In every corner of a society full of mods and gadgets as well as automation, many traditional practices all over the wold have fallen into oblivion for times. However, due to the fact that Burma was closed for years from other countries, several skills of Burmese people are still in their primary form. Not only for tourists on Burma tours, these skills are also maintained for raising families.
Tourists can pay a visit to pottery workshops in a riverside town called Twante, which is situated in the delta of Ayerawaddy. This town cannot be seen from a traditional map for tourists so many of the experiences are the true one for the rural areas in Burma.

In the country of Burma, people believe that the majority of posts come from the town Twante while its proximity to the city of Yangon only even helps more in a broader reach. These pots are always made from the soil dug out of the delta of Ayerawaddy. This soil contains a lot of clay content. As soon as you come to a typical pottery workshop on Burma travels & tours, you can notice large soil mounds as well as the final products of large pots in bright colors and carefully arrange in neat straight lines.

A pottery workshop is normally a thatched setup of mud walls which might come from the same kind of mud used to create pots. Coming into a pottery workshop, tourists can see various tools, together with burning furnaces as well as areas for potters to work.

These artisans are locals and their families have relied on this old art for many centuries. They kept working in this field despite its considerably smaller incomes than that of working on paddy fields on the Ayerawaddy delta which is very fertile.

Visiting the pottery workshops in this town costs tourists nothing and people can easily walk through and admire how the work is carried out from the start to the end during Burma tours. However, if a tourist wants to contribute to the lives of villages, they can donate as much as they can because even $3 equals a lot of things to these people.

Pottery workshops in Burma can be a major attraction for visitors on tours to this pottery town, but you can go to visit the pagoda of Twente which has some similarities in terms of design as well as structure with the pagoda of Shwedagon. However, the outstanding part lies in free charge for all kinds of people. After the visit to this pagoda, you can take some time to walk around a nearby riverside or even ride on a boat of the long tail on the delta waters.

For those interested in making their hands get dirty, they can join the workers working in paddy fields during the day. This experience can be extremely attractive when it is planting or harvest period.

To reach the town Twante, you can start your trip from the city Yangon. You are advised to leave early in the morning, probably 7 or 8 AM. Do not forget the passport as well as US Dollars, then just get on a ferry departing from the ferry terminal called Pansodan to Dalla. A way of this trip costs you each around US$1. Tourists may take a taxi from Dalla to Twante, which is about 2500 kyat each person; or go on a public bus at 500 kyats per tourist. This means of transport is not fast, but it means a wonderful way to learn about the traditional culture of the local people on your Burma travel tour.

For travel within Twante, one can hire a tricycle. Full Burma tours around this city on a tricycle for 2 people should cost you 2500 kyat, but you can pay more if you feel like as these tricycle drivers are poor and do a lot of hard work. For your return, you can follow everything similar to the onward journey and if you feel like you can spend some time at the Dalla local market to see how the locals go about their business and what products are consumed by the local Burma people in this belt.

Burma is a country with about 135 ethnic groups. Out of them, Shan, Bamar, Kayah, Kayin, Chin, Mon, Kachin, and Rakhine are the main races. All of them bear their own tradition, dialect, culture, legendary as well as traditional costume, and this promises to bring you interesting Burma tours.

Burmese traditional costumes are “longyi” (sarong) together with “eingyi” (blouse) & (shirt). People first came to Burma from Tibet, India and Mongolia several centuries ago. The way of dressing among their earliest people called “Pyus” looked like the Indian. As the King of Anawyatha took the lead in the battle in the country of India, he at the same time brought this country’s traditions as well as cultures back to Burma. In that way, Indian culture has had an influence on Burmese people since then.

During Burma travels & tours, you will learn that there are differences in traditional costumes between Shan and Kayah men in term of loose trousers. The trousers of Shan’ have Shan is terracotta, light brown, brown or gray color while those of Kayah are all black.

The traditional “longyis” is 2 meters long and it is made from the cloth used in an unfinished garment or the material of cotton.

