BootsnAll Travel Community

hey does anyone have any advice on myanmar? i was thinking about heading there in october sometime as my grandfather was burried there and thought i might pay some respect to him. can anyone offer advice of visa requirements and whats its like to travel outside of the main cities at the moment. i think the cemetary is down near the thai border which ive heard isnt too great either. i have contacted my embassy and am just waiting on their reply.
thanks

Hi there..It's very nice to hear that someone is feeling positive about going to Burma, with all the negative press lately, it's people are suffering alot through the lack of tourism. You'll have no problems travelling around, buses and boats are plenty although the planes to Mandalay & Inle lake have been cut back due to the lack of people going there.
The cemetary you are talking about is kept in good order & recieves about 500 visitors a year on the last count, I'll certainly be going there to pay my respects, it takes a little time to get there but it's worth it.
The Burmese people there are desperate for tourists, you'll be extremely well recieved. In my mind Burma is the safest country in SE Asia & for those who skip it out of their itinary really are missing out on one of the gems of the world.
I'm leaving for Burma tonight so if you fancy a beer on your arrival, drop me a line, I'll be there for a few years.
All the best.

I would go to Burma in a heartbeat. I was there almost exactly a year ago and list it among top travel destinations. Though lots has happened in a year - the people that we met while there will still be as welcoming and friendly as ever I'm sure.

The Burmese people went out of their way to help us out when I was there; I can only imagine that the sense of hospitality and eagerness to show tourists around is still the same!

As long as you can secure your visa - GO FOR IT!

Thanks for the recomendations!! I might have to take you up on that beer too McBurmish. Im flying into the Uk in a month or so and im tryng to figure out how long its gonna take to get a visa from the embassy there - I emailed but dont expect an immediate reply.

Glad to hear Im not the only one who wants to honour those that died for us and more so to hear that i can still get down there - i think its 65k east of a place called mounlien..but ill have to check that again. its the thuryzsumthing...cemetary...again something i need to check again.

well if you have any ideas for what i should put on the agenda for a week (the only time i think i can really use) other than the cemetary, then im open to ideas.thanks again

Sorry for the late reply, I havn't managed to get to a pc for a while. Yangon certainly keeps you busy,it's a great city full of very wonderful people. I caught a taxi today picking my daughter up from school & then the guy gave me tour of the city for an hour & didn't want paying, I gave him $6, which is quite possibly a days wage for him, this random act of kindness is not a one off here.
I dont have anytime to write more but please msg me soon with your mail & I'll get back to you.

cheers again mate - ill msg you soon...

i do have another problem - well two actually. first one is i still cant find out about visas even tho ive emailed the burmese embassy in London (and also the aussie one in Myanmar). anyone know how long it will take to get one if im in eithe london or berlin (where ill be spending some time also)? the other prob is getting out of there. i cant find any flights out of myanmar and was thinking i would bus/train it to thailand - if possible - and leave from bangkok? does that sound fessible?

thanks

It has been a few years since I was there, but I'd recommend just going to Bangkok and applying for the visa there. Then you can take a flight from Bangkok to Yangon.

Myanmar is great and definitely worth visiting.

The best way to get a visa in the uk is to go to the Burmese embassy in person & enquire about getting it there or to make a phone call. If you want to get a visa in Bangkok it usually takes about 3days & costs roughly about $30 I think, I could be wrong. I think maybe you can get an express service at at the Burmese embassy in Bangkok, you pay abit more money & you can get it on the same day, but I suggest you ring before relying on this service.
Im afraid leaving Burma by train or bus is not possible without permits which take a couple of months to process. Flying with air asia is the cheapest option from Yangon airport. You can only leave Burma from yangon.
Hope this helps. If you need anymre infomation or if I can be of anymore help, please drop me a line.
All the best.