Myanmar / Burma trip

- By Lingling, Feb 2011

Myanmar, a very mysterious country and an unforgettable trip.. A country, once you land there, no cell phone, no ATM, no stable internet, almost no road...however it is amazingly attractive and safe... People are kind, curious and friendly...

In Feb 2011 Chinese New Year period, I visited this amazing country. Most of the countries¡¯ citizens are required to have a visa to enter Myanmar, this includes most of the European countries. In China there is only one embassy in Beijing, I was very lucky to find a good agent to handle my visa via post, it took only one week. But plan more time, usually it takes longer time, especially before Chinese new year period. You need to change flight in Kunming and stay overnight, the return flights can be connected within one day. Flights cost around RMB 6000 (in 2011).

I have asked for some tips from friends who have been there, everyone told me ¡°please take CASH - brand new USD notes, don't fold it, otherwise you might get a worse exchange rate...¡± The locals exam the foreign notes carefully, old notes get worse rate, however for local currency notes, the notes look as if they are from stone time. ?
I did bring cash, but I did not believe it till I was there. There is absolutely no ATM, nor credit cards, no matter at airport, travel agents or the top 5 star hotels in the capital.
Basically local people don¡¯t know what is ATM or credit card. I heard many tourists have to fly back to Bangkok to withdraw cash even... Thus plan your cash carefully, with USD 100 per day, you can plan a very good trip, including all flights, car, hotels around the country (in 2011), you can find much cheaper options there, but I always prefer to backpack in developed countries and stay comfort in less developed countries, since during the day, you already saw, felt and lived through the tough live locals are facing daily... I tend to have the need to recharge in the night with a little comfort, so that I re-install loads of patience, energy and care for the next day.

People are friendly and kind, there are some business people from China, Thailand or neighboring countries, many tourists from Europe, young adventurous travelers, some of them came the 2nd or 3rd time. After the trip, I realized indeed this country deserves more visits.

The large cities in Myanmar are not attractive, similar like most of the capital cities in South East Asia, it is messy, commercialized, with some bar and red light streets, sad thing is I did see some very young girls at bars, I heard children prostitution is still prevalent there. "Rich" Thai or Chinese business men come here for weekends.
Road is almost non-existing between cities, also be prepared if you plan to take a train, one adventurous friend told me, she took the train, it was so loud the whole night, that she thought every moment the train is going to break into pieces. The flight is probably as unsafe and unpredictable, but we live once anyhow, I flew around the country and did enjoy the flights most of the time. The flights need to be booked early, since all flight and hotel in the country still have a fixed price (in 2011). It is okay to book at any travel agency, most of them owned by government.

I really loved Bagan, riding bike around Bagan is like dreaming in a fairy take world, thousands of temples, nobody is there, far more original than Cambodia I would say. Some temples have almost nobody around, you can visit at your ease.
The hotels are also amazingly in good standard (better than I thought), stylish, similar like in Thailand or Bali, but much less commercial, you can find your peace there.

Once you arrive in the country, your cell phone will not work, this is the best thing can happen to me or anyone who wants a real break from the world for a while. To have a local cell phone will cost you 200 USD, live a life with only landline is rather cool, I find. There is internet, but be prepared that it can be down now and then and facebook is accessible, on this point, they are more open than China, however, you get a note from facebook to warn you again and again that "your account has been accessed from a restricted country" then ask you again and again to identify your friends' photos. If you did not control your friends group, you are unlikely to answer who is who questions and the speed is slow, so this is how you can expect your internet experience there.

I love the Nagapali beach a lot, in lonely planet, they said it is luxury and boring, however it was not really so, it was really amazingly peaceful with very few people (even during Chinese new year period), the beach is one of the best I have seen in my life, maybe just the same or next to Corsica's hidden beaches... better than most southern European, southern Africa, Australia or Miami beaches. And the better thing is that there is nobody, the beach the sea is all yours! This is not very good for party lovers, 2-3 days is wonderful. There are a few very good sea food restaurants with fresh sea food, cooked in western style, mostly grilled, tasty and healthy.. Spa services are not much developed yet, manicure service is not recommended, they tried hard though.

For me Myanmar is a wonderful land, the country has many issues to deal with and I hope people there can live better and happier. They are kind and seem to be very happy, though poor.

