When Matt and I first started planning this trip we had no real idea of which countries we were going to visit. We knew we would start and end in Singapore, and somewhere in the middle we would go to Thailand and Vietnam. However, where we would go in the middle is only something we have recently decided, and it has changed substantially from when we first arrived here.
Myanmar is a country that I have thought a lot about during our travels. I have heard that it is often many people's favourite country that they visit in South East Asia, however, it is not short of controversy. Initially I had great interest in going there, but, after much thought, Matt and I have decided not to go during this trip. I am certain it is a country I will visit at some point in my life though.
We decided not to include Myanmar in our trip for two reasons. Firstly, after looking into the finer details of our travels, it is actually quite hard to get into Myanmar. It is near impossible to cross the border by land. We had looked at Thailand as a possibility to do this, however we have since discovered that you can only cross the border for one day, and you must leave your passport at the border in order to gain entry. Land borders with Myanmar are notorious for closing completely randomly, leaving visitors stranded, often without their passports. This idea didn't appeal to me, which led to our second hurdle.
There are quite a few countries that fly to Yangon, the old (and still unofficial) capital of Myanmar. Flights around South East Asia are generally very cheap, but this is not true of Myanmar. Perhaps it is because there are fewer flights here than elsewhere, I am not sure, but the flights are very expensive. We would have had to take serious cuts elsewhere in our trip (Hong Kong certainly wouldn't have been on the cards, nor would Christmas in Kuala Lumpur), and both Matt and I were not willing to do this.
In addition to this, Myanmar is undergoing its first 'democratic' election in quite sometime, and there is a lot of political unrest around the area at the moment. Many people avoid Myanmar to respect the boycott on tourism requested by the Noble Peace Prize winner and pro democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. However, although the government controls and profits from many of the guest houses and bus routes around Myanmar, it is possible to visit the country and use only independent services. A detailed travel guide on the country is essential to do this, and it is of vital importance that travellers in no way fund the horrific oppressive government that exists.
Whilst in Chiang Mai I noticed a lot of Burmese people working there. During our elephant trek the mahout of our elephant was originally from Myanmar, and his family moved away from the country to escape the oppressive governmental regime that existed. This is true of many Burmese people, and the government has done some shocking things in its time. Of course, they have placed Aung San Suu Kyi under house arrest numerous times since she won the election in 1994 (she has only just been released again, for now). Another example that sticks in my mind is when the 1985 leader Ne Win withdrew 25, 50 and 100 Kyat notes, and replaced them with 15, 35 and 70 Kyat notes. The process of changing the old notes into new ones was incredibly difficult, and many Burmese people lost all their money. And, as if that isn't bad enough, a couple years later Ne Win then withdrew the 35 and 70 Kyat notes, and replaced them with 45 and 90 Kyat notes! This time there was no exchange, and once again Burmese people lost incredible amounts of money. No wonder they now keep their money in the form of gold. And we thought our government caused us money problems – please forgive the Burmese when they struggle to sympathise!
Once you get past the government, which isn't an easy task, Myanmar is reportedly an incredibly beautiful country. It has a lot more originality than its neighbour, Thailand, and the people are supposed to be incredibly friendly. I have written this note mainly to remind myself that I must go there at some point. It is important that the Burmese people know of the lives led outside their country, and tourism is one of the only ways this can happen. It is also one of the few ways that the Burmese people can make any money for themselves. As with any country with an oppressive government, it is also essential that an international presence is felt so that acts against human rights are not hidden away and allowed to happen unnoticed.
I will make sure to visit Myanmar in what I hope will be the near future. After encountering the good nature of (most of) the Thai people, as well as the sheer beauty of Thailand, I can't wait to see what Myanmar has to offer. Being able to help a country so badly disadvantaged by its government whilst being able to enjoy the beauty it has to offer will be an amazing experience.
And one last note: if you ever decide to go to Myanmar, please buy some books on the country and leave them there. Myanmar is in dire need of intellectual perspective, and it won't be receiving any of that from its government anytime soon.
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