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To many, Myanmar presents a dilemma. On the one hand, it has a timeless beauty—it feels like something out of a dream. It's one of the last remaining places where you can catch a glimpse of Old Asia—of men and women in traditional longyis walking beside golden pagodas and dilapidated colonial buildings as horse carts and vintage taxis ply the streets.

On the other hand, the group of generals who rule the country have combined some of the worst aspects of Old Asia with some of the less admirable aspects of their more modernized neighbors. Their contradictory impulses—to keep the country closed and tightly under control, while desperately attempting to lure foreign investors and travelers—make for a very unsettling place.

The government's reluctance to admit problems was evident in the aftermath of the tsunami that hit Southeast Asia in December 2004. Despite independent reports to the contrary, the government initially denied that the country had suffered any damage. In fact, though Myanmar's rocky shoreline was spared the serious damage that killed thousands in Thailand, Indonesia and India's Andaman Islands, there was some destruction in the Irrawaddy Delta south of Yangon. All told, 86 people were confirmed dead, more than 5,000 people were left homeless, and several fishing villages were destroyed.

Four years later, Cyclone Nargis devastated the region, claiming at least 150,000 lives and billions of dollars worth of damage. Still, despite the havoc wreaked by the country's worst disaster on record, the regime still refused foreign aid, leaving hundreds of thousands more vulnerable to homelessness, starvation and disease.

No matter how fragile the country's progress away from tyranny, U.S. and international tourists are beginning to feel encouraged by recent reforms, including the 2010 release and subsequent election into parliament of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. The country welcomed nearly 1 million tourists in 2012, a number that's only expected to grow.

Adventurous, open-minded travelers who choose to visit Myanmar, despite and because of the repression of its people, will find the experience both memorable and haunting. To gain the broadest insight into the country's people and their culture, we recommend traveling beyond the major tourist sites to explore the multiethnic diversity of this ancient land.

Geography

History

Today's inhabitants of Myanmar (formerly Burma) are descendants of a tribe that migrated from Tibet and China in about AD 800. The country was unified in 1044 under the first Burmese empire but fell to invading Mongol troops in 1253. It went through successive periods of disintegration and reunification until the British arrived in 1824 and began colonization.

Despite the country's tradition of devout Buddhism, with its tenets of compassion and serenity, Myanmar has known a great deal of brutality: The country's last king, Thibaw, who ruled from 1878 to 1885, sewed up his opponents in red velvet sacks and had them trampled to death by elephants. Following a trio of Anglo-Burmese wars, the country became a colony of Britain following the collapse of Mandalay in 1886, after which it was considered a part of British India.

During World War II, the country was the scene of fierce fighting after the Japanese invaded. Many ethnic tribes fought with the British, although the Burma National Army sided with the Japanese until 1945, switching sides just days before the end of the war. General Aung San, a freedom fighter and Aung San Suu Kyi's father, negotiated independence from Britain in 1948. Though he was later assassinated, Aung San is still widely credited for liberating the country.

Unfortunately, freedom was short lived. By 1962, General Ne Win had assumed power as part of a military-backed coup. For the next 26 years (1962-88), the country was subject to the "Burmese way of socialism," a blend of isolationism, communism and Buddhism that had a devastating effect on the standard of living. By the mid-1980s, it had gone from being a net exporter of food to one of the world's poorest nations. Rejecting foreign investment and trade, Burma's government seemed to want to shut the world out.

A democracy movement began in 1988, led by Aung San Suu Kyi, whose father had been the architect of Burma's independence from Britain. The government tolerated dissent for a short while and then turned on opposition leaders and protesters. Thousands were arrested or killed. Thousands more fled to the jungles or to neighboring Thailand and began guerrilla actions against the government, which continue to this day. Suu Kyi was placed under house arrest.

