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Addresses
Downtown Yangon and central Mandalay are both laid out on an easy-to-follow, numbered grid system, with corner addresses appearing as, for example, “2nd and 24th Street”. Outside these main cities, formal addresses are only haphazardly used, with directions usually being given relative to major local landmarks rather than particular street names, few of which are signed, in any case.
Admission charges
For foreign tourists, entry to major archaeological and cultural sites, including those at Bagan, Bago, Mrauk-U, Pyay and monuments in and around Mandalay, is by government ticket, usually costing between $5 and $15. Some tickets (at, for example, Bagan and Mrauk U) cover multiple sights and are valid for five days or a week. You can pay in foreign currency or the equivalent in kyat.
Other sights that tend to charge foreigners for entry include various museums ($2–5) and larger religious complexes (the Shwedagon Pagoda, for example, costs $8 to enter, while a few other pagodas levy entrance fees ranging between $1 and $3).
Budgeting for your trip
If you’re travelling on a pre-arranged tour, where all the transport and accommodation costs are covered by the price of your holiday, your main expenses are likely to be dining and shopping. If you’re not fussy about your surroundings, it’s easy to find a filling meal for just US$5–10. Allow around $10–15 per head for a two-course meal in a regular, mid-scale restaurant, or $20–40 in a five-star hotel. The most upmarket establishments may cost a little more than this. Breakfasts are almost always included in hotel room rates. How much your souvenirs set you back will depend on your ability to haggle and can range from just a few dollars for a colourful Burmese parasol up to $100-plus for a high-quality piece of lacquerware.
Independent travellers will also need to factor in accommodation costs. It’s difficult nowadays to find double rooms anywhere (including guesthouses) for less than $25, while you may end up spending at least double this for a clean modern room in a simple hotel, and over $100 if you want anywhere with a few frills. Transport costs are generally quite low, particularly buses, although naturally internal flights can rapidly blow your budget.
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Children
Visiting Myanmar is not an easy option for families. The relentlessly hot and humid climate, uncomfortable public transport, unfamiliar food and absence of dedicated facilities for children mean you’ll have to be resourceful. You’ll also have to bring a supply of nappies to see you through your trip – difficult to find outside Yangon and Mandalay – though dealing with disposables causes inevitable problems in out-of-the-way locations, where refuse collection is non-existent.
Having said that, the Burmese love children and will do everything to make them comfortable, to the extent of taking them off parents’ hands at every opportunity.
If you’re travelling independently with children under 7, consider renting a car and driver for the duration as journeys by bus, in particular, can be long and gruelling, with no toilet facilities and few stops en route.
Child-friendly activities are rather thin on the ground, although most kids will enjoy the marionette shows in Mandalay (For more information, click here) boat trips on Inle Lake, rides around the temples of Bagan in a horse-drawn carriage, visits to the elephant camps near Pathein and Taungoo, Naypyidaw’s fine modern zoo, and of course the country’s various beaches.
Climate
Like all countries in South and Southeast Asia’s monsoonal region, Myanmar’s year is divided into three seasons: there are regional variations, but essentially it is hot and wet from May to October, cooler and dry from November to February, and hot and dry in March and April.
The Southwest Monsoon brings rains beginning in May, which are most intense between June and August. This is a time of high humidity – especially in the coastal and delta regions – and of daily afternoon/evening showers, as winds carry the moisture in from the Indian Ocean. The central inland region is drier than other parts of the country, but is also subject to much rain during this time. Travel during the rainy season can quite often be interrupted due to flooded roads and railway lines; it is made even more difficult as this information is not always made available through the media.
In October, the rains let up. From November through to May the Northeast Monsoon brings mainly dry weather, particularly away from the south. The cool season (November–February) is the most pleasant time to visit. The average temperature along the Ayeyarwady plain, from Yangon to Mandalay, is between 21°C and 28°C (70°F and 82°F), although in the mountains in the north and east, the temperature can drop below freezing and snow can fall.
The hottest weather occurs during March and April, before the rains, with temperatures in the central plain, particularly around Bagan (Pagan), climbing as high as 45°C (113°F).
