Myanmar: What you need to know

Before boarding your flight to Myanmar, there are a few things you need to know/prepare:

Visa
Everyone needs a visa to enter the country, irregardless of nationality. It’s best to obtain the visa from the embassy or nearest consulate before arriving. Visa-on-arrival is only available for tourists with prior arrangement who have difficulty reaching any embassy or consulate. The visa is valid for 28 days. You would need a passport-sized photo, a copy of your flight itinerary and your passport, of course.

Cash
There are no ATMs at all in the country. Travellers cheques don’t work and only international chain hotels accept credit cards with a ridiculous 3-12% service charge. The local currency is Kyats (pronounced as “chiats”) and the exchange rate was going at 850Ks for 1USD when we were there. You get a better rate when exchanging in the black market than with official ones. There will money-changers lurking on the streets everywhere, don’t deal with them! The best way is to exchange money with your guesthouse. Kyats is only available within the country, hence bring US dollars with you to be exchanged when you arrive.  The USD notes must be new without any folds/marks/writings and must not be faded. The notes will be checked thoroughly before being accepted. All entrance fees managed by the government must be paid in USD. It is possible to pay in USD for hotels, guides, souvenir shops, transportation and bigger establishments but have some Kyats handy to pay for food & drinks. The US dollars and Kyats are used interchangeably, so ask before paying.

Information
It’s pretty hard to obtain definite information before arriving in the country. Even when we were there, we were given varying info all the time! Do some research online, get a guide book if you want (though it’s very rare. Lonely Planet has an edition on Burma) or thread through forums. When you arrive, ask the locals (they will be happy to help) and exchange tips with fellow travellers.

Accommodation
Hostels are non-existent. There are the glitzy hotels run by the government. And then there are family-run guesthouses going at an average of 15-20 USD for a double-room and comes with breakfast. Basic toiletries (towel, shampoo, soap) are provided and the rooms have air-conditioners. The people at these guesthouses speak English, can help you arrange tours/guides/transport and will ensure you have a good time.

Language
The Burmese language is the national language, though most people speak pretty basic English in bigger towns. It’s impossible to understand the written language coz they’re made up of circles and lines. Only main roads are marked with English names. The 2 most basic words are “Mingalabar” used as a greeting, which means “May you have an auspicious moment” and “Chezuba” meaning “Thank You”.

Transportation
Be prepared for some bumpy rides! The roads were designed for right-hand drive, but the cars they use are for left-hand drive. Insanity! You can hire a driver to take you around for a day but the city centre itself is best explored on foot. They are still trying to construct the highways so it will be a long journey to travel from one city to another. We’re talking about at least 6-7 hours cramped in a bus with no leg room, no space to move and stuffed to the brink. The best journey is to take the boat from Mandalay to Bagan though you can only buy the ticket 1 day before departure (the boat departs on Wed and Sun) because it depends on whether the boat arrives in Mandalay. It costs 10 USD each and foreigners get to sit on plastic chairs, yay! It took us a cool 16hours to get to Bagan, so we saw both sunrise and sunset on the boat. The best way to see the temples in Bagan is by hiring a horsecart.

Culture
Myanmar is a highly-religious country with almost 90% of the population being Buddhists. You will be visiting a lot of temples while there, so keep those sexy attires away! Short pants and singlets are a no-no in places of worship, so make sure you’re decently dressed (ie: sleeved tees, no low-cuts, pants below the knees). The same goes for when you’re out on the streets since it’s still a pretty conservative country. Women are not allowed to have contact with the monks and certain areas in the temples are off-zones for females (check for signs before entering any sections).

That said, the most important thing is to observe how the locals do it, go with the flow and just have fun!

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