Asian Getaways – Cambodia to Myanmar
Despite the various problems within the country, as well as a perceived danger, Myanmar is not only now fully open to tourism, but now might perhaps be the best time to go to the country.
When I first told people that CLN would be visiting Myanmar I was greeted with the usual surprise and half-truths “Isn’t dangerous there”, or “”Isn’t there a war there” being the two most common retorts.
And while both of these statements do hold some value, they are also a little misleading. And this is something those of us in Cambodia know all to well about. Even now people still think Cambodia is a war torn backwater, rather than a country on the way to middle-income status.
What is the current station in Myanmar?
Up until 2010 Myanmar remained a closed off military ran dictoriship, before slowly starting to open up to the world. This meant a very slow walk to some from of democracy, but also a bit of an economic and touristic boom.
Yangon now looks like a developed city, there are high-end hotels, and expensive cars litter the streets. And for almost a decade Myanmar saw not only expenatenle growth, bit also a boom in tourist numbers that had ir rivaling Cambodia for visitors.
Things were initially stunted by the global pandemic, before inexplicably the military again took power, once again plunging the country into not just civil war, but also the kind of instability that drives tourist away. This year less than a million people will visit the country, compared with a high of 6 million just a few years ago.
In reality though life in general goes an as normal in the vast majority of the country, with what civil rest there is for the most part restricted to the areas around the Chinese border. This means that the main tourist sites of Yangon, Bagan and Mandalay are safe and easy to visit.
Getting from Cambodia to Myanmar
While there are currently few direct routes to Yangon there are regular Air Asia services from Bangkok meaning Myanmar is relatively cheap and easy to get to. Generally speaking you can get away with about $200 return from Phnom Penh to Yangon.
Connecting through Bangor also leave open the option to go overland. And the visa process has also somewhat been streamlined now with it possible get one online for $50, while ASEAN citizens are visa free.
ASEAN, or not you cannot get away with the mandatory “Covid insurance”, which not only costs $56, but is for all intents useless.Do not come without insurance, or you will be turned away.
What is there to do when you visit Myanmar?
In many respects there is a lot of similarities between Myanmar and Cambodia, with many Khmer stating it is like going “back in time” when visiting this Buddhist nation.
The main tourist draws are Yangon, Bagan and Mandalay, although if you are taking a short trip from Phnom Penh, you will most likely spend it in the capital. So, what does Yangon have to offer?
As a cultural melting pot you will get to explore a plethora of religious buildings, such as steppes, temples and churches, as well as a rich history of colonial buildings left by the British Empire. One of the most famous tings to do in Yangon though is to take the circular railway, which show you a scenic view of not just the city, but also the outlying countryside of the former capital.
And the nightlife whilst far from electric will also far from disappoint with the city offering super venues such as The Heart of Rangoon – THOR as well as the infamous 19th Street. Here one can enjoy great street food, beers and a lively setting to watch the cool kids of Yangon hang out – at a fraction of the price you would even pay in Phnom Penh.
Most importantly, or at least for the time being anyway you get to do this largely by yourself, with there being so few foreigners trolling about the city that the locals tend to welcoming, rather than constantly trying to sell you something.
This ion course will not last forever, particularly if the long suffering Burmese people do get the democracy and peace they have for so long craved.
This means that now truly is the time to travel from Cambodia to Myanmar, if you dare….
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Author: Gareth Johnson
Gareth Johnson is the founder of Young Pioneer Tours and has visited over 180+ countries. His passion is opening obscure destinations to tourism and sharing his experience of street food.
