Travel planning

Hello all,

I am in the initial stages of planning my trip to Myanmar. I have visas for Afghanistan and Iraq along with numerous entry/exit stamps in my passport.

I was just wonder if this would cause any problems with the authorities or immigration??

I know it shouldnt matter, but with all of the media and hollywood attention as of late, I just wanted to check.

Thanks,

Wannascuba

Travel planning

If they think you are the reporter or journalist, they will not issue the visa in first place. If you are not reporter or journalist, I think no-problem. I don%26#39;t know what you working for and you have numerous entry exit stamps , they will surely suspect you as reporter and most proberly will denie your visa.

Travel planning

Thanks for you reply,

I guess I can just try for the visa and see what happens. But then my concern is if I would be scrutinized upon entry, if they notice all of the stamps.

Oh yeh,

And I am not a reporter

Hi Wannascuba,

If you are neither a journalist nor a reporter, I see no problem. My experience is that your passport may be glanced through by the officials looking for a page to put their stamp on, but they dont go through each and every stamp on your passport. Remember, many who travel to Burma are travellers and do have a number of exotic stamps. Perhaps, an unusual stamp might attract their attention, but they generally would not bother you.

Khayeethe

Khayeethe,

Thank you for your input. I will put in for a visa, and feel better know about it.

Swimming in Ngapali

Hi all,

I%26#39;ve seen some pictures of Ngapali and there were big waves, and people surfing. I don%26#39;t know if the pictures were really from Ngapali, but just in case, does someone know if it is a good beach for swimming?

Thanks

Swimming in Ngapali

Hi Agent09,

Ngapali is a beautiful beach, excellent for swimming and snorkelling; but the waves are generally not big enough for surfing! Much more on the calm side compared to the beaches in Turtle Bay in Oahu (Hawaii) or possibly the beaches in Australia (I haven%26#39;t been there yet to give you my practicle experience). The only times the waves in Ngapali might be called ';big'; would be when there is high wind, but that is not often in Ngapali apart, possibly, in the monsoon season. The last reported ';big waves'; in December was when the notorious Tsunami occured, originating from Ache in Indonesia; but because of the geography, the waves arriving at Ngapali were harmless apart from being big. My friends were actually out there in Ngapali at the time and that was what they reported. They were oblivious of what was hapenning at the time! I don%26#39;t think you were looking at pictures from Ngapali.

Khayeethe

Swimming in Ngapali

Perfect for swimming except in sometime of moonsoon season.

Thank you very much. That%26#39;s what I thought, I%26#39;ll bring my swimsuit and leave the surf board at home.

Agent09

Bon Dia.

Never seen waves of any size in Dec/Jan at Ngapali beach on my 4 visits. Water clean with sandy bottom and some decent snorkeling around the rocks of the ';mermaid statue'; with trigger fish,parrot fish etc and much better visibility and fish if you take a boat trip.

cheers.

ps. Lovely clear,clean water at Mar Menuda beach ,Tossa de Mar last week AND loads of fish (and a few small waves) - summer has at last arrived in Catalonia!

Bon dia Silverswimmer!

yes, it seems that we finally have mr summer here. Hope you enjoyed Tossa, very nice place and much more at this time of the year when it is not as crowded as in July or August.

We finally have decided our itinerary in Myanmar and we will book with adventure Myanmar next week. We are really looking forward to visit the country, as we have read a lot of wonderful reviews on it. We%26#39;ll be staying at Amazing Ngapali for our beach days, as we found it to be reasonably priced for a beach front villa.

';Gracies'; (thanks) for your reply!

Adeu!

Agent09

Looking for suggestions on travel & activities.

Four of us, middle-aged but mostly active, are traveling in Myanmar in September, 2008. We will arrive in Mandalay, via Yangon, about 9/10 for about two weeks. We will have 3 or 4 nights in Mandalay, then take the river boat to Bagan. 3 or 4 nights in Bagan, then fly to Yangon. 2 or 3 nights in Yangon and then fly out.

