Shifting Lenses

Years ago, my family and I went on a holiday to Myanmar. At the time, I was in upper elementary, and it seemed like a perfectly normal trip for people living and traveling in Asia. We started in Yangon, then traveled to Bagan, and finally relaxed on Ngapali Beach.

I remember a lot from that trip and was reminded of even more when I reread my travel journal. I remember temples….so many temples. I even wrote “temple overload” in my journal. I also remember the stray dogs and cats, and I made a note in my journal about how kind the hotel and tour staff were. Myanmar wasn’t as polished as other Southeast Asian destinations. Our pictures show it was still very authentically itself, not yet ready to become the next Thailand.

Myanmar is on my list of places I’d love to revisit, but it simply isn’t possible right now. When I see people in our photos, I can’t help but wonder what has happened to them in the past few years. They’ve endured a military coup, an insurrection, the re-imprisonment of Aung San Suu Kyi, and a devastating earthquake in 2025.

Two of the three hotels we stayed at are now closed. The international tourism industry has plummeted from 4.3 million visitors in 2019 to 1 million in 2024, with most visitors now coming from China and Thailand. My experience in Myanmar gave me a realistic view of how quickly a country can change. I hope the people I met are doing well, and I am grateful that I was able to learn about their amazing country and culture. When they are open to tourism again, I hope to return.