15

It's not that it's flooded with tourists, it's that it's dealing with way more tourists than it has capacity for, and therefore it is driving up the prices to higher levels and causing issues getting accommodation in places people want to go. Of course, the three or four places that 99% of the people are all going to are the main reasons to visit Burma in the first place. Why go to a country like Jordan? To see the wonder that is Amman? Probably not. You'd def want to see Petra or you'd be wasting your time travelling around the world to see some backwoods places. I don't mind seeing Petra and then something extra, but I'm not going to go and not see the highlights. That's like going to Canada and only travelling to Winnipeg because there are no travellers there. But hey, its the "real" Canada, with no backpackers or travellers. I hope Burma doesn't go the way of Bhutan and make it prohibitively expensive to most, either. Travelling shouldn't be a rich persons passion only. If you have something against "cheapo" backpackers or travellers, then maybe you should be on a Conde Naste travel blog or something, where people only travel 10 days a year and blow $1000's.

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" its not that its flooded with tourists" Then why describe it as a Tsunami? "travelling shouldnt be a rich persons passion" No, it shouldnt and it isnt in Burma if you dont want it to be...A fact that you seem to find difficult to grasp. Of course if , as with some here, its a problem because a cheap guesthouse in Yangon now costs $25 when 2 years ago it was $15 then travel there will be out of your reach. It is not ,yet, as "prohibitive" a la Bhutan and I dont think it will be,If the current prices for "cheap" accom are too much for you then much of the world must be closed to you,,,certainly Petra Of course it would be silly to go there and not see Bagan etc ,but as pointed out by a recent visitor, its nowhere near mass tourism there either, and there are other regions / places to visit that are in their own way just as rewarding. Unless of course the aim is just to tick off the "must sees" and not experience the country and its people. Or would you go to India and just visit the Taj Mahal and Goa? I have nothing against budget travel....Ive been doing it for donkeys years..and Ive been visiting Burma for 10 years or so..Mostly staying cheap sometimes mid range but never 5 * It may well be that for some who want to travel for as good as nothing then it wont be on their list anymore..great...Please spare Yangon from a Khosan road look alike and the Burmese coast from how it has become at many Thai Islands.... To sum it up you dont want to go because its a hassle.. No it isnt...you dont want to go because its not the same anymore...apart from some smallchanges, yes it is, you dont want to go because you dont want to stay in $ 200 hotels...you dont have to, you dont want to go because theres a tsunami of tourists...there isnt. In fact you have never been there and dont know what you are talking about..

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What a pleasure to read a rational discussion between two intelligent posters, tks nijkerk and boardadam.

My advice remains the same:being wait until 2014. Burma chairs ASEAN in 2013, I believe, and there should be a large investment in accommodation and related facilities - true at the top end but should filter down to the more plebean levels. An indication of the pressure on rooms is the import of a boat to take package tourists for 7 days down the Irrawaddy to Bagan. Cruise ships are docking this month in Rangoon.

The Shwe gasline is on time and due for commissioning in 06/13, the Chinese portion is not quite complete but the effect on Myanmar's GDP will be enormous. So one hopes that the rather arcane laws re accommodation will fall into disuse as well as relaxation on the distribution of refined petoleum products. Then wait for the crude line so as to bypass the Straits of Malacca, 2 years afterwards, then the railway and container port for Kumming.

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Wow, that Mount Popa looks amazing..like something out of a fantasy movie.

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I was in Ubud, Bali, for a festival last year when the first branch of Starbucks opened. A grizzled old expat who'd been living there for 20 years, from before there was electricity or paved roads, got up and said: "Well, everyone here will have the pleasure of boasting that they can remember Ubud before there was a Starbucks here." There won't ever be less tourists in Burma than there are now, unless a war or revolution breaks out. If you really want to see it, then see it now. Just accept that it won't be like it was 10 years ago and appreciate that it will be less of a standard backpack destination than it will be in five years time.

PS Hmm. I get the point about "demand outstripping supply." I'm sure supply will catch up with demand, probably pretty soon. I guess if budget is the main factor, then it might make sense to wait. Still, do people really think it doesn't matter which country they go to so long as they get a "good deal"? Sure, cost is important -- but I'd like to think people choose a destination because they are actually interested in seeing it, not just because it's the best bargain available. Burma will still be cheaper than Japan or Bhutan or North Korea ....

20

I would say it's well worth it - in my opinion one of the nicest places I've been so. BUT, that was before the recent influx of tourists, when it was still a relatively unvisited country. So, I don't know what it's like now, but then, it was fantastic! It was still more expensive than other SE Asian countries, but I believe the prices have soared over the past few months. Also, I had no problems taking local transport and booking rooms on the spot, but again, that's all changed now I believe.

21

Thanks everyone for reacting! I think I won't go to Burma this december, but try to find time to go next year in the low season.

22

Please let me know when you find this Nirvana where there are no tourist and cheap accommodation is the norm. By travelling anywhere we all become tourist and contribute to the changes that so concern you. My advise, stay at home.

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Yes! Lets all stay at home! Great advice Mr. Nomad..

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For those staying at home ,I`d like to recommend India as a destintion .
Its wonderful ,I have several videos and doco`s copied off travel chanel ,which are a great watch . I cook myself a Vindaloo ,burn some incense and without ,dust ,noise and a billion locals in my face , one can watch others riding Camels in Rajastan ,with those glorious sunsets ,visit the Taj without the queues ,Varansi etc . Next week I`m going to look at Kerala ,,has anyone been there or heading that way now ?

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Please let me know when you find this Nirvana where there are no tourist and cheap accommodation is the norm.

Iran worked for me! Not no tourists, but not enough to worry about. Three star hotels in Tehran for around ten bucks.