םייללכ םיפיט -
תויצקרטאו הכישמ ידקומ -
הרובחת -
: לובג ירבעמ ,תויורירגש ,הסינכ תורשא
Getting a visa at the Myanmar embassy in Bangkok was easy, fast and cheaper than a travel agency. However, you are required to go to a personal interview with an officer, so some people might prefer to use an agent anyway. Dress neatly and answer questions politely - the only thing they really want to know is whether or not youre a journalist. Hours for the visa section are 8.30 to 11.30 am, and 2.00 to 4.30 pm. Thirty day visas cost 720B and are ready in 24 hours.
The address of the Singapore Embassy has been changed to:
The Vietnam Embassy has now moved to 36 Wingoba Rd, Bahan Township, tel: 548 905. It was closed when we called, as was the Laos Embassy, because of Kayin/Karin National Day (18 December 98). We were eventually told it takes six days to obtain a visa here and they cost $45.
There have been occasional reports that the Myanmar government is not giving visas to USA nationals. This is wrong.
The Burmese embassy in Manila, the Philippines, moved recently. The latest phone book (just out) still lists the old address. It's now on the 8th Floor, 152 Amorsolo St, Makati. The Pan Asia Bank is on the ground floor. If you look up from the street you can see the flag sticking out the top window. This is a good embassy to go for a quick visa - they normally do am/pm or pm/next am.
The Dutch Embassy at Yangon doesn't exist; Dutch should register at the UK Embassy.
Three Pagodas Pass (pp186 and 349, Thailand guide): the border with Myanmar is open to Thai citizens only (has been this way for the last three years according to the border control - on Thai government instructions).
Travel permits are not needed now for the road trip to Kyaiktiyo.
There is an EVT visa for those on pre-arranged tours, ie those using a local tour agent. These visas exempt you from the mandatory US$300 conversion into FEC.
I wanted to inform you of a recent change in policy at the Mai Sai-Tachilek border. Last week I was able to officially 'exit' and 're-enter' Thailand here, enabling me to receive a new 30 day tourist visa free of charge (I am a US citizen). The Myanmar Immigration Police charged me US$5 (or 350B) to enter Tachilek for the day, and graced my passport with both entrance and exit stamps for Myanmar. Quick, convenient, cheap, and no passport photos.
At Mai Sai, Thailand, it is now possible to cross over to Burma for US$5. This is a good way to extend visas. It's only a day visa but on re-entry one gets another 30 day visa.
All holders of Business Visas don't have to change any $ to FEC on arrival in Yangon (Rangoon). All you need to obtain a Business Visa is a letter on company headed note paper, saying the recipient is travelling to Myanmar to explore business opportunities. It's a little more expensive, but it's worth it.
: םייללכ םיפיט
Some useful telephone numbers:
Things to do in Hsipaw:
Yangon: the National Museum is now located on Pyay Rd. It is very large and houses a large number of artefacts. However, it was also greatly lacking in visitors. The air-conditioning there is good so its an ideal place to escape the heat of the day. It now extends to the fourth floor which can be reached by an internal elevator. Cultural, natural history and buddha showrooms are among the new additions. Its open from 10 am to 3.30 pm every day except Monday and gazetted holidays. Entry costs US$5 for adults and children.
Think twice before you go to Myanmar in the hot season. Temperatures are in the high 30s, all the vegetation is dead and dust fills the air as well as smoke from fires lit to clear the land.
It was said that you need the EVT stamp in your visa to avoid changing the US$300 into FECs. Actually this isn't true, because all the visas have EVT stamped on. What you need is the 'package tour' stamp. I got my visa issued in Rome with a package tour stamp and it worked.
The FEC exchange at the airport seems now to be more strict: as a married couple we could not get out of both exchanging US$300.
Avoid taking pictures of Daw Aung San Suu Kyii's residence. I heard from an Australian traveller that a group of tourists were detained for several hours for innocently taking some pictures of the gate to her residence. Worse than that, the hotel manager was taken in for six hours of grilling by the police!
The departure tax is now US$10.
Mogok is still off-limits to foreigners.
In response to the above: there are now four establishments in Meiktila that accept foreigners.
Pindaya Cave: you should take a flashlight. The power failed when we were in the very depths of the cave, and the slippery, invisible floor was not fun. Actually, a flashlight was useful in general, as it had been a dry year and water power was scant; the power was turned off regularly. The shops in most places had their own generators.
Do not hesitate to bargain for hotel rooms. In general they will show you the room before giving you a price. A good way to lower the price is to say what you dislike in the room.