Specific questions:

1. What are the best things to do in and around Mandalay for 3 or 4 days?

2. How does one get seats on the Shwe Kein-Nayi from Mandalya to Bagan and what sort of schedule can be expected in mid-September?

3. What are the best things to do in and around Bagan for 3 or 4 days?

4. What are the best things to do in and around Yangon in 2 or 3 days?

5. What are we missing with this itinerary?

Thanks....Jeremyg38

Looking for suggestions on travel %26amp; activities.

1. Where to visit, please visit www.adventuremyanmar.com for more idea.

2. You can easy to buy tickets from travel agent in Mandalay for Shwe Kein-Nayi.

3. Instead of 3 or 4 days in each place, you should visit Inle Lake too. People love to visit Inle Lake and you should not miss it.

Welcome from Myanmar.

Looking for suggestions on travel %26amp; activities.

Hello Jeremyg38 ,

The best thing in Mandalay is visit by horsecart in AVA . Mid Sept quite easy to get ticket. visit Popa - Salay - Bagan one day trip interesting land scape .

Around Yangon ,good to go Golden rock pagoda 200 km away.

In your programa i would put LAGO INLE that i like the best.

Tour Company from Hell: Magado Travel

Avoid like the plague and you%26#39;ll have a happier trip.

DO NOT USE this tour company, travel agent DO NOT TO USE: Magado Travel

We contacted a concierge at the Tharabar Gate hotel in Bagen and this concierge (without letting us know) referred us out to their favorite travel agency. The prices for everything kept changing, including the room rates, car tours daily after we landed we were there and even after we paid and a contract was signed. They made a huge error in the room rate (40% difference) and expected us to pay the difference in cash. They are limited in experience and lack courtesy and professionalism. They will dog you at every step with price changes, car changes (worse car to worse car). They have little local information and rely on their agents in each of the cities. Worse is because Myanamar 90% accepts cash only, with price changes you are apt to have to skip many activities and adjust. On the cash side, in Mandalay, the Sedona is the only foreign hotel that takes credit cards, and so I would suggest to try and pay all your major bills when you get there with the tour company in credit card. Also Myanmar, U.S. dollars, they don%26#39;t take Thai bahts. The exchange at the hotels have been better than at the vendors. Negotiate negotiate everything and if you ask on one day the driver will be $30.00 another $60.00. Bear in mind, the average teacher makes US$30.00 a month and that%26#39;s middle class. Have fun, go to Bagen, Inle, skip: Mandalay and Yangon.

Tour Company from Hell: Magado Travel

This company has been famous in this Myanmar tourism industry with many complaints from other suppliers such as air lines and hotels too. Like common criminals, they have many other names (some may be fake or black-listed) for differnet purposes: WWW Media or Win Win War Media (www.www.com.mm), DPS (www.dpsmaps.com), and Amigo Tours (www.myanmartravel.info). For more information and complaints about this unreputed tour company, please contact www.tourismmyanmar.org or www.umtanet.com.

Tour Company from Hell: Magado Travel

Yes, I heard that a few years ago, this Agent was like that.

But we used this agency for visa service and hotel arrangement 3 months ago and they did excellence job.

I think they have new, efficient staff and next time you should contact Ms. Aye as she gave excellent service for our trip.

Inle and Bagan trips gave us unforgetable experiencesssss

A teacher earns 30 bucks a month in Myanmar,and she is considered middle class.With what knowledge of Myanmar you are saying so.It is ridiculous.Even a trishaw driver makes at least 4 bucks a day and he is

considered a poorest man in Myanmar.

I don`t care what bad experiences you had with that tour company.But,please,don`t insult the country and its people.

Hi sweetkaty,

you should not said like this to our country.

Most of the tourists like this country for good services ,beautifull landscape,wounderful monuments and friendly and smilling people.

Mandalay is one of the famous city in southeast asia for their economic and the last kingdom of Myanmar so many intreasting thing to see means colourfull city and famous for its culture and Buddhism teaching centre too.

Yangon is auspirous city for golden stupa and 20 th century buildings,one of the famous city in Myanmar and capital ,too.

Most of the tours from Sanfrancisco are really like this city and they love people ,are sampathatic,kindness to this people not like you.

