Yangon, Myanmar Report of what it's like to live there - 02/22/17
Personal Experiences from Yangon, Myanmar
Background:
1. Was this post your first expatriate experience? If not, what other cities have you lived in as an expat?
No, have lived in two different 2nd-tier Chinese cities.
2. What is your home city/country? How long is the trip to post from there, with what connections? How easy/difficult is it to travel to this city/country?
Florida, U.S. 25+ hours at a minimum, typically through LA or DC to Tokyo, Seoul or Bangkok and then on to Yangon. You can also go through Doha now.
3. How long have you lived here?
1.5 years.
4. What brought you to this city (e.g. diplomatic mission, business, NGO, military, teaching, retirement, etc.)?
U.S. Department of State.
Housing, Groceries & Food:
1. What is your housing like? What are typical housing sizes, locations, and commute times for expatriates?
The serviced apartments are the best kept secret!They are like living at a hotel with pool, gym, concierge services, daily maid service and super attentive maintenance (can call a taxi, arrange deliveries, etc.) Apartments are 2-3 bedrooms with a small balcony. Best views of Shwedagon pagoda and the sunrise and sunset. Plus wonderful community and great commute time (one is located closer to downtown which makes for a longer commute to the Embassy but closer to lovely downtown and Kandawgyi park).
Most single family homes are in Golden Valley area with a commute time of 10-30 minutes to Embassy and they are a mixed bag. Some have serious pest or mold problems. Most have quirky layouts and construction that makes you scratch your head. Yard space is rare- most have walled in courtyards that are good to park your car in and little else. Several are within walking distance to International School of Yangon. The American club compound also has 5 residences. They are beautiful and spacious with lots of green space though dated and with serious maintenance issues. Commute time can vary from 20 minutes- an hour at rush hour.
2. How would you describe the availability and cost of groceries and household supplies relative to your home country?
Lots available at Marketplace city marts around town, although we are still a consumables post. Consistency of inventory can be a problem- one week you'll see your favorite brand of something and then you won't find it for several months, if ever again. For consumables, focus on liquids: wine, liquor, and convenience goods like canned goods of brands you like. Cost of imported goods is a little higher than U.S. but still affordable. Prices in commissary keep going up.
3. What household or grocery items do you wish you had shipped to post?
Tampons are unavailable on the local market but you can order over amazon (if you have diplomatic pouch privileges) or find at the commissary. It all depends on how brand-picky you are. Again, you can find almost everything or order on Amazon but if there's stuff you know you like, bring it. Serviced apartments provide TP so no need to ship unless you are really picky. Single family homes do not!
4. What typical restaurants, food delivery services, and/or takeout options are popular among expatriates?
Yangon Door 2 door is amazing- bike delivery services that will bring almost any cuisine to your door. We have several good Indian restaurants. Parami Pizza is wonderful. Decent sushi and ramen available along with soup dumplings and la mian. Manana is legit Mexican food started in 2015 by a Mexican expat. The dining scene is always changing and there's lots of fun restaurants to go out to including the local restaurants. Pansuriya, Rangoon Tea House, Shan Yoe Yar and Taing Yin Thar are good Burmese options. There's also L'Planteur and Shwe sa bwe for a really upscale French dining experience.
5. Are there any unusual problems with insects or other infestations in housing?
Almost all of the single family homes have ant problems. Some close to the lake have snakes during rainy season.
Daily Life:
1. How do you send and receive your letters and package mail? Are local postal facilities adequate?
APO although under pouch rules.
2. What is the availability and cost of household help, and what types of help are typically employed by expatriates?
Household help is available but the level of their English and experience with expats varies greatly and impacts prices. Currently a decent, full-time English speaking nanny with experience with expats makes 300-400/month. Burmese people will love your children but they are very indulgent so keep that in mind. Some cooks can read and write in English and follow recipes go for 300/month full time. Super helpful to have them shop, cook, prep, etc.
3. What kinds of gyms or other sports/workout facilities are available? Are they expensive?
Serviced apartments have gyms which are adequate but not fancy. Powerhouse gym and Balance fitness are two gyms the Embassy staff use due to location. They run $100-150/month and include a wide range of classes. There's also Yangon Yoga house which has yoga, barre and many other classes available at two locations for about $10/class.
4. Are credit cards widely accepted and safe to use locally? Are ATMs common and do you recommend using them? Are they safe to use?
