365DIRECTORY A–ZPHOTOGRAPHY^eychangers have asked for a
‘commission’.
Many travellers do the
bulk of their exchanging in
Yangon, where you can get
about K100 more per dollar
than elsewhere, then carry
the stacks of kyat around
the country. Considering the
relative safety from theft, it’s
not a bad idea, but you can
exchange money elsewhere.
Also, when paying for
rooms and services in US
dollars, check your change
carefully. Locals like to un-
load slightly torn bills that
work fi ne in New York, but will
be worthless for the rest of
your trip in Myanmar.
FECs
Some government business-
es, such as Myanma Airways
and museums, may still
quote prices in Foreign Ex-
change Certifi cates (FECs).
Since one FEC is equal to $1
there is absolutely no value in
you acquiring them.
Tipping, Donations &
Bribes
Tipping is not customary in
Myanmar, though little extra
‘presents’ are sometimes
expected ( even if they’re not
asked for) in exchange for a
service (such as unlocking
a locked temple at Bagan,
helping move a bag at the air-
port or showing you around
the sights of a village).
It’s a good idea to have
some small notes (K50,
K100, K200) when visiting a
religious temple or monas-
tery, as donations may be
requested and you may wish
to leave one even if it's not.
In the past, many travel-
lers have off ered a little ‘tea
money’ to offi cials in order to
help expedite bureaucratic
services such as visa exten-
sions or getting a seat on a
‘sold out’ fl ight. You shouldn’t
have to do this. If you over-
stay your visa, you’ll often
pay a $3 ‘fee’ for the paper-
work, in addition to the $3
per day penalty. See p 370 for
more details.
See also p 366 for details
on the ‘commissions’ paid to
guides and drivers.Photography
There should be no problem
bringing a camera or video
camera into Myanmar, al-
though a huge contraption
that looks like a portable
movie set will attract at-
tention. Photo-processing
shops and internet cafes can
burn digital photos onto a
CD, but you should have your
own adapter. Colour fi lm –
Fuji and Kodak – is widely
available.
Avoid taking photographs
of military facilities, uni-
formed individuals, road
blocks, bridges and opposi-
tion political offi ces, including
those of the NLD and Aung
Sang Suu Kyi’s home in
Yangon.
Most locals are very happy
to be photographed, but
always ask fi rst. If you have a
digital camera with a displayscreen, some locals (kids,
monks, anyone) will be over-
joyed to see their image. It’s
also very easy and cheap to
get digital photos turned into
prints that can then be given
to people as presents.
Some sights, including
some paya and other reli-
gious sites, charge a camera
fee of K100 or so. Usually a
video camera fee is a little
more.
For tips on how to shoot
photos, pick up Lonely Plan-
et’s Tr av e l Ph oto g r a ph y.Post
Most mail out of Myanmar
gets to its destination quite
effi ciently. International-
postage rates are a bargain:
a postcard is K30.
Offi cially, post offi ces
across Myanmar are sup-
posed to be open from
9.30am to 4.30pm Monday
to Friday.
DHL Worldwide Express
(%01-664 423; http://www.fastfor
ward.dhl.com; 7A Kaba Aye Pa-
goda Rd, Yangon; h8am-6pm
Mon-Sat) is a more reliable
way of sending out bigger
packages (though you can
send only documents to the
USA because of sanctions).
Packages begin at $80
(1.1lb/0.5kg); documents
at $72.
Marine Transport
Service (%01-256 628; mts@
yangon.net.mm; MGW Centre,
170/176 Bo Aungkyaw Rd) can
ship freight boxes if you end
up going nuts on puppets.Public Holidays
Major public holidays:
Independence Day
(January 4)
Union Day (February 12)
Peasants’ Day (March 2)
Armed Forces Day
(March 27)
Workers’ Day (May 1)
National Day (October or
November)
Christmas (December 25)BRING NEW BILLS!We cannot stress enough the need to bring pristine
‘new’ US dollar bills to Myanmar – that means 2006 or
later bills that have colour and are in absolutely perfect
condition: no folds, stamps, stains, writing marks or
tears. Anything else may be rejected by moneychang-
ers, hotels, restaurants, shops and museums.
While $100 bills get the best exchange rates, it’s also
a good idea to bring lots of small dollar bills – ones,
fi ves and 10s – and to use them to pay for your hotel
and other charges directly.