There is a big difference between the hotel prices of the summer season and those in the winter.
Cyclists take note: European 28" tyres (47-622) cannot be found here; they only have Indian/Chinese 28" tyres (40-635), which are bigger. You are OK with a 26" mountain bike.
A visit to the Shan Palace is a must. The people living there are very interesting (a donation is suggested). There are one or two buses a day between Mandalay and Hsipaw. The trip is eight hours but the road is good. You should read 'Twilight Over Burma', written by Inge Sargent. She was the Austrian born wife of the last Shan Prince of Hsipaw who disappeared in 1962 after Ne Win's coup. Of course it is not available in Myanmar but we found it in Bangkok. It is published by Silkworm books in Chiang Mai.
Bagan: if you go from Bagan to Mount Popa you should leave in the morning as the light is much better; the sun is behind it in the evening. Around 4 pm near the crossroad to Mount Popa you can see many bullock carts waiting for water. They are very impressive.
To avoid changing money into FECs on arrival: when attempting to procure my Myanmar visa in New York, I was asked to name the place where I would be staying (and to show proof thereof). So I made a reservation at one of the nicest places in town, the Pan Sea, Yangon, and faxed my reservation confirmation to the Consulate. Lo and behold, my visa came back stamped EVT Package Tour, which exempted me from the currency exchange requirement. Of course, all I had to do was subsequently cancel this reservation and I would have been allowed to enter without changing $300 and also without having to stay at the Pan Sea.
As of now, the Chin State is unvisitable. Remember, whenever a tourist visits a place in Myanmar marked 'unvisitable', they risk the lives of the people who transport, house, or even talk to them.
Exchange of US$300 into FEC at immigration: it is not true that only US$ and UK£ are accepted. Additionally, the German Mark and French Francs are officially accepted as well as a couple of other foreign exchange currencies.
There was a heavy military presence everywhere we went especially in the Kachin State, Sagaing and Mandalay divisions. Army and immigration police set up road blocks to give you a grilling.
You can usually exchange $300 between two people at the airport if on a short stay.
After travelling in Myanmar in October 1997 I found the best way to avoid paying the $300 mandatory exchange at the airport. After telling them you have no cash, you can insist that you had planned on putting the $300 on your credit card. Since they don't have the credit card machines at the airport, you can usually get through. Although exchanging cash doesn't pose a real inconvenience since you can exchange them once you get to Yangon for kyat, it's a good idea to avoid exchanging since it's a direct contribution to the government.
In Burma bring US dollars. Nobody wanted travellers cheques and barely anyone took credit cards. Survived on cash. Fine hotels will deal with credit cards.
One place to discourage visitors from going to is Yangon Zoo. Not only does it have a fairly limited range of species but some are in quite bad condition, especially the Malay bears. Since the Lonely Planet Myanmar guide was published, they have started charging foreigners a $5 entrance fee, which is exorbitant in Myanmar terms for what the zoo has to offer.
Don't change too much as a lot of hotels want dollars and at times kyat can be difficult to change. One tip - if you can get the Consulate (in London) to put 'package tour' on the visa, they will not enforce the changing of US$300 to the dreaded FECs.
When you're leaving, save those final FEC for airport departure tax (US$6), payable only in FEC.
: תויצקרטאו הכישמ ידקומ
The archaeological museum in Bagan is a new(ish) museum that opened in 1997. Its housed in a huge traditional Burmese-style building, with two floors built around a large hall. The roof is the third floor from which theres a nice view of Bagan. The museum contains collections of Buddha statues, stone inscriptions, paintings of pagodas and temples in Bagan (painted by contemporary painters) and gives a good indication of traditional hairstyles and instruments of everyday life. The entrance fee is US$5 and opening hours are from 8.30 am to 4 pm.
Dhamma Joti Vipassana Centre near the Japanese Embassy on Nga Htat Gyi Pagoda Rd offers incredible 10 day intensives in a very pure form of insight meditation handed down in a lineage that dates back to Buddha. Potentially life changing experience for people who are serious and committed to living a spiritual life. An A+! Tel: 95-01-549 290.
Yankin Hill has a whole complex of temples and monasteries running along the top of its ridge. With two staircases at either 'end' of the hill, you can walk the complete circuit - so take your shoes with you. You might be able to catch a lift back to the main entrance to collect your bikes.
Sagaing is a fantastic place! Much more impressive than Mandalay Hill and free too! Get a bus from Mandalay on the corner of 83rd and 29th. There are horse and carriages waiting at Sagaing to take you to the hill. You could easily spend a whole day at Sagaing. There are so many stupas up and down walkways.
