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Myanmar (Burma)
At 678,033 square kilometers (261,789 square miles), Myanmar
is the largest country in mainland Southeast Asia. It
extends 2100 kilometers (1300 miles) from the snow-capped
Himalayas in the north to the pristine Myeik Archipelago to
the south. Myanmar is bordered by Bangladesh, India, China,
Laos and Thailand, as well as by the Bay of Bengal and
Andaman Sea. Running through the centre of the country is
the 2000-kilometre (1240-mile) Ayeyarwady River, an
important avenue of transportation.
People
Myanmar is divided into seven divisions and seven
states, with each of the seven states named after one of the
country’s main national groups: Chin, Kachin, Kayah, Kayin,
Mon, Rakhine and Shan. These national groups are subdivided
into more than 130 distinct ethnicities with their own
cultures and dialects. At 65 percent, the Bamar make up the
majority of the population.
Religion
Myanmar is 87 percent Buddhist, the majority of
whom are Theravada Buddhists. However, there are also
significant populations of Christians, Muslims, Hindus and
animists in many areas. Buddhism has a great influence on
the daily lives of people in Myanmar, easily seen in the
respect shown to elders and the devotion shown to the Buddha
at the many pagodas throughout the country.
Language
The majority of people speak Myanmar’s official
language of Burmese but more than 100 distinct language and
dialects are spoken in different parts of the country.
English is used widely in urban areas and popular tourist
sites.
Climate
Myanmar has three distinct seasons.
The dry, cool winter season lasts from
mid-October until the end of February. You need to bring
some warm clothing for early mornings everywhere, and
especially for higher areas like Kalaw, Inle Lake, Pindaya,
Kengtung, Putao. Some hotels in those areas are not equipped
with heating or fireplaces so be prepared for some colder
nights.
Temperatures starts climbing in March, reaching their peak
during the May summer season, when some areas of central
Myanmar can see the mercury reach 35C. However, mountain and
beach areas are substantially cooler.
The rainy season “Monsoon” lasts from mid-May until
mid-October, bringing precious rain to the country. In the
rainy season the weather is more humid what can make
traveling less comfortable. Even then, the central plains
see relatively light precipitation, bringing lower
temperatures and pleasant greenery to places like Mandalay
and Bagan.
Visa and
passport
It is advisable that all travelers to Myanmar
obtain a visa in advance. Specific advice on up-to-date
requirements should be obtained from Myanmar embassies or
the consulate offices in your country.
Individual Tourist Visa
The FIT (Foreign Individual Traveler) tourist visa is to
apply for at the Myanmar Embassy in your country. It usually
takes 3-5 days to be issued. Please check with the visa
section personnel upon registration. The visa is valid for 3
months from the date of issue. You can remain in the country
for 28 days for a single entry and it can be extended once
(in Yangon only) for an additional 14 days. Overstaying
visitors have to pay a fine of USD 3/day. Change of USD 200
on arrival into FEC for the holder of an individual visa is
no more required.
Visa on Arrival
If the country you are residing in doesn’t have a Myanmar
Embassy, you can ask us to organize a Visa On Arrival (VOA)
by providing the following information in advance.
» Scanned copy of your passport
» Full Name as in passport
» Father Name
» Date of birth
» Place of birth
» Passport issue/ expiry date
» Nationality
» Religion
» Sex
» Your profession
» Home address
The process will take 10 days to 3 weeks.
We will send you a copy of the approval letter from the
authorities in order for you to be presented at the airline
check-in counter.
Please bring the following with you:
(1) The copy of the approval letter
(2) 2 passport size pictures
The visa fee + service charge will be
USD50/ passport
Due to the uncertainty of the approval process, we cannot
guarantee that an approval will be obtained in time. If
permission cannot be obtained timely, we reserve the right
to charge cancellation fees as applicable for the package
tour booked with us and shall not be held liable for any
cost or inconvenience caused by the rejection or not timely
issuing of the approval for the Visa on Arrival.
Customs and
arrival/departure formalities
Duty-free allowance is 200 cigarettes and one
liter of wine or spirits. The export of Buddha images,
gemstones and antiques without an official dealer’s receipt
is prohibited. No Myanmar currency can be imported or
exported. The baggage is X-rayed and may be inspected upon
departure. Items of value, currency in excess of USD 2000,
antiques purchased in other countries in the region which
might be possible be deemed of Myanmar origin and lose
gemstones should be declared upon arrival, but in practice
things are made quite easy for tourists. Mobile phones and
laptops are no longer kept in storage.
