How much money should I take to Myanmar for a short four-day trip?

As you may already know, every traveller to Myanmar needs to bring all the money he/she requires for the entire trip in cash. The preferred currency to exchange into Kyat is the US dollar. You should make sure the bank notes are all new and not soiled, marked or creased.

As of today, there are still no ATMs in Yangon and it’s not possible to use credit cards, except in a few five-star hotels. If you are only planning a short trip, preparing your money shouldn’t be too hard. However, when you have not booked anything, it's safer to be generous with the budget. Hotel prices have gone up much more than is reported in most guidebooks. I would recommend booking a hotel in advance, even if you pay on arrival. There are many guesthouses in Yangon and most charge around US$20 a night (from $10 a few years ago). To stay in a small hotel, you should expect to pay $35 or more per night with breakfast. 

For food, it’s fun to eat on the street or in local restaurants, and you can easily spend under $10 a day for plenty of food. If you feel like going to Karaweik Restaurant, a beautiful barge restaurant on Kandawgyi Lake, you will pay $25 or 20,000 kyats for a dinner buffet with fantastic cultural shows.

If you don’t travel with a tour, an average taxi trip in the city is about 1,000 kyat though it can go up to 2,000 kyat for a long one, and it costs 4,000 kyat from downtown to the airport.

You’ll also need $5 per person for entrance fees important site like Shwedagon Pagoda or National Museum.

Many people don’t want to spend all four days in Yangon. You may decide to make a day trip to visit Bago by taking an early train from Yangon, and then hopping on an evening train or a local bus back for less than $10. Alternatively, you can hire a taxi for a day trip at around $75.

Hope these prices will help you plan your budget.

 

 

I booked a flight to Vientiane in August, and from there I want to travel to Luang Namtha in the north. Is it possible to fly there, and by which airline? This trip is interesting to me and I really want to go there. Plane is my option but if there’s nothing available I will consider going by bus. Cheers, Herman.

Laos Airlines website (www.Laos-Airlines.com) shows that it operates four flights a week from Vientiane to Luang Namtha, so I am sure you will be able to fly there. The airport in Luang Namtha is located 6 kilometres from the city centre. Local transport options appear to be tuk tuk and bus. Once you are in town, it's easy to arrange a bicycle too. 

In fact, you can either go there by air, land or river. The most popular mode of transport to Luang Namtha is an overland route from Bo Keo province to Luang Namtha and then Luang Prabang. There is also an international border crossing at Boten to enter China.

The river journey to Luang Namtha is reserved only for adventure travellers. Visitors travel up the Mekong River from Ban Huay Xay in Bo Keo province, to Xieng Kok in Muang Long. It’s also possible to do a two-day river trip up the Namtha River, which also originates in Ban Huay Xay.

Have a lovely time!