because it is a Buddhist country, many traditional festivals are related to Buddhism. The Pagoda Festival is the most representative of these.
Besides, the Water Festival and the Myanmar lunar New Year are the most popular among locals as well as among visitors from other countries.
Visit Myanmar with Asia Highlights
We provide tailor-made tours to Myanmar. Tours typically start or end in Yangon or Mandalay and last approximately 9 days; visiting Yangon, Bagan, Mandalay and Inle Lake.
Why Travel with Asia Highlights (98.8% positive customer reviews among 10,000+)
- Unique experiences tailored to your interests: Enjoy a premium trip that goes beyond the typical tourist attractions.
- Hassle-free travel and peace of mind: Every aspect of your trip will be carefully planned and organized by your 1:1 travel consultant.
- Experienced and knowledgeable guides: Your guides will be local and love to work for travelers' smiles.
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At Asia Highlights, we create your kind of journey — your dates, your destinations, at your pace. You can have any trip tailor made for your travel.