You might find out one of the best Myanmar tours to enjoy in the next few days, but it is advisable for tourists to spend time preparing carefully. Especially when you come to Myanmar for festivals like Thingyan, your preparation can never be enough.
Want to have the best Myanmar tours? Joining festivals is the best choice for you! Festivals are the distinguishing cultural feature in Myanmar. Hardly a month goes by without Myanmar people (Burmese) celebrating a particular festival. Purposes or meanings of festivals are varied; they can be made for merry-making, enhancing traditions, preserving religions, competition or commerce.
One of the most outstanding festivals in Myanmar is Thingyan Water Festival, which takes place in April and is considered as the merriest one. Here are some guidelines on making the most of Thingyan Water Festival an have a luxury Myanmar tour:
1. GET READY TO BE SOAKING WET
Thingyan Water Festival means being thrown water from every single direction and getting extremely wet. People can use anything to keep and throw water to others; let’s take squirts, tin cans, bowls, buckets, sprinklers, garden watering pipes and fire-hoses as examples. Whether you intend to join the festival or not, you will definitely not be an exception. In other words, no one who pass by Thingyan can avoid being thrown water by merry-makers; especially when you are a foreigner, you will be the centre of attention. In that case, do not get angry but smile delightedly! That will surely make this become one of the best Myanmar tours for you to tell your friends.
2. SO, WHAT TO WEAR?
To come safely through the wetness, you are advised not to put jeans on because they will be heavy with water. Say “No” to flip-flops and high-heels or else you will get injured. It is difficult to walk on wet long roads or getting in a car. Instead, strapped sandals or light shoes are the best choices including this water festival. Besides, bringing along some accessories is advisable. They might be suggested by Myanmar travel guide:
- – Sun glasses (Be aware of getting lost or broken)
- – A hat
- – Sun cream
And of course, all other accessories you take must be water-proof.
3. FORGET ABOUT BUSINESS:
During Thingyan, if you think of going to somewhere for business, you are the only to do so. It is because all the offices and enterprises close down for three or four days to have some fun in Thingyan, instead of making money. In this way, you should have finished all stuff related to business, transaction or shopping before the start of Thingyan. It can be somehow unpleasant, but you will then be served with full of water, full of lights, skits, dancing and singing beyond midnight.
4. ORGANISE TRANSPORTATION MEANS BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE:
You will hardly find transport to travel before, during and even a few days after the festival. To make it worse, all flight seats have been booked and all left behind are double-priced tickets. That is why you should book transportation means as soon as possible. However, if you can not reserve tickets in full buses or flight, you should travel by train because tickets can only be bought one day beforehand.
5. DO IT AGAIN WITH ACCOMMODATION
Again, you should book accommodation in advance if you do not want to be homeless for a few days. This is because a huge number of Burmese people come back home from big cities for merry-making. Also, a great deal of travelers can go to visit somewhere else to experience the festival. Their destinations might be Yangon, Mandalay, Bagan and Inle. Beaches are also ideal tourist attractions. The more people, the more expensive the room price is, double or triple maybe.
6. SMILE AT ALL CHAOS
Apart from getting wet through and difficulties in access to necessities, tourists can be faced up with an absolute riot. Of course, all you have to do is smile to yourselves “This is among the best Myanmar tours ever!”. Thingyan Festival is described as a party at a size of town. Throughout that huge party, many temporary stages are set up on main roads, equipped with pipes for watering any passer-by. Merry-makers even get crowded into jeeps, trucks or cars, taking a round-the-city tour and poking others with full of water. Again, just accept that kind of tour or you can even join this fun in order to enjoy Myanmar holidays.
7. AFTER THINGYAN…
It will come as no surprise if you get hangovers or throat after a few days of screaming and shouting during the festival. You should also be careful with drinking too much alcohol and having some unexpected fights. So, get yourselves equipped with medical treatment and insurance.
Thingyan Water Festival is the way Myanmar people celebrate a new year coming. Join with them and you will have one of the best Myanmar tours full of fun and unforgettable memories.
