Travel Tips


PASSPORT & VISA
Passport
Visitors must have a valid passport with 6 month validity from the date of entry into Myanmar.

Entry Visa for Tourist (EVT) to enter Myanmar
EVT can be obtained at any Myanmar Embassy or Consulate offices with validity for 28 days and extendable if necessary. Application forms in duplicate with three-passport six photos are to be submitted with a fee of US$ 20 in their respective currency.

Online E-Visa for 100 Countries
Tourist can apply Online E-visa for visit in Myanmar for arriving to Naypyitaw, Yangon and Mandalay international airport. Please visit the E-visa website at http://evisa.moip.gov.mm and fill in an online application form, and can directly pay the visa fee of USD 50.00 with credit card online.Once the application has been approved (which will only take up to 3 working days), your clients will receive an approval letter by email. All they need to do then is to print the letter and present it at immigration with their passport. The approval letter is valid for 90 days, and once the passport is stamped at the border, tourists can stay in Myanmar for up to 28 days.Ordinary passport holders from the following countries are giving visa exemption for 14 days-

  1. Brunei
  2. Cambodia
  3. Indonesia
  4. Laos
  5. Philippines
  6. Vietnam
  7. Thailand
  8. Singapore (30 Days)

TRAVEL INSURANCE
It is advisable to have comprehensive travel and medical insurance. It should include emergency air evacuation in case of serious medical condition. Make sure the policy covers all activates you will participate in.

CURRENCY & EXCHANGE
The local currency is called “Kyat”. Current denominations in use are 50 Kyat, 100 Kyat, 200 Kyat, 500 Kyat, 1000 Kyat, 5000 Kyat & 10000 Kyat. Tourists are not allowed to bring Myanmar currency to abroad. The current rate of exchange is approximately Kyats 1000 to USD 1 (as at Jan 2015). You can exchange foreign currency at the international airport in Yangon or at money changer counters in the down town area. Please note that only currency in perfect condition will be accepted throughout Myanmar. Notes will torn off corners, rips or scrawls are not accepted. Currently travellers’ cheques are not accepted.

CREDIT CARD
Credit cards are now accepted at bigger hotels or restaurants. However do not take it for granted that you can pay everywhere by credit cards. We therefore recommend you to bring enough cash in USD currency to cover most of your personal expense during your trip.

ATM
In Myanmar, Master Card, Visa Card, JCP & Union Pay are available on the CB Bank’s ATMs and there will be 5000 Kyats (=USD 5.00) fee for each transaction and you can withdraw money for maximum 300,000 Kyats (=USD 300.00) and they allow 3 time transaction only for a day. And another palace are still difficult to use and if can accept, they will charge high commission rate between seven to ten per cent.

TAX DUTY
Expensive jewelry, cameras and electronic equipment in your possession must be declared at the arrival tax duty counter. When traveling in Myanmar, receipts of jewelry, sculptures and antiques bought from authorized dealers must be with you and when asked by authorities concerned you must be able to produce them. Antique artifacts are not allowed to be taken abroad.

DUTY FREE GOODS
An individual tourist is allowed to have two bottles of liquor, two cartons of cigarettes or one hundred cigars and a half-liter of perfume. Duty Free shops are open at arrival and departure lounges at the Yangon International Airport and items can be bought at reasonable prices.

WORKING HOURS
Office hours for government departments are from 09:30 hrs to 16:00 hrs whilst for private companies, from 09:00 hr to 17:00 hr. Saturdays and Sundays are holidays, but for some companies, Saturday is only a half-day holiday. All offices are closed on Sundays.

CLIMATE
Myanmar has a tropical climate with three distinct seasons, the cool season-October through February, with average temperatures of between 20-24’C. The hot season-March through May with average temperatures of between 30-35’C. The rainy season-June through September with average temperature between 25-30’C. Yangon normally receives early morning and afternoon showers while rainfall in Bagan and Mandalay is very low. The weather around Inlay Lake and Shan State is quite pleasant all year round, but cold at night from December to February. Myanmar can be visited all year round.

CLOTHING
Light and enveloping clothes are suitable for the country’s climate. In the chilly regions of northern Myanmar such as Inlay, Kalaw, Pindaya, Kyaingtong, PyinOoLwin and Lashio, sweaters and jerkins are preferable. In visiting pagodas, shrines and religious places it would look respectable to the religion if you abstain from wearing short

LANGUAGE
There are approximately a hundred languages spoken in Myanmar with 65% of the populace speaking the official language called Myanmar. Languages spoken by ethnic minorities represent five language families: Sino-Tibetan, Austro-Asiatic, Tai–Kadai, Indo-European, and Austronesian, as well as an incipient national standard for sign language. In areas where tourist are travelling through, the English language is widely spoken and well understood, in particular by the elder population.
Precious Holiday Travels & Tours has also made available to the clients the services of experienced senior guides, who fluently speak English, Thailand, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Chinese, Korean and Russian Languages.

RELIGION
The main religions of the country are Buddhism (89%), Christianity (5%), Islam (3%), Hinduism (1%), Spiritualism (2%). Religious intolerance or discrimination on grounds of religion is nonexistent in the Union of Myanmar throughout its long histroy. Some Myanmar’s culture along with an observance of animism, or the worship of ancestors (nat). In the culture, there are many festivals and celebrations held that correlate with nat. Myanmar hospitality is legendary.

MOBILE PHONES
GSM mobile phones with 2G, 3G network are able to use here and some of foreign mobile phones are not able to be used in this country yet. Local Sim Card for MPT, Telenor & Ooredoo with data plan for both international and domestic call can buy easily in the airport counters or downtown area. Wifi is available in certain hotels and restaurants.

TOURIST INFORMATION SERVICE
Tourist Information Service counters at the Airports, Railway Stations, Hotels and Main Office in downtown are at your service for more information and assistance you may need.

POST AND COMMUNICATION
At the time being, postal service in Myanmar is reliable. Most hotels have IDD lines, but calls are expensive with average costs of a call to Australia, Europe and USA. A lot of places for public phones as well as public Internet / Computer service centers (Cyber café) are available in Yangon and Mandalay.

TAKING PHOTO
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.

LOSSES
Always keep your Passport and money in secure places, especially when traveling by train or bus. Report all losses to the nearest Police Station as well as to your Embassy.

DO’S & DONT’S
Myanmar is a Buddhist country, and 98% of the population are practicing Buddhist Respect should be paid to religious custom when visiting Buddhists religious sites. The customs and traditions of Myanmar are very similar to those of other Southeast Asian countries. Here are a few Do’s and Don’ts to make your trip more enjoyable.

Religion
• At religious sites, always remove your footwear
• Dress modestly when visiting to Pagoda
• Treat Buddhist images with respect
• Be somewhat discrete when taking photos or video
• Don’t point your feet toward a Pagoda or a monk.
• Don’t play loud music in these areas. More that Buddhist monks are not allowed to listen to music.
• Do not put Buddha statues or images on the floor, or in an inappropriate place
• Show respect to monks, mums, and novices
• Don’t offer to shake hands with monks
• Sit lower than a monk and elders
• Don’t offer food to a monk, nun, or a novice after noon time
• Women should not touch monks
• If there is no admission fee to a Pagoda, you may leave a donation
Customs
• It is not always necessary to shake hands
• Public displays of affection are frowned upon Avoid touching an adult on the head
• It is considered rude to step over any part of a person
• Accept of give things with your right hand or both hands.

AIRPORT TAX
Now, most airlines include the international and the domestic airport tax in the ticket.

ELECTRICITY
Domestic power AC 220-250 50HZ

TIME
6½ hours earlier than G.M.T.