About Tour Guide Hla S.

Dear International Travelers,

I would like to introduce myself as an English speaking private tour guide who live in Yangon, Myanmar. (formerly known as Rangoon, Burma). I studied Engineering at Rangoon Institute of Technology during 1988 but in the year 1988, all schools, universities, Institutes were closed down for more than a year because of demonstration for democracy government in our country. At that time, I went to Bangkok with the help of my uncle to learn tourism at a Travel and Tour company in Bangkok, Thailand. After one year stay in Bangkok, I came back to Yangon to study my Engineering again but a few months later, another demonstration started and military government closed down the universities again. So, I went to foreign again but at this time not to Bangkok, to Singapore. I stayed in Singapore for one and half year to study computer and at the same time working too to support for my study. In the year 1993 I came back to my country Myanmar. The year 1996 was "Visit Myanmar Year" and I started my interest to work in tourism business as I like to travel with tourists to destinations around Myanmar and proud to explain about Myanmar history. I also attended Tourism Training School in Yangon and passed the exam and also succeeded interview with authority concerned to obtain the tour guide license. My guide license number is G-6965.

So, right now, I am more happy to work as a tour guide than becoming an Engineer. My other interests are reading books, watching movies, driving car and I am also a good typist started typing with typewriter. As a tour guide I have many old clients around the world and some of their pictures with me were attached. Anyone who speaks English can be my client. Just say me duration of your stay in Myanmar, how many persons etc. , I can help you draw a travel and tour program for you in Myanmar. Myanmar has thousands of golden pagodas and it is completely different from other countries you might had visited. You will see that even the poor people are smiling. You will be back to olden days if you visit to Myanmar as Myanmar is one of the a few countries which remain as natural. So, if you want to see natural, you should visit Myanmar now before Myanmar become modern county. And if you are first time visitor to Myanmar I suggest you to visit Yangon, Mandalay, Bagan and Inle Lake which are known as the big four.

About Myanmar - Myanmar has a long and complex history. Many peoples have lived in the region and the history began. The first identifiable civilization is that of the Mon. The Mon probably began migrating into the area in about 300 BC. And their first kingdom Suwarnabhumi was founded around the port of Thaton in about 300 BC. The Pyu arrived in Myanmar in the 7th century and established city kingdoms at Binnaka. Mongamo. Sri Ksetra and Halingyi. During this period. Myanmar was part of an overland trade route from China to India. By 849, The Burmans had founded a powerful kingdom centered on the city of Bagan and filled the void left by the Pyu. The kingdom grew in relative isolation until the reign of King Anawrahta (1044 - 77) who successfully unified all of Myanmar by defeating the Mon city of Thaton in 1057.

After the collapse of Bagan authority, Myanmar was divided once again. The Burmans had re-established themselves at the city of Ava by 1364 where Bagan culture was revived and a great age of Burmese literature ensued. The kingdom lacked easily defendable borders. However was overrun by the Shan in 1527. Survivors of the destruction of Inwa eventually established a new kingdom centered on Taungoo in 1531 led by King Tabinshwehti (reigned 1531-50) who once again unified most of Myanmar. A popular Burmese leader named Alaungpaya drove the Bago forces out of northern Myanmar by 1753 and by 1759 he had once again conquered Pegu (now known as Bago) and southern Myanmar while also regaining control of Manipur. He established his capital at Rangoon now known as Yangon.