To wear and make Burma travel tour unforgettable, you can ask local people to help you in gathering the front of this traditional “longyi” in order to create two short lengths of the material and they will help you twist these lengths into a half knot, tucking one end in at the waist and the other will be protruded from the knot. Shan men’ s trousers are tied in the same way as Kayah men do with “longyi”.

The “eingyi” in white is like a shirt with a collar of mandarin. Men in Kayah, Bamar, Shan, Kachin, Mon, and Rakhine usually put on a traditional Jacket – “teik -pon “ – with their “eingyi”. Its colour ranges from white, black, gray to terracotta. However, men from Kayin as well as Chin wear a long dress, not a “tiek-pon”.

These people use a “gaung-baung” turban to put on their heads and then velvet slippers or simple rubber can be used as footwear.

Half-length “longyis” of Bamar women usually has solid colors with flower prints as well as a lot of various design patterns. A well-known pattern can be zig zag “ acheig” or wavy. Traditional “longyi” for Rakhine women can be “acheig”. A mon “longyi” is in the colour of red base, with partial stripes on and in the design pattern of very small checks. Kayin as well as Kayah “longyis” are designed with horizontal stripes in the colour of green or red. If you want to try this Burma traditional clothes during your tours, you can ask for help from Kayah women, they can assist you in tying the clothes in a beautiful way, together with a long band in front of them at the waist. Shan “longyi” contains vertical or horizontal stripes in the middle. Plain colour can be seen in upper as well as lower parts. There are various volumes in Kachin “Longyi”, called “manaw” ones and in the colour of red or black. People usually wear loose cane belts and they use two pieces of clothing to tie at legs.

The only color of Kachin “eingyi” is black and it looks very attractive, worth trying on during your Burma tours because it is adorned with various pieces of silver. Women in Kayin use a long dress called “thin-dai” which has been decorated with a lot of threads. “eingyis” of Bamar, Rakhine, Mon, Kayah, Chin and Shan women look like each other. Each contains a blouse which is at waist length and form-fitting. From experiences in Burma tours, you can see that Kayah women use a traditional shawl on the “eingyi”. This is embroiled with royal birds of both genders and these are named “Keinayee & Keinayah”. Women from Bamar, Mon and Rakhine put a shawl on the shoulders.

Temples play an important function in Burmese people’s life because most of Burmese are Buddhist. On Burma tours, you should come to the temple and pray, send flowers and burn incense sticks, or you can also ask to seek a monk for advice during vital events like Buddhist holidays and cremations. Many men at young ages have become monks, regularly for a short time. Every morning, they leave their temples and walk through a lot of streets while holding an alms bowl to receive merit like food from villagers.

Architecture in the Burmese style

Temples of Buddha have fascinating structures in this country for you to visit while on Burma travel tour. Temples in Burma are different from those in other countries nearby in terms of some particular features. One of the most outstanding architecture is in the Pyatthat with metal sheets which are delicate, as well as Naga serpents and Chinthe as guardians.

Chinthe guardians and Naga serpents

At the majority of Burmese pagodas and temples, there is typically a pair of Chinthe, a mythological creature just like lions protecting the grounds, at entrance gates. Naga serpents are often guardians of stairways to temple buildings entrance. Naga is considered as the Buddhism protector because it helped shelter the Buddha against heavy rain while he was doing his meditation under a tree of Bodhi.

 

Pyatthat multi-tiered roof

A Pyatthat is a multi-tiered roof which is obviously ornamented in the Burmese style, with each tier dwindling in its size when it comes up to the top. Temples in Burma have roof ends decorated with work metal sheets of delicate ornamental, which can make your Burma tours interesting to think of.

 

Hti finial

A lot of pagodas in Burma have a hti on their top, a style of Burma and in the form of a ceremonial umbrella that is multi-tiered. Most pagodas of significance like Shwedagon in the city of Yangon has the hti made of gold and filled with diamonds or gems.

 

Most ancient pagodas and temples in Burma

Since countless centuries pagodas have been built to enshrine relics of the Buddha or a very important monk. Most pagodas in Burma are locked and not accessible to the public, even people on tours. They usually enshrine bones, teeth or one or more strands of hair.