: הרובחת
We took the train from Yangon to Mandalay. Possibly the worst train in the world. My seat would not go back, my husbands would not come forward. We travelled all night on a car with a windows that would not close and we practically had icicles on our noses when morning broke. In spite of all that, it was sort of special to travel through the countryside at night and suddenly come upon temples all lit up or to see the fires burning that lit the tiny huts so many people lived in. I am glad we did it. We had asked for a sleeping compartment but none were available. Folks from France told us later that we were lucky - they had a compartment. It had mice and mosquitoes in it, and they had to hang on to the bunks all night to keep form falling as the train swayed back and forth.
While travelling in the rainy season was a delight, as there were few other travellers and prices were low, it proved somewhat inconvenient when booking flights with Air Mandalay. All flights go in one circuitous route: Yangon-Pagan-Mandalay-Inlet Lake-Yangon. Dont expect to travel south from Mandalay to Pagan by plane. And when reaching Pagan, dont expect to fly easily back to Yangon.
According to the July/August volume of the Thomas Cook International Railway timetable, the tracks Taungdwingyi - Kyaukpadang have now been extended to Bagan, and there are passenger services operating. There appear to be two alternatives out of Yangon, 2135 via Pyinmana, and 2215 via Pyey - good convenient spread, that. It'd be good to hear from anybody using these services, given TW's original comments on the Kyaukpadang-Yangon route in the earlier LP
books.
Yangon-Mandalay: the train is now $45! Leo express bus (office is 21 Aung San stadium, near the train stations) is the way to go. Especially if you're a fan of the oeuvre of Steven Segal. Meals are included but *bring food anyway*. Or you might want to follow the example of one teenager we saw eating potato chips on rice.
Buses for Thazi (and the southbound trains) coming from Taunggyi via Shwenyaung leave in the morning. If you miss the bus, your only option in the afternoon is to take an extremely uncomfortable pick-up truck down the twisting mountain road and hope you make it in one piece.
Mingun, Getting There & Away: there is now a government boat for tourists that costs K200 return and departs from the Bayintnaung Rd ferry at 9 am and returns from Mingun at 1 pm. The trip takes from 45 minutes to one hour. Alternatively, you can hire a personal charter for upwards of K2000.
There is now a third internal airline called Yangon Air in the same league as Air Mandalay. A piece of advice: when booking Air Mandalay tickets at the main office, ask about their agent discount prices. At their main office, we were quoted US$342 per person for a round trip from Yangon, Bagan, Mandalay, to Inlay and back to Yangon. When we questioned the price we were told that if we went to one of their agents they would sell us the tickets for $240. It's worth the hassle of trekking into town if you are going to save $100 each.
The super sleeper train from Yangon to Mandalay is the most overpriced horror ever encountered. The roadbed is so bad the train lurches from side to side and jerks and rattles so it took two sleeping pills for me to be able to sleep. The cars have badly deteriorated so that you have to dump a can of water from the sink into the toilet for flushing purposes. The cars are also filthy, and the fridges don't work. There are insufficient blankets and no heat - it gets cold as you near Mandalay.
If you are planning to travel north to Mandalay, do not take the train: the bus is more comfortable, costs four times less and provides you with five meals that are included in the ticket price.
Buses from Rangoon to Pathien now run regularly all day. Pathien is a great little town and definitely recommended.
The government-owned train from Yangon to Mandalay is very expensive and slow; the bus is a better option.
Recently a Fokker-27 (Myanmar Airways) flying out of Burma crashed near Tachilek. The Tachilek airport has no radar and only an FM radio to guide planes in.
There is a new bridge being built across the Irrawaddy to the north of the town. We were told a new road was to be built to the Chinese border from there.
It's better to buy Air Mandalay's tickets in a private agency than an official office. For example, Yangon to Mandalay was US$100 but in the Air Mandalay office it was US$140. This is because Air Mandalay sells tickets at the beginning of the year for cheaper prices to private tourism agencies.
Domestic flights: we would not recommend booking domestic flights operated by Air Mandalay or Yangon Airways directly at the office of the airlines, since the fares are approximately 15% cheaper when booked at a travel agency.
There are now direct trains to Bagan. Tickets can be obtained through MTT Yangon.
We had decided to go to Mrauk-U by car and had already ordered, with the help of a travel agency in Yangon, a Landcruiser (for the horrible price of $110 per day) to come to Ngapali to pick us up, but on arrival the drivers swore that, according to their inquiries made in Thandwe, it was absolutely impossible to go by car, and in the end refused to head for Mrauk-U. It seems that in the rainy season many of the 22 bridges on the road have been destroyed and that road repairs yet to come make the trip really impossible.
