"A miraculous land" Burma by cabeyp

Myanmar as the locals will refer to their country - Burma to them refering to it's colonial occupied name - is an amazing country but it still has it's political problems. The countries main cities, Yangon and Mandalay, are relatively "new" so do not have the same charm as e.g. Siem Reap of nearby Cambodia, but the city of Bagan carries a historical charm and almost hidden mystery that Angkor Wat can no longer offer.
The people are suprisingly open and friendly but at times it is hard to know if they are truly happy of if ignorance is bliss.
I can only recommend that if you have true interest in discovering a country go! Talk to the people, open their minds, they are curious, but do consider the impact of your actions and don't put any locals at risk with the government. Judge carefully, but don't hold back.

Road check

the military presence is everywhere. News are restricted and representation of the outside world is very controlled. Sites such as hotmail and yahoo are blocked. News is read out over loudspeakers to villagers. There is only 1 view.
At times the government/ military presence is more obvious than other times - esp traveling west of Yangon to the beach areas of Ngwe Saung and Chaung Tha... Do not "hover" to long at specific sites, you will be asked to move along - no reason given - often it seems inexplicable why... probably I did not have enough time to get the full inside picture... but you feel that it is there.

This makes me admire the happiness of the people even more.

Par Par Lay

With the elections coming up this year you can feel the curiosity amongst the locals. They want the country to change. The majority seem to encourage tourism, they see it as an opportunity that it can change their country. What if nobody had started traveling to Vietnam or Cambodia for that matter?
Despite Aung San Suu Kyi's request that foreigners do not come to Myanmar as it supports the junta, the people feel different. We are their contact to the outside world and can help improve their situation.
I recommend go, but travel independently and make sure that you pay as little government money as possible. Photograph sites from a distance (avoiding government entry fees), clearly point out you are looking for private companies when traveling (i.e. buses not trains, selecting the correct boat company).
It's possible!

• Pros:You will be one of a few tourists
• Cons:Restricted travel, Government controle
• In a nutshell:Go!