Myanmar (Burma)

With seven distinct states, each predominantly inhabited by a different ethnic group (or ethnic nationalities, as they prefer to be referred to), the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, also known as Myanmar, Burma, or the Union of Burma, is a country of diverse people and landscapes. From the beaches of Ngapali along the Indian Ocean to the towering Hkakabo Razi peak at 5,881 meters (19,295 feet) lying at the border with China and India, the country boasts varied landscapes of sub-tropical jungles, vast clear lakes and mighty rivers. Shining above these all is Inle Lake, famous for its lake rowers, and the diverse ethnic minorities inhabiting its shores and the surrounding Shan Mountains.

The nearly 70% Bamar majority are devoted Buddhists, and Buddhism and Buddhist clergy play a major role in the country’s fragile politics. Of the remaining ethnic nationalities, the approximate 10% of Muslim and Christians are largely outcast, a fact that retains the high tensions and ongoing civil war between the central government and those ethnic nationals and their armed rebel groups, leading to ongoing skirmishes which impact everyday life throughout the country, and in particular in states largely inhabited by Muslims.

The country’s glorious past and formidable civilizations can be recognized through the mighty archaeological sites scattered through its territory, visually depicting the story of the rise and fall of powers that ruled the country from the 10th century onward. The magnificent Bagan Archaeological Zone, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, consist of nearly 4,000 pagodas, forming a resilient reminder to the mighty Pagan Kingdom which for the first time unified the earlier minor kingdoms thrived along the course of the Irrawaddy, the country’s longest river. Mongol invasions of the late 13th century have brought the end to the rule of Pagan Kingdom, leading the country to hundreds of years’ long political turmoil. The 15th and 16th centuries mark the golden age of Burmese culture under the rule of four rising powers- the unified Shan States, the Kingdom of Ava, Hanthawaddy, and later, under the Taungoo. It was few hundred years later, all throughout the 19th century, that the British fought the Burmese until the country was finally annexed in 1885 at the end of the Third Anglo-Burmese War. The British abolished monarchy, and shifted the capital from the royal capital of Mandalay to Yangon, back then known as Rangoon, the center of British colonial Burmese. Our Myanmar private tours packages would delight those looking to explore the country, from ‘classic’ tours to the country’s best known sites, through trekking trips in its mountainous region, beach vacations and diving experiences at Ngapali beach, and all the way to ethnic exploration to one or more of its well over hundred different ethnic nationalities. No matter which of our Myanmar private tour packages one choose to explore the country, every trip would involve indulging in the country’s ancient traditions, sensing the prevalence of religious reverence, taking in the breathtaking landscapes, and enjoy the extraordinary hospitality of the people.