I%26#39;m sure you have had some mental problem or stress for family,may be you are lonely diease so you looked (- ) view to other people .

So you should not be go to any other places because you are problem lady.

showzo

It may not surprice anyone reading this that sweetkaty doesn%26#39;t like Paris either:

The Hyatt Madeleine reception is one of the rudest - consistently. I needed to be in town and wanted to collect my Hyatt points. Went there 6 years ago, was awful, vowed never to return due to the rudeness of the reception process, the constant banging by the housekeeper (no compassion for jet laggers) that began at 8:30am on forward daily. Returned last week en route back from skiing at Alp D%26#39;Huile and Christine Richard, was the receptionist and told us straight out that we had our rate quoted wrong and there was no upgrade (despite being assured that when we booked the room).

I%26#39;m looking forward to reading who upset her on her recent trip to Tibet... She does get around you know!

Having poked fun at sweetkaty.... I would like to say that getting good hotels with nice people and finding good guides/drivers can most certainly make a whole lot of difference.. as can doing some reading before we make these choices... no point complaining after the vacation is ruined. I don%26#39;t think we should insult the people of Myanmar... on the grounds of us making bad and uninformed decisions.

My experience is more recent, so maybe things have changed. Twice Magado travel has handled my visa on arrival as well as hotel reservations and in- country airlines. My experience was exceptional. They were as courteous and helpful as any agency I have used, by the way I make at least 6 foreign trips a year to Asia or Europe. So please do give Magado a try, they are very good.

All,

I don%26#39;t think that you can say that Sweetkaty is ';insulting Myanmar';. After all, she does encourage us to visit the country at the end of her post. She simply had a bad experience with a travel agency and I appreciate her telling me about it, as it will help me deal with a situation like this if it comes up during my visit.

The great thing about TripAdvisor is that you get both sides of the story: the good and the bad. As users of TripAdvisor, we should not insult each other%26#39;s opinions or belittle each other%26#39;s experiences. We also should try not to take it personally if someone has a bad experience on our home turf (for goodness sakes, I live in Boston, and I have bad experiences all the time! Do I really think that it%26#39;s not the same for a tourist?) I hope that Sweetkaty continues to post her experiences, good and bad, just as we all do.

I have never used Magado Travel, but an Australian friend of mine used them about 2 years ago and was very, very happy with the service.

As for skipping Yangon and Mandalay, that%26#39;s nonsense. The only reason to not go to Mandalay is if you don%26#39;t have many days to spend in Myanmar. For example, if you are only going over for a week or 10 days, then Mandalay should not be a priority. But some parts of the city, and especially the surrounding towns (Mingun, Amarapura, Sagaing, Paleik) are well worth seeing. You need at least 3-4 days to properly see the Mandalay area, otherwise, I don%26#39;t think it%26#39;s worth trying to do a rush tour.

And Yangon is a MUST! It%26#39;s one of the best cities in Asia for just walking the streets and meeting people and absorbing the news sights, sounds ... and smells!

I haved visited to Myanmar with www.myanmartravel.info , It was perfect .Moreover they are a group of tour guides , at the same time they are doing volutarios works helping a lot to the poor who suffered from Nagis Ciclone. Belisima

Security Issue Travelling in Myanmar

Excuse my silly questions if they may be. We are seasoned travellers having been to many developing countries including Peru, Colombia, and middle part of Africa over the past decade.

We are a group of 10 from a local travel club and are considering a trip to Burma next Feburary by ourselves without joining any tour companies. Our itinerary will include visiting 3-4 major tourist cities and also taking bus from Yangon to Mandalay.

1. Hows travel safely in general?

2. I am a retired film director and always carry my video camera wherever I travel(semi-professional model - http://www.dreamcraftmedia.co.uk/default_files/sony%2520vid%2520cam%2520adjusted.jpg). Some other members are professional photographers and intend to bring their higher end cameras. Are these equipment allowed to enter the country? Is there any special permit to obtain from the Burma Embassy here in London (we feel safer if these are ';approved'; prior to departure)? Further more would the immigration confiscate our equipment at the point of entry? We intend to fly via Bangkok.

