Tour companies, guides etc.

We are travelling to Myanmar for the 1st time in April. We have only a short time and thought it might be a good idea to use a tour company. We usually book hotels/flights etc. over the internet before we leave the uk.

Prices quoted for the 16 days seem rather high.

How do we know if a tour company is independent - not government run?

Is it easy to find good reliable drivers and guides?

Tour companies, guides etc.

there are over 400 tour agencies in Yangon and almost all of them are privately owned. but all kow tow to the government officials. myanmar is one of the more corrupt countries on earth and without proper bribes no one can get anything done.

tour agents dont get any commission from airlines. from hotels they may get a percentage. everything is rather expensive, especially car hire.

i always use eithwe at travels@myanmar.com.mm it is a private company run by young women who are quite capable. you may wish to email her and give her your itinerary.

let me know if you require any information on Myanmar

Tour companies, guides etc.

I just came back from an eight-day trip to Myanmar. Diethelm Travel handles the entire trip on a full-board basis. I find their service to be very reliable and choice of hotels quite good. If you%26#39;re interested, send an email to their Bangkok office and they%26#39;ll give you a quote within a day. I have a lot of admiration for the Mynamar people. They work very hard under the circumstances and don%26#39;t despair. Regardless of which company you hire, I%26#39;m sure that the people will benefit somehow. Have a great trip!

If you want to make sure that your money stays in the right place, do NOT book anything through Diethelm. A large chunk of their revenue goes to people with whom you do not want to share your sterling.

I have a terrific guide whom I have used several times and to whom I have referred many happy guests. She is smart, very bilingual, and will show you things and enhance your Myanmar experience. Just let me know if you are interested and I will forward all contact info. Additionally, she will arrange everything domestically within the country (flights, ground transport, etc.) Good bang for your money, GREAT service, etc. She is independent, but licensed, which means that she can get VERY substantial travel and accomodation discounts for herself - even more than the average local. She also has a great stable of drivers with whom she networks.

As far as getting guides and drivers after arrival, it is certainly doable, but you will not get a better price than you would by arranging everything in advance.

Again, avoid the commercial agencies. I cannot stress this enough...