Make A Tour To Myanmar From India By Bus Starting April 2020

INTRODUCTION

India is the World’s largest democracy, and it shares 2000 km border with Myanmar. In 2001, 160km long India-Myanmar Friendship Road was inaugurated. This road linked the Moreh-Tamu-Kalemyo-Kalewa. For the past 17 years, there have been negotiations and planning towards starting bus services along this route so that India will connect to Myanmar and also other South Asian countries. This Bus service’s first trial run was done in 2015 with the involvement of both India and Myanmar officials. Also, the India Myanmar Land Treaty was signed between the two countries in 2018 which facilitates easy border crossing, so that if you have a passport and a valid visa, you can enter Myanmar. They even provide visa on arrival for those entering the Tamu Land Border Checkpoint at the Indian border. Thus travelling from India to Myanmar using your own vehicle was made possible. The cherry on the top is that just recently, in February 2020, Mr N. Biren Singh, the Chief Minister of Manipur announced that the bus service between Imphal and Mandalay, i.e. India and Myanmar will be operational thrice a week from 7^th April onwards.

All these conditions are a call for celebration and an opportunity to satiate our wanderlust by taking the ‘road less travelled’ and journeying to Myanmar via bus rather than by Air. The bus route from Imphal to Mandalay passes through Manipur in India. The Indian side of this bus service will be managed by the Seven Sisters Holidays Company Ltd. As we reach the border at Morhe in Manipur, we’ll be walking across the friendship bridge to board the Myanmar Bus at Tamu. The Myanmar side of management will be taken care of by a Mandalay-based local bus company. This trip will cover a distance of 579 km.

A neighbour to India, Myanmar unlike India seems to have stopped in time way long back. So much so that when you enter Myanmar, you’ll be feeling as if you have time travelled back to the 20^th Century. And truly speaking, this makes Myanmar more special of a place to visit as it seems untouched by the globalization and gives you as a tourist a serenity which is difficult to find. So, This April 2020, get ready for Myanmar Tour by Bus.

IMPORTANT TIPS WHILE VISITING MYANMAR:

• Visa: Myanmar has launched an eVisa system through which Visas are issued online within just 3 working days for tourists which allows the tourists a stay up to 28 days and is valid till 90 days of its issue.
• Currency: First and foremost, exchange your Indian Rupee to Burmese Kyat at the Airport itself. Your travelling and food expenses have been already paid for. However, you’ll need the money for shopping, or even for buying some local food, or for some unnamed emergencies.
• Water: Bottled water is a safer bet and the local tap water is to be avoided at any cost.

THINGS TO DO IN MYANMAR:

• Shopping: Gongs, bells, clothes, lacquerware, sand paintings, local jewellery
• Food: Try the local fish rice Shan dish and Myanmar’s authentic curry. But do make sure of what constitutes the curry as they may contain beef or pork which might not suit your palate. Also, try Ban Bauk which simply put is a Biryani. This dish is a combination of Indian and Burmese/Myanmar palate and is a must-try.
• View sunset from Mandalay Hill
• Climb up a Pagoda in Bagan to view sunrise as well as sunset.
• Visit the U-Bein Bridge in Mandalay to view the sunset.

BEST PLACES TO VISIT IN MYANMAR:

• Mandalay: This is the 2^nd biggest city of Myanmar and was the last royal capital of Myanmar. Named after the 790 ft tall Hill called Mandalay Hill, the city is blessed with beautiful temples, lakes. And has the feel of a regular Asian city with its hustle and bustle. Interesting places to visit in Mandalay are the Shwenandaw Monastery, which was built by the past national king and is the remains of the original Royal Palace of Myanmar. Other places to visit are the Yadanbon Zoological Gardens, Ava Heritage Village, and the old cities of Amarapura, Sagaing, etc.

• Bagan: While Mandalay was the last capital kingdom, Bagan was the place where the first Burmese kingdom was established. With its primitive architecture Bagan, takes you back in time. There is a huge Buddha Statue in Bagan and about 3000 pagodas and Buddhist Temples. Hot air balloon rides are available in Bagan, but they are rather costly and not available throughout the year – including April, so that in your Myanmar Trip 2020, you’ll have to just watch the golden Bagan sky filled with hot air balloons floating over the temples and pagodas. Interesting places to visit in Bagan are the Shwezigon Pagoda, Ananda Temple, Sulamani Temple, Thatbyinnyu Temple, Popa Mountain National Park, etc.

• Inle Lake: Situated amidst a valley and enveloped by numerous water bodies, the vast serene Inle Lake and the floating villages sprawling on it is a sight to behold. Not just huts, but post offices, hospitals, weaving centres floating here. You’ll have to take a boat ride to view this mesmerizing and quaint lake. And do take stops at the weaving centres and even small scale factories to see how textiles are weaved from lotus flowers and how intricate silver jewellery are made. Near Inlae is Indein village which houses a total of 1000 pagodas and is a beauty in itself.

• Hispaw: Hispaw is the place to satiate the adventure seeker in you, so that you be ready with your backpack, carry some snacks and water, and go for short treks to the Shan village or/and Palaung village. The treks are filled with views of fields hot springs, and numerous small villages. Hispaw has a rich history as it was in the past where the Shan princes lived and is peppered with numerous old stupas just like Bagan.

• Nagpali Beach: No holiday is complete without enjoying a beach detour. Myanmar is peppered with pagodas and temples everywhere. The Nagpali Beach is a break from this stereotypical view of Myanmar. This beach is a beauty in itself with its white sand and blue waters, and the palm trees enveloping this paradise.

• Yangon: Bollywood has a famous iconic song ‘Mere Piya Gaye Rangoon’ which talks about Rangoon/Yangon, the largest city of Myanmar. Yangon is also the Capital and economic capital of Myanmar. It is said that Yangon is much like Kolkata and these two cities give similar vibes so much so that they seem like twins. The similarity, of course, is because of the influence of the British who had their colonies in both the cities. Yangon is famous for the Sule Pagoda, the Shwedagon Pagoda (which is believed to hold strands of hair of Gautama Buddha), the Kandwagyi Lake (translating to ‘great royal lake’,etc

BOOK MYANMAR TOUR FROM INDIA

We at Sushant Travels, have a number of International Tour Packages on offer so that you can experience the culture, the nature, the people of countries other than India. Through our Myanmar Tour Packages, it is now possible to avail an international tour by the roadways, which makes it much more cheaper as compared to a flight. Also considering that the value of Myanmar currency’s value is less compared to Indian Rupee, even shopping is cheaper here. So, book with Sushant Travels, our Myanmar Tour by Bus and avail this international tour which is much pocket-friendly and take a step closer to our neighbouring country Myanmar.