698 YANGON8YANGONINFORMATIONtion to our boxed text (below) and be sure to also
read p 364.
In Yangon, you can pay for your taxi from the
airport to the city in US dollars and there’s no
reason to buy kyat in the terminal. Most hotels
and guesthouses sell kyat for rates slightly lower
than the usual street rate. Bogyoke Aung San
Market is the best place to change money; odds
are you’ll be approached if you wander down
the centre aisle. Before you go, ask around to
establish the going rate. You should not pay any
commission or tip for such services.
At the time of research, there appeared to
be a near total freeze on credit cards, and not
even the Strand was accepting them. The only
place we found accepting and/or giving cash
advance on credit cards was the Parkroyal hotel,
and this was only for Visa cards, with cash ad-
vances susceptible to a 8% service charge and
a maximum of $200 per day. Also forget about
travellers cheques – they’re useless in Myanmar
(see p 36 4 ).
Post
DHL (Map p 46 ; %664 434; Parkroyal hotel, 33
Ah Lan Paya Pagoda Rd; h8am-6pm Mon-Fri)
Main post office (Map p 42 ; Strand Rd;
h7.30am-6pm Mon-Fri) A short stroll east of
the Strand Hotel. Stamps are for sale on the
ground floor but go to the 1st floor to send mail.
Tourist Information
Myanmar Travels & Tours (MTT; Map p 42 ;
%374 281; 118 Mahabandoola Garden St;
h8.30am-5pm) Once you wake them up from
their nap, the people at this government-run
information centre are actually quite friendly
and helpful, although their resources are very
limited. This is the place to go to apply for per-
mits to the Delta region (Dalah, Twante) or – if
you’re determined to do things yourself and
have the requisite four to six weeks – to request
permission for a government-sanctioned trip
to destinations such as Kayah State (p 198 ),
Tanintharyi (Tenasserim) Region (p 110 ) or Chin
State (p 287 ). Travel Agencies
Most visitors to Myanmar use private domestic
travel agencies to book a tour, hire a car or book
a domestic fl ight (air-ticket prices are usually
cheaper through a private travel agency). How-
ever, of the more than 100 enterprises in Yangon
calling themselves travel agencies, only a hand-
ful can be considered full-service, experienced
tour agencies, and they’re essential in arranging
government-sanctioned visits to more remote
places in Myanmar.
Among the more reliable agencies:
Asian Trails (Map p 46 ; %211 212; http://www.
asiantrails.info; 73 Pyay Rd) This outfit can
arrange specific-interest tours of Myanmar,
including cycling and mountaineering, and can
facilitate visits to far northern Myanmar and
other remote areas.
Ayarwaddy Legend Travels & Tours (Map p 42 ;
%252 007; http://www.ayarwaddylegend.com; 107
37th St; h9am-5pm Mon-Fri, 9am-noon Sat
& Sun) Professional agency that can provide
advice on visiting off-the-beaten track areas.
Columbus Travels & Tours (Map p 42 ; % 255
123; http://www.travelmyanmar.com; 3rd fl, Sakura
Tower, cnr Bogyoke Aung San Rd & Sule
Paya Rd)
Diethelm Travel (%662 898; http://www.diethelm
travel.com/myanmar; Inya Lake Hotel, 37
Kaba Aye Pagoda Rd) At Inya Lake Hotel (Map
p 48 ).
Exotissimo Travel (Map p 42 ; %255 266;
http://myanmar.exotissimo.com/travel/tours;
3rd fl, Sakura Tower, cnr Bogyoke Aung San Rd
& Sule Paya Rd)
Good News Travels (Map p 46 ; %375 050,
09-511 6256; http://www.myanmargoodnewstravel.
com; 4th fl, FMI Centre, 380 Bogyoke Aung
San Rd; h9am-5pm Mon-Sat) The owner,
William Myatwunna, is extremely personable
and knowledgeable, and can help arrange
visits to remote parts of Myanmar. Highly
recommended.
Myanmar Himalaya Trekking (Map p 48 ;
%227 978; http://www.myanmar-explore.com; Room
205, Summit Parkview hotel, 350 Ahlone Rd;
h9.30am-5pm Mon-Fri, 9am-noon Sat) Websites
Lonely Planet (http://www.lonelyplanet.com/
myanmar-burma/yangon-rangoon)MONEY MATTERS
» Do not change money at the airport
or at banks – the official exchange rate
is a fraction of the black market rate.
Your best bet for changing money in
Yangon is Bogyoke Aung San Market
or your hotel.
» US dollar bills must be the latest
version (multi-coloured bills from
2006 or later) and in absolutely
perfect condition: no folds, stamps,
stains, writing or tears.
» Myanmar ATMs don't accept
international cards – take all the cash
(ideally in US$) you’ll need.
» Parkroyal hotel is the only hotel in
Yangon that accepts credit cards.