3. There are serveral travel warning on the current British Foreign Office website. Does normal travel insurance policy cover Burma? Anyone had problem on obtaining proper travel insurance cover?

Security Issue Travelling in Myanmar

We just got back from 2 1/2 weeks and Myanmar and it seems to be the safest country we%26#39;ve visited in years. We carried a large amount of Kyats , dollars and equipment and never worried that it would be stolen. Amazing! Other than internal flight issues it was a great trip. Go before everyone else does.

Security Issue Travelling in Myanmar

1. We believe that for tourists Myanmar is one of safest places in the world to visit.

We have never had the slightest concerns for our selves or our possessions.

You will need an Agency to make some of your local arrangements and there are many recommendations on this forum.

2.Things are much easier with customs now and I do not see you having problems with high value cameras as many travellers take in laptops,ipods,blackberrys etc (although the latter is useless as there is no signal in Myanmar).

I had a query a couple of years ago %26amp; wrote/faxed the London Embassy of Myanmar and they phoned me 24 hours later confirming I would not have a problem taking in an item.

Why not contact them?

When we visit we always declare watches/cameras etc but customs seem very relaxed-they are more concerned with illegal gems being smuggled out without duty being paid, not stuff coming in.

However one warning-do not at any time mention if any of you work for newspapers or are a journalist or you will not get a Visa.

Co. Director is a good catchall.

There have been postings on photography on ThornTree Myanmar forum recently and a recent link on this TA forum has a photographers experience and photos of a recent trip.

http://jmprphotography.com

and another on photos in Burma

www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/thread.jspa…

3.See this link to TT forum on this question- I do not believe that you will have travel insurance exclusions for Myanmar.

www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/thread.jspa…

Last point- I assume that as a ';retired film director';you are not a spring chicken so I would think carefully before taking the overnight bus from Yangon to Mandalay (or even the train).

These are grueling journeys and although Peter Hitchens did it for The Mail on Sunday recently they can be long,uncomfortable and arduous.

If you want river photo opportunities then certainly take the Pandaw boat trip Mandalay/Bagan.

And as far as ';retired film directors'; are concerned the esteemed director (now food critic) Michael Winner is still waxing lyrical about his Burma experience.

Any other queries please message me.

Thank you for the replies. To clarify we intend to hire a mini-bus overland from Yangon to Mandalay as some members concern flight safety while others wish to take good photos along the way. I myself will probably flying to a nice beach resort for a week after Mandalay.

friz4 - you seem did not enjoy your domestic flight journey?

Some concerns from me, you should prearrange some matters in your plan such as air tickets, and hotels (to assure if you have favorite preferences). Domestic flights these days are pretty hard in the last minute. So do some small hotels of deluxe. Professional camera are subject to pay sometimes in some entrances.

Noting to do with the Travel Warning or offend, but those travel warning has been listed for more than a decade for reasons. However it hardly impacts to tourists in Burma. As long as you are a tourist, you are safe.

Been to Burma many times and loved it, returning again end month. If your are planning to hire a mini bus to go to Mandalay: best wishes and good luck on your journey. I myself would never do it. Have flown to Mandalay and Bagan several times, I am always reassured when I hear a British accent on the PA. Even when the Captain is Burmese, I have noted on several occassions that the First Officer is most likely from the UK.

The most fabulous experience of my life was hotair ballonning at Bagan! On the day that I went 6 ballons were inflated in synchronised motion and we floated between the temple spires at dawn. The ballonist was a real pro.We ended up being airbourne for longer than normal - an hour and a half. The ballonists and ballons are from Bath, England and they spend 6 months a year giving rides in Bagan.

Any flight issues I have concerned:

1. difficult to get domestic tickets a short notice

2.filthy departure lounge in Rangoon ( although nicer than Conakrey, Freetown,Bombay etc- ) Bagan and Mandalay were very nice.

3. disorganised baggage checkin procedures i Rangoon ( on par with many 3rd world countries)

4. hoards of touts and harassment at the arrival hall in Rangoon ( not an issue in Mandalay or Bagan).