The annual rainfall along the coasts of Rakhaing and Tanintharyi ranges from 300 to 500cm (120 to 200in). The Ayeyarwady Delta gets about 150 to 200cm (60 to 100in), while the central Myanmar region, between Mandalay and Bagan, and the surrounding areas, averages 50 to 100cm (20 to 40in) of rain each year. In the far north, the melting snows of the Himalayan foothills keep rivers fed with water.
When to go
The best time to visit is during the relatively cool, dry winter months between November and February. This is peak tourist season, when the skies are blue for days on end and night time temperatures are pleasant. Up on the Shan Plateau around Inle Lake, you may even need a fleece in the evenings. Travel anywhere between May and early October is problematic: roads are routinely washed away, rail lines flooded and cyclones wreak havoc on the coastal plains and delta area.
Myanmar’s festival calendar is jam-packed and you’re sure to come across some kind of celebration during your trip, whenever you chose to come. The biggest events are the Thadingyut Festival of Lights in October and the raucous Thingyan in April, a nationwide knees-up when lots of drinking, singing, dancing and throwing of water marks the start of the Burmese New Year.
What to wear
Dress in Myanmar is casual but neat. Unless you are conducting business, you won’t be expected to wear a tie anywhere. Long trousers for men and a dress or long skirt for women, lightweight and appropriate to the prevailing climatic conditions, is the generally accepted mode of dress for visitors. Quick-drying clothes are a good idea for visits during the rainy season or the Thingyan water festival. There’s no law against shorts or short skirts, although skimpy clothing may attract strange looks or unwanted attention outside the beaches and the trendy clubs of Yangon.
A sweater or jacket should be carried if you plan a visit to the hill stations or Shan Plateau, especially in the cool season. Open footwear, such as sandals, is acceptable, but remember to remove footwear when entering religious institutions. An umbrella would be a worthwhile investment during the rainy season. Bring a hat for sun protection.
Crime and safety
Although no dependable statistics on the subject exist, most travellers will affirm that Myanmar is a safe and welcoming place to travel. Muggings and petty thefts may have increased since the decline in the country’s economic fortunes over the past couple of decades, but they’re still rare – and much less frequent than in more developed Asian countries. Even so, take the same precautions as you would at home: don’t wander about unfamiliar parts of Yangon or Mandalay on your own at night. Keep your passport and other valuables under lock and key at all times.
In addition, it’s advisable to avoid all demonstrations and large gatherings, and don’t take photographs of soldiers, police, military installations or equipment.
Customs regulations
Formalities both on arrival and departure are now quite easy as long as you do not lose the various forms you have been given upon entry. Tourists are allowed duty-free import of limited quantities of tobacco – 400 cigarettes (or 50 cigars or 250g (8oz) of pipe tobacco) as well as two litres of alcohol and 150ml of perfume or eau de cologne and articles for personal use. Any foreign currency in excess of US$2,000 should be declared on arrival on a Foreign Exchange Declaration Form (FED), but you won’t be required to obtain clearance for valuables such as a laptop, DVD recorder, camera or mobile phone. The import and export of Burmese kyat is forbidden, and the export of foreign currency is limited to the amount declared upon entry.
Items you’re not allowed to bring into Myanmar include counterfeit currency, pornography, narcotics, toy guns and remote-control toys, firearms and live animals/birds. Leaving Myanmar, you are not allowed to export any antiques without a licence including old coins and documents, palm-leaf manuscript, or antique artworks and carvings.
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Disabled travellers
Mobility-impaired travellers will find Myanmar a difficult proposition. The roads and walkways are mostly in an abysmal state, other wheelchair users a rare sight and access to public buildings such as railway stations, museums and archaeological sites frequently problematic.
As ever, the success of your trip will depend to a large extent on forward planning. The following websites may provide some useful pointers:
www.disabledtravelersguide.com – Global info for adventurous travellers
www.globalaccessnews.com/linksnew.htm − Disabled travellers share their experiences
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Embassies and consulates
Embassies in Yangon
Despite the fact that Naypyidaw is nowadays the official capital, virtually all foreign embassies and consulates remain in Yangon. As far as the consular services of your own country go, bear in mind that embassy officials are usually not allowed to travel freely outside Yangon without prior permission from the Burmese government, except to a limited number of destinations, and that as a result assistance in an emergency may be restricted or delayed.
