Burma Travel Forum

Hi, read somewhere that Yahoo has been blocked in Myanmar.... Not sure how true that is... I use it for Email... Does this mean that I will not be able to access my Yahoo mail ?
What is the alternative?
Thank you
Gianfranco

The Portuguese histories of Burma refer to a port city called `Calcao'. It must be very close to Bago (Pegu). Can anybody tell me quite where, because I am looking for it?
Thanks,
Stefan

I have read many times about the need to carry new US$ notes for use in Myanmar and that there are no ATM's, credit or debit card facilities. However, in planning to be there for 3 or 4 weeks how much cash do I need to carry and how safe is it travelling with such amounts?
Thanks
Peter from Melbourne, Australia

Can anyone recommend a trust worthy and reliable independent travelagent in Burma. We would like (Middle aged couple) to travel around Burma for about three weeks staying in reasonable hotels with a guide /driver.

Does anyone have the names or addresses of such drug education programs in Tachilek? I would love to visit and see what they are doing while i am there.
Thanks

Greetings. I am planning a trip to Myanmar and have contacted a non-government travel agency to assist me with some of my travel plans. To anyone who has traveled to Myanmar in the past, I am curious as to what would be considered an acceptable tip for an airport-hotel transfer driver and an English-speaking guide/driver? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Paul
ptharri

I will go to Burma for 28 days (VISA length)in January/February. I would like to see a little of the country but, pass most of the time on a quite tourist free beach...
accommodations with shower and clean, anything else is not necessary. Food, fresh fish is important... Some communications available. Phone tower close??? internet great but, can do without.
I am on a very tight budget and looking for a place hidden away...
Any suggestion for accommodations and itinerary ?
My Email: rayvn5@yahoo.com
Thank you
Gianfranco

Dear VT'mem,

I have chance to go Burma (Yangoon) for attending a conference in first week of this Nov. After the conference, I can extend 4 day more. I planning as Ex:

Nov/8: fly to Madalay in morning, sightseeing Madalay in afternoon
Nov/9: F/D sightseeing at Madalay
Nov/10: fly back to Rangoon in morning
Nov/11: fly to Bangkok to back home in morning (dep: 8:30...)

Do you have any advice for this plan?
Where could you commend to see in that short time at Madalay?

Tks for all,

Just planning a trip for Dec/Jan and wondering if there will be any festivities of note in Yangon on 4 January? Many thanks.

I'm considering going to Burma but would like a rough idea on costs. Many thanks.

Is the Chinese Consulate in Mandalay still open ? And does it issue tourist visas for China ?

Anyone done the Kalaw to Inle Lake trek ? If so, I would like to hear about the experience. Also, is it difficult to do in 2 days ? How far is it ?

I plan to spend a few days in Bagan and Inle Lake and after having read a number of travel publications am a little torn as to where my wife and I should base ourselves in these places.
In Bagan should we stay in Old Bagan, New Bagan or the township to the north? We are looking at staying at a 4 star hotel and want to be in a location with resteraunts, market places, etc within walking distance (not stay on a place in the middle of nowhere).
However in Inle Lake perhaps we should be staying out of the way a bit as that is part of the charm? I read in some places that Nyaungshwe is the place to stay.
Any advice would be appreciated
Thanks

I am travelling round South East Asia and am interested in doing some volunteer work in Burma, can anyone suggest any places that don't charge huge fees,and if a week volunteering is possible.
I have done volunteer work before in Nepal, where I will be travelling to after Burma.
Any suggestions or contacts would be welcome. Many thanks.

I'm very excited about my first trip to Myanmar in January. I'll have about 9-10 days, and it's part of a larger SE Asia trip.

I know it's a short time, and I don't think I want to do the "Big 4," and really don't want to take more than a maximum of two flights during this trip. And, since time's short, I'm thinking about skipping Mandalay.

Also, I will be flying directly to Yangon (with long overnight stopover in BKK) from the east coast of the U.S., so will probably be a bit fried when I arrive.

I'm thinking of this route, but I would like to know how many days I should budget for each place:

Arrive Yangon
next day-fly to Bagan
shared taxi Bagan-Inle Lake area/Kalaw
transport TBD-Yangon

(Another note: When I went to the temple complex at Angkor some years ago, I got templed out after about 1.5 days, so I don't know how much temple hopping I'll be able to do in Bagan.)

Finally, I travel in SE Asia fairly often, and definitely want time to wander, hang in tea houses, and meet people.

