currency requirements

I was advised by my agent that on arrival in Ra ngoon that all travellers have to change $300 us in exchange for a foreign exchange coupon (FEC) , is this correct?

currency requirements

No, it no longer applies.

Arrive with US$.

New or as new notes as you can get. Large notes.. like 50$ or 100$ are worth more.

If you book some hotels or tours on-line it will reduce the amount of cash you need to carry.

currency requirements

Thanks for your advise , appreciate it. Do you think that 1 week is sufficient to see Rangoon and Mandalay ?

Thanks

Wayne

let me just say that we are in the process of planning a trip... so what I tell you is merely what I%26#39;ve understood to be so. Not how it is!

We are thinking that about two weeks would do for time in Yangon... Mandalay ... Bagan and Inle Lake....

I%26#39;m sure you could see a lot in one week. Depending on how you travel between places. Our thought at the moment is train to Mandalay... perhaps get to Bagan with a boat and then road transport to Inle lake .. We are looking at flights also but they are fairly pricey...

BTW... did you know that Airasia now have cheap flights from Bangkok to Yangon?... I%26#39;ve heard that at some time they may also do the Kuala Lumpur to Yandon leg.

Also worth knowing is that you can fly from Chiang Mai to Mandalay with Mandalay Airways...

Thanks Mosegrisen,

Very helpful advice , we are planning on spending 2 months in Asia , mainly based in Bangkok.

Yes we have seen the great packages with Air Asia , hard to beat!

I didnt know about Mandalay airlines from Chiang Mai , will check out their deals as we will be visiting Chiang Mai as well as Phuket and of course we are going to celebrate the Loy Krathong festival at Sukhothai.

Thanks once again and hope that you enjoy your trip.

Regards

Wayne

Adding comments to other replies.

Dont forget, you will need some small change such as USD 1, 5, 10 for entering pagodas, archeological area ( USD 10 per person, if you go to Bagan) and others such as the Palace in Mandalay. Carry about USD 50 worth per person.

Thanks for this advice Khayeethe...

Can I ask you which mode of transport you used? And any other tips that you might have, please.

Mode of transport,

If you have 7 days only, better to use flight. Roads are bad and cars are old.

If you can spare times, visit Bagan and Inle. 2 night each is quite enough if you use flight.

Make sure that the dollars you bring are absolutley unmarked- no pen marks, no doodling, no major creases. I arrived in country with about $1300, but only $700 was usable because if the money isn%26#39;t perfect, they won%26#39;t take it.

If you have seven days, skip Mandalay and go to Bagan instead. Also, travel by plane. Really you ought to cut some time off wherever else you are in Asia and spend at least 10 days in Burma. You can always go to Thailand, but Burma wil be a totally different country in 10 years.

Myanmar airways is scary, I would stick with Air Bagan (great quality brand new planes) and Royal Thai, or Air Asia. When I went Air Asia had no flight to Rangoon, but I took them from Macau to Bangkok. Cheap, but reliable.

No. That regulation was withdrawn some time ago (3-4 years ago).

Travelling around: Replying to Mosegrisen.

Sorry for this delay. Didn%26#39;t check and I was away. I prefer to travel around by air. I use Air Mandalay, Air Yangon or Air Bagan; simply because my time is always limited. I book through a travel agent recommended by a close friend. I organise my itinerary well ahead. I pay on arrival. I normally ask for transport to be arranged for me as well in Bagan and Mandalay. Costs roughly about 15 USD per day. In Mandalay, I have discovered I could ask the hotel to organise a boat trip to Mingun which is up river, diagonally across the Irrawaddy. It was by a motorised small boat. It is a good 45-60 minutes ride to the unfinished Mingun Pagoda which has been cracked by an earthquake. One is able to climb to the top and get a commanding view around. the alternative is by a dusty lon overland route. Bullock carts await your arrival, or you can walk which is equally interesting.

Similarly, you could arrange a crossing from Bagan to the Tantkyi Taung Pagoda on top of the mountain range. There are Jeeps waiting to transport you up the mountain unless you are well energised to climb it.

Thank you very much, Khayeethe...

we enjoy every bit of information we can get.... we booked seats on Mandalay air from Chiang Mai to Mandalay already... which seemed to be easy enough.. so far so good!

Thanks again.