Myanmar Airways are still as hopeless. They just dropped an airplane when we were there. Their office at Yangon Airport resembles more a filthy canteen than anything else. The flight we were booked on was simply 'not going' (no reasons, no excuses, nothing).
Train tickets to Mandalay: if you want to buy tickets in advance, you need to go to a place on Bogyoke Aung San Street (close to 34 Street). We were able to book a sleeper two days in advance, for $46 including dinner, drinking water, and a cabin for two people. Of course, this is far more expensive than the bus (only $6) but much more comfortable, though shaky. It took 15 hours (bus: 15-20 hours, depending on flat tyres).
There is a brief, cursory customs check (after your bags have been checked through) upon departure. The only question asked of me was whether I purchased any jewellery. If you have, be ready to show it, AND the receipt from the government approved shop, otherwise it is likely to be confiscated. (I had no trouble, but the Dutch woman behind me had her Ruby necklace taken from her!)
Boats to Bagan (from Mandalay) leave now on a daily basis from 5.30 to 6 am. You are no longer allowed to get on the boat the evening before departure. The fast boat takes about 10 hours; the slow boat (Thursday and Sunday) takes about 15 hours if you don't get stuck.
Liz ODonnell, USA (Aug 99)
326, Pyay Road, Yangon
Tel: 525 688 / 525 700
Raymond Ang, Singapore (Jul 99)
Steve Rogowski, UK (Jan 99)
David Hogarth, USA (Nov 98)
Diogenes, The Thorn Tree (Aug 98)
Mariek Meijer, The Netherlands (Jun 98)
A M Quest , UK (Apr 98)
Marilyn Staib, UK (Feb 98)
David Lai (Jan 98)
Rachel Jones, Taiwan (Jan 98)
Rachel McEleney, Ireland (Dec 97)
Amanda Stock (Nov 97)
Police (emergency): 199
Tourist information: 282 075
Tourist information (airport): 662 652
Yangon Airport (information): 662 811
Railway enquiries: 274 027
Raymond Ang, Singapore (Jul 99)
1. Go to Shan Palace;
2. Rent a bicycle and ride around the outskirts of town, the fields and nearby villages;
3. Take a boat downriver to see the villages - this can be arranged through the guesthouse or through Mr Book (the person to speak to in town);
4. Climb up Sunset Hill where theres a pagoda that overlooks the entire valley and has great sunset views;
5. Walk around the outskirts - visit a popcorn factory, Shau-bag production place, village monasteries, etc;
6. There are hot springs and a waterfall within walking distance; and
7. The open market starts at 6 am and goes all day.
Oda Bogger, Israel (May 99)
Emma Hetherington, Australia (Mar 99)
David & Sandra (Mar 99)
Claudio Tomba, Italy (Feb 99)
Iago & Caroline Cornelius-Jones, Indonesia (Jan 99)
Yum Shoen Liang, Singapore (Jan 99)
Steven Goddard & Heather Scott-Goddard, USA (Dec 98)
Meiktila is a pleasant enough transit town, but there is only one hotel that is permitted to take foreigners.
Raymond Lae, UK (Dec 98)
Raymond Ang, Singapore (Jul 99)
Bagan: you can rent a bike for K100 a day. In my opinion, this is definitely the way to see the place.
Samuel Charache, USA (Dec 98)
Things to bring: pens are sold in the town but are still welcomed as gifts, especially in monasteries in the countryside. A great gift idea is your old audio-tapes that you are about to throw away due to the advent of CDs. They still use tapes and would love them.
You will notice that some hotels and bus companies do not accept foreigners. This is because they do not have a licence to do so.
Cedric Arnaud-Battandier, France (Nov 98)
You should not change your money at the Yangon airport as the exchange rate is very bad.
At Hsipaw you should visit the falls - it involves a very nice four to five hour walk between rice fields. Be sure to take some water with you.
In the surrounds of the Shwedagon Paya at Bagan, there are some caves with paintings on the walls. To get there, you have to follow a small road parallel to the entrance.
Nathalie Stroobant & Robrecht Hoet, Belgium (Oct 98)
Martin Schmidt, (Oct 98)
Try Myanmar beer. It is just as good as Mandalay beer but cheaper.
Jacques & Liliane Chapon, France (Oct 98)
Baylor A Lancaster, USA (Aug 98)
Maria, USA (Apr 98)
Olaf Prawitt & Susanne Wanner, Germany (Mar 98)
Bill Wyett, UK (Mar 98)
10% government tax is now included in quoted hotel rates.
