PLAN YOUR TRIP
PLANNING YOUR TRIP
Sometimes areas that were possible to visit
with or without a permit, suddenly become
off -limits; that’s how it is in Myanmar.
Exiting Myanmar by a land border (only
three possible; see p 375 ) will require per-
mits and ‘guide’ fees and plenty of advanced
notice.Areas of Restricted
Tr ave l
Plan accordingly if your travel itineraries in-
volve the following places:
» Border Crossings^ (p 375 ) Permission is needed
to exit Myanmar by all open land border crossings;
entering the country this way is also subject to
travel restrictions.
» Kayah State^ (p 198 ) Only accessible on a
government-sanctioned package tour, which
aren’t allowed to stray too far from the state
capital, Loikaw.
» Mt Victoria (p 287 ) Bypass the government
guide by going with a private one, but you’ll still
need a permit. Mt Victoria is in Chin State.
» Putao (p 266 ) Putao is in Kachin State.
» Tanintharyi (Tenasserim) Region (p 110 ) No
permission needed to go to Dawei (Tavoy), Myeik
(Mergui) and Kawthoung, but access in and out
is by flight only and you must stay within the city
limits.Picking Hotels
This guidebook lists hundreds of hotels and
guesthouses that are believed to be privately
run with no links to the government. Bear
in mind that a tax of at least 10% goes to
the government no matter where you stay.
Visitors who want to ensure that the least
amount of their money goes to the gov-ernment can stick with budget family-run
guesthouses and minihotels. Those who
want their stay to benefi t the most people
may prefer midrange and top-end hotels,
which can employ staff of 100 or more and
often fund community projects. See p 22 for
more details about how we decided which
hotels to review for this guide.
If you want to stay at a particular ho-
tel or guesthouse, advance bookings are
advised for the busiest holiday season in
December and January. Otherwise, you
usually shouldn’t have a problem fi nding
places to stay once you’re in Myanmar.
Note that some high-end hotels import
their furnishings, supplies and even food;
ask before booking. Staying at hotels that
use local products can keep more of your
money in the country.Family-Run
Guesthouses
Often with just fi ve or so rooms and a
lounge, which are shared with three or
four generations of a family living in-house,
these budget-level guesthouses can be a
highlight of your trip, off ering connections
with local life and cheap deals (often $10 to
$15 for a double). Most rooms come with a
fan or some sort of air-conditioning unit,
though electricity frequently cuts out af-
ter midnight. Some are better than others,
however, and like budget hotels, you’ll fi nd
some with squashed mosquitoes left on the
walls.Budget Hotels
In many towns your only options will be
a couple of four-fl oor, modern, ‘Chinese-
style’ hotels. In some there are dark cell-
like rooms with a shared bathroom on the
ground fl oor (usually for locals only), andDON’T VISIT MYANMAR IF...If you don’t like to compromise on such things as food and hotel quality, and/or
have a low tolerance for last-minute changes of plan or being denied conveniences
such as guaranteed round-the-clock power, use of ATMs and credit cards, your
mobile phone and the internet, then perhaps Myanmar isn’t for you.
Don’t come here if your holiday priorities revolve around nightlife and partying.
Myanmar’s evening entertainment options, including bars, are very limited, if they ex-
ist at all – Yangon (Rangoon), the largest city, included.
And in Myanmar, like many developing countries, there are questions around travel
safety and health.28