Archive-name: travel/myanmar-guide/part2
Posting-Frequency: monthly

                              MYANMAR (BURMA)

                         The Internet Travel Guide

                              Peter M. Geiser


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Contents
 
 Introduction
 Copyright (c) 1995, 1996

 1. General Overview
 1.1 Geographical Information
 1.2 Climate
 1.3 People
 1.4 Politics
 1.5 Events
 1.6 Visa
 1.7 Embassies
 1.8 Border Crossing
 1.9 Travel Permits
 1.10 Money
 1.11 Postal Services
 1.12 Accommodation
 1.13 Food
 1.14 Health

 2. Transportation
 2.1 Flying
 2.2 Train
 2.3 Boat
 2.4 Bus
 2.5 Car

 3. Places
     Yangon
     Kyaik-Tiyo
     Bagan
     Kalaw
     Taunggyi
     Inle Lake
     Mandalay
     Sagaing
     Lashio

 4. Literature
 4.1 Guidebooks
 4.2 Travellers Tales
 4.3 Reports
 4.4 Historical/Political Books
 4.5 Cultural
 4.6 Novels
 4.7 Movies
 4.8 Internet
 4.9 Organisations

 A. Contributors

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The Internet Travel Guide
http://www-students.unisg.ch/~pgeiser/itg.htm
Copyright (c) 1995, 1996 Peter M. Geiser
Peter.Geiser@student.unisg.ch

Last change 7. June 1996.
Updates: FAQ: monthly, HTML: more often

Currently available in the series of the Internet Travel Guides:
Cambodia
China
Laos
Myanmar (Burma)
Sumatra
Switzerland
Tibet
Vietnam

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INTRODUCTION

The main objective of this FAQ is to provide the reader with the newest
travel information available, like what is the current situation on visa,
where to stay and what prices are reasonable, etc. It is not a guide to
the Burmese culture or history (although I started to include some
information about those subjects as well), for these non-changing facts
are much more pleasantly presented in many good books (see the list in
section 4 in this FAQ). It is also not intended to be a political pamphlet
since politics is often a very opinionated subject. However, I started to
include some political facts where I felt it was appropriate.

Remember: Things change very fast, so by the time you get to Myanmar the
information in this FAQ may be outdated. If you encounter this, please
bear with me. Instead of being upset, rather share your experiences with
other people on the net. The next tourist will thank you if he or she can
rely on your new information. Also, if you find time during your travels
to write a postcard or a letter to me, I would greatly appreciate it.

Some paragraphs are led by the name of the author in brackets. This
doesn't mean that these are their only contributions, but rather that in
that case I chose to leave the words as the author wrote them, adding a
more personal note to the FAQ.


Answering questions

There are many people who send mail to ask me some questions. As much as
I like to answer as many questions as possible, my time is limited. I do
this work in my spare time, so I frequently answer the questions only
after a couple of days (or even weeks if I'm away for a while.) It also
happens that I cannot return an e-mail due to an invalid e-mail address.
Please be careful to include a valid e-mail address, or then ask me to
post the answer in rec.travel.asia.

This guide lives by being up-to-date. Since I cannot travel all the time,
I am glad to receive suggestions, contributions and comments. Any addition
is useful, regardless of the size.

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COPYRIGHT NOTICE

In accordance with the Bern convention, this document is copyrighted
worldwide. The information provided within this document is the property
of the original authors. The author especially reserves the right to the
exclusive use of the term "The Internet Travel Guide".

This document or parts thereof may NOT be sold for profit or included in
any commercial documents (e. g. books, esp. guide books, magazines,
CD-ROMs, WWW-pages, the Microsoft Network or any other form) without the
prior written permission of the copyright holder. This permission is valid
exactly for the agreed version (or if no version was stated at the
published version on the date of the agreement) at the time the permission
was granted; it does not cover future or any other versions. However,
following the common practice of the Internet, this document may be freely
redistributed without any modification whatsoever, including this
copyright notice.

If you as the reader has paid to get this document, please let me know. As
much as I would like I cannot give you back your money, but I can try to
put an end to the illegal stealing of other people's work.

