With more than 100 languages and different cultures, Myanmar has become an exciting destination for tourists in recent years. Visiting this country, learning about its history, experiencing the lives of local people or tasting the food here... are memorable memories of your trip. Below is the sharing of Bessie, a famous travel blogger about interesting and memorable experiences in the beautiful and mysterious country of Myanmar.
1. Try wearing a traditional dress
The traditional costumes of Myanmar are skirts, called longyi (for men) and tamain (for women). On the first day in Myanmar, you should visit small markets or traditional costume shops in the center to buy yourself a traditional skirt of the local people. These skirts mostly have many patterns and bright colors. Longyi or tamain skirts are quite simple to wear, you just need to wrap the fabric tightly around your waist. The difference between men and women is the different ways of tying, so you can ask the staff at the store to tie it for you.
2. Beautify in the local style
Thanaka is a traditional makeup powder with a sweet scent, which has the effect of cooling and protecting the skin from the sun. This powder is made from the powder of the Thanaka tree trunk, a tree grown a lot in this country. From women to children here use this powder. Especially students, they often apply Thanaka powder on their face and arms every day to beautify their skin. The way to use this powder is very simple, just mix a little Thanaka powder with water until it is slightly thick and then apply it on the skin. Children here often draw cute animal shapes on their cheeks or arms.
3. Drink tea
Tea drinking is a habit of Myanmar people, so you can see many people sitting in the roadside shops drinking tea in the afternoon. There are many types of tea for you to choose from, there are milk tea with sweet taste or bitter taste or mixed tea. Usually, Myanmar people will eat steamed buns or parata while enjoying delicious cups of tea.
4. Sitting for hours in temples
When you come to Myanmar, visiting the pagodas is the best way for you to explore the culture of this Buddhist country. When visiting the pagodas, you will see Buddhists meditating or chanting for hours. If you want to learn more about the worship rituals here, you should prepare some snacks and drinks because the work often lasts a long time. Some pagodas in Myanmar that you can visit are Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, Maha Muni in Mandalay or other pagodas.
5. Climb to the top of Mandalay and chat with monks in English
Climbing to the top of Mandalay and enjoying the panoramic view of the area below at sunrise or sunset is a wonderful experience for you. Besides, you can also chat with the monks in English to learn more about the culture and people of Myanmar. The monks here will be very willing to take you on tours and guide you for the purpose of practicing their English. Most of them are studying at Buddhist universities in the West of Mandalay, they wish to study Buddhism in Thailand or India, so they pay a lot of attention to improving their English.
6. Watching people walking on the longest wooden bridge in the world
Called U Bein with a length of 2 km, this is the longest teak bridge in the world, it connects small towns in Mandalay. Monks and local people often carry goods by bicycle across this bridge. Walking on the bridge to see the blue lake with schools of fish swimming below or rowing a boat on the lake and watching the flow of people on the bridge is a memorable experience for you.
7. Discover the country with more than 2,000 temples and pagodas
Known as the land of temples, Myanmar is an interesting destination for tourists who love to explore religious culture. There are more than 2,000 temples and pagodas scattered throughout the country, tourists can cycle from one temple to another within their permitted itinerary. It is important to remember to bring water and food because there are usually not many shops around the temples.
8. Visit the villages around Inle Lake by bicycle or canoe
In the minds of the people of Myanmar, Inle Lake is the most beautiful place in the world. The lake is not too deep but the lake surface is wide and flat like a mirror reflecting the surrounding mountains, hills, clouds and sky. The best thing is that you can ride a bicycle to visit the small villages around or sit in a boat to admire the beauty of the lake and visit the nearby temples.
9. Pilgrimage to Buddha's land and breathe fresh air
When coming to Myanmar, you should not miss the opportunity to go to the top of Kyaiktiyo Pagoda (also known as Golden Rock Pagoda) to admire the beautiful scenery from the top of the mountain. This pagoda is famous for its precariousness as well as its gilded surface. Legend has it that the reason the pagoda still stands firmly on the cliff is because it is held by a strand of Buddha's hair. It is important to note that you should wear clothes that cover your shoulders and knees when going up here, it both shows solemnity and helps you keep your body warm when the temperature here is quite low.
10. Eating and drinking
Food in Myanmar is very rich and diverse. In the daily meals of the people here, there are often many different dishes. Each member will have a bowl of soup. In addition, there are dishes such as lephet-do, also known as tea leaf salad, this dish is made from fresh tea leaves mixed with cabbage, onions, garlic, peanuts and other vegetables. Shan noodles are made from eggs and vegetables, the sauce is also worth a try. Parata cakes made from flour, eggs, sugar... are also indispensable when you eat them with a cup of tea here.
