Myanmar Travel Guide

With dense forests, abundant wildlife, friendly people, rich culture and underdeveloped coastal resorts, Myanmar (previously known as Burma) is certainly a beautiful corner of Asia. Sadly, however, an unstable political situation substantially detracts from Myanmar's credentials as an alluring tourist destination.

Would-be tourists face a difficult choice in whether to come. On the one hand, Myanmar has many attractions: thousands of pagodas, fascinating culture and ancient towns among them. Also, tourists are welcomed with open arms by locals hungry for news of the outside world, and for their economic contribution.

However, it is argued that tourism directly funds the military regime. The pro-democracy resistance figure Aung San Suu Kyi is one of many who have asked tourists to resist travelling to Myanmar for this reason. Travellers should also be aware that certain areas in Myanmar are currently out of bounds owing to the political disturbances of recent years; see our Travel Advice section for up-to-date information.