5. filthy old buses to get you to the planes

As far as the flights were concerned, the a/c (ATR turboprops) appeared to be well maintained, the cabin was clean and there was rubber on the tires. The conduct of the Flight Attendants was professional and of a proper international standard. Liteyears ahead of that bastion of democracy in Asia: The Phillipines.

MartininLondon,

An excellent choice-I suspect that your trip to Burma will be one of your favorite destinations for a ';seasoned traveler'; as yourself.

Travel is safe in Burma-and while I certainly applaud your enthusiasm to travel without a tour group or company, as stated in another reply to your inquiry, arranging for flights can be difficult because the flight schedules seem to be always in a state of flux. It might be a good idea to consult with a tour company prior to your departure.

The drive to Mandaly will take 12-14 hours from Yangon. In Mandalay you must see Mingun (rent a boat exclusively for your group and enjoy the short excursion to this destination); Amarapura; the U Bein Bridge; and Saggaing. Also, you should definitely take an 2-night excursion (drive) from Mandalay to Pyin Oo Lwin (aka Maymo). Once there visit the botanical gardens as well as take a train ride to the Goak Htake bridge-a most memorable endeavour (OK I spelled it the British style for your consumption). Also, Pyin Oo Lwin has a ';British'; history to the town and will offer a cool reprieve from Mandalay.

I know of no restrictions for your camera gear or equipment.

Personally, I have never obtained travel insurance-and I see no reason why a travel insurance company would preclude you from making a claim if you obtained travel insurance through a reputable travel insurance company.

And though I am feeling as though I am rambling, I just wrote a review of a hotel in Ngapali Beach-you mentioned a trip to the beach after Mandalay and no trip to Burma would be complete without a trip to Ngapali Beach! Good Luck!

Does anyone have a good way to carry all the kyats in Myanmar? Is there an organzier that you have found helpful?

As several other messages say, you need have no worries about safety, the Burmese are the most honest people in the world (although I%26#39;m married to one so not unbiased). I agree that taking a bus to Mandalay will be gruelling, the roads are just terrible. I have flown many times on domestic flights without the slightest problem, use Air Mandalay if possible, if not Air Bagan (though this is close to the government). Although it%26#39;s not hard to travel independently, with a group this size you would be ill advised not to use a good travel agent and have a guide. I have found Columbus very efficient and responsive.

**

Columbus Travels

586, Strand Road, lanmadaw Township

Yangon, Myanmar

Tel : + 95 1 229245

Fax : + 95 1 229246

Other e mail : columbus@mptmail.net.mm %26lt;mailto:columbus@mptmail.net.mm%26gt;

Website : www.travelmyanmar.com %26lt;http://www.travelmyanmar.com%26gt;

Taking video in Myanmar can be expensive.Look at the Myanmar Embassy website.They are quoting $US3000.00 totake videos around Bagan.

Have been to myanmar twice now

and will be going back feb 26 for approx 25days

you will have NO trouble with your safety at all

the burmese are totally honest and polite and friendly

whist i can see your point of going it alone and doing your own thing

you are perhaps like myself on our first visit,you think that you can organise it via the internet ,cutting out the travel agent?

we did this and printed various hotels and prices off the net

we turned up at the traders in rangoon clutching aprint out for one night at approx 70 dollars

only to be told 140 dollars!!

and the receptionist would not budge!!

you need to find a travel agent pref one rec on this web site

you will save money!!!

they will do everything for you and no hassle for you

i was lucky to meet such a person on our first trip and he arranged our second visit for us

yes the traders was approx 70 dollars this time!

we had a great trip

flew to mandalay for a few days then on a boat down the irrawaddy to bagan for a few days and then flew to ngapali {maybe the best beach in asia!}

for approx 10 days then back to rangoon

we stayed in fantastic hotels and whenever we moved on he would ring to make sure everythinG was ok

is name is casu and speaks exellent english he has a brother living in canada and i cannot speak too highly of him

the name of the company is

sweetcherry@myanmar.com.mm

if you have any questions please contacy

YOU WILL HAVE AN EXELLENT HOLIDAY

REGARDS TRUEY

Myanmar visa in London

Hi,

I%26#39;m trying to organise my first trip to Myanmar for early May but I%26#39;m having problem to contact the Myanmar Embassy in London. Does anyone can recommend a reliable visa agency here in London?