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The Internet Travel Guide
Copyright (c) 1995, 1996
http://www-students.unisg.ch/~pgeiser/itg.htm

Peter M. Geiser
Seeblickstr. 10
9010 St.Gallen
Switzerland

Peter.Geiser@student.unisg.ch

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2. TRANSPORTATION

2.1 FLYING

There are direct flights between Yangon and Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur,
Singapore, Jakarta, Dhaka, Kunming, Moscow and Vientiane.

The airlines serving Yangon are Myanmar Airways International, Thai
Airwais International, Silk Air, Biman, CAAC and Aeroflot.

Myanmar Airwais International now has Boeing 737-400 machines and are
quite nice.

Between Yangon and Bangkok are two flights each day, one in the morning
and one in the afternoon. The return ticket should cost you about USD 170
for Myanmar Airways International and USD 250 for Thai Airwais
International.

Air Mandalay operates two flights per week between Yangon and Chiang Mai.

There are flights by Bangkok Airways between Chinag Mai and Mandalay. Upon
arrival at Mandalay you have to pay a USD 24 visa fee and a USD 71
"service charge for landing".

The departure tax is USD 6.

The address of Myanmar Airways International (international code UB) is
123 Sule Pagoda Road, Yangon, Tel 89772, 89773, 89774.

The domestic airline is Air Mandalay Ltd. They have new planes with French
crews.


Flight Schedule

Effective: 7 Dec 94 to 31 March 95
Aircraft: ATR 72-210 QC: 66 Seats

                      Days          Flight     Dep    Arr     Meals
From Yangon (RGN) To
Bagan     NYU  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  6T 001    07:45  09:00  Breakfast
Mandalay  MDL  1     3        6     6T 003    12:10  13:40  Lunch

From Mandalay (MDL) To
Heho      HEH  1     3        6     6T 002    09:20  14:45  Lunch
Yangon    RGN  1     3        6     6T 004    10:15  11:45  Lunch
Yangon    RGN           4        7  6T 006    10:15  11:45  Lunch
Yangon            2        5        6T 008    13:40  15:10  Light Meal

From Bagan (NYU) To
Mandalay  MDL  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  6T 001    09:20  09:50  Refreshment

From Heho (HEH) To
Yangon    RGN  1              6     6T 002    14:55  16:10  Light Meal


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2.2 TRAINS

There are three trains between Yangon and Mandalay every day, at 5 pm, at
6:30 pm and at 7 pm. A one way ticket in the upper class cost about USD 32
to 38, depending on the train.
The newest report states that there are four trains, all costing USD 30:
Dep.   6:00   17:00   18:30   19:30
Arr.  21:10    7:00    8:30   10:35

The trains from Mandalay to Yangon leave daily:
Dep.   6:00   15:15   17:30   18:30
Arr.  21:30    5:20    7:30   10:00

The train between Mandalay and Myitkina is USD 27 for upper class.

There is a special counter for tourists in Yangon, Mandalay and Thazi. Of
course, at this counter you have to buy the specially priced tickets.

In smaller cities it is possible to buy tickets in ordinary class. The
train between Myitkina and Mandalay then is only USD 1.

The express trains between major tourist spots are very comfortable with
new, reclining seats). The ordinary coaches look more like made for animal
transport.

Do not forget earplugs if you want to sleep during a night ride, since
very loud Burmese music is played.

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2.3 BOAT

Myanmar has many rivers with lots of transportation.

There is a luxury cruise ship running between andalay and Bagan on the
Ayeyarwady Princess. There are also numerous regular boats.

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2.4 BUS

Ordinary buses are old, cheap, convenient, uncomfortable, and extremely
crowded.

There are more expensive express busses that are quite modern running
between Yangon and Mandalay. One way costs 1000 Kyats. If, during a night
trip, you would like to get some sleep, don't forget earplugs; loud action
movies will be shown.

The Bagan Express leaves Yangon at 4 pm and costs 1000 Kyats.

The Bagan Express to Mandalay leaves Bagan every day at 4, 6, and 9 am. It
costs 400 Kyats.

