Rangoon Travel Forum

Intend to travel to Yangon coming august, spending one-and-a-half week in Myanmar. Are the Myanmar people ready to welcome tourists again, after the ordeal of the cyclone? Or is it too early to travel there? I'd love to hear from local folks and farangs.

I'm sure SLORC would love your money

The cyclone is only effected in Irrawaddy Delta and in Yangon. Yangon is back to normal and other parts which tourist usually visit are not effected all. So, do come. SLORC may not wellcome you to come but definately Myanmar ordinary people is looking forward to wellcome .

Dear Antony, if you read all the forum about Myanmar, you will find that only few amount of tourist go to SLORC but most of your spent will go to ordinary people who need it for their life so badly.

Sorry, I forget to add Dollars. Only a few dollars go to SLORC.Thanks.

Every doubloon you spend is hard currency imported into the country.

The hard currency go into the country but not to the Junta Account. Very few only Junta get it and all out again from black market. Atleast many peoples have some thing to survive.

Argggg! ....... make it stop. I so want to go to Myanmar, all my life I’ve wanted to go (except of course I used to want to go to Burma) if I wait another 20 years I’ll be too old............Argggg!

Please do come. The locals love to have you and the definitely NEED you. And don't listen to people on this forum with comments on how much money goes to the junta. Listen to the people (locals and foreigners) who have experience with this country. Anyways, if you are interested in the whole YES/NO and why-debate, browse the Burma-forum. The topic comes up every so many weeks.. Just spend your money wisely and you'll have a great time in this country.

Thanks for that, I so want to come it hurts, I know the difference travellers can make to a village and I guess we'd have few places to visit if we had to like the government (staying home would be a problem too) but my usual travel buddies won’t come with me and it's a dilemma.


I guess Aung San Suu Kyi still under house arrest and asking tourists not to come? If that situation changes for the better I will be there like a shot.

I will read the forum postings, thanks

Mark

Thanks Mique, your reaction sounds convincing.
And yes, I was not asking people to give me their views on the political situation in Myanmar. To me traveling means meeting the ordinary people, the normal folks and by doing so I do not mean to make political statements. Anyway, as far as I am concerned politicians all over the world are not to be trusted, are a dangerous species.

My apologies, I was forgetting that I was in someone else’s posting

Please read this link too.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g294191-i9454-k1537648-Should_we_go_to_Burma-Yangon_Rangoon.html

it is exciting to read the debate opps the forum.
i think, the tourists shouldn't be so panic to come to my country.
compares to my country, there are many other countries ruling corrupting government in Asia, South America and Africa (who know there is also dilama in US and Europe!!!).at least, people know that tourists still love to go there.

i am not a frequent traveller but i am ready to travel anywhere when i can afford for it. i was afraid to travel around the country-side of Cambodia as i am scared there would be landmine somewhere. luckily i didn't step on it and i know many locals already stepped it. but books still write it alot.

i am not stading anyside but i hope, for the adventure tour experience, my country is the best because you will not now what will happen because ,,,,,

As said above, if we would only travel to countries where we would like the governments than it would be a small world indeed.

Maxus, ASSU is still under house arrest but as far as i know (but i haven't checked this recently i have to admit) she only asked tourists not to come back in 1996. But maybe some of the burmese/myanmar on the forum can be more specific. But many ordinary people really want you to come. And yes, it is a very safe country to be traveling in alone

Yes, it's time for any and all tourists to return to the country. I just got back last week from my latest Burmese adventure: almost 3 weeks in the country. Still very safe and very friendly. And they people really and truly --- and now desperately in many cases --- want tourists to visit. In places that depend almost solely on tourism, like Bagan and the Inle Lake area, the local economy is in tatters because they'd have virtually no tourists the past 2 months. People there were VERY happy to see me and any other tourists in town. This argument that all your tourist dollars goes to the junta is absolute nonsense. Your tourist dollars will help support restaurant and hotel workers (the ones that haven't been let go or given a leave of absence), souvenir sellers, trishaw drivers, horsecart driver, people that rent bikes (my regular bike rental fellow in Mandalay is now driving a trishaw because there are no tourists to rent bikes to), and many other locals who depend upon tourism to feed their family and other relatives. These are the people you can help --- just by visiting.
So yes, please come and visit NOW. If you are told that the Myanmar Embassy in your country is not issuing tourist visas (as I was told in Bangkok last month), remember that you can get a Visa on Arrival. I arranged mine through Myanmar Travel Ltd. and it was very easy to do. Had to wait about 2 weeks for the whole process, but I got it, and upon arrival at Yangon Airport I didn't even have to wait in line.

It is so nice to hear that latest posting. Thank you for being so kind and sympathatic for locals. It is normal for depending the help when for the people help is needed for them. We can't blame anyone so we just feel sorry for us. Hope there will be better day.

Thanks, Don, for posting your recent experience. It really helped me. Mique's and Zin's postings already had me interested in restarting my Myanmar travel plans. Still have some things to work out though.