Hi my name is David, ive been travelling around now for around 16 months. I have moat recently finished a three week stint in Myanmar. As people reading this might know, there is a vast amount of differing information available online and so it can be difficult to find the truth/facts. Therefore ive decided to write an up to date post which i hope covers all the questions people want answers to.
Firstly visa.... as of September 2014 you are now able to apply for an e-visa online (double check your country aplies). So simply go through a search engine typing myanmar e-visa and fill in the info required. Cost is around $50usd for a 28 day stay.
Secondly money.... there are banks and ATMs everywhere, Yangon, Bagan, Mandalay, Inle Lake area (didnt manage to get to smaller areas so not 100% about them). So money is easy to withdraw (ATM fees unknown as i myself took USD with me). I would suggest taking some dollars with you just to be on the safe side if venturing away from the big four. Pristine 100 bills get you the best exchange rate which reduces as you decrease in note value. They are also required to be printed after 2006. Hotels and trips can usually be paid for in USD so that can reduce ATM fees from constant withdrawing.
Travelling around is relatively easy and busses are pretty cheap compared to other places. The roads are also pretty decent (especially around the big 4), the odd bumps are to be expected but they are far better than the likes of Laos and Vietnam.
WIFI.... dont expect to be able to get on facebook or much else when around Burma (people may talk more ). The speed is poor, dont get me wrong some places are sufficient like in Yangon but a loss in power can happen anytime so be wary of that if booking flights etc.
Yangon - if beginning your trip in Yangon i would recomment Backpackers Myanmar. It may be $15 per person for a 20 or so pod style dorm which encorperates reception, seating area, toilets and showers in one place. But it is cosy and quiet once your in your pod. The staff are also excellent, the help and advice from them is worth every cent. They are there to help you plan and make the most of your alotted time in their country.
A bus would be the best option from Yangon if thinking of heading to either Bagan or the Inle Lake area. Remember to get your hotel/hostel or guesthouse to phone and book somewhere for you before leaving. Just find some names on tripadvisor, search them and get them to call. You can just turn up if arriving in the day (in low season ofc as theres many places around) but most of the long busses are night ones so ull arrive very early morning. Most hotels provide a pick up service from bus / train stations or jettys and its usually cheaper than just getting a taxi on arrival.
Bagan - When you enter Bagan youll be required to pay between$10-15 (one off payment). Bagan is beautiful and the only way to see it is with E-Bikes. Make sure you get the ones which look very similar to mopeds (may require going early) they are the quickest, most comfortable and last the longest (just as long as you dont drive like a lunatic).
The lonely planet only has a few suggestions on things to do here, such as the ballooning ($320pp :S) and a lacquerware museum/shop. Its worth buying a map to check out the adverta on it and maybe even head down to a tourist info place. I managed to do a horse ride which is around 10k outside Nyang Oo. It was $25 per hour but great fun. Theres lots of open country so can really enjoy the scenery. (Checking the horses i would say it would mainly be for people who have ridden before, but beginners are accepted. (Even if its just going around in their sand yard). The best Wifi in Bagan was in a restaurant called The Beach Restaurant, i wouldnt call it fast but it definetly worked pretty decent. For me if heading to Mandalay after Bagan the boat trips are the only way. It may be a lot more expensive and slower than the bus ($35 and 11hrs) but you get breakfast and lunch included, the seats are super comfy; you can walk around whenever you want and the scenery is great. It was THE most relaxing journey i think ive had throughout my whole trip.
Mandalay - Mandalay is like any other city, there are a few things to see around such as the central palace and Mandalay hill but most of the more interesting stuff is outside, so requires a taxi/tuktuk hire for a day (which can be done) or you can split it up over two days.
