The Tsunami's Effects

Since the December tsunami, tourism has fallen off across SE Asia, Myanmar included. The question is: why Myanmar? True, the earthquake was felt in many parts of Myanmar, but only a few buildings in the south collapsed. The coastal areas of the Ayeyarwaddy Division (the Irrawaddy River delta area), south-west of Yangon, were hit by tidal waves. 17 small villages were destroyed, leaving 200 people homeless, 34 dead, 45 injured and 25 missing.

Many miles of undeveloped, pristine shoreline offers an unsurpassable paradise for beach lovers. You might suspect that these coastal areas would have been hard hit by the tsunami, but no, on the contrary. Despite some reported "unusual tidal activity", the 3 main beach destinations of Ngwe Saung Beach, Chaungtha and Ngapali Beach, were not damaged at all.

There has been speculation as to why Myanmar beaches were spared. The most plausible cites the coastal shelf which extends west about 35 miles at a depth of only 10 to 30 feet. There is a huge underwater Canyon with a wall dropping down 100 to 200 feet. It is believed that this natural wall both deflected and dissipated the tsunami's force. Natives in Ngapali and Rakhine also believe the wall explains why there are no large sharks along this coast.

Perfect Beach

The wall might also explain the strange phenomenon I noted during my stay at Ngapali's Bayview Hotel last year. Leaving the swimming pool, I walked out onto a truly spectacular sweep of fine white sand. Scanning both right and left, there was not a soul in sight, no high-rise hotels or beachfront bars. All I could see were the swaying palm and casuarina trees fringing the beach - and surf. There were waves of considerable size breaking maybe 60 yards offshore before rolling gently up on the sand. The water temperature was just perfect, cool enough to refresh, but comfortably warm for prolonged immersion. As I worked my way out, I noticed that the surf was remarkably gentle. Even waves which loomed up head high and more would break over me with force little more than that of a wet kiss. They certainly didn't sweep me off my feet. This struck me as perhaps the perfect vacation beach, with completely safe but fun ocean swimming, and no sharks. It was also possible to do some good snorkeling at the little island just off-shore.

Perfect Time

Myanmar is a very poor country, offering great value to foreign visitors. It experienced no significant physical damage from the tsunami but very significant damage to income from tourists who now avoid the whole area. The Burmese people are among the warmest, friendliest, attractive and, being devoutly Buddhist, gentle people you can ever hope to engage. That they suffer now from the stigma of danger and ruin visited primarily upon their neighbors is a tragedy for the Myanmar people. But it is also sad for those travelers who deny themselves an opportunity to visit this wonderful place at a time when tourist attractions are uncrowded and their presence will never be more appreciated.

December's earthquake off the coast of Sumatra, and the subsequent tsunamis, destroyed both property and lives over large coastal areas of SE Asia. But it also wreaked havoc with livelihoods, even livelihoods far removed from any real physical destruction.

Case in point: Burma or Myanmar, as it is now known. The government of Myanmar could hardly be described as visionary, but it has at last recognized the value of its unique tourist attractions and the promise of income for this impoverished country. With recent loosening of travel restrictions and improvements in tourism infrastructure, Myanmar is fast becoming a major destination for Western travelers. Most of visitors come from Europe and Australia while Americans have yet to discover Myanmar in any great numbers.

Myanmar's Attractions

Tourism is growing in Myanmar for good reason. Myanmar boasts a wide variety of attractions for foreign visitors. Chief among these are: Bagan a UNESCO World Heritage site. The temple ruins covering the plain at Bagan (or Pagan) are certainly comparable to the more famous wonders of Cambodia's Angkor Wat. Bagan was the center of Burmese art and culture for two centuries until it was sacked by the Mongols under Kublai Khan in 1287. The colorful panorama of temples and stupas in various stages of decomposition and reconstruction, especially when viewed from atop a high pagoda at dawn or dusk, is an incomparable sight and a photographer's dream.

Mandalay

The last royal capital of Myanmar before take over by the British, Mandalay remains an important cultural and religious center. Mandalay Fort is a walled palace compound, surrounded by a moat, in the center of the city. Mandalay Hill sports an impressive summit pagoda and is perfect for watching the tropical sunset over Rudyard Kipling's fabled Irrawaddy River. The 730 inscribed marble slabs at Kuthodaw Paya Pagoda comprise the world's largest book. Shwenandaw Kyaung Monastery, once a part of King Mindon's palace, is an incredibly intricate structure and the finest surviving example of traditional wooden Burmese architecture. The highly revered Mahamuni Paya, or Arakan Pagoda, houses a large Rakhine-style Buddha figure so thickly covered in gold leaf as to be totally unrecognizable. The surrounding buildings house a huge 5-ton gong, Buddha image-makers and more. Mingun, a pleasant 6 mile boat ride up the Irrawaddy, boasts the world's largest (90 ton) uncracked ringing bell and the unfinished Mingun Paya (pagoda) which was to be the world's largest. Both are impressive still.

Inle Lake

Shan State is Myanmar's biggest covering nearly 25% of the country and ranging from snowy mountain peaks to steamy tropical jungles. It's most famous attraction is the beautiful 14 mile long Inle Lake. Inhabited mostly by ethnic tribes, Inle is famous for its floating gardens and unique Intha leg rowers. The Intha stand at the stern on one leg and wrap the other leg around an oar. From this erect position, they can better see the often-obstructed waterway ahead.

Inle also features native weaving villages built over the water on stilts, colorful ethnic markets and a Shan monastery of trained jumping cats. Other tribal groups include the unique and colorful "Long Neck" Paduang, whose women wear progressively numerous necklaces to bizarre distorted effect, and the largely Christian Karen people, who wage periodic military rebellions against the government, the most recent being led by a pair of magically impervious ten year old twins.

Yangon

The capital, formerly Rangoon, was established by the British in 1885 about 20 miles inland on the Yangon River. There remain some fine examples of colonial architecture, but Burmese pagodas dominate the skyline. The Schwedagon Paya is Myanmar's most sacred temple. It towers 300 feet high and is covered by 8,000 gold plates weighing some 60 tons. The top of the spire is encrusted with 5,000 diamonds and 2,000 other precious stones. The Sule Paya at the town center is over 2,000 years old. Both temples host innumerable devout worshippers who visit day and night to pray, wash idols and leave offerings.

The central Scott Market offers a fine and large selection of Burmese traditional goods including carved wooden masks, cast bronze gongs and statuary, hand woven fabrics, traditional paintings, jewelry and precious gems.

Mrauk-U

The ruins of the ancient Arakhine Kingdom at Mrauk-U is accessed through the port of Sittwe at the mouth of the Kaladan River in NW Myanmar, near the Bangladesh border. The Bangladeshi influence is readily observable in the dark skins and fine features at the market and the presence of several mosques around town. All the more rewarding for its remoteness, Mrauk-U is located 45 miles upriver. Burma's most powerful kingdom about 600 years ago, today Mrauk-U hosts less than 2,000 visitors per year. The Shittaung Temple, whose name means "Shrine of 80,000 Images", was built in 1535 and is the best preserved of many monuments.