The Native Tourist: A Holiday Pilgrimage in Myanmar

by Ma Thanegi

This is the delightful story of an eighteen-day bus pilgrimage to sixty pagodas across Myanmar. As the author settles into her seat, the aisle blocked with luggage, she trains our eyes on the collection of characters that, like it or not, will be her traveling companions for the whirlwind tour. This native tourist amuses us with her adventures of eating at roadside cafes, climbing up pagodas, bathing in rivers, shopping at markets, and sleeping on temple floors. Along the way, she encounters deeply rooted cultural values and develops camaraderie with strangers that become like family for the duration of her travels.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Asia

209 pages, Paperback

First published February 28, 2005

Reviews

[Andrew]

Ma Thanegi might be Burmese, but her writing style is really quite antique – it’s the voice of the English gentleman rambler, traipsing about the countryside, amused by charming folkways. Still, it’s unique in that it’s one of the rare books written about Myanmar for a largely non-Burmese audience that actually talks fondly about the country rather than about its basket-case government. And I recognized the places (and this being Southeast Asia, of course the dishes) that I know and love, albeit not nearly as intimately as Ma Thanegi does, so there is a nice familiarity. Breezy reading – pleasant enough and by no means essential.

[John]

Passports are nearly impossible to come by for Myanmar citizens, especially ones who'd served three years as a political prisoner; so, Ma Thanegi decided to go on an eighteen-day package tour of domestic pilgrimage sights - followed by a day trip into China (no passport required). Once underway, things didn't quite go according to plan, making the adventure even more of a great read.
Thanegi's observations are well-written, on target and funny -- here's hoping for more from her!

[J Thayre]

First read for #WITMonth 2020, comes from 🇲🇲. A brilliant travelogue, of a woman travelling alone from Myanmar to China, mostly by bus. Review: https://aroundtheworldonefemalenoveli...

[Li-Anne]

Unfort not as great as it seemed. Pretty boring.

[Ardita]

A blissfully funny book about a middle-aged woman who has decided to leave the comforts of Rangoon and embarked on a pilgrimage journey to visit a dozen of important paya (pagoda) scattered throughout Myanmar (Burma).

Thanegi has comically described the whole process and what has happened during the pilgrimage, especially the culinary aspect of it.

She has helped me understands more about Burmese people, the food and the belief, especially a bit about the "Nat" (spirit).