Star Travel Review

Now is the time to visit Burma

For the last four decades, the people of Burma (Myanmar) have withstood one of the harshest regimes in modern history. The country’s military rulers, a cabal known as “the Generals”, have been unquestionably corrupt, imprisoning members of the opposition and refusing to acknowledge overwhelming public votes for change.

Very little of Burma’s income has been invested in healthcare or social development, and public protest has been violently repressed. The country was almost entirely boycotted by international travellers, until 2011, when many of us begun to return. So why do we suddenly believe that Burma is “okay” again?

When I started taking clients to South East Asia, I refused to take them to Burma. Along with many other travel operators, I was honouring the boycott of Burmese tourism called for by Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel Peace Prize winning democrat and long-imprisoned leader of Burma’s National League for Democracy (NLD).

It felt like a terrible shame – I love Burma, and have been eager to share it ever since I backpacked through in 2003 – but it also felt, without question, like the right thing to do.

Change triggers cautious delight

In November 2010, Suu Kyi was released from her 20 years of house-arrest, after a civilian government was inaugurated by the Generals, who still receive much of Burma’s wealth. Although indiscriminate package tourism plays into government hands, the NLD is now encouraging tailor-made holidays (rather than group travel) to visit Burma and explore the situation.

The change triggered my cautious delight – I could finally share a genuinely amazing country without feeling rubbish about doing so. But before I could get going with any sense of conscience, I had to return and take a look for myself. Burma’s press coverage is polarised – reassurance from a government keen to amass package tourism revenue vies with grave messages from brave, brilliant and committed individuals who act to support Burma’s oppressed people. The result is a confused list of misconceptions about the country and the situation its people face.

Incredible hospitality

As a reasonably privileged Englishman with several world travel opportunities behind me, I’m unqualified to correct that list on behalf of the Burmese people. I can only give an honest account of my own experiences in their country. Back in 2003, I was constantly struck by the warmth and openness of the people I met. It’s hardly unusual to hear this from a traveller returning from Asia, be it Cambodia or Sri Lanka, but I’ve been to those places too, and Burma was different. The people were incredible. Many undoubtedly lived in a very harsh environment, facing real threats, residing under immense scrutiny. But their willingness to share with me the positives of their astonishing country, despite all the hardships, gave me memories that will remain forever.

My companion and I made new friends on gruelling 15 hour bus rides, were welcomed into their homes on arrival, or when the dilapidated buses inevitably broke down. Burma’s famous highlights easily outshone their Lonely Planet billing. Bagan and the Shwedagon Pagoda were breathtaking. I wanted to stay in Kipling’s Mandalay forever. But the unexpected extras defined our trip – an ancient monk, serving us tea in a roadside pagoda while we waited for a replacement wheel – the motorbike man who carried us, one at a time, up 5 miles of broken track to the best viewpoint.

Tailor-made holidays in Burma

On my return in 2011, I had to do serious professional things, like hotel inspections, checking itineraries and vehicle standards, and meeting the guides. It was also a vital chance for me to speak to people on the ground – to try and understand more about the changes that had occurred since the 2010 election.

What did I discover? It would be wrong and misleading to state that a holiday in Burma will not benefit the government in any way, but there are definitely ways that individuals and tailor-made travel operators can keep the Generals’ financial gain to a minimum. It is possible, in many cases, to avoid working with government agencies, and bypass government-owned hotels, restaurants and services.

Private hotels do still pay tax to the government – this is something we cannot avoid – but that hotel also employs sometimes 100s of regular Burmese people, all desperately needing an income. Likewise, at tourist sites I met local traders, selling handicrafts and souvenirs, each just as reliant on visitors for their livelihoods as the waiters, the shop owners, the guides and the drivers… the list goes on and on.

Arranging tailor-made holidays in Burma requires me to be brutally honest, with our clients and with myself. I don’t expect this to be an easy ride, or an easy decision to make – I don’t think it should be. But I do believe that responsible tour operators can provide good holidays in Burma, and can allow tourists to travel in a manner that will enrich their lives – and the lives of many Burmese people.


About this week’s star writer

Nick Pulley is founder and managing director of Selective Asia, which specialises in travel to South East Asia. Nick began travelling to the region at the age of 17 and has since returned more than 25 times. He was responsible for launching the first Half Moon Parties on Thailand’s Koh Phan Ngan and now works with local people to set up community based tourism initiatives.

This article originally appeared on the Velvet Escape travel blog.
 

A typical rural Burma landscape	Monks getting a closer view of the Shwedagon Pagoda	Chaukhtatgyi Paya's huge reclining Buddha
The golden stupa of the Shwezigion Pagoda, Bagan	A young monk, and a cheeky friend, collecting alms in Nyaung U, Bagan	Children at Nyaung U market
Resident monks fixing the communications at the Hsinbyume Pagoda, Mingun	Young girls outside the Hsinbyume Pagoda	Just some of the 2000+ golden Buddhas within the Pindaya Cave
Road to Kalaw, Shan State	Farmers wait at the roadside for the daily lorries collecting vegetables en route to China	For some it's just a lot waiting around!
A school run with a difference, Inle Lake	One of the largest of the 1424 Buddhas at the Ananda Temple, Bagan	Buddha at unnamed Bagan temple
A rainbow only adds to the incredible impact of the Bagan Temples	A young monk lighting candles for prayer

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