Australia, 88 Strand Road
Tel: 01 251 810; www.burma.embassy.gov.au
Singapore, 238 Dhamazedi Road, Bahan
Tel: 01 559 001; www.mfa.gov.sg
Thailand, 94 Pyay Road, Dagon
Tel: 01 222 784; www.thaiembassy.org/yangon
United Kingdom, 80 Strand Road
Tel: 01 370 865; ukinburma.fco.gov.uk/en
United States, 110 University Ave, Kamayut
Tel: 01 536 509; burma.usembassy.gov
Burmese embassies abroad
22 Arkana Street, Yarralumla ACT 2600, Canberra
Tel: 02 6273 3811; www.mecanberra.com.au
Canada
336 Island Park Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1Y 0A7
Tel: 613 232 9990; www.meottawa.org.
South Africa
201 Leyds Street, Arcadia, Pretoria, South Africa
Tel: 027-12341 2556; www.myanmarembassysa.com
United Kingdom
19A Charles Street, London W1J 5DX
Tel: 020 7499 4340; www.myanmarembassylondon.com.
United States
2300 S Street, NW Washington DC 20008
Tel: 202 332 3344; www.mewashingtondc.com
Electricity
The standard electrical current is 230-volt/50 hertz and most sockets take two round-pin plugs. Power cuts are commonplace, while rationing means that in some towns the electrical supply is regularly turned off during parts of the day. Many hotels have their own generators;
Etiquette
In common with most Asian countries, the Burmese are quite formal (by Western standards) in the way they engage strangers, especially foreigners, and anyone of a different gender. You’ll find them painstakingly polite, considerate and gentle – and appreciative of those who respond in a similar fashion, particularly in homes and places of worship.
When introduced to people in Myanmar, it is considered good manners to call them by their full title and full name, beginning with “U” (the equivalent of “Mr”) and “Daw” (“Mrs”, “Ms” or “Madam”).
It is particularly difficult for a Burmese to address a Westerner only by his Christian name, even when they are close friends. Thus Kau Reng will never call his friend “Ronnie”, but will address him as “Ko Ronnie” or “Maung Ronnie”. Similarly, Nancy would be called “Ma Nancy”. Kau Reng expects that he, too, will be similarly addressed as “Ko Kau Reng”.
Business etiquette
Handshakes are nowadays the conventional greeting between businessmen. You shouldn’t, however, offer your hand to a woman, unless she offers you hers first, in which case it’s fine to shake it; all other physical contact should be avoided.
Business cards are used widely and, as in most of Asia, should be exchanged on first meeting. Use both hands to present and receive them (demonstrating respect), as does taking a few seconds to read the details. Do not put the card in your pocket straight away as this may also be deemed disrespectful.
Dress should be conservative. Lightweight suits for men are acceptable, ideally worn with a tie. Women should ensure that skirts are of knee length or lower. Although the majority of business people dress in suits or formal shirts when meeting foreigners, some – and nearly all politicians – still wear the traditional longyis or htameins.
Temple etiquette
A Buddhist place of worship is unlike its equivalent in the West. You might find a devout Buddhist in deep meditation on any temple platform, but you might also see whole families eating their lunches in front of a Buddha image. You will see lines of monks walking slowly around the stupa, but you may also observe hordes of children happily running around. The temple ground is where every Burmese village or city neighbourhood congregates in the evening. But don’t let the “everydayness” fool you. This is sacred space, and there are certain rules you must keep in order to show your respect.
Throughout the country, wherever you enter religious grounds, you must remove your shoes (or sandals) and socks. Appropriate clothing should also be worn, meaning arms and legs should be covered, while short skirts and skimpy shorts should be particularly avoided.
It’s traditional to walk around stupas in a clockwise direction – keeping the stupa on your right and thus moving in the same direction as the sun across the sky – although no one will mind too much if you walk around it in an anti-clockwise direction instead.
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Gay and lesbian travellers
Homosexuality is technically illegal under the Burmese penal code, and punishable by anything up to life imprisonment in theory, although the law is rarely enforced.
Attitudes to same-sex relationships, whether gay or lesbian, remain conservative and shrouded in stigma and superstition. Many Burmese believe that being gay is a form of cosmic punishment for having had a bad relationship with a woman in a past life. Young men attracted to other men may be dispatched to a monastery to have their sexual orientation “corrected”; rape is also commonly used against lesbians for the same purpose. And ambiguously worded laws are routinely deployed by the authorities to harass anyone suspected of “dubious acts”.
