lonely-planet-myanmar-burma-11-edition

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DIRECTORY A–Z

Safe Travel

Considering all the bad news

that trickles out of Myanmar,

it may sound like a rather un-

safe country to visit. For the

vast majority of visitors, the

reality is quite the opposite.

Bugs, Snakes, Rats &

Monkeys

Mosquitoes, if allowed, can

have a fi eld day with you.

Bring repellent from home,

as the good stuff (other than

mosquito coils) is hard to

come by. Some guesthouses

and hotels don’t provide

mosquito nets. See also en-

tries on malaria (p 384 ) and

dengue fever (p 384 ).

Myanmar has one of the

highest incidences of death

from snakebite in the world.

Watch your step in brush,

forest and grasses. See p 386

for information on what to do

if you’re bitten.

Rats aren’t all that ram-

pant. Family-run guesthous-

es, like regular homes, might

have a rodent or two. Wash

your hands before sleeping

and try to keep food out of

your room. If you trek in Shan

State and stay in local ac-

commodation, you may hear

little footsteps at night.

In a few sites, such as Hpo

Win Daung Caves, near Mony-

wa or Mt Popa near Bagan,

you’ll have monkeys begging

for snacks. Take care as bites

are possible. See p 384 for

precautions against rabies.

Crime

All over Myanmar, police

stations have English signs

up that ask: ‘May I help

you?’ It’s easy to smirk at,

but supposedly some of the

restrictions to travel around

Myanmar are based on the

government’s desire to keep

foreigners out of harm’s way.

Locals know that the

penalties for stealing, par-

ticularly from foreigners, can

be severe. Most travellers’

memories of locals grabbing

their money are of someone

chasing them down to return

a K500 note they dropped.

If someone grabs your bag

at a bus station, it’s almost

certainly just a trishaw driver

hoping for a fare.

Insurgents & Bombs

In recent years, including in

2011, there have been a hand-

ful of bombings, usually linked

with insurgent groups, in

Yangon and elsewhere. None

have targeted foreigners.

Despite treaties between

the government and most in-

surgent groups, signed in the

late 1990s, violent incidents

on the Myanmar-Thai border

could erupt at any time,

particularly in and around

Tachileik. Land mines on the

Myanmar side of the border

are another threat. Most travel

advisories warn against travel

to this area, most of which is

restricted for foreigners.

In Kayin State, splintered

Kayin groups live in a poten-

tial battleground between

the Karen National Libera-

tion Army and government

troops. The section of the

Myanmar border in a restrict-

ed area of Kayin between

Um Phang and Mae Sariang

occasionally receives shell-

ing from Myanmar troops in

pursuit of Kayin (also known

as Karen) or Mon rebels.

The presence of Shan and

Wa armies along the Thai-

Myanmar border in northern

Mae Hong Son makes this

area dangerous. The Wa have

reportedly sworn off drug

production, but there’s still

plenty of amphetamines and

opium crossing some border

areas.

In the past there have

been reports of bandits hold-

ing up vehicles at night, most

commonly in the Tanintharyi

(Tenasserim) division in

southeastern Myanmar, but

also near Taungoo. We’ve

not heard of foreigners being

targeted.

Politics

The message is clear: allow

locals to introduce the sub-

ject of politics and proceed to

talk with discretion if they do.

Since Aung San Suu Kyi's

release in 2010, driving by

her house in Yangon has

become much easier, but

you should think twice about

stopping to take photos there

and especially at any NLD

offi ce. You are not only risk-

ing trouble (possible depor-

tation), but implicating your

taxi driver too.

Guides, trishaw drivers,

vendors and hotel staff are

often able to talk at length

with foreigners without

suspicion. Some can be

surprisingly frank in their

views. Teahouses carry the

reputation as being open-

discussion forums for some

locals – but not all. Again, let

the locals lead the conversa-

tion in that direction.

Restricted Roads

Many overland roads are

closed to foreigners. However,

in places you can enter there

are surprising levels of free-

dom to stop and look around

where you want. The map on

p 380 shows the main routes

that are openly accessible,

though this can change.

Scams & Hassle

Myanmar touts are pretty mi-

nor league in comparison with

others in the region. Most

hassle is due to commissions.

These small behind-the-

scenes payments are made,

YAN GO N

PICK-UP

Shipping goods abroad

from Myanmar is very

expensive (and impos-

sible if you live in the

US, due to sanctions). If

you want a few puppets,

but are worried about

breaking them along

the way, many shops

around the country will

package your gifts and

arrange to deliver them

to a Yangon hotel by bus

for a minimal fee.