If an airport arrival transfer service has been pre-arranged
with us, either Myanmar Wonders representative or your guide
will meet you on arrival after airport immigration and
customs control points with a company sign and/ or name of
guests or their group for easy recognition.
The international departure tax of USD 10 is payable in cash
upon departure on an international flight. There is no need
to change anymore of 200 USD dollars into 200 FEC (foreign
exchange certificates) upon arrival at the airport.
Domestic/international airlines
Domestic
We use 3 domestic airlines such as Air Bagan, Yangon Airways
or Air Mandalay. Types of aircrafts are ATR 42 and ATR 72
(French-Italian ATR turboprop planes) suitable for the local
conditions, airports and distances. Air Bagan operates
Fokker – 100 Dutch made jet aircraft with 95 seats.
Please note that domestic airlines often change their flight
schedules at the very last minutes or cancelled. In such
cases, we are forced to adjust the sightseeing program
following to these changes. We do keep you updated of such
changes prior to arrival and during your trip.
International
There are several international airlines currently fly into
Myanmar: Thai Airways, Bangkok Airways, Thai Air Asia,
Myanmar Airways International, Malaysia Airlines, Silk Air,
Vietnam Airlines, Air China, China Airlines, China Eastern
Airlines, China Southern Airlines and Indian Airlines.
Currency
The national currency of Myanmar is the kyat
(pronounced “chat”). US dollars are widely accepted but it
is advisable to bring new dollars, as many vendors will not
accept damaged, torn and dirty notes. With series numbers
starting with CB are not accepted in Myanmar due to rumors
of notes with these series being counterfeit. Euro is more
and more accepted by money changers at certain places. Kyats
are more practical for use in small transactions such as at
local markets.
Myanmar is a cash society. Using credit
cards or exchanging other foreign currencies may not be
possible in some places. Traveler’s cheques are not accepted
and there are no ATM machines. Therefore, please bring
enough cash in US Dollars or Euros.
There is also a parallel official currency called FEC
(Foreign Exchange Certificate). 1 FEC = 1 USD and it can be
officially used to pay hotels, flight or train tickets,
meals etc..
Posts and
communications
The postal service in Myanmar can be
unpredictable. Letters and postcards can be sent from most
major hotels but those mailed overseas sometimes may not
reach their destinations.
Most hotels have IDD lines but charges can vary widely so it
is advisable to check rates before making calls. Public
phones that use prepaid phone cards or call-back systems are
not available.
Internet is available at some hotels and cafes in some
cities but you would encounter with slow connections in
general so be ready to try it with patience. It is difficult
to access private email accounts such as Yahoo or Hotmail.
International roaming service is not available in Myanmar
for mobile phones brought from outside the country. Prepaid
GSM cards are available at Duty Free Shops at Yangon
International Airport at the value of USD 10 or 20 but be
ready to pay a bit more when you buy them in some shops in
the city.
Health and
travel insurance
Vaccinations are not obligatory. Precautions
against Malaria should be taken. If you follow a specific
medical treatment, prescription drugs might not be widely
available, plan to bring enough medication for the period of
your trip. Care should be taken with food and drink,
especially from street vendors. Visitors should drink only
bottled or boiled water. Insect repellent should be used to
avoid mosquito bites. As Myanmar has a tropical climate, sun
block cream is advisable.
We also recommend that visitors should obtain a good medical
insurance policy prior to traveling especially the one
covered the cost of an evacuation flight out of Myanmar in
case of serious injuries as medical facilities in Myanmar
are rather limited.
Electricity
The power supply is 220-250V 50Hz. Visitors are
advised to bring a multi-plug adaptor for electronics.
Myanmar time
Myanmar Standard Time (MST) is 6½ hours ahead of
Greenwich Mean Time (GMT/UTC). Myanmar is 30 minutes behind
Bangkok (Thailand).
To find the current time anywhere in the world, check
www.timeanddate.com on the internet. The 24-hour clock (for
example, 18.00 instead of 6pm) is often used for train and
flight times.
Roads and
transports
On one side, overland traveling may bring
visitors more to the nature and its people, but on another
side, it will be very tiresome due to most of the road
conditions in Myanmar being in need of renovation. Some
efforts are being made especially after the rainy season
which ends in October but it still makes fast traveling
difficult.
Import of new vehicles is very limited. Most of cars used
for tourists are second hand vehicles and some are more than
20 years old. We, Myanmar Wonders, make our utmost efforts
to provide the best available cars and buses.
In some remote areas such as Mrauk U, Keng Tung,
air-conditioned vehicles may not always be available.
Visitors are advised to be prepared to travel in less
comfortable vehicles in those areas. Jeep will be used for
visiting of some tourist sites like Po Win Taung, Mrauk U
etc.
