The County of Burma – Opening up for Tourism

Burma, also known as Myanmar, is a country in Southeast Asia that has a great potential to be come a destination for tourists like its neighbors. It is already attracting tourists in its current state. But somehow tourism is not booming in the beautiful country of Burma.

Top Tourist Attractions in Burma

There are several great destinations in Burma which are currently frequented by tourists from all over the world.

Mount Poppa
Mount Poppa is a volcano found in central Burma. It has an elevation of 4,981 feet. It is a favorite location for trekkers both local and foreign. But the most notable place in the volcano is the Taung Kalat, a hill found southwest of the Mount Poppa. It is a pedestal hill made by Mount Poppa through the creation of a volcanic plug. On top of Taung Kalat is a Buddhist monastery. The hill itself used to have a stairway with 777 steps.

Mandalay City
Mandalay City is known as the last royal capital of Burma. This name alone makes tourists from any place in the globe desire a chance to be in Mandalay even once. But that is not the only reason to visit the city. Despite the modernization it experienced, Mandalay is still home to several exotic Buddhist architectures. A good example is the Mandalay Palace. Despite the damages the palace sustained since World War 2, much of the structure remained intact. The government also made several reconstructions to bring the Mandalay Palace to its current state.

Beaches in Burma
A Southeast Asian vacation is never complete without the beach. And Burma has 2 notable beaches to offer. These are the Chaungtha and Ngwesaung beach resorts. Although the sands are not as white as the ones in Phuket and Boracay, these 2 beaches remain unspoilt since they do not have as much visitors.

Obstacles to Burma Tourism Boom

The main obstacle that prevents Burma from becoming a major tourist spot in Southeast Asia is the local politics. The current military rule views tourism negatively since they think that it will foster citizens to rely on foreigners for money and that there are military leaders who are profiting from tourists through slave labor. This lead to several western nations to boycott Burma as a tourist destination prompting several travel firms to not include the country in their itinerary lists. Until this is solved the tourism business in Burma will continue to stagnate.