Travellers Information

Geography and Climate

               The union of Myanmar is 676,577 square kilometers. It stretches for 936 kilometers from east to west and 2,051 kilometers from north to south.
               The rich natural resources country in the South-east Asia Peninsula sharing borders with Bangladesh, India, China, Laos and Thailand. It has a 2832 km long coastline on the Indian Ocean. Over 50 percent of the total land area is covered with forests. The Union of Myanmar is geographically situated in Southeast Asia between latitudes 9° 32' N and 28° 31' N and longitudes 92° 10' E and 101° 11' E. 
Myanmar has three seasons. The best time to visit Myanmar is the cool season from November to February. At this time of year the weather is very pleasant – not too cool at night and not too hot in the day. In the hill stations it can get quite chilly in the evening. During the hot season from March to May the temperatures rise and will often topping 40C and it can be unpleasantly hot. The rainy season is from June to end of October. During the rainy season, lower Myanmar and coastal areas heavy rain showers but it is dry and pleasant in central regions. 

Population and National Races of Myanmar

              Myanmar is a union of 135 National races with their own dialects and traditions and the major races are Kachin, Kayah, Kayin, Chin, Bamar, Mon, Rakhine and Shan. The population of Myanmar is over 56 million with the Bamar, the majority race making up about 70 percent.
Religion
Predominantly a Buddhist country with more than 80 percent of the people embracing Theravada Buddhism. There are also Christians, Muslims, Hindus and some animists.

Airport Tax

              Airport tax is US$ 10 per head to be paid on departure. 

Currency Exchange

              200FEC not require to compulsory exchange. US Dollar is the accepted foreign currency in Myanmar. Traveler’s cheque and major credit cards are not available around the country. It is recommended to bring ample cash in US dollars to cover all personal expenses for their entire trip, and general purposes.

Currency

              The currency is kyat pronounced (chat) and is divided into 100 pyas. At present the following kyat bank notes are in use: K1, 5, 10, 15, 20, 45, 50, 90, 100, 200, 500, and 1,000.

Office Hours

              Government and business 9:30 am to 4:30 pm. Monday through Friday. 
              Shops - 10:00 am to 9:00 pm. Usually Monday through Saturday.

Health

              The same precautions as anywhere else. Drink only bottled water. Do not eat raw vegetables' only eat fruits that you can peel or cut yourself. Be wary of eating food from street stalls. Use insect repellent to keep malaria, dengue fever and the like at bay. Use sunscreen liberally when exposed to the intense, tropical sun.

Dress

              Light summer wear is ideal. Rubber slippers or sandals are recommended as foot wears are strictly prohibited at Pagodas, temples and monasteries. A sweater and a raincoat will be useful if tour includes Taunggyi (4,675 feet above sea-level), the Inlay Lake and Kyaikhtiyo (Golden Rock) 3,600 feet above sea level.

Time

              Myanmar Standard Time (MST) is 6:30 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). 0:30 minutes behind Thailand and 1:30 hours behind Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong.

Festivals

              There are literally hundreds of colorful festivals and temple fairs celebrated throughout Myanmar during any year, many of them religious or featuring traditional sports.

Shopping

              While department stores, supermarkets and mini-markets in Yangon offer a wide choice of products, both foreign and local with fixed prices, the real magic of shopping is to be found mainly in the Bogyoke Aung San Market where shopping is fun and easy; and bargaining is acceptable.

Car Hire

              Self-drive and chauffeur-driven cars are not allowed in Myanmar. Car Rental Companies have desks at Yangon International Airport and have also so many hotels in Yangon.

Electricity

             Electric current is usually 230 Volts AC, 50 HZ. Various plug sockets are in use: better hotels supply adaptors and transformers for 110V equipment.

The People

Myanmar is a union of over 100 nationalities with their own dialects and traditions. The major races are the Bamar, The Chin, The Kachin, The Shan, The Kayah, The Mon and the Reakhine. The population of Myanmar is over 56 million with the Bamar, the majority race, making up about 70 percent.

Language

The official language is Myanmar. English is widely spoken and understood.

MYANMAR VISA

Visa Information

To promote travels and tourism in the country, the Myanmar Government eases visa processing for the foreign visitors. You can easily obtain Myanmar visa from the Consulate or Embassy in your country. It is important to know that there are 2 types of entry visas, i.e. E.V.T (F.I.T) VISA and E.V.T (PACKAGE) VISA.

E.V.T (F.I.T) VISA- Travelers can easily get this type of visa by applying directly to the Myanmar Consulate or Embassy in any country. E.V.T (PACKAGE) VISA, This type of visa is given to those travelers that have booked a package tour to Myanmar.  

A valid passport with entry visa is required for all visitors. A tourist visa allows a stay of 28 days extendable for an additional 14 days. A business visa allows a stay of 10 weeks, extendable up to 12 months on case-by-case basis. Visa on Arrival is granted on prior arrangement with the Ministry of Hotel and Tourism. Children over seven years of age require a separate visa even traveling on parent’s passport.

E.V.T (PACKAGE) VISA is issued upon receiving a letter of invitation from a Tour Company. Overland entry is permitted to Chinese tourists with border pass, and for third party tourists with package tour visa at Muse, Myanmar – China Border. Third party tourists are required to be picked up at the border check points by their tour operators.

Myanmar VOA Information

In accordance with the rules and regulations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Hotel and Tourism, an authorized travel and tours company can obtain the Visa On Arrival (VOA) if their clients do not get the visa from the Myanmar Embassy. To do so, the company needs their client’s personal data and information as shown below:

Information
Full name as in passport
Passport number
Issuance Date
Expiration
Date of birth and place of birth
Gender (sex)
Father’s name
Nationality
Race
Religion
Occupation
Full address in native country
Arrival and departure date to/from Myanmar.
International Flight number and airline which you will fly to/from Myanmar (So we will inform the airline and you can enter without visa in your passport)
4 passport size photos

With the above provided facts, we will apply for the VOA through the Ministry of Hotel and Tourism, Ministry of Home Affairs, Department of Immigration and Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Our contact Email Address is: damsel@myanmar.com.mm

Note

• It takes three weeks to get the VOA
• There must be at least 2 persons in a group in order to get the permission to travel. The visitors must use the service of the company which obtains the VOA for them.

Myanmar Embassies Worldwide

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