The most ancient pagodas can be seen in the city of Yangon. According to the legend, the oldest ones in this country may date back to around 2,500 years. The first like the Shwedagon, and the Sule the Botataung might have been built when the Buddha was alive. The initial structures were not as big as they are now. They have been developed and made larger several times after many centuries.

Over Bagan plains in the center of Burma, there are the ruins of many pagodas as well as temples which appeared from the 11th to 13th century while the Bagan Kingdom was at the peak of his power.
Well-known temples and pagodas, Burmese Buddha images

The most vital site of pilgrimage

The most vital site of pilgrimage in Burma is the pagoda of Shwedagon, which is also the most attractive landmark in the city of Yangon and the oldest one in this country according to the legend. The Buddha has hair strands whose height is 99 meter and it is made of gold, helping it dominate the skyline of Yangon.

The tallest pagoda

During holidays to Burma, you can see Shwemawdaw in Bago, whose height is largest in this country with 114 meters. It was constructed in the 10th century in order to carry out Buddha relics.

The most highly revered image of Buddha

Mahamuni is the most highly revered image of Buddha and it is placed in Mahamuni pagoda of Mandalay. Burmese people believe this image was erected while the Buddha was alive and he was visiting the Arakan Kingdom of West Burma.

 

The biggest images of Buddha

Throughout this country, there is a great deal of very large and beautiful Buddha images for you to enjoy Burma tours. Out of them are the Chauk Htat Gyi with the length of 65 meters and the Shwethalyaung Buddha with the height of 55 meters in Bago, the latter is believed to be aged at over 1000 years.

The Nga Htat Gyi Pagoda is a very huge and found in Yangon. This Buddha has 5 stories and its height is 14 meter. This image was cut from a small piece of white marble which had been enshrined in the pagoda in the year 2008.
Monywa town located in the center of Burma is well-known for the Monywa Buddhas. This Buddha of 90 meters long and 116 meters tall is located on the top of a nearby hill.

Burma’s festive events range from solemn Dhammasetkya, marking the beginning of Buddhist Lent, through to the manic Thingyan water festival and the incredible Thadingyut festival of lights. Here are several important festivals for you to enjoy Burma tours.

1. Htamein, Manao and Tabaunglinary

In Kachin State, the predominantly Christian minority people celebrate their annual Thanksgiving ceremony in early January with masked and costumed Manao dances around a decorated pole – a celebration to placate Kachin nat and ensure peace, plenty, and prosperity. It’s difficult to predict with any accuracy the exact date on which a manao may be held, the decision being taken by the duwa (Kachin elders). The sup manao looks to the future, while the padang manao celebrates a past success or victory.

The festival involves the sacrifice of cattle or buffalo to placate and honor the nat, with traditional Kachin music and dance centered around a manao taing (totem pole). A manao may go on for 24 hours, and a lot of locally brewed alcohol is drunk. The biggest manao is held in January at Myitkyina, the capital of Kachin State, to celebrate Kachin State Day and bringing together all the various branches of the traditional Kachin tribe for a week of dancing, games and all-round merriment which can make your Burma tours memorable.

Tabaung, the last month of the traditional Burmese year (March/April), is considered a time of romance and tranquillity. On the full moon day of Tabaung, Burmese travel to lakes or rivers where they play music, sing and recite poetry, often in the company of a loved one.

Tabaung also signals the start of Burma’s largest temple festival, the Shwedagon Pagoda Festival in Yangon, which was held in February and March 2012 for the first time since the uprising of 1988. In your Burma holidays, you can join thousands of people dressing in ceremonial costumes and descend on the shrine for the event, while traditional puppet shows, dance and music recitals, and robe-weaving competitions also take place.

2. Thingyan

The beginning of the hot season in April is celebrated with the mammoth Thingyan (“changing over”) water festival (April 13–16). Burma’s biggest party, Thingyan celebrates the Burmese New Year, traditionally held on the full moon day of the lunar month of Tagu (although dates are now fixed according to the Western calendar). The festival goes on for three or four days, the length of the celebration determined by ponna or Brahman astrologers. Water is poured from buckets, sprayed from water pistols and hoses, and even blasted from fire hydrants to wash away the old year and welcome the new. The drenching stops each day at 6.30pm, and is followed by an evening of feasting and partying. For the duration of the festival, government buildings and businesses are closed and pretty much the entire country shuts down.