The Bagan Express to Taunggyi leaves Bagan every 2 days at 5 and at 7 am.
Price is 700 Kyats. There are Tiger Head pickup trucks. They charge 1000
Kyats in front and 500 Kyats in the back. They leave at 4 am.

The are modern express busses between Yangon and Mndalay. Arrow, Leo and
Trade Express have a bus at 5 pm daily, for 1000 Kyats. Asahi Yoko departs
at 5:30 and costs 950 Kyats. All of them arrive around 7 to 8 am the next 
morning.

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2.5 CAR

A minivan complete with driver and guide should be about USD 80 for a ten
day trip from Mandalay to Rangon.

Other quotes that have been reported: A large car for up to three persons
is about USD 50 per day, a minivan for a maximum of 7 persons is USD 70
per day. This includes a driver and fuel.

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3. PLACES

YANGON

After King Alaungpaya (the founder of the Kon-Baung Dynasty) conquered
the viallge Dagon in 1755, he renamed it to Yangon, meaning 'end of
strife'. The village's strategic location in fact warranted a total
victory over Lower Myanmar. In 1851 the town was annexed by the Britain
and subsequently refounded. The new city was designed and constructed in
a chequerboard fashion, with the roads running north-south and
east-west. It's architect was the same Lieutenant Fraser that also
designed Singapore.

Nowaday it is a bustling city of some 5 million inhabitants, covering an
area of over 570 sq km. It is the countries administrative and
economical center.

Swe Dagon Pagoda
The main attraction in Yangon (Rangoon) is the 110 m high Swe Dagon
Pagoda, looking down onto the city from a hill. Its surface is plaited
with over 30 tons of gold, brought since hundreds of years by millions
of pilgrims. It dates back 2500 years. According to the legend, it was
built by two merchant brothers that have received eight hairs of Buddha.
With the help of a number of heavenly creatures and the king they
discovered the hill where in a small chamber the relics of other Buddhas
have been enshrined. They added the new hairs and covered the chamber
with a golden slab. Then they built succession of pagodas, starting with
a golden pagoda followed by a silver pagoda, a tin pagoda, a copper
pagoda, a leaden pagoda, a marble pagoda and finally an iron brick
pagoda. Entrance is about USD 10 - 12.

Chauk Htat Gyi Pagoda
One of the largest in Myanmar, this reclining Buddha dates back to 1966.
The original from 1907 has been demolished in 1957, after suffering
heavily by the climate. It is located a short distance beyond the Swe
Dagon Pagoda.

Sule Pagoda
In the center of Yangon is the over 2000 years old Sule Pagoda. Its said
to enshrine a hair of Buddha, thus its Mon name Kyaik Athok, which means
'the Pagoda where a Sacred Hair is enshrined'. The octagonal shape makes
the 46 m high structure an unusual sight.

Botataung Pagoda
In the legend the relics of the Buddha brought from India some 2000
years ago were acompanied by thousand military leaders (thus its name,
composed from 'bo', leader and 'tahtaung', thousand). The hollow inside
of the 40 m high spire has been turned into a museum displaying many
ancient relics.

National Museum
On display are many old artifacts, among them the Lion Throne of the
last king of Myanmar, Thibaw and the 19th century Royal Regalia. It is
at 26 Pansodan St. Opening times are Mo. - Fr., 10 am - 3 pm, admission
USD 4.

Zoological Garden
On weekend and public holiday there are elephant shows and snake dances.
It is open daily from 8 am to 6 pm, admission is USD 5.

Kaba Aye Pagoda
The 'World Peace Pagoda' was built only in 1952 for the Sixth Buddhis
Synod in 1954 - 1956. Located 11 km north of the city, both its diameter
and its height are 34 m.

Mahana Guha
Near the Kaba Aye Pagoda is the 'great cave'. This completely manmade
cave measures 139 by 113 m.

Mai-Lamu Pagoda
Situated in North Okkalapa some 20 minutes' drive from the city center,
this pagoda is famous for its giant images showing the lives of Buddha.


Accommodation

Both, the Sun Flower Inn and the Yangon Guest House offer singles for
USD 10.

The YMCA was USD 10 in 1994. Probably a bit more expensive now.

The Best Inn is about FEC 35 to 45 per night.

