Passports and Visas
A visa is required for all visitors to Burma. Please make sure your passport is valid for a minimum of 6 months beyond the duration of stay in Burma. Regulations are changing quickly, but at the moment the easiest method for those flying in is to obtain an e-visa for USD $50. The e-visa will be for a single-entry to international airports only (no land borders) and is valid for 28 days after entering the country. Apply online for the visa
here and it takes one week to process (have a scanned copy of the first page of your passport and a digital photo ready). The approval letter must be printed as it will be needed to board international flights and needs to be submitted to immigration upon arrival. For those crossing at a land border (Bangkok to Yangon and Burma Road tours) you must go to your nearest Myanmar embassy to obtain a visa in advance. A list of embassies abroad is available
here. Please
click here for more information on visa requirements.
Health
Recommended vaccinations include typhoid, polio, tetanus and Hepatitis A. A certificate for Yellow Fever is required if arriving from an infected area within the prior six days. Some areas of Burma may be considered malarial areas. Please check with your doctor prior to departure for the most recent information.
Weather
Myanmar has a tropical climate with fairly high humidity. There are three seasons: from March to June it is hot and dry, with temperatures between 27 and 40˚C, and with night temperatures in the 20s. The rainy season is from July to September, but temperatures are slightly lower, because of the effect of the rain. The cooler season (particularly in the mountains) is from September to February, with average temperatures between 20 and 30˚C. It will be much cooler at night in the hills in Shan state, where we spend 2 nights, and adequate cold weather clothing – gloves, hats, jacket – is advised.
Food
Meals are included as per the itinerary where B = breakfast, L = lunch, D = dinner. Most meals are local dishes and feature noodles, rice, curries and soups. Any special dietary requirements can also be catered for as well. Please let us know at the time of booking.
Drink
Keeping you completely hydrated is a job we take very seriously. Cold water, some energy-restoring local fruit and soft drinks are included in the tour price. Beer is freely available everywhere, but is NOT included in the price.
Solo Travelers
SpiceRoads does not require you to pay a surcharge for travelling alone. We will arrange for you to share accommodation with another traveller of the same gender and if we can not match you up we will provide a single room at no extra charge. If you prefer not to share a single supplement is payable to guarantee your own room. The cost of the single supplement is listed above.
Extra Expenses
We recommend that you tuck away a few extra dollars, perhaps US$10, for incidentals. It is customary to tip local tour guides and drivers, however, the amount you give should be dependent on the level of service you receive. As a general guide we suggest US$ 3-4 per person per day is appropriate.
Money
Burma’s everyday currency is the kyat. The kyat is used to cover buying small items, bottle of water or a snack, while dollars are used for everything else and the euro is also increasingly being accepted. The exchange rate in Yangon is generally better than upcountry and the larger the bill, the better the rate (ie- 100 USD notes receive 2% more kyat compared to 50 USD notes). Bring only newly issued USD currency (meaning the ones with the large off-centered portraits) without any tears or holes and avoid serial numbers beginning with CB. There have been widespread rumors that CB series notes are counterfeit. ATMs from CB Bank and KBZ Bank are available in Yangon and Mandalay. There is a 5000 kyat service fee and the maximum withdrawal is 300,000 kyats. Credit cards are only accepted in some upscale restaurants and some hotels do accept credit cards (surcharge of 3-8%) but it is not recommended to rely on this service as the Internet often shuts down during the day making payment by card impossible. Travelers Checks currently CANNOT be used or exchanged in Myanmar.
Our third SpiceRoads Trip and it was excellent. Friendly, helpful, knowledgeable guides and great support team.