Anyone been to Burma lately

[kjun12]

Has anyone visited Burma/Myanmar recently. I would like to know how much prices for things have risen in the last five years. Hotel rooms, food and travel information would be most helpful. Thank you.

[fedssocr]

From what I have read the prices of hotels have jumped pretty high in the last year or so. Supply and demand.

I was there in 2011 before the big boom last year.

[goji]

From what I have read the prices of hotels have jumped pretty high in the last year or so. Supply and demand.
I was there in 2011 before the big boom last year.

Hopefully they will have a hotel start up boom, so supply and demand can be rebalanced. Ideally this hotel boom would include lots of tasteful small villa conversions, rather than glass & steel monstrosities.
As long a corruption does not slow the opening of hotels, I guess Burma could be a nice place to visit in 3~5 years time.

[bao-bao]

Is there a member of the forum who has visited Burma in the past year or so who is willing to share information or travel contacts?

A friend that will come to Thailand with me next trip wants to strike out on his own like he did last year (he went to Cambodia for a week) and although he's doing some research on his own he's asking me for ideas. Although he's not gay himself he's gay-friendly and looking for a dependable way to get around with a guide to see some of the basic spots to see if he wants to plan a longer trip there. All I've ever noted was Purple Dragon. I understand they're good, but there must be others. If anyone can make suggestions, I'd appreciate it. Via PM is fine with me. Thanks!

[fedssocr]

I used Purple Dragon, but they ended up just being a middleman working with an agency in Myanmar. I would have to dig a little bit to find the name of that agency,

I had a fantastic guide in Bagan. Probably the best tour guide I ever had. His name is Pyait Sone Hmue. I would imagine given the shortage of qualified guides that he is still working as a guide. His email is pyaitsonehmue@gmail.com He was based in Bagan but think he also spends some time Yangon.

[loke]

How is gay life in Burma? Are they open about it ?

[billyhouston]

Between 2001 and 2004, I used:

http://www.myanmartravel.net/index.html

run by a Swiss woman. In those days they had a German General Manager who terrified the lives out of the Guides. I found them to be very reliable and committed to meeting their clients wishes. Since that time I have made my own arrangements and, given the changes over the last year or so, I would have thought that, these days, with the internet, it's a lot easier even for someone who has not visited the country.

The prices charged by hotels, particularly in Yangon and, to a lesser extent Mandalay, are crazy when compared with Bangkok. Demand exceeds supply and prices now are three to four times what I was paying only two years ago.

It's a wonderful country, in danger of being spoiled by big money.

[balou]

Anyone has been to Myanmar, and traveling around with a Myanmar friend?

I will go to Myanmar, with a friend living in Bangkok but with an Myanmar Passport.
Will there be any hassel, for example check in into a hotel? or any kind of suspection to some officials, that could cause some throuble form him or me?

any has some experience
thank

marc

[billyhouston]

I made a point of asking reception at Traders whether a Myanmar citizen, a guy, staying with me would , on a future trip, give rise to a problem. The reply was "Why should it?" In the end, Traders had no rooms available when I flew to Yangon with my partner so we stayed at Park Royal without any problems. You might like to know though that certain Colonial era laws remain on the statute books, although they appear not to be enforced. We have also shared a room in other parts of Myanmar without problems.

You should be aware that, particularly if your friend is travelling on a 'Temporary Passport', (issued to persons working, legally, and valid only for Thailand... at present.) there are officials at the airport in Yangon who make a point of extorting $ on the excuse that their exit paperwork is not in order. This also happens, in both directions, at Mae Sai/Tachileik. (Both directions on the Myanmar side.)