The most luxurious hotel is Strand, one of the legendary hotels of
Asia. In the beautifully renovated new part you get a room for upwards of
USD 200, and the not yet renovated, old annexe is USD 56.

The Inya Lake Hotel is at Kaba Aye Pagoda Road, Tel 62857, Fax 65719

A good place is the Pyin Oo Lwin Guest House. It is at 183 Mahabandoola
Garden Street, Kyauktada Township, Tel 74005


Shopping

Bogyoke Aung San Market

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KYAIK-TIYO

Newly opened to foreigners, the Golden Rock of Kyaik-tiyo is the
most-visited sight in Myanmars intra-tourism. It is a round rock,
leaning for a part over the deep gorge. Legend has it that a hair of
Buddha hold it in balance. You have to walk the 11 km long pilgrims
way.

There is an entrance fee of USD 6 and another fee of USD 6 if you want
to take pictures. For the long walk you may hire a porter for USD 4
there and back.

At the top is a hotel with a bar for foreigners.

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BAGAN

Located 193 km south of Mandalay, and covering 42 km2, Bagan is one of
the richest archeological sites in Asia. Also known as the city of the
four million pagodas, Bagan is one of the ancient capitals of Myanmar.
There are more than 2000 pagodas built during the Bagan Dynasty founded
by King Anawratha in 1044 AD.

The main pagodas are: Ananda Pagoda, Damayangyi Pagoda, Hti-lo-min
Pagoda, Shwegugyi Pagoda, and Shwesandaw Pagoda.

Near the Ananda Pagoda is the Bagan Museum. It contains images and
sculptures found in temples around Bagan.

Entrance to the archeological zone is USD 10.

Worthwile is also the market, close to the road.

There is now a New Bagan, not far from the old town. The inhabitants of
the old town close to Bagan's temple area were forced by the government to
move from the old to this new place. The government didn't want the
tourists visiting Bagan to meet and talk to local people.

To get to Bagan, take a plane from Yangon. It takes about 1 hour. From
Mandaly it is a 5 to 6 hour drive or an overnight cruise on a boat.


Accommodation

The PHYO Guest House (Myinkaba Village) has singles for USD 5.

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KALAW

Accommodation

The Parami Guest House has doubles for USD 12.

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TAUNGGYI

The capital of the Shan State is very popular for its cool climate. It
is a good starting point for an excursion to the Inle Lake.

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INLE LAKE

This lake, just 30 km south of Taunggyi is one of the most beautiful
spots in Myanmar. It is 22.4 km long and 10.2 km wide and about 900 m
above sea level. There are many floating Inntha villages and colourful
markets and festivals.

There is an admission fee of USD 3.


Accommodation

The Inle Inn Country Guest House at the Yonegyi Road is a nice place.
The host is very knowledgable about the area.

PYI Guest House in Yaungwhe has singles for USD 5.

The Woody Guest House in Yaunghwe offers doubles for USD 10 to 18.

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MANDALAY

Mandalay was the last capital before the British colonialisation. Perhaps
this accounts for its being the most typical city in Myanmar, retaining
its old charm.


Accommodation

The Royal Guest House has singles for USD 6.

The Sabai Phyu Guest House is at 58, 81st Street, Tel (02) 25377.

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SAGAING

Located 21 km south-west of Mandalay on the west bank of the Ayeyarwady
River, Sagaing was the capital of the independent Shan kingdom from 1315
to 1364, and later again from 1760 to 1764. Today it is mainly a
meditation center.

Near the Sagaing Hill are over 600 monasteries for both monks and nuns.

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LASHIO

In Lashio, the Mao Shweli Hotel charges 300 Kyats.

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4. LITERATURE

4.1 GUIDEBOOKS

The Bradt Guide to Burma, 1995
I don't know the book, but one seller writes about it:
"This book is very new book (published in 1995) is up-to-date and down to
earth. Bradt Guides are filled with practical information; very strong on
preparation, planning and health issues. Good sightseeing, transportation,
hotel and restaurant sections - scrupulously honest in assessment.

Myanmar - A Travel Survivel Kit, Lonely Planet
Contains many good hints about travelling. Has always good lists of
hotels, restaurants, etc.

