Burma, or Myanmar as it is called now, was a closed-off country for decades. It was only after the military regime loosened its political grip in 2011 that the country opened its doors to the world. And the stunning country quickly became a popular travel destination. Unfortunately, in recent years, due to the political situation, it has once again become difficult to travel there.
But it was also possible to travel around in the country in the 1980s and 1990s. It just took more effort. Tourist visas were only valid for 8 days, so if you wanted to see the country, you had to keep up a brisk travel pace and accept a low level of comfort. When tourist visas became valid for 21 days in 1994, my travel friend and companion Brigitte and I decided to go there as soon as possible. We were keen to see unspoiled Myanmar before it was too late. And we succeeded!
At that time, Myanmar had virtually no tourist infrastructure. There were state-run hotels in the style of the GDR, a few privately run guesthouses and, of course, the famous Strand Hotel in Rangoon, or Yangon as it is now called. And there was plenty of public transport. A railway network, domestic scheduled flights on Fokker Friendships and Fellowships, and a network of buses of all sizes and types, some dating back to WWII. Taxis and minibuses were available for hire everywhere. Moreover, there were plenty of small restaurants, so, food was not a problem.
We could only organize our trip once we were there, as there was effectively no communication with the country yet. The first step was to take a flight from Europe to Bangkok. Then fly on to Yangon as quickly as possible with a local airline. And from there, see what was possible using Burmese public transport. Here is our route through Myanmar.
Fortunately, we found a good guesthouse in Yangon and decided to make the capital of Myanmar the hub of our trip. Our first destination was Mandalay, a day’s journey by train. During the train journey, we met a couple of Italians. We decided to deviate from our original plan and to get off the train at Thazi, spend the night there and hire a minibus the next day to drive to the Inle Lake. The Inle Lake is home to communities who live in houses on stilts and have floating gardens, where they grow food. It seemed much more special to us than Mandalay. We did have to make some sacrifices, though. In Thazi there was only one primitive hotel. So, a poor meal and flea bites were ‘all inclusive’.
From the Inle Lake, we took a taxi to Bagan. This place is famous for the large number of temples built here, mainly in the 12th and 13th centuries. When we visited the complex, all the temples were freely accessible and… almost nobody there. Mystical, you felt as though you were in another world. Today, it is one of the most visited destinations in Myanmar…
The same applied to the capital, Yangon. There was limited electric lighting. So, in the evening, the market stalls and eateries were often lit by candles and oil lamps. In Yangon, everything revolves around the Shwedagon, the largest Buddhist stupa in the world. It is open from early in the morning until late in the evening. We could hardly get enough of this magnificent stupa.
Anyone wishing to visit Myanmar in 1995 could do so almost exclusively via Thailand. And we had to wait a few days in Bangkok for our flight to Yangon. But that is, of course, no hardship. Thailand has so much to offer. And the country has been strongly shaped by the omnipresent Buddhist culture. That is why, alongside the photo series on Myanmar, a separate photo series on Bangkok and the surrounding area is available.
1995 Bangkok, a relaxed stay on our way to Myanmar, photo series
1995 Myanmar, travelling through a mystical country, photo series