It is true that it is easier than before to organise by yourself your holidays in Myanmar, if you have time (in Myanmar and at home), and if you stay on the main place.
But even if it is easier, you may have a lot of surprises....
At Ananda travel, we have been personnaly travelling with our own car in Myanmar since 20 years. All the activities, program, excursion, trek etc... have been tested by us. We know the hotels, their location, why they can fit your request or not, we know the place to go, to avoid and many more things you will not find on internet.

You may be surprised but working with a local travel agent such as Ananda travel is most of the times cheaper than doing everything yourself (+ our advices, time etc..) For instance, we are very often cheaper than the famous hotels reservation website (to be honnest, we are more expensive if you travel as a backpacker..)

IF you organize your trip with us, it will be your trip, but you will be relax and focus on enjoying your holiday.

Even if you plan to organize yourself, feel free to ask us a quote, you will be surprised by the quality of our services and prices.

Yes. You must get a visa to come to Myanmar. The best and cheapest option is too request your visa on the government website : evisa.moip.gov.mm
Be aware that is website is the

only official website

to get your e-visa for Myanmar.
You will find on internet a lot of web site where you can request a visa for Myanmar. They are all private website (even if they write GOV in their name), they are all expensives compare to the official one. Just be careful.

Yes.

We accept payment with Visa and MasterCard for our bookings and services in Myanmar. Payment must be done on line, via our web site. As our payment procedure is 3D Secure certified (highest security), you will need to receive by SMS a security code from your bank in your mobile phone to proceed with the payment.
So if you want to use your credit card while you are in Myanmar and with Ananda travel, you need to be sure that you can receive the message from your bank in Myanmar. Otherwise, it is better to proceed with your booking and payment on line, from your own country, before arriving in Myanmar.

No, this is not possible .

It is possible and more common that in the past (impossible few years ago). Keep in mind that at today (2018), it is only possible in hotels, big souvenir shop, jewelry shops... in main cities or in tourist places. Outside big cities, villages etc... It is usually not possible.

Yes, You can find ATM almost everywhere in the main central area, lac Inle area, Hap An Moulmein, Dawei ... It is really now quite easy. You can withdraw 300 000 kyats (+- 250 USD) per transaction. It seems that the bank fees to withdraw in Myanmar are high and it does not always work properly (info April-2016)

Yes, you can use Western Union. It is the only option. You cannot transfer money via a bank.

Important: Ananda Travel never request payment by Western Union or Monney Gram or any non-traceable mean of payment. We accept only credit card payment online on our website, cash upon arrival or bank transfer (TT) to our office in Singapore.

Yes, there is no problem or limit.

 

You will have to fill a form requesting you to declare any amount above 2000 USD. This is only if you are planning to carry back in your country more than 2000 USD per person. This form is mainly for Myanmar people.

It is now in 2018 very easy to change Euro or USD in local currency (Kyat). No need any more to do it in the street (no more black market).
Money changer at the airport have excellent rates. We recommend that you change money upon arrival. If needed (late/early arrival), we can prepare change for you and we will give you at the airport when we pick you up.

Very important :

Your note USD or EURO must be perfect, pristine, brand new, without any pen mark, tiny hotel, etc... We know it is difficult to get perfect note, especially for people living in USD. But you must get perfect note otherwise you will not be able to pay or make change.

We accept as mean of payment only:

- bank transfert TT at our bank in Singapore (UOB bank), in Euro or USD
- credit card payment, via our website, and UOB portal.
- in cash, at our office and you will received a signed receipt and an invoice from us.

We

absolutely never

request bank transfer outside Singapore or to another bank than UOB Singapore, we never request cash payment send by Western Union or alike.

No, you have to buy your ticket to come in Myanmar yourself.
Nevertheless, we can sell you an international ticket from Myanmar to another country (outbound).

Send us an email or use a form to contact us from our mobile website(Here), or from our main desktop website (more detailled): Here.
If you send us an email, please give us as much detail as possible, so we can really tailor made the program to your request (how many people, when you will come, how long, what you like or dislike to do...)

No, to guaranty your bookings, we need to make deposit to hotels, issue your plane tickets etc.... So we need to receive your down payment before your arrival.

Currently, the best solutions are :

- On line request on the Myanmar government website (E-visa)
- In a Myanmar embassy.