For fear of being ostracised by friends, work colleagues and family, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Burmese rarely openly admit their sexuality. Apart from the odd “queeny boy” working the clubs in Yangon, the only obviously transgender people you’re likely to come across are the oracles who perform at nat pwe festivals, such as the one at Taungbyon near Mandalay. And there are as yet no hundred-percent gay venues anywhere in the country; cruising areas, where they exist, tend to be well hidden.
Myanmar’s conservative attitudes have had serious health implications. The Burmese government asserts that HIV levels among gay men are around 29 percent, suggesting an infection rate 42 times higher than the rest of the population. The Rangoon-based NGO, Aids Alliance, estimates that fewer than 20 percent of the people needing anti-retroviral treatment are receiving it.
Even so, as Myanmar slowly modernises, public attitudes seem to be shifting – at least among the more monied, urban classes. In 2011, a LGBT-oriented TV programme, Colours Rainbow TV (tvnews.colorsrainbow.com), was launched online in Yangon, with monthly news bulletins, interviews and features, while in 2012 the city hosted its first Gay Pride event.
Utopia Asia
www.utopia-asia.com/tipsburm.htm
Detailed scene reports and gay steers, mostly for Yangon.
Purple Dragon
LGBT-oriented tour operator.
Mandalay Travel
Myanmar-based gay-and-lesbian-friendly travel agent.
International Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex Association
LGBT news and views from around the country.
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Health and medical care
Standards of healthcare in Myanmar are woeful – it’s crucial that you have good travel insurance (see below) given that in the event of an emergency you may have to be airlifted to Thailand for treatment. It’s best to talk to a doctor about the latest recommended immunisations for Myanmar (tetanus, hepatitis, typhoid may all be recommended), as well as to discuss appropriate anti-malarials. For longer stays, and if your travels should take you to outlying areas, consider bringing your own medical kit.
Entering Myanmar, you’ll need to provide a certificate showing that you’ve been immunised against yellow fever if you’re arriving within nine days of leaving or transiting an affected area. In addition, all visitors to Myanmar should take appropriate anti-malarial precautions before and after entering the country. The risk is highest at altitudes below 1,000 metres (3,000 ft) between May and December. Many hotels have mosquito nets, but any hole makes them worthless. Bring your own mosquito net and carry mosquito coils to burn while you sleep. Note that Myanmar’s eastern borders from Kachin State to Tanintharyi harbour a strain of malaria resistant to chloroquine and proguanil (Malarone), meaning that you may be recommended to take mefloquine or doxycycline instead.
Perhaps the two most common hazards to visitors are sunburn and intestinal problems. The best way to prevent sunburn is to stay under cover during the hottest parts of the day, and to wear a hat or carry an umbrella if you do go out. You’ll see many Burmese, especially women and children, with yellowish thanaka powder applied to their faces to help screen out the sun. If you find yourself sweating a lot and feeling weak or dizzy, sit down (in the shade) and take some salt, either in tablet form or by mixing salt in a soft drink or tea.
Diarrhoea is an inevitable hazard of travelling in Myanmar, although many travellers have no problems. Taking care with what you eat and drink is obviously a major factor: never drink water which hasn’t been purified and/or boiled, and avoid raw vegetables, fruit which you can’t peel and any food which looks like it’s been sitting around for a while. It you are struck down, various medicines such as Lomotil, Immodium (Loperamide) or charcoal tablets offer some relief. If symptoms persist for more than a few days you’ll need to see a doctor to check for dysentery, which will require treatment with antibiotics.
Travel insurance
It’s imperative that you take out travel insurance before travelling in order to ensure that you will receive proper medical attention in the event of an emergency – particularly crucial in Myanmar, where a clinical crisis might require you to be airlifted out of the country. Insurance also gives you the peace of mind that you’re properly covered in the event that your trip is interrupted or cancelled, or if your belongings are lost, stolen or damaged in transit..
Medical treatment
Several hospitals in Yangon admit foreign nationals in emergencies. However, because of the generally lamentable state of the country’s health-care facilities, travellers requiring serious care are generally flown to Bangkok; ensure your insurance covers such an eventuality.
Asia Royal General Hospital
14 Baho Street, Sanchaung, Yangon
One of the few hospitals in the country offering international-standard medical services.
