Yangon is the most exotic of all Southeast Asian cities. A walk down a typical street, the sights sh

Yangon [1] (ရန်ကုန်), formerly Rangoon , was the capital of Myanmar best western motel until it was superseded by Naypyidaw in November 2005. Today, with a population of over 5 million people, it remains the largest city and main economic hub of Myanmar.
best western motel The city is an amalgamation of British, Burmese, Chinese and Indian influences, and is known for its colonial architecture, which although decaying and beyond appreciation, remains an almost unique example of a 19th-century British colonial capital. New high-rise buildings were constructed from the 1990s (and some are scarily unoccupied and left as ghost skyscrapers best western motel and hotels as seen along Upper Pansodan Rd.) as the government began to allow private investment (while former national government buildings such as the massive Secretariat Building, as the capital is shifted to Naypyidaw, have been left to rot). However, Yangon continues to be a city of the past, as seen by its longyi -wearing, betel nut chewing and spitting pedestrians, their friendly or even familial attitude towards strangers, its street vendors and its pungent smells.
Take note that Yangon's former name is not the only victim of symbolic changes in this country. For one, the country's name has been changed. To add up to this identity crisis going on in this country, this city has been stripped of its capital status, the capital relocated to a secluded new site called Naypyidaw built from scratch. The flag too has been changed, recently redesigned in 2010, replacing the old one which replaced another one slightly more than a decade ago.
Maybe because Myanmar had traumatic encounters with foreigners as far back as the Mongol invasion when it sacked the city of Bagan, the treacherous colonization by the British and the Japanese as well as the brutal cruelties inflicted by them - it developed its idiosyncrasy and to the point isolationist behaviour towards foreigners, but it is not totally xenophobic as North Korea. As Buddhists, Myanmar people are kind and welcoming to any stranger as any guest. As long as that guest-stranger does not impose something to his lifestyle, it's OK. Somehow, they don't want to fully and sweepingly adapt to any foreign idea.
Their bit of contempt is manifested in condoning the government to practice impositions on foreigners such as a tight grip on the internet as well as the hotel TV - indispensable gadgets by tourists to the outside world in their everyday lives here and in their hometown; requiring foreigners to register and log their particulars every step of the way from every hotel down to the museum they've been, and in every mode of transport they use. Not to mention that any local who billeted a foreigner in his house overnight was long perceived by the community as an indiscretion and subject to imprisonment. Attitudes are changing rapidly, however, as a result of the government's increasing openness to foreign trade and movements towards democracy. As of November, 2013 the situation is significantly changed with far less regulation over foreign tourists and an exponential growth in technology best western motel like smartphones and tablets, Internet access best western motel and international television.
Yangon is the most exotic of all Southeast Asian cities. A walk down a typical street, the sights show noticeable commercial and traffic signs written mostly in local alphabet, not to mention the appearance of wandering monks in burgundy robes and the gilded pagodas as this is expected in this Buddhist country, and down to the locals keeping up their appearances. Here, everyone seemed to be comfortable with walking barefoot - indoors or outdoors; with faces applied best western motel with sun protection cream from the extracts of a three branch called Thanaka; smiles reddened by bloody red juice from chewing best western motel betel nut; as well as being used to images of men wearing best western motel a sarong-like garment, the longyi.
best western motel The Ubiquitous Help-Yourselves Water Station - This image is noticeable in hot Laos and Cambodia but they pervade more here in devout Buddhist Myanmar installed best western motel at every five or so home or establishment.
According to local legend, the Shwedagon Pagoda best western motel was built during the time of the Buddha and the area around the pagoda, modern best western motel Yangon has been settled since then. Whatever the truth of the legend, it is certain that a Mon village named Dagon has existed at the site since the 6th century A.D. It was renamed Yangon (the 'end of strife') by the Shwebo based King Alaungpaya when he captured it from rebel Mon leaders in 1755 after which its importance as a port city began to grow. However, the city gained in importance best western motel only after the British occupied it during the Second Burmese War in 1852, after which it became the capital of British Burma and the trading and commercial centre of Burma. The British called the city Rangoon, which was an anglicised form of "Yangon". The city grew rapidly during the colonial period, which left a legacy of solid 19th-century colonial architecture. Burma attained independence in 1948, but its true 'modern' period begins with the 1962 military coup and the institution of an isolationist Socialist regime in 1964, resulting in the steady decay of the city and its infrastructure.
