Our big vacation this year is Myanmar…or as most people I know call it, Burma. We selected Myanmar about 18 months ago, the same time we chose Peru as our big trip for 2016. Myanmar isn’t high on many people’s list of vacation destinations. Myanmar made our list because of the rugged beauty, the temples and also because it is off the grid.

Photo courtesy of stampworldhistory.com

It is harder and harder to find a destination that doesn’t allow you to be constantly connected. Just a few years ago, it was difficult to get a reasonably priced data plan on your phone when traveling abroad, now it is just a matter of course for most destinations.

We are spending less than two weeks on this trip, and unlike most of our trips, we used a local guide to help us plan. The problem, if you can call it that, is internet isn’t wide spread in Myanmar, and neither are places that take credit cards. We usually research and plan our trip all by ourselves and hire and guide for specific activities – Machu Picchu or the Cu Chi Tunnels, for example. 

Without hiring a tour company, you would end up booking and paying for the majority of your trip once you land in country. That’s not something I’m too keen on.  I would hate to arrive in Yangon and find out that something I really wanted to do was booked, or otherwise not available. It isn’t like you just pop back over to Myanmar to check that final item you missed off your list.

This trip will allow us to try three new airlines (Eva, Myanair and Air Asia), plus experience Thai First again and my first ever experience flying United Polaris First, before they do away with the concept of First Class.

Updates will be few and far between until I return. Enjoy the end of March and the start of spring. It is 40C in Myanmar, but it gets down to the mid 20s at night. 

Where are you going this spring? Have you planned your big trip this year?