Tel: 01 537 296; www.asiaroyalmedical.com
International SOS Clinic
Inya Lake Resort
37 Kaba Aye Pagoda Road, Yangon
Tel: 01 657 922; www.internationalsos.com
Full outpatient and emergency services, delivered by a professional team of expatriate and national doctors.
Pharmacies
Yangon has several pharmacies, all with 24-hour counters:
May Pharmacy, 542 Merchant Street.
AA Pharmacy, 142 Sule Pagoda Road.
Global Network, 155 Sule Pagoda Road.
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Internet and email access
Internet access is widely available throughout the country, mainly via WiFi (which is now offered by most hotels, many guesthouses, and a growing number of restaurants), although internet cafes remain relatively thin on the ground outside the main cities and tourist centres. Connection speeds can be painfully slow, however, and WiFi networks can often go offline for no apparent reason, while frequent power cuts and surges are another problem.
The formerly oppressive levels of internet censorship have also been dramatically reduced in the past couple of years, with most formerly banned websites (ranging from Skype through to sources of independent news and dissident bloggers) now unblocked.
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Left luggage
Because of the risk of bomb attacks, there are no left luggage facilities in train or bus stations, or any other public places in Myanmar, though hotels may agree to store baggage.
Lost property
It’s unlikely you’ll gain any help from the Burmese police if you lose anything valuable while you’re travelling in the country, although you’ll probably need to report any theft and get a police statement before you can lodge a claim with your insurers.
If you lose your passport, your embassy in Yangon should be able to issue some form of emergency travel documentation ,although the process will go much more quickly if you can provide a photocopy of the lost passport’s information pages and your Burmese visa. You may be required to return to Yangon immediately to make an application.
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Maps
The best all-round maps of the country are the Reise Know-How Myanmar (Burma) 1:1,500,000, with exceptionally clear and up-to-date mapping printed on waterproof, non-tearable paper, and the similarly excellent Freytag & Berndt’s Myanmar map, at a slightly larger 1:1,200,000. If you can’t get hold of either of these, the Myanmar map (1:1,350,000) published by International Travel Maps (ITM) makes a passable substitute.
Free maps of major Burmese cities and tourist destinations are handed out by Myanmar Tours and Travels in Yangon. You can also download useful free maps of most large cities and towns from the Myanmar-based cartographers, Design Printing Serices (www.dpsmap.com).
Media
Newspapers and magazines
The lifting of draconian press censorship laws in 2012 is steadily, if slowly, transforming Myanmar’s media – although state controls remain tight, and complete freedom of speech is still a long way off. The government’s own mouthpiece, the turgid New Light of Myanmar (published daily in both Burmese and English, and readable online atwww.moi.gov.mm/npe/nlm) features endless reports on visits by the generals to factories, schools and religious institutions. Published weekly, the Australian-managed Myanmar Times (mmtimes.com) has close government links, but is generally a more interesting read than New Light. There are as yet no independent English-language newspapers available – for latest news it’s best to check online (www.bnionline.net, www.dvb.no and www.irrawaddy.org are all good places to start).
The International Herald Tribune and other international newspapers are sometimes available at hotel news-stands, although it’s generally easiest to read these online.
Easily the best of the country’s assorted English-language magazines is the outstanding The Irrawaddy (www.irrawaddy.org), published monthly by a group of Burmese journalists based in Thailand and always full of insightful, meticulously researched articles on latest political and economic developments.
Radio and television
Myanmar broadcasts three free-to-air channels, all of them run by the government. The MRTV-4 channel hosts global sports, news and documentary channels, including National Geographic, BBC World, CNN, ESPN and Fox Movies.
The advent of the internet has posed all kinds of problems for Myanmar’s government censors, not least the maverick Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB), which broadcasts online at www.dvb.no from its base in Oslo, Norway. Begun as a shortwave radio station in 1992, it launched a satellite news channel in 2005 – just in time for the 2007 Saffron Revolution, coverage of which by its free-ranging “VJs” brought DVB to the world’s attention and inspired the hit movie, Burma VJ.
Visitors carrying shortwave radios will be able to pick up BBC Radio (www.bbc.co.uk) and Voice of America (VOA, www.voanews.com). The shortwave frequencies change according to the time of day; see their respective websites for further details.
