Best time to visit Myanmar

Useful information help visitors when to go Myanmar with guide to the best time to visit Myanmar including the weather, temperatures, rainfalls, festivals

MYANMAR WEATHER

As we know, the temperature of a country is mostly affected by altitude and therefore, although the country is generally hot throughout the year, the mountainous and indoor areas are far cooler than southern lowland and coastal regions. Myanmar weather exactly follows this characteristic.

Myanmar (previously Burma) has typically tropical monsoon weather system with three seasons:

• Hot & Dry Season (Mar – May): The hottest time of a year and the temperatures can reach the highest at 400C in Yangon and even higher by a few digits in areas around Bagan and Mandalay.

• Rainy Season (Jun – Oct): The rain tends to be heavy during afternoons and evenings, leaving sunny mornings. Mandalay and Bagan which lie interior of Myanmar are ideal cities to visit during the season because of the least rain.

• Cool & Dry Season (Nov – Feb): less rainy, mild with average temperatures between 20 to 26¬¬0C. This is the most wonderful period to visit Myanmar when it is sunny, dry, and cool.

MYANMAR FESTIVALS

Myanmar traditional festivals are based on the traditional Burmese calendar and dates are largely determined by the moon’s phase.

1. NATIONAL FESTIVALS

Thingyan “Water Festival” (April)

It is organized in Mid-April to mark the beginning of the Burmese New Year with a 4-day-water festival to cleanse the bad deeds of the previous year. You need to prepare more clothes if you are in Myanmar during this festival since you surely get wet once you go out. People around the country gather together and visits pagodas in order to pay homage to the monks. Parades take place on streets in major cities such as Yangon and Mandalay.

Kason Bo tree watering festival (May)

It is organized in the full moon day to commemorate the birth, enlightenment and death of Gautama – the Lord Buddha. The typical activities are Watering of the Bo tree, chanting Pali scripts or move fish/turtles from nearby dry ponds and lakes to abundant water places, etc

Waso Robe Offering Festival (July)

The Festival of ordination of monks starts from full moon day in July, marks the beginning of the three-month Buddhist Lent. The monks are presented robes to wear during the Lent and they are not permitted to travel.

Festival of Lights (October)

The festival is celebrated in the full moon day in October to mark the end of Buddhist Lent period. All houses and building is décor by lantern, candles, or electric bulbs. Some traditional activities are gift exchanges, gadaw (show honor to elders by formally presenting them with gifts of food or longyi) or visiting pagoda

Tazaungdaing Festival of Lights (November)

This festival is also organized in the full moon day in November to take notice of end of the rainy season. Monks are offered robes, and feasts are held for merit-making. In the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, the all-night weaving contest is taken place, in which participants will try to finish weaving robes for the Buddha before next dawn.

2. REGIONAL FESTIVALS

Shwedagon Pagoda Festival – YANGON (March)

It is the largest pagoda festival in Burma held in Shwedagon Pagoda (Yangon), begins from the new moon to the full moon of March. Monks chant nonstop all days during the festival.. Hundreds of Buddha images is made from water, light and flowers in the pagoda grounds

Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda Festival – INLE LAKE (October)

It is one of the largest Buddhist festivals in Myanmar and held in Inle Lake. The festival is organized from the first day of the new moon to the third day after the full moon day in October (18 days). Four Buddha statues are paraded around the lake on the royal barge. Rowing races are also held during the event, which makes for a wonderfully visual display.

Taung Byone Nat Festival – MANDALAY (August)

It is the biggest Nat Festival in Myanmar and annually held in August. The Nats, in Myanmar citizens’ mind, are supreme natural beings. They are believed to bring luck and prosperity to the followers as well as give danger to those who do not respect them.

Shwezigon Pagoda Festival – BAGAN (November)

Shwezigon Pagoda is one of the most must-visit destinations in Bagan. This festival is held during November but the most important day is the full moon day. The are some entertainments for local and visitors, such as Zats (a complex of dances, songs and plays); Anyeints (a performance in a few hours with some caricature about current situations and/or persons strung together by a traditional dancer)