Travel

The country known as Myanmar (Burma) has been in existence for centuries. Naturally, she has been going through up and downs of time along the course of history. Under the leadership of the national heroes, however, the country was usually opulent and peaceful.

In the past, Burma was organized as a strong union in the early 11th century (i.e. Bagan period) by King Anawrahta. It is generally referred to as the first union of Burma. Also in the middle of the 16th century, King Bayinnaung established the second union of Burma that used to be one of the mightiest countries in Asia then. Burma was thirdly unified in 1752 by King Alaungpaya, the founder of the last dynasty of Burma.

On 12 February 1947, all the nationalities were united again. This event is a milestone in the history of Burma. Accordingly, she was able to regain the national unity at least in principle and thus was looked upon as the fourth union. However, she attained the genuine union only in the late 1960 (i.e. nearly 2 decades after independence in 1948) when those internal and external dangers were practically overcome.

Myanmar, known as Burma until 1989, comprising seven states and seven divisions, is one of the most attractive places in Southeast Asia. Covering an area of 261,789 sq. miles, she is the largest country in the region. The population is estimated at 44 million. The coastal districts are usually referred to as Lower Myanmar where as the inland districts are called Upper Myanmar.

To promote travels and tourism in the country, the Myanmar Government eases visa processing for the foreign visitors. You can easily obtain Burma visa from the consulate or embassy in your country. It is useful to know that there are 2 types of entry visa, i.e. EVT VISA and PACKAGE TOUR VISA.

EVT VISA - Travelers can easily get this type of visa by applying directly to the Myanmar consulate in any country. According to the Myanmar Government's regulation, visitors holding this EVT Visa have to exchange upon arrival a minimum of USD 300 per person or equivalent with Foreign Exchange Certificate 300 Units (called FEC).

PACKAGE TOUR VISA - This type of visa is given to those travelers that have booked a package tour to Burma. You do not have to exchange US$ 300 upon arrival!