No! It's getting better but most local establishments do not take credit card. Myanmar is still very much a cash-based economy. One officer recently paid for car repairs all in cash and needed a shopping bag to carry it all. ATMs are getting more common but some have trouble reading our debit cards. You can however use a credit card at one of the grocery store chains and a few of the hotels around town. If bringing USD to Myanmar be sure to ONLY bring absolutely brand new, crisp, no wrinkles, no tears, no ink stains PERFECT bills to exchange. (Best exchange rate is for $100 bills). Otherwise they will not accept your USD for exchange.
5. What English-language religious services are available locally?
Catholic, non-denominational Protestant, Church of Latter Day Saints, Quaker meetings
6. How much of the local language do you need for daily living? Are local language classes/tutors available and affordable?
Embassy has a post language program available for staff and family members. Many people in Yangon speak English and some in the tourism industry will surprise you with how well they speak. Still it's helpful to have a few phrases for taxis and the market.
7. Would someone with physical disabilities have difficulties living in this city?
It would be difficult to get around in Yangon with physical disabilities. It's a very unwalkable city in the first place, let along with disabilities.
Transportation:
1. Are local buses, trams, trains or taxis safe and affordable?
Taxis are safe and anywhere from $1 a ride to $7 to get you to the airport at rush hour. Otherwise there is no public transportation available.
2. What kind of car do you recommend bringing to post, given the terrain, availability of parts, burglary/carjacking risks, etc.? What kind of car do you advise not to bring?
People like to bring SUVs here because the road conditions can be iffy but sedans do just fine as well. It can be nice to have some ground clearance to go through deep puddles during monsoon season but 4WD is not necessary in the city.
Phone & Internet:
1. Is high-speed home Internet access available? How long does it typically take to install it after arrival?
Serviced apartments come with internet access and the speeds are decent although can slow quite a bit during busy hours. Single family homes seem to have frequent/random outages for longer stretches and the speeds can be pretty slow. I hear that some use 3G hot spots instead of paying for internet since it is frequently out and not fast enough.
2. Do you have any recommendations regarding mobile phones? Did you keep your home-country plan or use a local provider?
Local provider is a must as most overseas plans do not work in Myanmar. SIM cards are cheap- $1/each, but I would bring an unlocked phone. iPhones are not sold in country.
Pets:
1. Are qualified veterinarians and/or good kennel services available? Do animals need to be quarantined upon entry to the country? Are there other considerations regarding pets that are particular to this country?
Vet care is not great so if your pet is aging or with health issues do not bring them. No quarantine. It can be complicated to get pets to Yangon. A stop over from the U.S. is required so you need to check with the airline first. If taking them on the plane with you, only Korean Air will allow it. If going as excess cargo, you need to fly through Bangkok as other stop over points will not take them out of their crate at the layover.
Employment & Volunteer Opportunities:
1. What types of jobs do most expatriate spouses/partners have? Locally based or telecommuting? Full-time or part-time? Can you comment on local salary scales?
There is currently no bilateral work agreement for diplomats nor a de facto agreement but ministry of foreign affairs allows spouses to work on the local economy. Several spouses do development work with NGOs, one works for the UN, another is a teacher at an international school. Another works for a bank.There are currently some interesting options although compensation is of course less than in the US.
2. What volunteer opportunities are available locally?
There's such a need in Myanmar for so many things but volunteer opportunities are not well-organized. Instead the potential volunteer needs to find the organizations and offer what they can to them.
3. What is the typical dress code at work and in public places? Is formal dress ever required?
Myanmar is fairly casual. Locals wear longyis and flip flops a lot. Within the embassy it varies by section with Pol/Econ wearing suits and ties (most of the time) but other agencies or sections are more casual.
Health & Safety:
1. Are there personal security concerns to be aware of at this post? Please describe.
Just general big city concerns to stay aware of your surroundings. Relatively safe.
2. Are there any particular health concerns? What is the quality of available medical care? What medical conditions typically require medical evacuation?
Available medical care is very limited and medical evacuations are frequent occurrences. People seem to fall a lot due to the sidewalks. People are also sick with stomach bugs a lot. Not as much as India but still on a semi-regular basis.
3. What is the air quality like at post (good/moderate/bad)? Are there seasonal air quality issues? Does the air quality have an impact on health?
Moderate- in the dry season people burn trash and there are a lot of cars so usually a morning haze that burns off by mid-morning. No serious problems although some people notice the smoke more than others.
4. What do people who suffer from environmental or food allergies need to know?
There can be mold issues in the single-family homes so think about that for housing.
