General Information....

Geography of Myanmar is the largest country in South-east Asian Peninsula, sharing borders with Thailand, Laos, China, India, and Bangladesh. Myanmar was formerly called Burma. It is located in southeast Asia. Its neighbouring countries are Thailand , Laos in the east, China in the north and Bangladesh ,India in the west. It has high mountain ranges, plateaus, huge deltas ,central plains, rivers and the seas. It has four typical rivers which are Ayeyarwady River,Thanlwin River, Chindwin River and Sittoung River. Ayeyarwady is the largest river flows north to south. Myanmar has an area of 675,000sq km.It has a length of 1920 kilometres and a width of 905 kilometres. The highest mountain is located in the north ,connected with the ranges of the Himalayas , Hkakabo Razi which is 5881 metres.

Climate

Myanmar has tropical climate with three seasons: the hot season is from mid-February to mid-May; the rainy season is from mid-May to mid-October and cold season is from mid-October to mid-February.

People

Myanmar is a union of many nationalities: speaking over one hundred languages and dialects. The term "Myanmar" embraces all nationalities.

Language

The official language is Burmese. But there are many different ethnic groups in their owned individual languages.
About 100 languages are spoken over the country. English language is widely used as a second language.

Religion

Over 80% of the Myanmar are Buddhists. There are also Christians, Muslims, Hindus, and even some animists. However, there is full freedom of worship for other religions. Christian missionaries have been active in Myanmar for over 150 years. Among them, American Baptists were first on the scene.

Currency

Kyat is Myanmar currency. One US $ is equivalent to two kinds of exchange rate which are official rate and ordinary market rate. In official exchange rate ,one US $ is equals to 6.5 Kyats which is mostly used in official commercial transaction and in ordinary market rate it is about 1200 Kyats for one US $ which is widely used in daily life.
There is another Foreign Exchange Currency (FEC) which is equivalent to US$.FEC has also common market value as US$ has about 1100 Kyats.One FEC is equal to oneUS$. Dollar notes ,FEC notes and Kyat notes are mostly used common currency all over the country.It is rather recommended to use notes than international credit cards and traveler Cheques because are not widely used in the most of the cities.
International credit cards and Traveller Cheques are not accepted in most of the cities. International Hotels and famous restaurants in big cities and resorts accept credit namely Master, Visa, JCB, Dinner Clubs and American Express.

History

Myanmar history dates back to the early 11th Century when King Anaw-ra-hta unified the country and founded the First Myanmar Empire in Bagan. The second Myanmar Empire was founded in mid 16th Century by King Ba-yin-naung. King Alaung-pa-ya founded the last Myanmar Dynasty in 1752 and it was during the zenith of this empire that the British moved into Myanmar. Like India, Myanmar became a British colony but only after three Anglo-Myanmar wars in 1825, 1852 and 1885. During the Second World War, Myanmar was occupied by Japanese from 1942 till the return of the Allied Forces in 1945.
Myanmar has become a sovereign independent State since 4th January 1948, after 62 years under the colonial administration. Myanmar as 58th member state of United Nations.

Myanmar Flag

Population

The population of Myanmar is at present over 52 millions and average house hold size is estimated at 3 or 4 people. The literacy rate stood at 93.3% according to 2004 figures.
A majority of 60% is of ethnic Burmese origin while 40% includes other ethnic Kachin, Kayah, Chin, Shan, Karen, Mon and Rakhine.
Electricity
220 volts, 50 cycles. Failure of electricity is frequent in Myanmar and most of the hotels has owned generators to fulfil the electricity.

Time

Myanmar time is 06:30 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time.

Business Hours

Government Offices : 09:30 - 16:30 hrs.
Bank : 09:30 - 15:30 hrs.

Passport and Visa

Visitors to Myanmar must have a valid passport and obtain 28 days Tourist visa from a Myanmar embassy or diplomatic mission abroad.
Arrival Visa

Health Requirement

No vaccinations are officially required for a visit to Myanmar but Malaria prophylaxis is strongly recommended ,if travelling to remote areas, travellers should check with their doctor or travel immunization clinic regarding the advisability of inoculation against Typhoid, Hepatitis, Tetanus and Japanese encephalitis.

Airport Tax

Departure tax for international flights is US $10 per person. No departure tax for domestic flights.

General Advice on Travelling in Myanmar:

Like to suggest not to drink tap water or unpurified water, purified bottled water is available in most of the shop.

Use an insect repellent against mosquitos, especially in upcountry and forested areas. A hat and high-factor block cream is adviseable as protection against the hot tropical sun when sightseeing.

Casual and light clothing is required, preferably natural fibres, year-round, but a sweater or jacket may be useful in hill areas, particularly during winter months, when evenings can be quite cool. A windproof jacket is essential when touring Inle Lake November to February. An umbrella or raincoat is essential if visiting during the monsoon months (May-September).