There is a procedure called "Visa on arrival", either for business visa (quite simple) or for tourist.
For tourist, this visa on arrival procedure is only if you do not have a Myanmar embassy in your country and if you do not belongs to the 100 nationalities that can apply online. Be careful, visa on arrival procedure is long, you need to take care of it before your arrival (with the help of a local travel agency).

Currently, the best solutions are :

- On line request on the Myanmar government website (E-visa)
- In a Myanmar embassy.

You can also get your visa on arrival BUT you must be sure that you have all the documents requested by the Immigration. If you do not have the correct documents, you will have to immediately fly back.

We strongly recommend that you take a travel insurance that covert your expenses if you cancel your trip while you are in Myanmar and before coming in Myanmar. Every year, we have very unfortunate tourists who have to cancel their trip at the last minute.
If they have the proper travel insurance, they will be refund for their plane ticket and for their payment to a local travel agent such as Ananda travel.

You must have one and a good one which will cover your expenses if you need to be evacuated to another country.
Health care system in Myanmar is bad (understatement). You need an health insurance.
More information : Here

Tourists are not authorized to drive a car in Myanmar.
You may drive your own car if you are crossing the country, but this is another procedure.

This is a very serious subject and not a funny one.
Put it simply, you are allowed to rent a motorbike and drive a motorbike in Myanmar (even if it is easy to rent one).
In case of accident, you can be sure that your travel insurance is aware of that and your travel insurance will NOT PAY for any medical cost, medical evacuation, anything related to an injury because you were driving a motorbike.

It will all from your pocket, whateever the seriouness of your injury. No fun at all.
More information : Here
So just do not drive a motorbike in Myanmar.

Since 2011, WHO does not recommend any more for tourist travelling in the main central area to take medicine to prevent malaria?
If you are planning to go in Sagaing, near Myanmar Thai border (bad idea anyway), you will have to take pills, especially in rainy season.
Generally speaking, you should protect yourself from mosquito bites, you have a better chance to get a dengue fever (common in Myanmar) than malaria.

There is no problem to carry camera, computer, phone etc... to enter in Myanmar.

Drones are not authorized.

If you have professional video camera (that really looks like professional) and if you do not have a journalist visa, you may have some difficulties.

Yes, the country is opening very quickly and it is very probable that your own mobile will work in Myanmar (if you have the correct international roaming package).

Otherwise, it is very easy to buy a Sim card (Gsm) at the airport. Cost is less than one USD.

More and more hotels have now a Wi-Fi connection, especially in the new hotels. Wi-Fi speed is usually quite slow, except in Yangon or Nay Pyi Taw in good 4 stars hotel.

Mobile phone connection using 3G or 4G is very often better than Wi-Fi in the hotels (more information: Here)

Anyway, outside the main city, Internet is very slow and in the countryside, Chin hills, Sagaing region.. You will probably not have any internet connection.

Security is so far good (2018), local airlines have mostly new planes.
Anyway, plane schedules are often modified and plane are often in advance or late.

 

During rainy season, plane can be delay quite a lot because of weather, so it is always better to organize your program to deal with a possible plane delay. We always do for our customers.

Be careful that there is no connection between every city and/or sometimes you may have only one plane per day or every two days.... check in advance with us.

Funny, but slow, very slow, very often late (especially during the rainy season), not very reliable...

Very cheap, even more cheap if you use night bus (not need to pay for a hotel room)
Buses are almost going everywhere and it is THE favorite mean of transportation for Myanmar people, so some lines could be very busy or sold out quite easily if you buy your ticket at the last minutes.
Outside the main connection between most famous cities, buses do not have air con, could be very slow and uncomfortable.

Renting a car is still the best way to travel and very often the most expensive (if you are alone), if your 3 or 4 people, it is cheaper than flying.
Roads are much better than few years ago, but it is still a long drive between the main cities and /or during rainy season.

To avoid unpleasant surprise, we recommend you to book your car with a local travel agent such as Ananda travel which knows the driver, will pay for any problem with the car, and can control the driver.

Until 2015, all hotels at Ngapali and Ngwe saung beaches were closed for the rainy season.
Now (2018) you can find some hotels open with a minimal service. They do that mainly to make some money instead of fully closing the hotel.
Anyway, it is quite a bad idea to go to Ngapali or to the beach during the rainy season. It rains 6 meters in 5 month, you will be under heavy rains, planes will be late or cancelled for hours or days because of weather.....

Heavy rain, no cruise (they all stop), huge storm or even cyclone.
Bad idea.