William(Win Htay) is a friend of mine, who has a restaurant on the beach at Chaungtha called William's. He is helping me with a project to educate some children in Chaungtha. I am unable to get in touch with him the usual means: he has a handphone which is not receiving calls at all( so my friends from Yangon cant reach him). if any of the VT members are visiting Chaungtha, could you please find out the telephone number that I can reach him? Thank you so much in advance

Hi,
After missing out on going to Myanmar last year I am determined to get there this December and would appreciate your comments and advise on a number of questions concerning my propossed itinerary. We are two Australians aged in our 50's and wanting to travel independant of any group tour.
My proposed itinerary is
Melbourne to Bangkok (2days)
Bangkok to Yangon (4days)Option to Bago or
Yangon to Inle Lake (2 days)by plane and bus
Inle Lake to Mandalay but how?
Mandalay (4 days)
Mandalay to Bagon by ferry
Bagon (2 or 3 days)
Bagon to Yangon or direct to a beach for 5 days - Please any suggesstions as to a beach location and how best to get there

Any comments would be greatfully accepted.
I already have some good accomodation ideas but will get back to that question at a later date.

Thanks Peter

I will be touring Myanmar for about 4 weeks in January 2010 (I have been before and loved it). I am an advanced amateur photographer, would like to meet local photographers to talk about their art.

Any help would be very welcome,

Mingalaba,

Lew

Does anyone know what airlines fly from India to Rangoon?


thanks

I posted a question about tour companies to Burma and received many great responses. Now, I just have a question regarding the food. I have a somewhat delicate stomach so must be very careful about what I eat. I need to stay away from fried foods and foods containing milk and oils. I had no problem with food during a recent trip to China and North Korea because there was always rice served with different side dishes in which I could pick and choose. Is rice readily available in the restaurants in Burma and other dishes on the 'bland' side? Thank you.

I am in the early stages of planning a trip to Myanmar. Does anyone have any suggestions for tour companies either local in Myanmar or elsewhere that could arrange an approximate 12-14 day tour? I have looked into many US tour companies that have group tours but the prices are very high. Plus I will be travelling by myself so the single supplement adds much to the costs. Thank you.

Anyone have any idea of how much it might cost to hire a driver and car to take me from Bagan to Inle Lake ? Also, how is the scenery on that trip ?

Anyone have experience booking a flight on Yangon Airways through their website ? If so, is it reliable ? And do you get an e-ticket, or a paper ticket ?

My wife and I are looking at spending 9 days in Burma in early October. We are looking for some sugestions as to how we can best spend our time.
We are keen to get a feel for the country and are thinking of seeing Yangoon, Mandaly and Bagan.
Can you please give us your ideas of the "not to miss" sights we should include. Is there anywhere else we should go (without spending all our time dashing from one place to another) or should we substitute some other locations with those we are looking at.
I am also keen for the name of any hotels that you would suggest we use in these towns - what we want are places right in the middle of town (want to be able to walk out the door and be there) that are 3.5 to 4.5 star.
THanks in advance for your assisitance

Hello
perhaps someone can help ?
in august i will go to bangkok is it possible to fly from there to yangon (burma ) where can i find visa, what is allowed to import like cash money,what is about the monsoon season ? is it safe to travel ?

thanks.

Does anybody know which date in August the festival at Amamrapura is on this year?

Thanks

I am reading varying information regarding bringing goods from Myanmar back into the US. The official government line seems to state that with few exceptions, no goods from Myanmar may be imported into the USA. I was wondering if anyone who has previously traveled to Myanmar and brought back souvenirs, gifts, handicrafts, etc., into the USA, encountered any particular problems. Any feedback would be appreciated.

Hi,

I would like to get from Yangon to Inle Lake. I know that it takes around 18 hours by bus. Does anyone know more or less the bus schedule? Do buses leave in the morning/ evening? Are there any recommended buses and from where they leave?

Kind regards,
Pat

Hi! While in South Asia, Julie and I would like to make a quick-ish stop in Mynamar to visit (in the following order of importance to us):

Bagan
Kyaikhtiyo / Kyaikhtiyo Pagoda
Rangoon

Can someone recommend a local travel agency not associated with the government who can assist? We're definitely not interested in "group" tours. Instead we'd want help laying out a basic itinearary, booking air travel as necessary, and (most important) having a good local guide who can show us around a bit, and then "let us loose" to wander a bit on our own and meet the peeps.

Also, can anyone give us a feel for how many days we'd need in Bagan to really do it justice (we *love* temples)? We think we'll have about 5 days altogether in-country and whenever possible, we like to "settle in" rather than doing a day here, a day there, etc. We obviously won't be able to do that as much as we'd like on 5 days, but we want to figure out where we should plan on spending the lion's share of our time - Bagan or Rangoon.

Many Thanks!

Hi,

I would like to visit Myanmar. I will be coming from Kunming. Is it possible to fly from Kunming into Myanmar or should I enter through Yangon?

And what about exiting the country? I will be going as a next step to Hong Kong - can I fly from Mandalay (I believe that there is a flight through Kunming) or do I need to exit through Yangon?

I would appreciate your advice. I know that there are some limitations.

I am an individual traveller from Poland if it matters.

Kind regards,
Patrycja