Hsipaw - I decided to get the train from Mandalay to Hsipaw which departed at 4am, was 11hours and cost $4 for upper class seats. They were pretty comfortable but the train its self was the bounciest thing that exists.(good luck using the toilet , try to time it with the stops). Carriages swayed side to side and bounced so much it resembled being on a horse. Therefore if you get motion sick id give it a miss. The main reason for the train trip is to see the high bridge/aquaduct which is mentioned in the lonely planet. There were great views throughout the journey but the bridge was very nice. The train will slow down before hand so you can actually get off and walk the bridge for pictures and then get back on (it crosses very slowly so you can just step back on). Theres also regular stops so you can get enough food and drink.
Hsipaw - Beautiful place, very friendly people and good food. Theres regular treks available and theyre simple to organise. Everyone should visit even if your not interested at all in trekking, the place just has a great atmosphere. Everything closes early so theres no chance for a party, the best thing is just sit in a restaurant with friends and just eat, drink and have a laugh. (Recommend Mr Food and Yuan Yuan) Also when you get a Myanmar beer keep the cap, take the white plastic out of the cap and ask the staff to read it and tell you if youve won a prize :D. Lily The Home is a very nice place to stay with friendly, helpful and happy staff. They have $7 type dorms and $10-15 rooms aswell as ones for $25 and up. The breakfast is also a very good buffet with a wide range of food.
Inle Lake - The most touristy place visited ib Myanmar but was still very nice. You get a 12-14 hour bus from Hsipaw which was the best one so far. It even showed an english film. It will drop you off outside nyangshwe so youll need to get a taxi to your hotel/guesthouse (drivers are willing to take you to a few places if you dont have a booking). On the way into the town youll have to pay the $10 Inle Lake entrance fee just like in Bagan. (one off payment). I can recommend Remember Inn, i was taken there by the taxi driver as had not booked anwhere and a lot of the places were full. Staff were friendly and rooms were good. They have rooms from $20 upwards but split between two or three is reasonable. Like many places in Myanmar its worth renting a bicycle to go around the town and visit any nearby villages. The winery is worth a visit, you can do tasting for $2 and theres a free tour (although its very short). The views are extremely nice especially on a sunny day and you can even see part of the lake. (Youll probably spend longer than planned, especially if you start buying bottles) Its around 5km from the town. The main thing to do in Inle is of course a trip out on the lake. The standard boat trip is 18,000 kyat, you can fit 5 people on the boat although the group i was with got 6 on so works out really cheap when split. Any hotel/guesthouse can organise it for you or you can get down to the jetty, pick one of the many companies and organise it yourself. You will visit shops and things like that on the way its pretty much unavoidable. The thing is that some of the places were actually quite interesting. The weaving workshop and jewellery shop along with the blacksmith all had people working inside, so you can see the old machines and skill that goes into what they sell. I did meet someone who said that you can ride to a nearby village and get on a local boat to go and see the lake. This avoids the shops but im not sure how easy/hard it is to organise. Wifi again around nyangshwe isnt great but the Golden Kite restaurant has a pretty decent connection if your desperate. For a great meal you can go to one of the many small shan soup stalls or id recommend Hupin Restaurant. It seemed very much like a local place but the food was amazing. Its reasonably price for what you get and if you go with a few people, just pick a few dishes and have rice then its extremely cheap for the quality and quantity.
Summary - All in all a fabulous country it has beautiful untouched countryside,the people are extremely friendly/ helpful and kind which is amazing if you take into consideration the government it has, and the fighting which is still going on in the north east. They are always smiling, laughing and love to talk to you to find out where your from. Dont get too relaxed as some of the hawkers use this to reel you in for a sale. The borders have now been open for over two years, if your thinking of going do it NOW. It is rapidly growing, things in the 2014 lonely planet are already out of date. Theres only a few hawkers around the main areas who push to sell or get you on trips, but i fear that within the next two to three years it could be just another asian tourist destination. Not quite in the same bracket as the likes of Thailand, that will take longer but from what ive seen it will happen in the near future which will be very sad.
Good summary, David. We were there three years ago - it seems a lot has changed in a short time. There were no ATMs then. I'm sure travellers going to Burma now will find this useful.
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