Dignified and direct, the Burmese are quick to make personal connections, welcoming strangers into their home as “brothers and sisters.” For emphasis, cheerful Burmese are known for giggling as they speak, but they also take their traditional customs seriously.

Myanmar’s climate is marked by the monsoon cycles. The months between May and September see heavy rains in most areas. Without the respite of showers, temperatures from March to May can be sweltering but drop considerably in winter.

Bars and nightlife options are flourishing in emerging tourist centers like Yangon. To soak up some local Burmese culture and art, the National Theater in Yangon also puts on impressive music and dance shows by local performers.

Myanmar preserves a diversity of indigenous cultures, many with customs and beliefs that predate the introduction of Buddhism. The majority culture is ethnically Bamar and strongly influenced by Theravada Buddhism. You’ll especially note this on tours to temples and pagodas.

Burmese is the national language of Myanmar and the mother tongue of the Bamar ethnicity. Minority languages, however, including Karen, Kachin, and Mon, are widely spoken. A colonial legacy, English is also spoken.

Myanmar was an ancient empire that rivaled the Khmer before being colonized by England in the 1800s. Regaining its independence after WWII, modern Myanmar is in the process of opening up to the world after a tumultuous 20th century.