Things I didn’t like about Myanmar

Burma was great.  I loved its beauty, its people, and its ability to transport me back to a time of horse carts and fire stoves.  But it wasn’t all peaches and cream.  As with any country, there were aspects that I was definitely happy to leave behind.  While I wouldn’t discourage anyone from visiting Myanmar because of these things, they were frequent causes of my curses and should be considered during the planning process of any trip to Myanmar.

1. Long distance bus journeys

At first this read simply long distance travel, but I’m not sure that is accurate.  Train journeys in Myanmar are slow, hot, and dirty affairs, but they are nothing compared to the cramped quarters, loud TVs, and swerving drivers that define the often 10+ hour bus journeys.  It makes for an overwhelming and uncomfortable experience, but if these were the only problems perhaps I could come to accept them as “just another Burmese experience.”  But the journeys are also quite expensive by Southeast Asian standards (usually $10-$20) and the timetable is just about as bad as it gets.  Most buses leave in the evening and dump passengers in their destinations at the rude hour of 4AM.  On top of it all, Myanmar has begun to build new bus stations far outside of the towns travelers want to be in.  This means another expensive taxi ride ($8-$10) into a town where hotels and restaurants have yet to wake up.  Unfortunately, this absurdly painful bus travel is unavoidable for the budget traveler in Myanmar.

2. Beetle nut chewing men

Photo courtesy of Elliot Pelling

I have been to and lived in many countries where betel nut is more common than any other addiction, but I have never in my life seen it as widespread as it is in Burma.  Nearly every Burmese man I met (and some women) had a wad of it stuck in their cheek.  Even the monks were chewing the stuff.  I find nothing as repulsive as someone trying to speak to me while red spit dribbles out of their open mouth and between their black teeth.  It certainly didn’t make me want to get to know many Burmese people during my time there.

3. Foreigner prices

The sign outside Mandalay Palace. $10 for foreigners.

Foreigner prices are enough to drive any budget traveler crazy.  I realize that as travelers we have more money than locals.  I don’t know why that translates to paying more than locals do, but I accept that in many countries this is the case.  The problem I had in Burma was that the difference between local and foreigner pricing was so obvious.  At many restaurants and hotels, both the local and foreign prices were listed on menus and accommodation signs.  Often foreigners paid double.  At tourist attractions, locals were given free admission while foreigners were forced to pay $5-$15.  This large difference in pricing often left me sore and really did lessen my enjoyment of Myanmar.

4. Cost of accommodation

Photo courtesy of Elliot Pelling

While I am ranting about the cost of travelling Burma, I should add the cost of accommodation as something I did not enjoy.  Hotels in Myanmar are very expensive for what you get.  For $15-$18 a night, you can sleep in a prison cell using a shared squat toilet.  For $20-$25, you might get a private Western bathroom and breakfast but not much comfort past that.  Only once you hit $30-$40 per night do you start to feel a little bit more accommodated with maybe a TV and some decorative pillows.  These prices may seem low by Western standards, but they are enough to wreak havoc on a backpacker’s budget.

 5. The dust

Photo courtesy of Elliot Pelling

Myanmar, especially northern Myanmar, is dusty.  Everywhere one looks there is a pile of dust or a dust road or a house with a dust floor.  It makes driving at night dangerous and keeping things clean impossible.  It gets in every fingernail, camera lens, and piece of clothing.  As hard as I tried, I never could get over the amount of dust in Myanmar and was happy to leave it behind at the end of my month there.

6. Lack of decent wifi

Blogging, posting on social media, and keeping in touch with friends and family was virtually impossible while in Myanmar.  The wifi sucks.  Unless you are blessed with an unusually good connection at your hotel or are up at 4AM when no one else wants to be online, it takes, by my estimation, an average of 5 minutes to load any webpage.  That is if it is working at all.  Locals have any number of excuses for the terrible speeds.  I’ve heard everything from “It is raining in the north” to “The satellite is out of orbit” to “The government has turned it off.”  Whatever the case, don’t go to Burma expecting to check your email or satisfy your social media addiction.

Have you been to Myanmar?  Do you disagree with this list or have anything to add to it?  I’d love to hear your stories in the comment section below.