Despite the fact that her National League for Democracy party won a majority of parliamentary seats in 1990, the nation's military regime refused to cede power. Instead, it recast itself as the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) and gave the country a new name, "Myanmar" (pronounced mee-AHN-mah), to replace one they felt implied the racial dominance of Burmese culture in a multiethnic state. Myanmar is a derivative of the Burmese name "Myanma Naingngandaw" meaning "Golden Country." Suu Kyi, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991, remained a virtual prisoner in her home city of Yangon until May 2002. A year later, individuals linked to the government attacked a convoy carrying Suu Kyi. Dozens were killed or injured.

But in November 2010, just days after the military-backed party "won" re-election, Suu Kyi was released from the Yangon home where she'd spent the better part of two decades as a prisoner. By 2012, Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) had reorganized and won 43 of 45 contested seats in Parliament. With General-turned-President Thein Sein at the helm, the government continues to offer landmark reform, welcoming foreign investment, dialogue with western nations and tourism for the first time in decades. Meanwhile, continued ethnic conflict and religious oppression at the hands of the Buddhist majority suggests the quasi-civilian government still has some way to go.

The government has been trying to increase tourism in recent years and has made some things easier for travelers, who are no longer required to convert minimum amounts of their money into the local currency when they arrive. Visitors may now also travel unescorted to major locales. However, foreigners can expect to pay at least five times more than locals do for hotels, domestic airfares and entry to tourist sites. A separate concern is the well-documented fact that the government uses forced labor (euphemistically called "volunteers") to build its tourist infrastructure—roads, railways, stupas and even a temple moat.

Outside observers and even some of Suu Kyi's most ardent supporters are divided about the issue of tourism. Some argue that it should be discouraged because it puts money in the pockets of a pariah regime. Others believe travel to Myanmar has a positive effect because it exposes the country to outside scrutiny and influences. This debate continues in online forums and occasional op-ed pieces in Asia's regional press. Prospective travelers will find a plethora of information on both sides of this issue from which they can make their own informed decisions. Responsible travelers make it a point to support private companies without links to the government.

Snapshot

Myanmar's main attractions include ancient temples, unique culture, golden Buddhas, the Shwedagon Pagoda, wonderful people, remnants of colonialism, Inle Lake, Mandalay Hill, Bagan (Pagan) and the Mrauk-U region.

Myanmar will appeal to experienced travelers, especially those who love Asian architecture and religion. Those who worry about the political situation and those who must always have first-class accommodations shouldn't go there (although luxury accommodations are sprouting up around the country). Foodies may also be disappointed because the lack of private enterprise has led to limited dining options, especially outside Yangon.

Potpourri

The Burmese army, aside from the ruling generals, is known as the Tatmadaw.

The literacy rate, once one of the highest in Asia, is declining. The University in Yangon (a likely breeding ground for revolutionaries) has been opened and closed sporadically throughout the past decade.

Cheroots are sweet-smelling, small cigars that local men and women smoke.

A common feature of local women is a white, rice-paste "make-up," called thanaka, that is applied to the cheeks and forehead and acts as a traditional symbol and natural sunscreen.

The previous military dictator, General Ne Win, thought certain numbers were lucky. Holding a particular fondness for the number nine, he added the confusing 15-, 45- and 90-kyat banknotes to the currency's more standard multiples of 10, rendering much of the existing currency worthless.

Myanmar men have no given names. When they're young, Maung (pronounced ow) follows their family name, to be replaced with Ko as they reach adulthood. Older or well-respected men's names begin with U (as in U Thant, who was secretary-general of the United Nations from 1961 to 1971).

Myanmar is one of the world's major producers of heroin—opium production is said to be the biggest industry in the country, and fights to control this industry fuel much of the ethnic conflict in the north. (The U.S. government estimates Myanmar's drug exports to be worth US$1-$2 billion annually.) Poppy production grew 14% in 2011, making Myanmar the world's second largest producer of opium poppies after Afghanistan.

The country's forests are being rapidly depleted. Most of the world's remaining teak is in Myanmar.

The CD White Elephants & Golden Ducks provides a good introduction to Burmese music. The album is a mix of both traditional and modern Burmese compositions.

Nats are spirits of trees, rivers, rocks and ancestors. The worship of the 37 nats preceded Buddhism in Burma, and offerings still are made on important occasions.