In your Burma tours, you can see pandals – pavilions or stages made from bamboo and beautifully decorated with flowers and papier mâché – being erected in which lines of garlanded girls dressed in identical suits of colorful material perform carefully rehearsed a song and dance routines while boys douse them with water. More overtly suggestive versions spring up in the liberal, upper-class neighborhoods of Yangon, where hot pants, crop tops, and Western-style dancing replace the traditional elegance.

3. Thagyamin

Thingyan also celebrates the descent to earth of Thagyamin, the king of the 37 nats, to bring blessings for the new year. He brings two books with him: one bound in gold to record the names of children who have been well-behaved over the past year, and one bound in dog skin to record the names of any naughty children. Thagyamin rides a winged golden horse and bears a water jar, symbolic of peace and prosperity. Households greet Thagyamin with flowers and palm leaves at the front door. Guns are fired and music is played in salute. Gaily decorated floats parade up and down the streets of the cities and larger towns. But there are also moments of tranquillity for you to enjoy Burma in the midst of this exuberance. Most revelers find time to make offerings at pagodas and at the homes of their elders, and Buddha images are washed by the devout.

4. Kason

The full moon day of the lunar month of Kason (April/May) sees celebrations for the birthday of Lord Buddha (sometimes known as Vesak). Water is poured over the roots of sacred Banyan trees, beneath the branches of which the Buddha attained enlightenment. At the full moon, the birth, enlightenment, and death of the Buddha are celebrated. Joining a procession of musicians and dancers to the local pagoda will mark your holidays to Burma interesting.

During the full moon of Nayon (May to June), after the rains have begun and the hot, dry months are at an end, Burmese students are tested on their knowledge of the Tripitaka (the Buddhist scriptures). Abbot’s lecture before large crowds, schools operated by monasteries are opened to the public, and eminent scholars exhibit their knowledge to public acclaim.

5. Buddhist Lent

 

The full moon day of the month of Waso (June/ July) marks the arrival of Buddhist Lent, celebrated with the festival of Dhammasetkya, a solemn religious occasion, marking the beginning of a period during which all monks go into a period of deep retreat for study and meditation. This is also an auspicious time for young men to have their shinpyu initiation into the monk-hood. For the next three months, the country is soaked in water as the monsoons gain strength. During this time, monks are not permitted to travel, and the devout will enter a period of fasting.

6. Wagaung

The month of Wagaung (July/August) is celebrated with the Maha Dok (“Draw-a-Lot”) Festival. Since no marriage or other secular celebration is permitted during Buddhist Lent, the full moon day of Wagaung is observed as a festival of merit-making. The name of each member of the local sangha is written on a piece of paper, which is then rolled up and deposited into a large basket. A representative from each household of the community draws a slip of paper from the basket, and, the next day, provides an elaborate feast for the monk named on the piece of paper. One layman will have drawn a paper containing the name of the Gautama Buddha and he has the honor of hosting the Buddha.

By mid-September, the rainy season is at its height, and Burma’s waterways, from the mighty Ayeyarwady to the smallest stream, are full. To celebrate this bounty, Tawthalin (boat races) are held all over the country. The most impressive for tours take place in the Shan State of Burma, at the Phaung Daw U Festival on Inle Lake.

Heralding the end of Buddhist Lent and the approach of the cool season, the Thadingyut festival of lights (October) celebrates the Buddha’s return from heaven to earth after preaching to the gods, ushering a period of weddings and other secular celebrations. To symbolize the radiance of the Buddha on his return, millions of candles and oil lamps illuminate monasteries, pagodas, houses, and trees throughout the land.

The festival of Tazaungmone (the Weaving Festival) takes place between October and November. Under the full moon, unmarried women work at their looms all night to make new robes for the monks. These are then presented to the monks at the local temple early next morning.

