top of page
Myanmar  FAQ
FAQ
 
Q - What is a ready-made tour?
A - Ready made tours are the tour packages (from 5 days to 17 days) we offer in this web site.

 
Q - What is a tailor made tour?
A - Tailor made tours are designed according to your requirements.

 
Q - What do you mean by customized service?
A - Customized service includes personal email correspondence.

 
Q - What kind of meals are available during my trip?
A - Our prices are based on bed and breakfast. Many hotels provide buffet breakfast (including eggs) and budget hotels serve continental breakfast, such as tea or coffee, toast, butter, jam, juice or fruits, and sometimes with eggs.

 
PLEASE NOTE: Sometimes guesthouses and budget hotels prepare the breakfast 2 hours BEFORE you get it! The night before make sure to tell the staff Not to do your breakfast unless you sit at your breakfast table!!
There are also Sino-Burmese restaurants, typical Burmese, Shan food at Inle Lake area, European, Italian and Indian dishes available during your trip. Just ask your guide!

 
Q - How can I get a visa?
A - You can order online.

 
Q - Do I get picked up at the airport upon arrival?
A - Please have a look in the 'service included' in our offer where it is stated what kind of guide you have are !

 
Q - How do I recognize the tour guide?
A - Our tour guide has a signboard with our two elephant logo novice showing your name.

 
Q - What is YGN, MDL, BGN,HHO?
A - Yangon, Mandalay, Bagan, Heho

 
Q - What is your Cancellation Policy?
A - Please have a look in our offer we send you. Cancellation fees as well as deposit fees depend on seasons and hotels.
 
Q - How can I cover my expenses in case of cancellation?
A - Please apply for travel insurance in your country. We will send you the booking confirmation and date              required by the insurance company.

Q - Can we order an extra bed in the hotel room?
A - Yes, you can in most of the hotels and depending on the room size.

Q - Do you have child policy?
A - Yes, we do.
 
Q - What is a guide 'throughout' and a 'station' guide?
A - A guide throughout accompanies you throughout the tour. A station guide is located in each city. We do not have as many good station guides as we have 'throughout' guides. Nowadays the experienced 'throughout guides' are often booked out months  before the start of their trips...
 
Q - What if the guide or car is not there??? (actually does not happen, but clients ask...)
A - Our hotline number: 0095-9- 73259401... pls call. Our address: No.27, (27) Quarter, Shwe Pin Lon Part (4), North Dagon Myothit, Yangon, Myanmar - Myanmar Travel)
 
Q - How credit cards work out in Myanmar?
A - As a result of the 'opening' of Myanmar, you can use the credit card. There are ATM machines in Yangon and Mandalay, but still cash is king. Euro is well liked and has a better rate than the USD.
 
Q - How about Phone/Internet in Myanmar?
A - Whenever making phone calls from Myanmar it is important to ask for the price first - at some hotels the tariff might be double the official rate. Theorically, you make an IDD everywhere in Myanmar. Practically it is very difficult from Inle and Bagan, but you will be able to make IDD calls from almost all the hotels without any problem in Mandalay and Yangon.
 
Phones
still not Western standard. Whatever your telecom company is…  it will not work in Myanmar except if your telephone accepts CDMA standard. In that case you can rent a Cdma Sim card.In any case, there is absolutely no roaming and not having access to your normal phone company.
* you can rent a sim card from a desk at Yangon airport. Quite simple and quick - costs US$ 2 per day which they deduct from a US$ 100 deposit when you surrender the card.
 
E-mail
* Currently, the situation is far better than few years ago and it is very easy to find in the main cities a cyber cafe.* There is cyber cafe in a lot of cities in Myanmar, even sometimes in the small city like Taungoo, Bagan, Monywa, Taungyi etc...* The connection is usually far better (and cheaper) in a cyber cafe than in the business center of your hotel (except if there is free wifi).
 
Wifi access
* Things are changing fast and now a lot of hotels have WIfi access , usually free of charge and often in the lobby. You can bring your laptop/I-pad. It is often slow… but better than nothing
 
Q - The famous question: TIPPING
A - Tipping is a very personal thing and attitudes and amounts vary considerably between countries, and even nationalities. Please note that many of the better hotels, and certainly the Irrawaddy cruise ships, now have a note on your arrival suggesting that tips be left in an envelope in the Gratuities Box at reception with the option of mentioning staff who have given exceptional service.
 
* Group tours may include all tips, but the guide may expect extra, but certainly not on the scale that he would receive from a private   tour. His tip, and that of the coach drivers would normally be by way of a group envelope system.
 
* In the main tourist areas the tip expectations of the local Burmese is as follows but please do note that in some rural areas where tipping is not the norm, a generous tip could cause some embarrassment to the recipient.
 
a) Restaurants and bars-small change from the bill up to 1000 MMK 
 
b) Room cleaning/housekeeping - U$1,- per room per night
 
c) Airport porter fees - 1000 MMK per luggage
 
c) Hotel porter -1000 MMK on luggage delivery, and on departure.
 
e) Private Guide - US$ 5 and up to….ifexceptional, per day
 
f) Driver half amount of the guides -  It is not normal, or expected, for taxi drivers to be tipped !
 
Q - What is the status of Malaria?
A - Malaria was wiped out in Yangon, Bagan, Mandalay and Inle lake areas since several decades ago.The areas in far eastern regions near the China and Thailand borders, north and western mountain ranges are considered as Malaria areas. We do recommend the mosquito repellent JAICO ( Belgium product) which looks like a deodorant roller.
 
Q - What are useful gifts for local people?
A - It would be better in remote areas to offer things like writing books, pens, pencils for school children and some simple t-shirts for all ages, malaria medication etc.
 
Q - Why should I have to take off my shoes and socks in religious compounds?
A - It is a tradition and all local people take off their foot wear in religious compounds. It is a sense of respect for cleanness and purification for those dwelling the shrines and not because of Buddha teachings.This is a strong tradition in Buddhist pagodas and temples; however, some Buddhist monasteries allow wearing shoes in monastic compound and some do not.
 
Q - Any travel warning for Myanmar?
A - No.
bottom of page