Money
Myanmar’s official currency is the kyat (pronounced “chat”), which comes in denominations of K1, K5, K10, K20, K50, K100, K200, K500, K1,000, K5,000 and K10,000, although the US dollar is widely used as a second, alternative currency, especially for larger transactions. Foreigners were formerly required to pay for certain services, such as air and rail tickets, in dollars, although these restrictions have now been dropped and visitors are free to pay for services in whichever currency is most convenient (although some hotels, guesthouses and shops may prefer payment in dollars). US$1 = K1000 is generally used as a rule of thumb when converting prices from one currency to another, although the actual exchange rate fluctuates somewhat.
Accessing your cash is less problematic than it used to be. Until a few years back there wasn’t a single ATM in the entire country; now, there’s a growing network of machines, with at least one or two in any town of any consequence, and hundreds in Yangon and Mandalay. Having said that, they tend to go out of service with alarming frequency, dispense kyat only, and also charge a (usually) $5 withdrawal fee on top of whatever fees your home bank levies. Credit cards, meanwhile, are of only limited use, although growing numbers of upmarket hotels, restaurants and shops are now beginning to accept them.
It’s therefore still a good idea to take at least some of the cash you’ll need into the country with you in the form of dollars. Accredited money-changers are the best places to change dollars into kyat (some hotels also have exchange facilities); avoid dodgy money changers who approach you on the street, and who may well attempt to rip you off. Dollar notes should ideally be in mint condition; bills which are even slightly marked or worn are sometimes refused by money-changers, hotels and so on (or you may be forced to accept a poorer exchange rate). In addition, bills issued before 2008 are also often rejected. The higher denomination the bill, the better the exchange rate.
Taxes and tipping
Some pricierhotels and restaurants levy a 10 percent government tax and/or a 10 percent service charge on top of quoted prices. In fancier tourist restaurants where a service charge isn’t levied it’s polite to leave a 10 percent tip (assuming service has been acceptable). Tipping isn’t really expected in local cafés and teahouses (or for that matter in taxis), although of course it’s always appreciated.
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Opening hours
Business hours for all government offices (including post offices) are 9.30am–4.30pm Mon–Fri, 9.30am–12.30pm Sat. Shops open between 8/9am and 6pm. Restaurants open at 8–9am, depending on whether they offer breakfast, and close at around 9/10pm, occasionally later in big cities and tourist centres.
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Photography
Burmese are generally happy to pose for photographs, though as a courtesy it’s always a good idea to ask permission first – easy enough through simple gesticulation and smiles (or try asking “Da’-poun yai’-teh ya-deh naw?”. People also love to see the photo you’ve taken afterwards on the preview screen, assuming you’re using a digital camera. Avoid photographing any military personnel or police, and never point your camera at a barracks, army vehicle or anything that could possibly be deemed strategic.
Postal services
The Yangon General Post Office (Tel: 01 285 499) is located on Strand Road at the corner of Bo Aung Gyaw Street and is open 7.30am–6pm Monday to Friday. All other post offices are open 9.30am–4.30pm Monday to Friday, and 9.30am–12.30pm Saturday. They are closed Sunday and public holidays.
For larger parcels, DHL is a faster and more reliable method of posting – though far from cheap. They have office in Yangon (c/o HB Logistics, Ground Floor, 58 Wardan Street, Lanmadaw, tel: 01 215 516) and Mandalay (c/o HB Logistics, 652 78th Street, between 37th & 38th streets, Maharaungmyay).
Public holidays
In addition to the public holidays with fixed dates listed below there are also a number of holidays whose dates change annually according to the Buddhist calendar. These include the full-moon days of the Burmese months of Tabaung (March/April), Kason (May), Waso (July), Thadingyut (October) and Tazaungmone (November), as well as National Day (November).
All government offices are closed on the following days.
4 January Independence Day
commemorates the date in 1948 that Burma became a sovereign independent nation.
12 February Union Day
marks the date in 1947 that Aung San concluded an agreement with Burma’s ethnic minorities at Panglong in the Shan State.
The Union of Myanmar (Burma) flag, which has been carried by runners to each of Myanmar’s state capitals, is returned to Yangon amid the roar of hundreds of thousands of people from all over the nation.
2 March Peasants’ Day
honours the working population.