Some very practical tips for friends who plan to travel there:

1. Visa contact:

The Bj Myarmar consular has recommended an agent and it is rather reliable.
Mr Li wei: +86 13718976703
Alternatively, you can also go there yourself, but postal is much more convenient. I think cost around RMB 500 + 200 service fee, they can receive and return passport via DHL within one week

Embassy of the Union of Myanmar in Beijing
Ambassador: H.E. Mr. Thein Lwin
Address: No. 6, Dong Zhi Men Wai Da Jie, Chaoyang District
Postal Code: 100600
Tel: (+86)10 6532 0351 ext. 24
Fax: (+86)10 6532 0408
E-mail: info@myanmarembassy.com
Website: http://www.myanmarembassy.com/

Visa Office
Tel: (+86)10 6532 0359 ext. 23, 15
E-mail: myanmarconsular@yahoo.com
Office Hours: 9:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Mon.-Fri.

• Requirements for Visa Application (please check the official website for more updated information)
  
  
  Two copy of duly completed visa forms.
  Valid passport with 2 passport size color photos. (stuck to the form)
  Copy of residence permit, business card and recommendation letter from employer for non-Chinese residents working in China .
  Visa fee of 200 RMB for tourist visa and 300 RMB for business visa, payable in cash.
  Myanmar company invitation letter as well as recommendation letter from Chinese company concerned is required for business visa application.
  Visa application forms can be submitted from 9:00 A.M. to 11:30 A.M. (except holidays).
  Visa processing may take 3-4 working days.
  For further information please contact Myanmar Embassy visa section.
  Tel: 0086-10-65320359 ext: 23
  Email: myanmarconsular@yahoo.com

2. My recommended trip routes

• Fly in to Yangoon, stay for one night
• Fly from Yangoon to Bagan, stay in Bagan for 3 days, 2 nights or more
• Fly from Bagan to Nagapali beach, stay there till you leave Myanmar
• Fly Myanmar to Yangoon and change flight back home...

The reason why I recommend flights, because the roads in Myanmar are not good, if you are not having 1 month luxery time to have a tough backpack trip, try to fly around... book and pay all hotel and flight at your arrival in Yangoon. I booked at the agent below:

Thousand Island Travels & Tours, very nice agent and reliable.
tel + 95 0 1 372 114
email 1000islands@mptmail.net.mm or
thousandislandstravel@gmail.com

I stayed at Bagan at the hotel called " bagan hotel river view", it is very nice, I would recommend it (USD 70 per night)
I stayed at Pleasant view resort delux bangalow (sea view) in nagapoli beach, very nice and recommended (USD 85 per night)

3. City info

a) Yangoon: I would suggest only stay there for one night or so to change money, book the trip, visit the temple.. It does not deserve more time in the city
Dinning: Monsoon was good. 85-87 Theinbyu Road, 051295224, www.monsoonmyanmar.com

More on Yangoon:

Hotel - if you want something more charming, can try the Classic Inn at the Golden Valley Road, NO. 53B, Shwe Taung Kyar Street, 951525557, www.classique-inn.com
Nice local neighborhood - Golden Valley is their nice residential neighborhood. Can take a walk around there and get a feel of their local life. See their houses. Can visit a gallery Golden Valley Art Cenbter, 54/D Golden Valley, www.gvartcentre-mm.com, 95-1-513621.

b) Bagan
Visit temples, enjoy a nap in the temple in the afternoon, enjoy a cold drink break
ananda temple- is the most beautiful, can take a picture with the temple standing at the reflecting pool
Ballons over bagan - floating over thousand year old pagaodas and the Ayeyarwaddy River in hot air balloon. www.easternsafaris.com, tel 951652809, can get more info on it from Sedona Hotel in Yangoon.

Yangoon
Bagan
	Local guides, two cute boys followed us and offered tips of the town the whole afternoon, they know the best temples and where to exchange money... ;-)
Inlerlake
Nagapali beach
	Amazing beach, I never expected such a beautiful and clean beach here in Nagapali, Myanmar... None of the travel guide has every mentioned it, I felt lucky that I decided to fly in for two days to relax...
	I seldom would like to go back to one destination, but this place, I would like to come back again another time..