Is it possible to consider a trip to Myanmar?

Hi Denis, I lived in Myanmar for 3 years, most recently until December 2024. Safety isn’t great. It depends on your comfort level with adventure. For any long-distance overland travel, army-run checkpoints are everywhere. I strongly recommend using domestic flights. You can do the classic Yangon-Bagan-Mandalay-Inle route by plane. It’s best to bring plenty of cash (euros, kyats, or pristine US dollars), as you’ll likely get a better exchange rate than with a card. For almost all hotels, paying directly in cash will be cheaper than booking online.

Thanks for your message

You’ve gotta love eating super greasy food and be okay with walking barefoot as soon as you step into any temple grounds.

That’s the case in street tea shops. Then in Yangon and Mandalay, there are plenty of mid-range restaurants that let you have a more than decent culinary experience.

Walking barefoot in temples—isn’t that the norm in quite a few Buddhist countries (plus India)? Even in Myanmar, though, you don’t need to take off your shoes in Chinese temples, or at least not in the Chinatown temple in Yangon.

I imagine these aren’t the kind of criteria that matter most to most visitors to this country. That said, it’s true that Myanmar didn’t leave me with memorable memories of its "gastronomy." Luckily, this country has plenty of other strengths to offer. First, the kindness and honesty of its people—it feels like Thailand in the 70s/80s. Taking off your shoes before entering a temple was the norm in all Hindu and Buddhist countries... Not really a big deal!

Okay, Myanmar isn’t exactly a top foodie destination.

That said, having lived in Yangon, the city actually has a really solid food scene at very affordable prices—whether you're after Burmese, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, or even Western food (in 2024, the cheese platter at Sharky’s for 5 €, including truffle cheese...).

In Yangon (and now Bangkok), Rangoon Tea House is the go-to spot for modern, hipster Burmese cuisine. Some dishes are amazing, but others are just so-so. If you're into "modern Burmese food," Burma Bistro in downtown Yangon is another good option.

Generally, across all of South and Southeast Asia, when I get a bit tired of the local cuisine, I fall back on Indian food, which I never get tired of... I'm rarely disappointed... except in Myanmar, where what I ordered really didn’t resemble Indian food at all. Maybe just bad luck?

Yes and no. Basically, in Yangon, there are really Indian restaurants and Indian restaurants.

The Indian restaurants in malls, from what I’ve seen, are usually run or recently opened by expat Indians or recent immigrants, and they serve Indian cuisine pretty much like in India.

On the other hand, the restaurants in the Indian quarter downtown are almost all run by Indians who’ve been in Myanmar for ages, and the food isn’t really like in India.

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In Thailand, you take off your shoes at the entrance of the building—not 20 meters before, as soon as you cross the property line. And you can keep your socks on.

As a result, your skin doesn’t come into contact with pigeon droppings or various bacteria, you don’t burn the soles of your feet on sun-heated floors, and you don’t slip on wet tiles.

In practice, the difference is huge.

That’s the case in street tea shops. Then in Yangon and Mandalay, there are plenty of mid-range restaurants that let you have a more than decent culinary experience.

We did it too. From bad, it goes to relatively bad. In this country, there’s clearly a surplus of oil to get rid of! 😅

As a result, your skin doesn’t come into contact with pigeon droppings or various bacteria, you don’t burn the soles of your feet on sun-heated ground, and you don’t slip on the tiles when it’s wet.

In practice, the difference is significant.

Honestly, I didn’t pay much attention to it—it didn’t really stand out to me anyway. Maybe the soles of my feet aren’t that sensitive

Honestly, I didn’t pay any attention to it; in any case, it didn’t really stand out to me. Maybe the soles of my feet aren’t that sensitive

That’s the difference between me and a real adventurer!

Interesting how perceptions change.

I worked in Burma (3 years) and Thailand (1 year). I think you're objectively right about taking off your shoes several meters before entering. But I just never paid attention to it—I guess my feet are tough.

About shoes and temples. Once, with some Christian Burmese friends, we were at Landmark Garden in Nay Pyi Taw, a huge park with replicas of monuments from all over Burma. We arrived at the replica of a well-known temple, and before entering, a question came up in the group: is a replica of a temple in an amusement park still "sacred"? Do we need to take off our shoes to enter? After several minutes of debate, the group remained undecided.