27 March Armed Forces (Tatmadaw) Day commemorates the World War II struggle against Japan. It is celebrated with parades and fireworks.
13–17 April Thingyan (water festival) and Burmese New Year
1 May Labour Day
The working people’s holiday.
19 July Martyrs’ Day is a memorial to the country’s founding father, Aung San, and the eight members of his cabinet who were assassinated in 1947. Ceremonies take place at the Martyrs’ Mausoleum, Yangon.
Non-Buddhist religious holidays: Minority groups celebrate holidays not on the Burmese calendar: the Hindu festival Dewali in October, the Islamic observance of Bakri Idd with changing dates, the Christian holidays of Christmas and Easter, and the Kayin (Karen) and Kachin New Year Festivals in late December or early January.
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Smoking
Attitudes to smoke and smoking are relaxed by Western standards, although smoking is banned in all hospitals, clinics, stadiums, schools, colleges and universities, and some a/c hotels and restaurants may also be non-smoking (or have non-smoking areas). Elsewhere, non-smoking areas are largely nonexistent..
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Telecommunications
The country code for Myanmar is 95
When dialling from outside the country omit the 0 in the area codes given below. IDD (International Direct Dialling) is widely available in major Yangon and Mandalay hotels and at kiosks; costs are based on US$ rates plus a service fee. From the smaller towns it may be possible to call Yangon but not overseas. The cheapest way to call overseas is to use a VOIP service such as Skype.
Area codes
Yangon: 01
Bago: 052
Lashio: 082
Mandalay: 02
Mawlamyine: 032
Monywa: 071
Myitkyina: 074
Pathein: 042
Pyay: 053
Pyin U-Lwin: 085
Sagaing: 072
Sittwe: 043
Taunggyi: 081
Taungoo: 054
Mobile phones
Myanmar has virtually no international GSM roaming facilities for mobile phones, while it’s also currently impossible for casual visitors to buy local Burmese SIM cards. If you really need a mobile in Myanmar, your only current option is to hire a phone plus SiM card on arrival at either Yangon or Mandalay airport at a cost of $10/day (although the situation is highly susceptible to change, and it’s possible that foreigners will be allowed to buy local SIM cards in the future – as has been the case in the past).
Time zone
Myanmar Standard Time is 6 hours and 30 minutes ahead of Greenwich Mean Time. 11hr 30min ahead of US Eastern Standard Time, 14hr 30min ahead of US Western Standard Time, and 3hr 30min behind Australian Eastern Standard time. There are no daylight-saving time changes in Myanmar.
Toilets
Outside quality hotels, toilets tend to be of the basic squat variety. And don’t expect them to be as clean as you may be used to back home. Paper is rarely provided (though it’s available in most general stores) and will block the drain. A tap on the wall (or outside) is used to fill a small plastic hand bucket, with which you’re then supposed to sloosh yourself.
Tourist information
The government tourist office at 122 Mahabandoola Rd, on the eastern side of Mahabandoola Gardens (tel: 01 252 859), is a useful source of latest information. There are no Myanmar tourist offices abroad.
Travel to certain areas requires obtaining a government permit. Other areas are strictly off-limits. A map of the areas off limits can be seen at www.tourismtransparency.org/content/myanmar-no-go-zones. To arrange permits for restricted areas it’s best to go through a reputable tour operator.
Tour operators
You can save a lot of money by arranging your holiday through a Burmese company rather than one based in your country (nearly all foreign tour operators use Burmese firms as ground agents in any case, adding a mark-up on top). Local travel agents are also essential if you wish to visit permit-only areas of Myanmar, such as the far north of Kachin State.
Recommended tour operators in Yangon
Asian Trails
73 Pyay Road, Dagon
Tel: 01 211 212; www.asiantrails.info
Columbus Travels and Tours
586 Strand Road
Tel: 01 229 246; www.travelmyanmar.com
Diethelm Travel
412 Merchant Street (corner of 45th Street),
Tel: 01 861 0458; www.diethelmtravel.com
Exotissimo
47 Shwegonedaing St, Bahan
Tel: 01 8604933; www.exotissimo.com
Good News Travels
Room 18, Building no. 204, Yanshin Road, East Yankin
Tel: 09 511 6256; www.myanmargoodnewstravel.com
Myanmar Himalaya Trekking & Culture
E-105, 1 Lane, Highway Complex, Kamaryut
Tel: 01 230 4299
Myanmar Shalom
No.70, 31 Street, Pabedan
Tel: 01 252814; www.myanmarshalom.com
Inspiration Myanmar
6 Shwe Ghondine Road, 1st Floor, Bahan Township, Yangon
Santa Maria Travels & Tours
2nd Floor, 233–235 32nd Street
Tel: 01 256178; www.myanmartravels.net.