Travellers should take adequate suppliers of any prescription medicines they may need, as
supplies may not be available locally. A spare pair of eye glasses, if worn, is also adviseable, Useful, too, is a flash light, for exploring caves or details of temple interiors which are often not properly illuminated.
Aims Travelers are adviced comprehensive international accident insurance, but extra personal insurance is recommended in case of illness, or situations where medical evacuation by air is required, as Myanmar hospitals are generally not up to international, Western, standards.

Take plenty of film, as locally available supplies are not always reliable. Photography in airports, railway stations and near any military installation is forbidden. Please use discretion when photographing people, especially with tribal people, who may have superstitions against this. For close-up shots always ask first.

Visitors are required to dress decently within the precincts of religious buildings. Ladies should not wear shorts or bra-less T-shirts in such places. Shoes and socks/stockings must always be removed at pagodas and monasteries. Shoulders and knees should be covered. Disregard of these rules causes serious cultural and religious offence to the devout Myanmar people. Visitors are advised to ignore touts who may approach them to exchange foreign currency, or to sell gems of dubious quality. Such offers, although apparantly attractive, are breaking strict laws.

Begging is not widespread in Myanmar and visitors are requested not be encourage development of this practice by giving money, sweets etc. to children. If travellers wish to contribute to, say, a village community, gifts should be directed to the local school teacher or headman. Contributions can also be arranged to recognised local charities.

National Holidays & Festivals

On certain holidays or festivals ( especially during Water Festival), tours cannot be conducted exactly as planned.
Changes of sightseeing programmes may change .

Domestic Travel:

Domestic air services have improved greatly over recent years, but public train, ferryboat and bus services are still generally unreliable and uncomfortable. Travel guests will travel usually by reliable flights and by air-conditioned car or bus. In remote areas, however, air-conditioned vehicles may not always be available and travellers should be advised that the quality of roads varies throughout Myanmar. Due to road conditions, long distance over-land travel generally takes longer than the traveller might expect. Baggage allowance on domestic flights is limited to 20kg. Excess luggage can be kept in Yangon hotels until return from upcountry.

Restricted Areas:

Most areas of Myanmar are now open for foreign visitors. Access to some remote or border areas however, is still subject to government or military permission. In such situations, traveller agent will obtain the necessary permits, based on clients' booking forms.

Hotels:

Accommodations in Myanmar still vary widely in quality and, during high seasons, availability. Travellers will generally receive hotel reservations priority, but Aims cannot guarantee specific hotel requests upcountry and reserves the right to substitute accommodation of the best available alternative standard when a first-choice hotel is not available. travellers are advised that accommodations, especially in upcountry or remote locations, may not always be up to international standards.

Tipping:

Not necessarily to give tips but pleased to get the tips at your convenience.
Local Time:
GMT + 6 1/2 hours.

Foods in Myanmar:

Burmese cuisine uses rice or noodles as staple dishes, usually served with a variety of side dishes: curries with meat or fish, vegetables, salads , soups etc. Curries tend to be less chilli-hot than Thai styles. Chinese, Thai and Indian restaurants are also found in major cities, but European cuisine is mostly confined to major hotels.
In order to give travellers a true feeling for the country and its diverse regional variations, we will feature interesting local restaurants whenever possible in its itineraries. In some country areas, dining opportunities are still very limited. Travellers are advised against eating from street or market stalls.

Sightseeing in a best way:

Major sightseeing highlights of Myanmar include a huge variety of religious and historic monuments; a rich cultural and artistic heritage; museums and beautiful scenery. Such key elements are naturally included in sightseeing tour itineraries, but travellers are Travel also seeks out the less obvious attractions- interesting local markets, festivals, wherever these coincide with travel plans, traditional handicrafts and industries, plus the opportunity to meet local people in their own environments, even their own homes. Also included are opportunities to try regional cuisine and to see typical or traditional forms of entertainment.
Travel includes such extra dimensions to make any visit to Myanmar a richer, more rewarding and more memorable experience.

Souvenirs:

Best buys include lacquer wares, silver, wood and stone carvings, hand-woven silks and cottons, gems, tapestries, traditional puppets and tribal handicrafts.

Jewellery is generally not up to international standards for design and workmanship and buyers should check the 'gold' is not, in fact, gilded silver. all gem and jewellery purchases should be made through a government authorised dealer, who must issue an official receipt, which is required for export of such items.

Bargaining is essential for all souvenir shopping , if travellers are to obtain reasonable prices. The range of price reductions possible is up to 50 percent.

Books on Myanmar:

Mostly books on Myanmar are available in gift shops at big hotels but there are also book houses specialized in books on Myanmar. Various rare old books are also available. Be sure to get enough time for books looking for. Famous book house click here.....