South-East Asia on a Shoestring, Lonely Planet
Covers the whole region.

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4.2 TRAVELLERS TALES

Theroux, Paul. The Great Railway Bazaar.
Part of the book covers the railway between Yangon, Mandalay and Pyin Oo
Lwin.

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4.3 REPORTS

National Geographic, July 1995.
The author, grown up in Burma, revisits the places of his childhood.

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4.4 HISTORICAL/POLITICAL BOOKS

Die Krallen der Tiger und Drachen. Wirtschaftsboom und Selbstbewusstsein
in Asien. Sabine Stahl/Ulrich Mihr (Hrsg.). Droemer Verlag 1995.
An excellent book about the current political and economical developments
in Asia.

Donnison, F. S. V.  Burma.
An overview over the countries history up until the 1960s.

Lintner, Bertil. Outrage: Burma's Struggle for Democracy.

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4.5 CULTURAL

Nat-Pwe: Burma's Supernatural Sub-Culture, by Yves Rodrigue, published 1992
by Kiscadale Publications, Murray House, Gartmore, Stirlingshire FK8 3RJ,
UK

A Wonderland of Burmese Legends, by Daw Khin Myo Chit, Tamarind Press
Bangkok, 1984

Culture Shock: Burma
This book describes customs and etiquette of Myanmar.

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4.6 NOVELS

Lewis, Norman. Golden Earth.

Orwell, George. Burmese Days.
Set in the colonial times, this novel gives an interesting account of
these times.

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4.7 MOVIES

Beyond Rangoon.  John Boorman. 1995

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4.8 INTERNET

The newest version of this guide is available on WWW at
http://www-students.unisg.ch/~pgeiser/myanmar/
The archive for this guide is at
rtfm.mit.edu in /pub/usenet/news.answers/travel/myanmar-guide/

There is a site by the government of Myanmar at
http://www.myanmar.com/myanmar
It is possible to download visa application forms via ftp from
ftp://ftp.myanmar.com/pub/myanmar/gov.

FreeBurmaWWW
http://sunsite.unc.edu/freeburma/freeburma.html

Ethnologue Database (Myanmar)
http://www-ala.doc.ic.ac.uk/~rap/Ethnologue/eth.cgi/Myanmar

The University of Texas at Austin has a lot of information at
http://asnic.utexas.edu/asnic/countries/myanmar

Lonely Planet has a page on Myanmar at
http://www.lonelyplanet.com.au/dest/sea/myan.htm

BurmaNet News is regularily posted in soc.culture.burma. To subscribe,
send e-mail to majordomo@igc.apc.org with "subscribe burmanet-l"
(without the quotation marks) in the body.

An archive with many tips and a lot of stories is
ftp://ftp.cc.umanitoba.ca/pub/rec-travel

A new site can be found at
http://www.south-asia.com/myanmar"

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4.9 ORGANISATIONS

Canadian Friends of Burma
145 Spruce, #206, Ottawa, Canada, K1R 6P1, Tel 230-0860, Fax 563-0017

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A. CONTRIBUTORS

Apart from my own personal experiences I have been able to include a lot
of information from other people and sources. Where it is necessary to do
so, I put the author in front of the paragraph, mostly so when personal
experiences/feelings are important. Whenever possible I tried to contact
the author of the information to get permission and I include his/her
e-mail address for reference.

Alexander Dobernig                 e8725837@student.tuwien.ac.at
Coban Tun                          tun@macpsy.ucsf.EDU
David Leibold                      dleibold@else.net
Jennifer Ewbank                    jkewbank@ix.netcom.com
Mizushi Hajime                     s951808@mailserv.cuhk.hk
Paul D. Copeland                   
Vicky Bowman                       100124.1125@compuserve.com

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The homepage of the Internet Travel Guides is at
http://www-students.unisg.ch/~pgeiser/itg.htm

Please send your comments, suggestions and contributions to the address
below. For questions, please see my note in the introduction.

e-mail:peter.geiser@student.unisg.ch

Peter M. Geiser
Seeblickstr. 10
9010 St. Gallen
Switzerland

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