For so long off-limits to travellers due to a murky history under military control, the wonders of Burma/Myanmar are just beginning to be revealed to the wider world. Our A to Z guide illuminates the history and culture of the country, from the ancient and monument-filled city of Bagan to nomadic sea gypsies living out an alternative way of life. View our trips to Burma here.
A is for Aung San Suu Kyi
Known to many as ‘The Lady’ and for the flowers in her hair, this Noble Prize winner likely needs little introduction. After studying at Oxford, living in New York and starting a family with British husband Michael Aris, she returned to Burma to nurse her mum only to become an unexpected symbol for democracy, falling into politics in opposition to the ruling party. Due to growing support she was placed under house arrest, where she stayed for the best part of the next two decades and forcing her to miss the death of her husband. She was finally released in 2010 and at the end of 2015, her party won a landslide victory in general elections and are now in power.
B is for Bagan
An ancient temple town standing on the Ayeyarwady River, capital of the ancient kingdom of Pagan which regined between the 9th and 13 centuries, and host to over 2000 Buddhist monuments, including Ananda Temple, built in 1091.
C is for Coup d’état
Led by General Ne Win in 1962 to overthrow the government that had been implemented following the Second World War and Burma’s independence. He ruled an oppressive military junta regime, focused on defeating communist and ethnic-minority rebel groups and under his rule, the nation was drastically closed off from the outside world.
D is for Diverse
Home to well over one hundred ethnic groups, Burma is one of the world’s most ethnically diverse countries. Yet they have they have been persecuted under military regime and throughout a painful civil war. The largest minority groups include the Kachin, the Karenni and the Shan.
E is for Elephant Bill
A book written in 1950 by British soldier and elephant expert J.H. Williams, who shared a nickname with the book title. The route of the river journey in the book is traced in our Footsteps of Elephant Bill tour.
F is for Festivals
It seems there’s always a festival going on in Burma, from Taunggyi, a Balloon Festival to New Year’s Water Festival, Thingyan. The most important of all is the Pagoda festival, commemorating major events in pagoda’s history. Festival dates are largely determined by the phase of the moon.
G is for Gaungse Kyun
A picturesque island, known as ‘Shampoo Island’ due to the yearly royal hair-washing ceremony which took place here during the Ava period (14th-16th century), using water from one of the island’s springs.
H is for Hkakabo Razi
(Although you don't pronounce the H!) The highest mountain in Burma, and in fact the whole of South East Asia. Located so remotely, just reaching the mountain is a two-week hike through dense jungle. It has been called the “Anti-Everest” because there is no infrastructure, guides or easy trails for climbers.
I is for Irrawaddy
The Irrawaddy River, home to the Irrawaddy dolphin, is Burma’s largest river and is sometimes referred to as ‘The Road to Mandalay’ thanks to a Kipling poem. It is a commercially important waterway and has been used for trade and transport since as early as the sixth century.
J is for Jade
Jade trade has a long history in Burma, discovered by the Chinese back in the 10th century, who consider it highly symbolic of luck and power. The deposits are of very high quality and 70% of the world’s supply of high-quality jadeite comes from Burma. Controversery surrounds the industry due to forced labour and poor mining conditions.
K is for Kyat
The country’s currency, often abbreviated to “K” or “Ks”. So you could have “10K Ks…”.
L is for Lake
The enormous Inle Lake is perfect for boat tripping in paddle boats and visiting lakeside villages along the way. The main people that live on the lake, in floating villages, are Intha people, meaning “sons of the lake”. Inle means ‘little lake’ so Inle Lake technically translates as ‘little lake lake’.
M is for Mohinga
Mohinga is the nation’s unofficial national dish and makes for a popular breakfast. It consists of rice noodles in a fish broth, topped with deep fried vegetables.
N is for Naypyidaw
The country’s capital only since 2006, when it was reassigned here from Yangon by the government with little explanation. Naypyidaw is a planned city, very much still under construction and only having been begun to be built (in secret) in 2002, on a greenfield site. Its residents are few and its wide boulevards sit empty. Many embassies and international organisations are yet to relocate to the country’s new capital.
O is for Orwell
George Orwell spent five years in the 1920s as an Imperial India Police force officer in Burma. He wrote the novel Burmese Days in 1934 about British colonialism, described as ‘a portrait of the dark side of the British Raj’. He was widely regarded as having 'let the side down' for his critique of colonialism.
P is for Pagan
It was under the Pagan Kingdom where the regions of modern day Burma were first unified. This 250 year ‘golden age’ introduced Buddhism to the country and initiated the building of Bagan’s famous temples and monuments.
Q is for Queen
Supayalat, which the British corrupted to “Soup Plate”, was the last queen of Burma, reigning between 1878 and 1885. She is infamous for engineering a massacre of 80-100 members of the royal family, to prevent her husband the King’s overthrow from power.
R is for Restaurants
Our tour leader Mark Steadman (voted the world’s best) has written a handy guide on where the find the most authentic food and dining experiences in the country.
S is for Sea Gypsies
These nomadic peoples, known as the Moken, live a sea-based culture, using nets and spears to forage for food and roam the waters in small hand-crafted wooden boats called kabang. They number between two and three thousand. Get a glimpse at the Moken way of life on our Southern Burma and Islands of the Andaman Sea tour.
T is for Theravada Buddhism
Burma’s prime religion, practiced by 90% of the population. It has been the official religion since the 11th century. Burma is the most religious Buddhist country based on number of monks among the population, and proportion of income spent on religion.
U is for U-Bein Bridge
The world’s longest (1.2 km) and oldest (built in 1850) teakwood bridge, built from wood reclaimed from a former royal palace. It is an important passageway for local people as well as having become a major tourist site.
V is for Burma Vs Myanmar – What’s in a name?
The ongoing debate continues to cause quandary. The situation as it stands is that the military changed the official name from Burma to Myanmar, so those that stick with the name Burma are often expressing disapproval of the military regime. However the military argue that Burma has ethnic-supremacist undercurrents as it refers to the ethnic majority, which is not universal to the population.
W is for Wildlife
Burma is home to elephants and tigers as well as a fascinating array of animals: flying foxes (the fruit eating bats); gibbons (the long-armed apes); tapir (pig-like jungle dwellers); the Burmese python, one of the longest snakes on earth, growing up to 19 feet long(!); the sun-bear or honey-bear (pictured below); dugong, the marine mammal and the world’s smallest hoofed animal, the lesser mouse-deer. Deforestation at a rapid rate as well as poaching problems have put wildlife in the country under threat.
X is for Xylophone
The Burmese xylohpone is known as a 'pattala' and was used in the music of the royal court in pre-colonial Burma. It consists of 24 bamboo slats suspended over a boat-shaped resonating chamber and played with two padded mallets.
Y is for Yangon
Formally Rangoon, this was the previous capital and literally means “End of Strife”. It is still very much the largest city, home to nearly six million people and the important commercial centre of the country. The 99-metre tall golden Shwedagon Pagoda, the most sacred in the country, dominates the skyline.
Z is for Z Force
An intelligence gathering force for the British Army against Japan, to help British recapture Burma from them.
