Lonely Planet Myanmar (Burma) (Paperback)

~ Steven Martin (Author), Mic Looby (Author), Michael Clark (Author), Joe Cummings (Author) "Virtually nothing is known of Myanmar's prehistoric inhabitants, through archaeo evidence suggests the area has been inhabited since at least 2500 BC..." (more)
Key Phrases: sao pha, governmentowned hotels, htamin zain, Old Bagan, Inle Lake, Shwedagon Paya (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

As usual the guidebook standard is set by Lonely Planet

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Product Description

Should you go to Myanmar (Burma)?
There are strong arguments both for and against visiting the country. We highlight both sides of the argument in our guidebook and believe that individuals should make a fully informed decision about whether to visit the country.

Read our full introductory chapter now
This chapter from the latest Myanmar (Burma) guide offers more detailed information in the following sections:

• Should you visit Myanmar?
• Reasons not to go v. reason to go
• Myanmar Today
• If you decide to go...

Product Details

• Paperback: 512 pages
• Publisher: Lonely Planet Publications; 8th edition (January 9, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1740591909
• ISBN-13: 978-1740591904
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 5.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #804,358 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential - but always be sure to get the latest edition., March 16, 2003

By	Eran Cohen (Israel) - See all my reviews

I don't know if or when any of you is going to find himself / herself in this particular area, but anyway here it is...

This is the latest edition (8th) that was released only about a year ago. Things really changed in this edition compared to its predecessor; more authors are involved and new and updated information is added (though many sections remain).

Important note: When it comes to Myanmar, things can change for better or worse overnight due to the nature of the ruling government, while some other things tend to stay the same. Especially here, pay close attention to all the small details given in the chapters "Facts for the visitor", "Getting there and away" and "Getting around" - they matter greatly.

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As a whole, the guide will be a valuable asset for you if you're planning on traveling there, and there is absolutely no doubt whether to buy it or not - it's an essential purchase. To a great extent it will help you plan your budget, your destinations, how to get there and when, what to bring and so forth.

You should know that there are some beautiful places to visit in the country. One of them, the Shwedagon Paya in Yangon, strikes me as one of the most beautiful man made structures in the world. Imagine a 100 meters high Stupa (Buddhist religious monument), all covered with golden leaves, set on top of a hill, in the center of smaller golden temples and Buddha statues. The sight was breathtaking and alone was worth coming. Another famous place, yet less astounding, is Bagan, the city of Stupas in the north. There you can find numerous Stupas some of which were built more than 1000 ago. And yes, almost in every city and town you will see at least one golden Stupa (that immensely contradict the poverty of the people) that give Myanmar the name "The Golden Land".

The tagline on the cover of this book is "should you go?" It is misleading due to the fact that the answer they give inside is "yes". If you want to go - go, the political status is not of your concern, you're a traveler not a world freedom fighter. You wouldn't help the local people by avoiding the country - they benefit from your staying there - and that is all that you should care about.

Nevertheless, the authors don't really prepare you for the level of poverty you're going to meet there (the same way another author hasn't done in the Cambodia book yet); this is one of the poorest countries in the world and that's why you should always be careful and never trust anybody - they're there for your money (mostly). I really don't like, after being around, the attitude of "the locals are so nice and we can learn so much from them"; some of them are really nice and helpful, but others are nice because you spend your money there and it's downright blatant. Expect it; don't fall for it and BE CAREFUL of forced and immediate friendliness. Remember that as a tourist you're regarded as very rich and compared to them you are.

I want to mention the fact that as a traveler and a guest you will receive the best services even in budget hotels - they treated my friend and me like royalty in each and every hotel, and that was something we really enjoyed and appreciated. It's the best service all over South East Asia, and it does say something about the people as a nation.

I hope their days of freedom will come soon. ...

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Hopelessly outdated and frequently just wrong, March 25, 2004

By	"honeysuckle_de" (Siamn Reap, Cambodia) - See all my reviews

I'm currently on a round the world trip. So I've read a lot of guidebooks. And this is the most outdated and frequently simply wrong guidebook I've come accross (I visited Myanmar in January 2004). Of course I realize that e.g. prices go up, service might go down, owners change etc.. But this guidebooks has almost been more miss then hit. I've been to guesthouses where the architecture of the place was so completely different from what the LP described that it's simply impossible that the author was there! On top of that there are tons of things where the LP is simply outdated to the point of being useless: In Yangon and Mandalay busses leave from different places then described, all of the country markets are open at different days etc. etc..
Btw: You can NOT cash travellers cheques or use your visa card in Myanmar and you do not have to change money into FEC any longer.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars As good as it gets (under the circumstances), February 23, 2005

By	Joshua Markman (Brazil) - See all my reviews

I toured Myanmar in January of 2005 using the 2002 edition. I discovered the new edition of 2004 too late. Still, the older version was quite serviceable--so good one hotel proprietor offered a substantial discount if I would leave the book with him when I left the country; he had never read so much information about his homeland before, and the book is unavailable in Burma(and a little seditious). I think some of the negative reviews above are a bit finicky. Any experienced tourist knows to check the internet just before his trip to get the latest on hotels, exchange rates and the like. No book can keep up with those protean details. You get a guidebook to guide you through the basics. Most of us go to places like Burma to see what has been there for 100s of years and not to find the latest in accomodations. Any hotel will have the information you need on further transportation. I would, however, like to see what Eyewitness does, one day, with Myanmar, but until then, any recent edition of LP is indispensible for touring the Golden Land.