7. Nat festivals and Pyatho

The full moon day of the month of Nadaw (November/December) is dedicated to celebrations to the spirit world and is when most nat festivals take place, including the raucous Taungbyon Festival, held in the town of Wagaung, north of Mandalay. Some major nat celebrations are also held at other times of the year, including the Mount Popa Festival, held during the month of Nayon (May/June) and the traditional Shan Festival in Kyaukme, held during the month of Tabaung (February/March).

Pyatho (December/January) is the month of temple festivals. This was formerly a time when Burmese royalty displayed its strength with military parades, although today it’s reserved mostly for local pagoda festivals (including the massive Ananda Temple Festival in Bagan). These are partly religious, with gifts presented to monks and offerings made for temple upkeep, and partly secular, with impromptu markets set up around temples accompanied by plenty of eating and drinking, performances of music and dance, plus the occasional boxing match.

The Kayin New Year (December/January) is a time of vibrant Burma tours, but especially in Kayin State and the Ayeyarwady Delta.

Burma has been a promising land for many foreign visitors in recent years. Coming to this beautiful country on your Burma tours, you not only have the opportunity to explore the rich Buddhist culture, but you also have the chance to experience the unique traditions that are only alive in Burma. Let’s explore top 5 unique traditions of Burma with us.

1. Burmese people celebrate New Year in 4 days

 

The New Year (Thingyan) is a great holiday for Burma tours. “Thingyan” is known as the water splash festival, usually held in April every year. On this day, everywhere, including banks, restaurants, shops are closed. The two biggest New Year festivities are Yangon (30 km from Martaban Bay) and Mandalay City (716 km north of Yangon). During the festival, people often fall in water to wash away the bad luck and sins of the previous year and give freedom to birds and fish on the last day of the festival. If you have a chance to come to this country, try to arrange your tour on these days, that could be the best Burma tours ever.

2. Burma has hundreds of beaches

 

Burma has a coastline of up to 2,000 km. Most of the beaches here face West, so visitors come here on Burma tour packages will have the chance to see the beautiful sunset. The most famous beach is Ngapali with the white sandy beach stretching over 3 km, just 45 minutes from Yangon, or pristine Ngwe Saung beach, also called Silver Sea, just 5 hours drive from Yangon, the sandy beach stretches for 13 km and is considered Asia’s longest beach.

3. Burmese men wear a skirt?

 

Burmese traditional attire is “longyi” it looks like a skirt. Men tied the Longyi in front, women folded up and sutured on the side.

In particular, in the cities, the Burmese men only wore underwear under longyi skirts when traveling on the streets. In rural areas, wearing underwear is less familiar with both males and females. “Longyi is great, like a free air conditioner,” a local man said cheerfully. This longyi is an advantage, especially in the summer with temperatures up to 40 degrees Celsius. This custom must be a unique thing you could see in your Burma tours, make sure to ask for trying it on, it will be the unforgettable memory in your lifetime.

4. Strange eating habits

 

When you come here, you are only allowed to eat with your right hand, because according to Burma Burma, the left hand is used for personal hygiene.

A typical meal here is rice, fish, meat, vegetables, and soup. Burmese people often use their hands to wrap the rice into the grips and then eat with vegetables. When you go on Burma tours, you should note that Buddhists often avoid beef and Muslims do not eat pork.

5. Create a “fake kiss” to call the beer

 

When you want to attract attention to the waiter, Burmese people often kiss short two or three times. The sound of “Chut chut” is like when you call pet cat.

Going down Street 19 in the Chinese area of Yangon, you will hear a lot of sounds like that. Narrow pedestrianized streets are often the place where people gather to eat and drink with tables and chairs just outside the sidewalk. The special beer here is Burmese beer, for only about $0.5 / cup. So that, come to this corner and try to call beer in this way one time in your Burma tour packages, it sounds great.

Note:

Bring cash with you. Burma has very few ATM, so it is best to bring a fair amount of cash when you go on Burma travel tour. And make sure your money is not crumpled, torn or has any strange traces. Otherwise, it will not be usable. Credit cards are currently only accepted at 5-star hotels and luxury restaurants.
Hope you can get the funniest tour with your friends!