Cambodia
Travel Guide
Myanmar (Burma) is a fascinating country filled with friendly people. Discover colonial Yangon, capture the temples of Bagan, relax and explore lake Inle by private boat.
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Why you'll love Cambodia
We've been exploring and building a team throughout Myanmar for years, from Myanmar's remote mountain villages to the colonial quarter of Yangon. Our team's knowledge and relationship with the government archeological department mean we can literally open doors for photographers to beautiful temples, temples tourists don't reach.
- Burmese are genuinely friendly, honest, with smiles that can melt even the most jet-lagged traveler.
- Myanmar is refreshingly unspoiled, it's culture and archeological sights are relatively untouched by the outside world.
- Breathtaking historical sights, such as 3000 ancient temples and stupas jetting out of Bagan's trees and scrub at sunset.
- Watching life on Lake Inle, from leg-propelled fishermen, a floating farm, and local life in the villages on stilts.
- Fascinating roads-less-traveled to the tattoo hill tribes, it's like stepping back in time.
- Buddhism is an integral part of everyday life, not just for the Monks, Nuns, and Novices, you'll see everywhere.
How to Plan a Trip to Cambodia
Myanmar offers travelers some amazing experiences, such as ballooning. No matter if you're in the basket or on the ground, watching the hot air balloons drifting over miles of ancient Bagan temples at dawn has become the top things to do in Myanmar, not to mention it's now an iconic image of Burma. It's a fantastic experience, and just breathtaking to watch.
There are interesting hikes through tribal areas around the colonial hill station of Kalaw or in the tattoo tribal areas around Mount Victoria. Watching the sun go down at U-Bein Bridge, silhouetted against the evening sky by boat is a highlight of Mandalay. While cruise lovers might enjoy the unique journey along the Irrawaddy River between Bagan and Mandalay.
Top Things to Do in Cambodia
Fly Over Bagan
Take a sunrise balloon flight over the temples of Bagan for an amazing perspective of this ancient wonder.
Finally, do not skip Inle, at 1000m Inle's cooler climate is a welcome break from the heat, so sit back and relax as our guide and boat team take you between villages, leg-propelled fishing areas, temples and restaurants on stilts, all by the comfort of our deluxe teak powerboats.
Where's Cambodia
Myanmar borders China to its north, India and Bangladesh to its west and Thailand and Laos to its east.
- Time Zone: UTC +7
- Population: 60 million
- Capital: Naypyidaw, but the old capital Yangon (formerly called Rangoon) is the largest city in Myanmar.
How to Get Here
Fly to Yangon
The popular arrival airport is Yangon (Rangoon). 80% of guests fly into Yangon, airport code RGN. There are few direct flights and you will need to connect through a hub like Bangkok, Thailand or Singapore, or Hong Kong.
| USA | UK | CHINA | HK | THAILAND | AUS. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 hrs | 15 hrs | 8 hrs | 3 hrs | 2 hrs | 12 hrs |
Fly to Mandalay
If you're linking a trip to Yunnan, China, flying into Mandalay could work well, but there are some downsides to flying in here > Should I fly into Yangon or Mandalay?
Best Time to Visit Cambodia
You may be wondering when is the best time to visit Myanmar, the short answer is anytime from Nov to April, but the months of Dec to Feb are the absolute sweet spot. However, anytime can be amazing. Our team training was in September and we had a great time. So don't feel too restricted!
Read the 'Your burning questions' next for advice on seasons, such as the wet, dry, as well as high and low tourism times. our in-depth month by month guide on the Best Time to Visit Myanmar.
Your Burning Questions
We recommend you spend at least 10-12 days in Myanmar, so you can visit the former royal capital Mandalay, enjoy the cooler area of Inle Lake by boat at 1000 meters, fly in a balloon over ancient ruins of Bagan at sunrise, and finish in the cultural hub and formal colonial streets of and largest city Yangon. You can read more on the recommend time required to visit Myanmar here: How Long do you need to Visit Myanmar?
Myanmar Weather
Myanmar (Burma) is a tropical monsoon climate in South East Asia. You could divide its weather into these four key seasons:
Dry Season: October to May
Wet Season: June and October
Hot Season: March to June (40°C +)
Cool Season: Nov to Feb
Tourism Seasons
High Season: Nov to Feb
The high season starts in November and ends in late February, and accommodation is often in short supply.
This is high-season because of the relatively cool weather and little rain. So
the land is dry and dusty, and the fields are therefore not as green as Summer.
Low Season: March to October
Visiting Myanmar outside the high season is also well worth considering. There are fewer tourists, more availability of accommodation, not to mention better rates. Rain is typically not for the whole day.
Read our detailed guide to each month's festivals and the weather here >
US, UK, Canada, Australia, and most other western countries need a Myanmar visa. The good news, it's easy, and most countries citizens can apply for an eVisa on the official government website for $50 USD. Here's a useful guide on how to get a Myanmar Visa.
Flying to Yangon or Mandalay is the best way to get to Myanmar.
You'll first need to fly into an Asian hub and transit. Popular transit airports are Bangkok, Singapore, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, even Cambodia (Phnom Penh, Siem Reap) or Vietnam (Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City). All of these cities have flight connections to Yangon.
Bangkok is the most popular hub; it has over 20 flights per day. The flight time is under 2 hours. This is ideal if your flight was delayed or you missed a connection, as you're never too far away from the next departure.
So you could also plan a night or two in Bangkok or Hong Kong on your arrival or departure.
Read more advice on where to start your Myanmar trip and how to get to Myanmar.
Take a flight.
Domestic Flights
Myanmar domestic flight schedules can change with little to no notice. If traveling with our team, our office and your guide will be monitoring and confirming your flight the day before your departure. You can just relax and enjoy the trip.
Intercity Buses
Buses are old and overcrowded. It can easily take 8-10 hours to get between key cities like Bagan and Yangon. We don't recommend the bus, especially if time is short.
Visiting Myanmar is safe?
Yes. The UK Foreign Office site is an excellent resource for travel advice. It last updated in September 2018, and advises us the majority of the country is safe, except risks in Rakhine state where it reports instances of burning and looting of property. “political tension and unrest could happen at short notice” in that region, so it advises against all but essential travel in much of that region. Again we are talking about the Rakhine state and Shan and Kachin states to the northeast, which is very far from where we visit and all reports are the situation is now much calmer.
Tipping is not required but it's a nice gesture, especially with service staff such as taxi drivers, hotel staff, restaurants if the staff were particularly attentive, tour guides and drivers. Read our guide to tipping in Myanmar.
Top Destinations in Cambodia
Start Planning Your Trip to Cambodia
Contact an expert in Cambodia that will support you 1-1 from the initial chat, itinerary design, and even on the trip.
Yangon
Bagan
Inle
Mandalay
Top 4 Places to Visit
Yangon
Shwedagon Pagoda, the colonial quarter, and the Yangon circular train ride.
Roads Less Traveled
Chin State
Mrauk U
Ngpali
Kyaing Tong
Map of Cambodia
Suggested Itineraries
Our recommended Myanmar itineraries are designed to inspire you, to show you what's possible, and give you a head start in planning your own unique trip to Myanmar with us. Here are some recommended Myanmar itineraries, routes, and tips to consider.
Photos
Start Planning Your Trip to Myanmar
Contact an expert in Myanmar that will support you 1-1 from the initial chat, itinerary design, and even on the trip.