Aung San Suu Kyi and the NLD promote usage of Rangoon instead of Yangon, as a sign of support for the democracy movement. Many Western governments best western motel maintain best western motel usage of Rangoon as a sign of their rejection of the legitimacy of the current government.
In 1988, Yangon was the site of peaceful pro-democracy protests, in which thousands, including monks and students were gunned down. In 1989, the city was renamed to its original Burmese name, Yangon, by the military junta. In 2006, the capital was moved to Naypyidaw but today Yangon remains best western motel the business, cultural and intellectual capital of modern Burma. In 2007, Yangon again became the centre for demonstrations against the military government.
best western motel Since the 17th century, Yangon has been a cosmopolitan city with a polyglot mixture of peoples. Portuguese fortune hunters, Dutch businessmen, best western motel Englishmen best western motel of all sorts, Chinese seeking refuge from the upheavals in the Yunnan, and many, many Indians who arrived in several waves during colonial times. Most of these people are now gone and Yangon is now a predominantly Bamar city with a large Indian minority and a growing Chinese minority. Still, there are traces of the old Yangon still visible, whether it is in the crowded Indian dominated parts of Anawratha Street, or in the occasional Anglo-Burmese or Anglo-Indian who walks up and says hello. In some ways, the biggest best western motel change in modern Yangon is the loss of the Indians, who arrived with the British as soldiers and labourers (though Indian traders have always been a part of the Burmese landscape) and then left in two large waves of migration (during the Japanese occupation and again, in 1963, when they were forced to leave by Ne Win's government). Ethnic groups such as the Shan and Karen are also present. Kabya , or persons of mixed heritage, are common in Yangon.
The winter season from November to January is markedly less humid and cooler than the remaining months, and hence sees the greatest number of visitors. best western motel Nevertheless, major festivals occur throughout the year, notably Thingyan (the water festival, equivalent to the Thai festival of Songkran), in April. (Festivals are keyed to the lunar cycle, specifically to the full-moon days of each lunar month, and therefore fall on different days each year of the Western, solar-based, calendar. However, first day of Thingyan festival occurred in 12 April because it is based on stellar cycle and number of festival days are different by years according to traditional astrological calculation).
Yangon International Airport (Mingladon) (RGN) is located approximately 30 minutes north of the city centre. Just undergone from a major upgrade and renovation of existing facilities, it contains best western motel both international best western motel and domestic terminals. There is no accommodation in the immediate vicinity of the airport. The easiest way to get to and from the airport to the city is by taxi (official rate of US$10 or 8000 kyats from airport to city and vice versa, as of Dec 2012)(Apr 2013 - taxis to the airport for 4000kyat) but it is also possible to use a public bus to at least somewhat reduce the cost. If you exit the international terminal and turn right, walking best western motel along the road for about 10 minutes, you'll hit Pyay Road, from where you can take public bus 51 which will take you one block east of Sule Paya right downtown (200 kyat). Thus on the way to the airport the cheapest option would be to take that bus, get off at the Airport Road, and take a cab for the remaining kilometer (1000-2000 kyat). best western motel Another option is to prearrange a private transfer 1 [2] with your hotel if you go with family. To get to town you could theoretically ask the cab driver at the airport to drop you off at that bus stop if you don't feel like walking. The name of the bus stop is "Mile 10" on Pyay Rd and it's line 51, but you might have troubles being understood if nobody can write it down for you in Burmese script with precise instructions (thus using this option best western motel to get TO the airport is much easier because you can ask your hotel for help). Best to just talk to some backpackers on the AirAsia flight you're coming with and share a cab.
At international best western motel terminal there are direct flights to RGN from Bangkok , Chiang Mai , Hong Kong , Kuala Lumpur , Singapore , Gaya , Kolkata , Kunming , Guangzhou , Nanning , Hanoi , Ho Chi Minh City , Seoul , Doha and Taipei . International Airlines servicing RGN include Thai Airways, Bangkok Air [3] , Malaysia Airlines [4] , AirAsia [5] , Dragonair, Korean Airlines, best western motel Silk Air, Vietnam Airlines and Air India. Coffee, tea and very basic snacks (packaged biscuits and single serving best western motel cakes) are available inside the security area. A new international terminal opened in the summer of 2007. The international terminal has free Wi-Fi at a decent speed ( but does cut out from time to time )
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