Charliecbc
Greensboro
A review of this place: Totally Awesome! — 1 year ago
Worth visiting!
I loved this city because it was completely untouched by tourism. The government has kept this place so isolated from the outside world that when you go there you really feel like you are in a totally foreign country. I stayed here a week and I only saw a few other westerners the entire time. The Burmese speak english really well, I guess since they used to be a British colony, so it is easy enough to get around. That also means it is fun and easy to make friends with the locals. There are lots of people to talk to and they are all curious about the world outside of Burma. In alot of Asian countries most of the locals that try to talk to you want to sell you something, but Rangoon was different. Since tourists are still so uncommon, nobody bothers you because they aren’t used to seeing foreigners. I actually had little children stare at me and then start to cry and run and grab their mothers leg because they had never seen a caucasian person before. Everybody stared at me actually, they really don’t see many of us. It was crazy because I just walked around the city by myself or with my friend and just ate and drank beer at the local little tea shops right alongside the locals, man, they looked at us like we were space aliens or something. It wasn’t hostile looks, just curiosity. The Burmese are awesome to talk to and they are very articulate. If you want to talk to some locals the best places are Shwedagon Pagoda and Sule Pagoda. The monks there all know english and are real cool. Also near Sule Pagoda (or it might have been Shwedagon, I confuse the two, but it is the one right in the center of the city) there is a bar/restaurant called the ABC Pub where alot of upper class Burmese and also foreign embassy staff tend to congregate at night. I met some really interesting people there and I learned more about the country than any guide book could have explained.
Overall I would say that Rangoon is for experienced travelers of Asia only and is probably the least westernized of any big city in South Asia. But it is one of the most rewarding and interesting places to visit, especially if you want to go somewhere away from the hoardes of tourists you encounter in Thailand and parts of India. But just be careful, the Burmese government is no joke and all foreigners are considered to be possible spies. You may be followed or encounter bureaucratic problems, or even questioned by police or other gov’t officials. Always ask permission before you photograph anything!!! And don’t even think about trying to photograph any soldiers or gov’t/military/police installations. Be very careful about what books you bring with you. Research the local laws regarding foreign tourists and strictly obey them. If you run into any hassle just be very polite and friendly and smile alot and act clueless. Many foreigners have been arrested and many are still in jail there. Foreign governments diplomatic ties with the Burmese gov’t are shaky at best, and your embassy might not be able to help you. But just be tolerant, the government is like that for a reason. Foreign governments have tried to run the country for centuries and the people are sick of that. At least they have their own country.
