Hello Burma / Myanmar

After considering visiting Myanmar for the past few months, I have finally taken the plunge and did it.

Hello Burma / Myanmar

The main thing keeping me from visiting sooner was the ‘travelling solo’ part.
Now, as much as this does not bother me usually, Myanmar is less developed than Thailand for example – which in fact, is a very good thing.

I was worried about the following:

Will it be lonely? – I knew not as many people travel in Myanmar, making it harder to meet others especially that there aren’t that many hostels.
Getting around – Would it be easy enough (and safe) to get from A to B, especially by myself.
Safety as a solo female – Would it be safe if I end up having to walk by myself in the evening or getting transport etc.
Budget– Because Myanmar has only been recently opened for tourists, hostels are not as common as the rest of SE Asia. Meaning that sharing a hotel room with someone would be the only ‘cheaper’ option.

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Then a friend that I met exactly one year ago in Brussels said I can join him.

Read : My First Solo Travel Experience – Brussels

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After considering it for a bit..

I Booked a Ticket to Yangon

Seeing the sunrise in Bagan has been on my bucket list for a while now and this was the time to tick it off.
(more coming soon)

To make things more interesting, as soon as I was meant to arrive at Yangon – we decided to grab a taxi and then a bus straight to Kin Pun. This however, meant a serious risk of missing the bus in the first place.

So, to make things quicker (and cheaper) I managed to sneak all my stuff as hand luggage – skills, I know.

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The plan was to get to Yangon without any delays, hopefully at 12:55. Meet my friend and get the bus to Kin Pun at 15:00. Of course, my plane was delayed. Not knowing what time I will arrive and not wanting to waste two bus tickets – we decided that if I don’t get through immigration by 13:50 – my friend will go by himself.

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I landed at 13:10, warning the lady seating next to me that I will indeed be one of those annoying people who stands up as soon as the plane lands and explained why.

The seatbelt sign went off and my neighbour told me to hold my stomach and kindly informed everyone around that I feel extremely sick, mimicking throwing up everywhere, so they need to let me get through asap.

I run to the customs and visa desk and managed to be the first person in the queue – winnings.
Thankfully, I met my friend on time and we happily made our way to Kin Put.

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The Plan

The rough idea is to travel around Burma / Myanmar for 3 weeks Starting in Yangon and finishing in Mandalay.
We are hoping to visit Hpa An, Bago, Bagan as well as trekking to Inle Lake and whatever we think sounds good on the way.

When writing this post, I have been in Myanmar for 6 days. These are my thoughts in regards to my worries so far:

Getting around – We have been taking buses between longer distances with no bigger troubles and usually booking a few hours or a day in advance. No major problems at all other than crazy drivers and bumpy roads.
Safety as a solo female – So far I have only been by myself for a few mins at a time but I haven’t felt uncomfortable at all, whether on my own or with my friend. The people in Myanmar seem super friendly.
Budget – Yes, Myanmar isn’t as touristically developed as Thailand for example, which does make it more expensive when it comes to accommodation. So far, we have stayed in hotels / guesthouses – paying around $7-$12 each for sharing a twin bedroom.

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To Sum It Up

Burma has been great so far. Even if the rainy season makes it super difficult sometimes.

The people are friendly, very often surprised when seeing my super pale skin ending in us eating while the whole restaurant watches our every movement with the biggest interest.

Sometimes people will try and rip you off – everytime we ask for a price, they feel the need to negotiate between themselves before giving us ‘an offer’, which I cannot help but giggle everytime about.

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I will try and write about every place that I am visiting during my trip in Myanmar.
Next up : The Golden Rock aka Kyaiktiyo Pagoda, Kin Pun

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