360
Accommodation
Myanmar has hundreds
of privately run hotels and
guesthouses licensed to
accept foreigners. To get the
licence they supposedly must
keep at least fi ve rooms and
reach a certain standard. In
fact many are simple family-
run guesthouses or mini-
hotels, sometimes with just a
mosquito net, a fan that turns
off at midnight (when the
generator does) and a cold
shower down the hall.
In key destinations (eg
Yangon, Bagan, Inle Lake,
Mandalay, Ngapali Beach),
you’ll fi nd high-end af-
fairs with bungalow-style
rooms, swimming pools,
tennis courts and fancy
restaurants. In between (but
closer to budget in quality)
are modern, hit-or-miss
Chinese-style hotels that
follow familiar templates:tiled rooms with air-con, a
refrigerator and a private
bathroom with hot water.
Nearly all accommodation
choices include breakfast in
their rates. Staff at most can
also change money, arrange
laundry service (starting at
K1000 per load at budget
guesthouses), rent bikes,
arrange taxis, sell transport
tickets and fi nd you local
English-speaking guides.
At night, all hotels and
other accommodation op-
tions must fi ll in police forms
on behalf of all guests, which
include the details of your
passport and visa. Hotels
will not have to keep your
passport.Prices
Hotels and guesthouses
quote prices in US dollars.
Typically you can pay in kyat
too, but at an unfavourable
exchange rate, so it’s worth
keeping dollars ready foraccommodation expenses.
Prices quoted at budget and
midrange hotels include all
taxes; top-end hotel prices
often don’t include up to
20% in taxes and service
charges. A handful of top-
end hotels in Myanmar ac-
cept credit cards. There are
lower rates or it’s possible
to bargain a little at most
hotels during the low season
(March to October).
Listings in this book are
ordered by author preference
and divided into three groups
with regard to price:» (^) Budget ($) Doubles under
$20 (under about K17,000)
» (^) Midrange ($$) Doubles
$20 to $60 (about K17,000
to K51,000)
» (^) Top End ($$$) Doubles
over $60 (over about
K51,000).
Business Hours
Government offi ces , in-
cluding post offi ces and
telephone centres, are open
Monday to Friday 9.30am to
4.30pm. Shops open Mon-
day to Saturday from 9.30am
to 6pm or later (sometimes
only half-day Saturday).
Restaurants open 8am to
9pm, while internet cafes
open noon to 10pm. In this
book we spell out opening
hours where they diff er from
those above.
Children
Travelling with children
in Myanmar can be very
rewarding as long as you
come well prepared with the
right attitude, the physical
requirements and the usual
parental patience. Lonely
Planet’s Tr av e l w i th Ch i l d r e n
contains useful advice on
how to cope with kids on the
road. Special attention is
paid to travel in developing
countries.
People in Myanmar love
children and in many instanc-
es will shower attention on
your off spring, who will fi nd
ready playmates among their
Directory
A–Z
BOOK YOUR STAY ONLINEFor more accommodation reviews by Lonely Planet
authors, check out hotels.lonelyplanet .com/ Myanmar.
You’ll fi nd independent reviews, as well as recommen-
dations on the best places to stay. Best of all, you can
book online.