Exotic Myanmar
Myanmar is Asia at its best. More than any other Asian country, Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, has preserved its cultures and traditions. Myanmar is a deeply religious Buddhist country and is well known by travelers for its abundance of sights and sounds, interesting cultures, diversity of nature and most of all for its charming and friendly people. A kind of magic shrouds the whole land with its tropical plains, theHimalayan Highlands, teak-filled jungle and the Ayeyarwady River.
Myanmar has three quite distinct seasons, although the effects of the monsoon vary in different parts of the country. The best time to visit Myanmar is the 'cool winter' season from November to February. At this time of the year the weather is very pleasant - not too hot in the day and not too cool at night. In the hills it can get quite chilly in the evenings. During March, April and May the temperatures rise and will often topping 100F/40C and it can be unpleasantly hot. The rainy season starts in May with almost daily monsoon rainfalls, mainly in the afternoons and evenings, until the rain tapers off in October.
An estimated 30 percent of the land is arable but only half of this is under cultivation. Nevertheless, agriculture is the most important sector of the economy in Myanmar - two-thirds of the employed population works in agriculture. Agriculture products are rice, maize, wheat, pulses, peanuts, sesame, sugar-cane, jute, tobacco and cotton.
The tribal communities of the Karen, Mon and different Tibeto-Burmese tribes, the most famous being the Pyu (who came from eastern Tibet) were probably the first inhabitants of the area which is now Myanmar.
In the 8th century the Pyu built a town named Pyay, which was said to be the biggest in the country. The ruins of Pyay are still visible today. After the decline of Pyay the capital shifted to Bagan. From the 11th to 13th centuries about 13,000 temples and pagodas were built. King Anawratha, the first Burmese king, ruled in Bagan from 1044 to 1077 and succeeded in establishing a strong and powerful kingdom. After defeating the Mon, he took Mon prisoners back to his capital and used their architectural abilities for further development of the city. He also adopted Theravada Buddhism from them and began to spread it in his kingdom.
In 1824, the first British-Burmese war started. In 1886, Myanmar finally lost its independence and became a province of British-India. It was centrally governed, and traditional Burmese culture was suppressed in many ways.
In the 20th century, opposition to the British occupying forces and the Karen, who supported them, grew. In 1936, after many years of opposition, elections were held and in 1937 Myanmar achieved self-government within the British Empire.
After the Second World War, the British left Myanmar, which had been proclaimed independent by the Japanese in 1943. In 1947, a new consitution was ratified and in 1948 the 'Union of Burma' was established.
| US$ p.p. | 2 Pax | 3 - 5 Pax | 6 - 9 Pax | Sgl Suppl. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Var. A | $2,439 PER PERSON | $2,276 PER PERSON | $2,048 PER PERSON | $778 PER PERSON |
| Var. B | $2,852 PER PERSON | $2,689 PER PERSON | $2,460 PER PERSON | $1,121 PER PERSON |
| Var. C | $3,111 PER PERSON | $2,938 PER PERSON | $2,710 PER PERSON | $1,465 PER PERSON |
Note: Significant overbooking is currently being experienced in Myanmar. Suppliers are increasing their rates without warning and certain hotels are not honoring contract rates and are applying significant rate increases. Eastern Travel reserves the right to amend prices without notice where hotels and other suppliers increase their rates or additional surcharges are levied by airlines or government authorities.
Accommodation in hotels is subject to availability. If the listed hotel is fully booked, alternate accommodation will be offered.
With effect from 5 July 2012, the following terms apply to all Myanmar bookings:
CURRENCY NOTICE: Please be aware that clients should bring ample cash in US dollars to cover all personal expenses for their entire trip, as kyat and US dollars are the only currencies accepted in Myanmar. Credit cards, ATM cards and travellers cheques may not be used in Myanmar, and there are no other ways to wire money into the country.
**Flight ticket penalties may apply if changes or cancellations are made outside of 21 days prior to arrival date. You will be advised of ticket issuance deadlines if any are outside of our cancellation policy time frame.