Luggage
For International flight, your check-in baggage
allowance must not exceed 20 kg while 15 kg for domestic
flight.
Restriction measures apply to liquids,
aerosols, gels, perfume, shampoo, shower gel and so on and
it is advisable not to have them in your cabin baggage. It
is advisable to check their limited quantity prior to
traveling.
Any sharp objects will be confiscated before boarding if
they are packed in your cabin baggage.
Business hours
Government Offices are open from Monday to Friday
from 09:00 to 13:00 while Private Offices are open from 9:00
am to 17:00pm (Monday – Friday). Shops are generally open
every day. Bogyoke Market (Scott Market) is close on Mondays
and Public Holidays. Markets in Inle Lake region are
rotating every 5 days.
Safety and
security
Myanmar is an extremely safe country for travel,
as foreign visitors are seen as guests rather than targets
for crime. However, as with travel anywhere, it is a good
idea to keep track of your personal belongings at all times.
Please keep your passport at your hotel in a safe deposit
box while sightseeing. When traveling overland or by air, it
is best to keep your passport in your carry-on luggage.
Photographya
There are almost all types of films in Yangon and
other cities. But it is recommendable to bring professional
quality films (like slide films) if you are using ones. It
is best to ask permission before making portraits;
especially the ethnic groups could be superstitious about
it. Photographing of military and government facilities such
as bridges, army compounds, police stations, government
offices are forbidden.
Gratuities
If you are happy with the service provided, a
small tip is always welcome. A 10 percent (10%) service
charge and 10 percent (10%) government tax is added to the
bill at most restaurants and hotels. Tipping to tour guides
and drivers at the end of a tour is customary. The amount
remains at your sole discretion and at your appreciation to
their services.
What to bring
• Extra passport photos
• Photocopy of your passport (first two pages and page with
Myanmar visa)
• Sun block, sunglasses, hat, umbrella
• Extra pair of prescription glasses
• Small flashlight
• Personal medical kit
• Mosquito repellent
• Anti-diarrhea medication
• Hygienic tampons (only sanitary napkins are widely
available in Myanmar)
• A set of smart eveningwear for at least one elegant
dinner, if desired
What to wear
• Lightweight, loose-fitting cotton clothes
• A light wrap
• Warm sweater or jacket, windbreaker, socks (especially for
winter or highland areas)
• Sturdy sandals (easily removable, for visiting temples)
• Walking shoes and cotton socks
Cultural
etiquette
• Myanmar is a Buddhist country. Please dress
with respect, especially when visiting temples and
religious sites.
• Wearing shorts or tank tops is considered impolite
• Wearing swimsuits or trunks should be limited to the beach
or hotel pool
• Women not wearing a bra can be very offensive.
• Shoulders and knees should be covered
• More formal dress codes apply for temple visits
• There is no area in South East Asia as well as in Myanmar
where nude sunbathing or swimming is
appropriate and acceptable.
• Please remove shoes when entering pagodas, temples and
monasteries
• Please refrain from patting children on the head, or from
pointing your fingers or feet towards people
or Buddha images
• It is inappropriate to express anger by raising voice
especially while in public. The local people who
you are dealing with will be embarrassed for you.
• In Asia, the local people will likely ask you some
questions such as “where do you come from?” “Are
you married?” “How old are you?” “Do you have children?” and your
religion. These kinds of questions
might be considered personal in Western society. But as for Asian
people, it is just the sign of being
friendly and open. If you are uncomfortable to answer to those
questions, the best way is to change
the subject.
• It is always good to ask permission before taking
photographs of people especially when you intend
to take pictures of mountain people and tribes. Please respect if
they refuse.
• You are requested not to encourage bagging practice
especially to Children. Giving sweets to Children
in the villages will not be helpful because access to dental
facilities in the villages is very limited.
When to visit
Myanmar
The high season is from mid-October to mid-March.
Temperatures are pleasant and rainfall is rare, making it a
great time to visit all destinations throughout the country.
Warm temperatures and sunny skies make the summer season,
from mid-March to April, a good time to relax at the beach.
While central regions of Myanmar can be very hot during
these two months, the weather remains relatively cool in
mountainous areas, so trips to Kachin State and Shan State –
including Inle Lake, Kalaw and Kengtung – are popular at
this time of year.
Moderate rainfall from May to October brings lower
temperatures and lush plant life to central Myanmar, so
places like Bagan, Mandalay, Mingun and Inwa are prime
destinations if you do not worry too much about heat and
humidity. Heavier rains in coastal and mountain areas make
travel to some of these regions difficult.
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