Also, which beach destination would you recommend for a 2-3 days stop at the end of the tour?

many thanks in advance,

alex

Myanmar visa in London

Hi Alex

Contacting any Burmese embassy either by phone or by mail usually ends up in fruitless results. Just turn up at the embassy in the morning with all your paperwork %26amp; pics %26amp; they should process your visa application within a few days. If London is too far for you to go you can organise a %26#39;pre-arranged visa%26#39; through an agent here, costs a little bit more but people seem to be doing this quite successfully of late.

You have a few options for the beach here on the west coast. Ngapali is the most expensive %26amp; most visited by tourists, airport is nearby %26amp; you usually get a free transfer to your hotel. It has a beautiful beach with resorts scattered up %26amp; down. Do some research if you choose to stay here, there is a previous post on this forum about where to stay, with some arguements for %26amp; against about staying at one particular resort. One thing to remember about flying here is that if you are traveling up country, say to Bagan %26amp; Mandalay, you cannot get a direct flight here, the plane will take you back to Yangon %26amp; then fly to Thandwe, the airport that serves Ngapali.

Chaung Tha which is south of Ngapali is also very beautiful. Mostly used by locals, much cheaper %26amp; much quieter but still a taste of paradise. The food is exellent %26amp; again, you%26#39;ll be paying a fraction of the price you%26#39;ll pay at Ngapali. You%26#39;ll have to get a bus here which can take anything from 5-7hrs, the roads are alot better these days. Personally I love this place.

Ngwe Saung which is the most southerly beach is also a great place, probabaly the second most visited beach get-away for tourists %26amp; expats. Again, you%26#39;ll have to get a bus here, but for this reason it%26#39;s much less visited by tourists than Ngapali but gives for a more local feel. Because of the time of year you%26#39;re coming you%26#39;ll more than likely have the whole beach to yourself. Catch a local boat %26amp; visit some of the other small islands %26amp; do some snorkelling, eat cheap lobster %26amp; relax. Anyone of these places is great.

Have a wonderful trip.

Myanmar visa in London

Myanmar Embassy in London is having building works at the moment which may be causing phone problems.

Don%26#39;t download Visa Application Form from web site as it is out of date.

Phone or send a sae to them asking for Visa Application forms

Embassy Of The Union Of Myanmar

19a Charles St

London, W1J 5DX

020 74994340

Complete them and send off with Postal Order for 拢14 each/passport and they should be returned within 3 days.

I dropped mine off by hand on a Monday and received them back by post on the Tuesday.

You can enter Myanmar on the Visa up to 3 months from date of issue.

All travel agents in UK have Visa Agents.

Beach resorts - most close towards end of May but

see various postings on Ngapali Beach etc.

Any problems pm me.

thanks a lot guys for the very useful tips!

Hi, I just managed to reach the Myanmar embassy in London by phone (020 7499 4340) and they told me I can just come in person with my passport, two photos and 14 pounds in cash; I can complete the application form in the embassy. They are open from 10 am to 1 pm (19A Charles st, near the Green Park tube). It takes 3 working days to process the visa.

Sorry, I didn%26#39;t enquire about applying by post as I live in London. Hope this will be helpful,

Maria

First Class Hotels

Which hotels would you recommend in:

Yangon

Bagan

Nagpali

Mandalay

If you would look for the best hotel in town?

Thanks

Hesse

First Class Hotels

What is your price range? Is it single or double occupancy? Would you like breakfast included?

First Class Hotels

Yangon.. The governor%26#39;s residence, www.pansea.com

Bagan and Ngapali .. Aureum Palace .. www.aureumpalacehotel.com

Mandalay.. Sedona Hotel Mandalay.. www.sedonamyanmar.com

Inle .. Inle Princess ,www.inleprincessresort.com