Recommended trekking agencies in Myanmar
Mr Charles Guest House
105 Auba Street, Hsipaw
Tel: 082 80105
Harry’s Trekking House
132 Mong Yang Road, Kengtung
Tel: 084 21418
Putao Trekking House
424/425 Htwe San Lane, Kaung Kahtaung, Putao
Tel: 09 840 0138; www.putaotrekkinghouse.com
A One Diving
Asia Whale
Heritage Travels & Tours
Myanmar Elite Tours
Moby Dick Adventures
Tours
A typical 18-day package tour will take in the main highlights, usually featuring the “Big Four” (Yangon; Mandalay, Inle Lake and Bagan) with perhaps a side trip to Ngapali Beach or a night or two on a luxury cruiser down the Ayeyarwady.
Travelling independently or on a tailor-made tour, obviously gives greater flexibility but will cost considerably more .
Either way, to cover much ground within the month allotted by a tourist visa, you’ll have to take at least a couple of flights, and have a rented car and driver at your disposal for at least part of your trip – all of which is much more easily arranged through an agent than by yourself. Because agents also get hefty discounts from hotels, airlines and car companies, it may not even work out much more expensive.
Tour operators in the UK
Audley Travel
Tel: 01993 838000; www.audleytravel.com
TransIndus
Tel: 0844 879 3960; www.transindus.co.uk
Tour operators in Germany
Indochina Services
Tel: 089 219 0986; www.indochina-services.com
Tour operators in the US
Asia Transpacific Journeys (tailor-made and package tours)
Tel: 800 642 2742; www.asiatranspacific.com
Indochina Services
Tel: 415 434 4015; www.indochina-services.com
Diving operators in Thailand
Dive Asia
Tel: (66) 76 330 598; www.diveasia.com
Santana Diving & Canoeing
Tel: (66) 76 294 220; www.santanaphuket.com
V
Visas and passports
All visitors to Myanmar require a visa and a passport valid for a minimum of six months after the proposed date of entry. Tourist visas can be obtained in advance at one of the country’s overseas embassies or consulates (For more information, click here). For latest regulations visit the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website at www.mofa.gov.mm (visa information is currently listed under the “Contact Us” tab). A new e-visa scheme is also being introduced whereby visitors can apply for a visa online at http://evisa.moip.gov.mm. Note that e-visas are only available for visitors flying into Yangon; they also currently cost two or three times the price of a visa obtained via an embassy or consulate. A business visa on arrival is also available for those with appropriate documentation.
Tourist visas are valid for 28 days and cannot be extended (overstaying your visa will cost you a fine of $3/day, rising to $5/day after a further 30 days); you will need an additional permit if you wish to enter the country overland, rather than by air.
Applications procedures, processing times and costs vary from country to country but appear in full on the relevant Myanmar embassy website. Anyone listing a media job can expect a prolonged wait and should consider declaring a suitably vague alternative, such as “consultant” or “teacher”.
Note that children above seven years of age, even when included on their parents’ passport, must have their own visas.
W
Weights and measures
Myanmar has retained many of the old weights and measures in use during the British colonial period.
1 viss (peith-tha) = 1,633g/3.6lbs
1 tical = 16.33g
1 cubit (tong) = 0.457 metres/18ins
1 span (htwa) = 0.23 metres/9ins
1 furlong = 201 metres/659ft
1 lakh = 100,000 (units)
1 crore = 100 lakh
The tin, or basket, is used to measure quantities of agricultural export goods. The kilogram equivalent differs for rice, sesame, and other goods.
Women travellers
Solo women travellers generally experience relatively little hassle in Myanmar compared to other countries in the region – although you’ll probably find yourself the target of considerable curiosity. Brief shorts and skirts, or skimpy clothing is general is best avoided, and women will probably feel more comfortable wearing long trousers or an over-the-knee skirt. The traditional longyi is a good alternative.