Planning Your Trip
Don’t Forget
» Your visa
» All-purpose electrical-plug adapter
» Torch (flashlight)
» Warm jacket for chilly overnight bus rides
» Colour passport photos for permits
» Flip flops or sandals
» Bug spray
» Prescription medicines
» Brand-new US dollars
» Vaccinations (see p 383 )
» Short-wave radio for BBC & VOA broadcasts
Travel Literature
The Trouser People Andrew Marshall
Finding George Orwell in Burma Emma Larkin
The Native Tourist Ma Thanegi
Golden Earth Norman Lewis
Burma Chronicles Guy Delisle
Bad Lands Tony Wheeler
Travel Advisories
Australia (www.smarttraveller.gov.au)
Canada (www.voyage.gc.ca)
New Zealand (www.safetravel.govt.nz)
UK (www.fco.gov.uk/travel)
USA (travel.state.gov/travel)
When to Go
November to February Peak travel season
October and March Shoulder season is also
worth considering
Getting Your Visa
Everyone requires a visa to visit Myanmar –
for full details, see p 369. If you’re applying
for a tourist visa at home you should start
the process no later than three weeks before
your trip, a month before to be safe. For
most people, getting a visa will be a rela-
tively straightforward process. It’s certainly
far easier and less costly than the process
Myanmar people have to go through to get a
passport – see http://tinyurl.com/44b25e2 –
let alone a visa for foreign travel!
It’s possible to get a tourist visa at the
Myanmar Embassy in Bangkok (%662-
233-2237; 132 Sathorn Nua Rd) within 24 hours
if you apply in person; the cost for this ser-
vice is 1010 baht.
Arranging Permits
There are large areas of Myanmar that are
fi rmly off limits, or accessible only with per-
mission. Securing such permission
» takes time – a minimum of at least two weeks,
but more commonly around a month
» requires the help of an experienced travel
agency – for a list of reputable Yangon-based
agencies, see p 69
» involves paying fees to the government –
usually via the government-owned travel agency,
MTT, even if you’re dealing with another agency
» usually means dancing to the MTT’s tune when
it comes to how you visit the area in question and
who you go with.
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