Marilyn Staib, UK (Feb 98)
Robert Mayhew (Feb 98)
David Perlstein (Feb 98)
Edwin Reavley, UK (Jan 98)
Rod Macleod, UK (Jan 98)
Keith A Liker, USA (Dec 97)
Dr Dagmar Heller, France (Jun 99)
Joseph (Jan 99)
At the first temple at the bottom of the hill, you must wash the three fish before proceeding - the monk will show you how. Pay a small donation to him. The second temple, at the top of the ridge, is the Temple of the Black Parrot, and has a very chatty monk permanently resident who will read your fortune for you, and try to sell you gems afterwards. (He is an ex-telecommunications engineer). In the centre of the ridge is the Golden Fish Cave. Again three fish - golden this time, which you must also wash. Allow at least a couple of hours to wander around. The microwave relay station in the middle of the ridge is an unusual but not wholly ugly distraction. The food stalls at the bottom serve good fried rice, noodles, soup, etc.
Iago & Caroline Cornelius-Jones, Indonesia (Jan 99)
Francis Dix & Jennifer West, UK (Jun 98)
Mary Ann Buchanan (Sept 99)
Steve Golden, Singapore (Aug 99)
Geoff, The Thorn Tree (Jul 99)
Mandalay-Hsipaw: there are now two buses doing this route daily from the Mandalay bus station: they have similar levels of discomfort. The Royal GH can provide info and organize tickets. In the reverse direction you might want to take the one leaving later. The day we took it the two
buses ended up together anyway.
Mandalay-Pyin Oo Lwin: pickup location has changed in Mandalay! Now at 81 st. on the 28-29 block: the 'station' is on the west side, inside the block. People understand you better if you call it 'Maymyo' and that's what the drivers yell.
Sewin Chan & Ron Miller, The Thorn Tree (Jul 99)
From Thazi to Yangon via train, beware of being ripped off by the staff at the station. They tried to charge us $80 but in the end they settled for $50 after I pointed out that their price was more than we paid to travel from Yangon to Mandalay! To add insult to injury, when we got to our seats on the train we found they were double booked and a Burmese family were forced by the conductor to vacate them for the paying passengers. Later I found them sprawled asleep outside the toilet - no doubt cursing foreigners.
David Blake, Laos (May 99)
Emma Hetherington, Australia (Mar 99)
Iago & Caroline Cornelius-Jones, Indonesia (Jan 99)
Dick Warren, USA (Jan 99)
One of the best methods of seeing Myanmar is to hire a van, as northern Myanmar is quite compact. My group paid US$300 for seven days, which included the driver who doubled as a part time guide. We went from Mandalay to Mount Popa, and on to Pagan and Inle Lake. The rates can be negotiated, and the best thing is that your driver will make travelling easy.
Low Puay Hwa Roger, Singapore (Dec 98)
Raymond Lae, UK (Dec 98)
The train from Pyin U Lwin to Hsipaw is also very slow; once again the bus is better. To compare: the bus from Mandalay to Hsipaw lasts as long as the train from Pyin Lwin to Hsipaw! You can catch the bus that comes from Mandalay at 9 am or take the pick up which leaves at 6 am.
Mount Popa: between 8 and 8.30 am pick-ups leave Nyaung for Mount Popa. You should ask how long they think it will take as some pick-ups stop everywhere.
To get to Kalaw from Bagan you can take the bus to Inle Lake and ask the driver to drop you off at Kalaw.
Nathalie Stroobant & Robrecht Hoet, Belgium (Oct 98)
Andrea Smith, USA (Sep 98)
Alternative transport to Mandalay to ferry and rail is the 'Golden Lion Express Coach'. This runs from outside the library and community centre near the fire station. This journey is not for the faint-hearted. Book seats the day before, the earlier the better, as it's always full. The journey takes approximately 12 hours with two 'watering stops'.
Bill Wyett, UK (Mar 98)
Ilknur-ilgihan (Mar 98)
Olaf Prawitt & Susanne Wanner, Germany (Mar 98)
Page 353, Myanmar guide: three trains daily from Mottama to Yangon: 2 am, 10 am and 2 pm. One-way, US$10. Tickets with the station master.
Robert J Smits, The Netherlands (Feb 98)
Joachim Koster, Germany (Feb 98)
Matar & Claudia Dakhil (Feb 98)
Ulrike Dorrie, Germany (Dec 97)
Keith A Liker, USA (Dec 97)
Ulrike Dorrie, Germany (Dec 97)
1999 (C) Cly-on ל תורומש תויוכזה לכ