5. What is the overall climate: is it extremely hot or cold, wet or dry, at any time of year, for example?
Monsoon season is June-October it's warm, humid and just rains all day for weeks.
"Dry/cool" season comes after that although October/November are still fairly humid and hot it doesn't rain much then. It can really be nice from December- February.
March- May is HOT season with temperatures over 100 daily for weeks on end.
Schools & Children:
1. What is the availability of international schools? What has been your general experience with them, if any?
There are 3-4 American curriculum international schools in town some with better reputations than others. Lots of British school options. Many are heavily academically focused and can be difficult for average American students to transition into.
2. What accommodations do schools make for special-needs kids?
Very limited resources for special-needs kids in Yangon.
3. Are preschools available? Day care? Are these expensive? What has been your experience with them, if any? Do the schools provide before- and/or after-school care?
There's a range of preschools and day care programs. Some are much more expensive than others. Not always the best is the most expensive.
4. Are local sports classes and/or activities available for kids?
Shakespeare school, swimming lessons, dance classes, choir, T-ball/baseball from November-March at the AERA club, Girl/Cub Scouts.
Expat Life:
1. What is the relative size of the expatriate community? How would you describe overall morale among expatriates?
Small but growing. Lots of NGOs, energy sector, and a few missionary families. Generally good morale.
2. What are some typical ways to socialize, either with local people or with other expatriates? Are there groups or clubs that you can recommend?
Internations, Yangon Newcomers Group, International Friendship Group, happy hours with other diplomatic missions, Hash House Harriers, art gallery shows.
3. Is this a good city for single people? For couples? For families? Why or why not?
Can be challenging for singles as the community is not that large. For couples and families seems to be a great posting.
4. Is this a good city for LGBT expatriates? Why or why not?
There are a few LGBT things going on around town but it's a pretty sleepy town.
5. Are there problems with ethnic, race/racial minorities or religious prejudices? Gender equality?
There's a lot of conflict between the local Buddhist majority and Muslim minority groups. Decades of conflict between Myanmar minority ethnic groups and Bamar majority.
6. What have been the highlights of your time in this country? Best trips or experiences?
A group of 16 of us just did a cruise to the Mergui archipelago with Mergui Princess. It was AMAZING- pristine white sand beaches with clear blue water and completely isolated. Best snorkeling I've ever done with beautiful coral reefs and great weather. Visiting Bagan and riding the hot air balloons was special. Inle Lake is also other-wordly. A trip to the Green Elephant Valley elephant camp in Shan state was great too. Ngapali beach is a relaxing and beautiful escape but expensive. (most local travel in country is more expensive than you would expect for southeast Asia). Also regional travel in southeast Asia is fabulous- takes a bit to get around because you usually connect through Bangkok or somewhere else but so many opportunities for holidays!
7. What are some interesting/fun things to do in the area? Can you recommend any “hidden gems"?
The Nagar Glass Factory is such a quirky interesting place. It was destroyed and shut down in 2008 after Cyclone Nargis hit but you can still go and pick through the leftover glass pieces and buy them from the caretakers. Yangon food tour was fun too.
8. Is this a "shopping post"? Are there interesting handicrafts, artwork, antiques, or other items that people typically buy there?
Yes! They say Myanmar art is undervalued and there are SO many little art galleries to pop into and check out. There's also lots of people making furniture out of reclaimed teak for great prices (still an investment but cheaper than in the U.S.) Lots of lovely textiles from Chin and other areas.
9. What are the particular advantages of living in this city?
You can live a really comfortable life for not crazy prices and the exotic adventures of Myanmar are still just outside your door when you're ready for them.
Words of Wisdom:
1. What do you wish you had known about this particular city/country before moving there?
How unwalkable a city Yangon is. No decent sidewalks- huge holes into sewers in many of them. You literally have to watch where you're stepping or you will fall. Also some of the residential areas are located in areas where there isn't room for people to walk on the streets and of course during monsoon season that all floods and is difficult to navigate in a car let alone on foot.
2. Knowing what you know now, would you still move to this city?
Absolutely! We figure this is going to be our favorite posting.
3. If you move here, you can leave behind your:
Winter clothes.
4. But don't forget your:
Bug spray, sunscreen, CROCS- these are essential for monsoon season (don't bother with wellies/rain boots they get too hot).
5. Do you recommend any books or movies about this city/country for those who are interested in learning more?
The Lady
River of Lost Footsteps
Burma Chronicles
Letters to Burma
Burmese Days
