Brief information
Sometimes Myanmar is still called Burma, although this name has long since “sunk into oblivion”. It seems to us that it would be more correct to call Myanmar, as some tourists already do, the “Golden Country”, because there you can see hundreds of Buddhist pagodas shining in the sun. Beach lovers will definitely appreciate the snow-white local beaches, in the water near which there are beautiful coral reefs.
Geography of Myanmar
Myanmar is located in Southeast Asia. It borders India and Bangladesh to the west, Laos to the east, China to the northeast, and Thailand to the southeast. In the southwest, the country is bordered by the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea. The area of this state, including the adjacent islands, is 678,500 square meters. km, and the total length of the state border is 5,876 km.
Most of Myanmar is occupied by mountains starting in the Himalayas. The highest peak is Mount Hkakabo Razi, whose height reaches 5,881 m. The mountains divide the country into three river systems – Ayeyarwaddy, Salwin and Sittang. The longest of them is the Ayeyarwaddy River (2,170 km).
Capital
According to itypemba.com, the capital of Myanmar is Naypyidaw, which is now home to more than 1 million people. Naypyidaw became the capital of this Asian state only in 2005.
Official language of Myanmar
The official language in Myanmar is Burmese, belonging to the Sino-Tibetan language family.
Religion
About 89% of Myanmar’s population is Buddhist (mostly Theravada Buddhism), 4% is Islam, and another 4% is Christianity (Catholicism).
State structure of Myanmar
According to equzhou.net, Myanmar is a presidential republic. Its head is the President. The military has a great influence on the political life of the country.
The bicameral parliament is called Pyidaungsu Hluttaw – it consists of the House of Nationalities (224 people) and the House of Representatives (440 deputies).
The main political parties are the Union of Solidarity and Development, the National Unity Party, the National League for Democracy.
Climate and weather
The climate in Myanmar is tropical monsoon, with three seasons: summer (March – mid-May), monsoon season (mid-May – end of October) and winter (November – end of February). Weather conditions vary greatly by region. So, if in central Myanmar the average air temperature in summer is +43.3C, then in the north of the country it is +36.1C.
The best time to visit Myanmar is from November to February. During this period there is little rain, not too hot, and the sea is very warm and friendly.
Sea in Myanmar
The shores of Myanmar are washed by the waters of the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea. The total length of the coast is 1,930 km. In February, the sea temperature off the coast averages +26C, and in August – +27C.
Rivers and lakes
The mountains divide the territory of Myanmar into three river systems – the Ayeyarwaddy, Salween and Sittang. The longest of them is the Ayeyarwaddy River (2,170 km), which flows into the Andaman Sea.
Culture of Myanmar
The culture of Myanmar was formed under the influence of Buddhism. Every Burmese pays respect to Buddhist monks and teachers.
Festivals are held all year round in Myanmar: in January – a three-day festival dedicated to Independence Day; in February, the Modin Pagoda Festival; in March – the festival of the full moon Tabaung; in April – Water Festival and New Year; in May – Shite Taung pagoda festival; in July – the feast of the Tikhoshin pagoda; in August – the Thong Bion festival; in September – Do-U pagoda festival; in October – the festival of the Dancing Elephants; Fovintang in November and Christian Christmas in December.
Kitchen
Chinese and Indian culinary traditions have had a great influence on the formation of Myanmar cuisine. The staple foods are rice, fish, seafood, fruits and spices. Meat is not eaten very often.
Some local dishes are very exotic. Therefore, it is better for tourists to know in advance what they are prepared from.
For desserts, we recommend trying Kyauk Kyaw (seaweed jelly with coconut milk), Thagu Byin (palm sugar pudding and coconut flakes). The most affordable local dessert eaten in the villages is unrefined palm sugar.
Traditional soft drinks are tea (black and green).
Sights of Myanmar
Perhaps Myanmar is the country with the most Buddhist temples and pagodas per capita. The main local attractions are Buddhist temples, monasteries and pagodas.
We recommend paying attention to the “River Pagoda” and the “Great Golden Pagoda” in Yangon, to the 55-meter statue of the reclining Buddha in Pegu, to the Tanbodhai Pagoda in Moniwa, where there are more than 580 thousand images of the Buddha.
In the small town of Mingun, tourists can see a huge bell on one of the pagodas, whose weight is 90 tons. Interestingly, this giant bell is in working order.
Cities and resorts
The largest local cities are Yangon, Mawlamyine, Mandalay, as well as the capital, Naypyidaw.
Most of the white beaches of Myanmar are located along the coast of the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea. Every evening on the coast, tourists can see stunning sunsets. The sun seems to sink into the water every evening. Near the coast there are many beautiful islands with untouched nature.
This country has three beaches that are most popular with locals and tourists. These are Ngapali Beach, Ngwe Saung Beach (sometimes called Ngwe Sung) and Chaungtha Beach (also known as Choungtha). If you are interested in active holidays on the beach, then you, of course, need Chaungtha Beach.
The hotels offer boat trips and fishing trips to foreign tourists. During boat trips, tourists can explore distant fishing villages, islands, and also go diving (there are beautiful coral reefs).
Souvenirs/Shopping
Tourists in Myanmar usually buy handicrafts, carpets, jewelry, Burmese traditional utensils, cold weapons, traditional Burmese dolls, hats and more.
Office Hours
Banks:
Mon-Fri: 10:00-15:00
Shops:
Mon-Sat: 09:30-18:00 (or later)
Visa
Ukrainians to visit Myanmar need to apply for a visa.
Currency of Myanmar
The Myanmar kyat is the official currency in Myanmar (its international designation is MMK). One dong = 100 sous. Credit cards are not common.
Customs restrictions
You can import foreign currency without restrictions (if more than 2 thousand dollars, then it must be entered in the declaration), but you can take it out if 6 months have not passed. As for the local currency, it cannot be imported and exported.
We recommend buying jewelry in stores, because. only there they issue a special certificate that the customs requires. You can not export items with the image of the Buddha, as well as antiquities.
Useful phone numbers and addresses
The interests of the Embassy of Myanmar in Ukraine are represented by the Embassy of Myanmar in Russia:
Moscow, st. Bolshaya Nikitskaya, 41 T:
(495) 291-05-34
Email: [email protected]
The interests of the Embassy of Ukraine in Myanmar are represented by the Embassy of Ukraine in Thailand:
Thailand, Bangkok 10330, 33 rd Wireless Road, CRC Tower 87 T:
(662) 685-3215
mail: [email protected]
Emergency numbers
191 – Fire brigade call
192 – Ambulance call
199 – Police call
Time in Myanmar
The difference with time in Kyiv is +5.3 hours.
Tips
Tipping is not common in Myanmar. However, locals appreciate small gifts (pens, cigarettes, perfumes).
The medicine
To visit Myanmar, mandatory vaccinations are not needed, but for prevention, doctors recommend getting vaccinated against typhoid, malaria, hepatitis, tetanus and diphtheria.
Security
Myanmar cannot be called a safe country – the crime rate here is quite high. Therefore, do not demonstrate your wealth, do not show money to strangers. You should know that there have been several reported cases of violent crime against foreign tourists in this country. This means that you need to take reasonable precautions there.
Tourists should not be photographed against the backdrop of images of the Buddha or local shrines. Otherwise, you may be accused of disrespect for Buddhism.
However, the people of Myanmar are generally hospitable, open and generous towards tourists.
