4holdings

Four of us will be traveling in Myanmar with a private tour guide. I don't want to not tip properly the guide and driver. However, I was told that the guide should receive $15 per person and the driver half that amount, in which case the driver alone would get $600 for 10 days. It seems rather high considering the standard of living, If anyone could guide me on this I would very much appreciate it.

Kathie

Tipping is not traditional in Myanmar.

I'm guessing that you are doing this as part of an organized tour with a foreign company rather than employing the driver and guide on your own or through a local company. If that is true, then the question I would ask the tour company is whether they are paying the driver and guide or simply expecting your tips to cover their pay (more likely). They may even expect the driver and guide to pay them a kick-back.

4holdings

Thanks Kathie, I will call the company and ask whether they are paying the driver and guide or expecting our tips to cover their pay. If that is the case, from what I've seen of salaries in Myanmar, it seems we are being gauged.

Kathie

Let me ask why you are going on a tour rather than traveling independently. Myanmar is now easy to travel on your own. You really don't need a guide anywhere, though you may need a car and driver for some locations.

LancasterLad

Kathie. I think you need to expand a little on you last posting. Drivers are drivers, they aren't necessarily guides as well.

Kathie

Indeed, as I always say, drivers and guides are almost never the same person. They may need a car and driver - but I maintain that there is nowhere in Burma/Myanmar where they would need a guide.

CaliforniaLady

I would not trust this tour company, based on what you have stated. We used Shalom Myanmar, and Kathie, I believe, used Santa Maria, and they are the two best known, and well-regarded agencies in Burma. When you are travelling with a group of four, I can understand the need to have a "logistics" coordinator, but most of us flew from point to point in Burma, as the distances are quite long. You certainly don't need a driver at Inle Lake, and you are better off with a horse and cart in Bagan.

This doesn't make sense--can you please reveal what agency you are using, and sketch out your itinerary?

4holdings

My mistake, what was I thinking!! We are only having 2 1/2 days of tours at most. The reason we ended up using a tour company was that we wanted to do a river cruise and there was little availability since we decided last minute. We also didn't want to deal with logistics and had the agency deal with our flights, airport transfers, etc. We are in our 60's+ and wanted an upper end experience. We will be doing things independently as well. The agency name
is Jacada Travel and they are out of London with offices in Hong Kong. Thinking back, it would have been smarter to use a Myanmar agency.

Here is our itinerary;

3 nights in Yangon
1 night in Bagan
4 nights cruising Irrawaddy River
1 night in Mandalay
3 nights in Inle

CaliforniaLady

Are you interested in advice about your itinerary? I would cut out Mandalay, and reduce Yangon to two nights, and then I would add the extra two nights in Bagan. I'm not sure, however, when you are leaving, and if there is time to change.

It's always a good idea to use a local tour company. You get more bang for your buck. The London company is probably subbing to a local company in Burma.

I don't like working with bossy companies. They should not be telling you how much to tip. You need to wait and see how your driver and guide perform, and then you all can agree on an appropriate amount.

Kathie

I'm sorry you are using a foreign tour company - you are paying at least double what you would pay with a local company. And yes, your agency is subcontracting everything to a local company. I agree that you don't have enough time in Bagan. You can cut Mandalay but I will guess that you have to spend a night there because of the cruise. But do cut a night to two from Yangon so you have a little time in Bagan - one of the highlights of the country.

What cruise line are you going with? The one I recommend is Pandaw.

4holdings

I too am sorry we did not use a local agency for a multitude of reasons; expertise and cost for sure. We are leaving in a few days so unfortunately cannot change the length of time in Yangon. I also thought that it was a night too many. Our cruise (The Strand) finishes in Mandalay and that is the only reason we are stopping there. I know we will be sorry we are not spending more time in Bagan.

LancasterLad

You could always have a day out in the countryside surrounding Yangon. Visit a few villages and their daily markets, watch the locals at work, see a bit of normal local life and colour. You'll be warmly welcomed. We used that day to test out our driver/guide before employing him for 2 weeks....he passed with flying colours.

Ditto im Mandalay, get out of the city.

After 2 full days of temples in the vast Bagan site we were suffering temple fatigue. I'm not suggesting we didn't enjoy visiting Bagan, but we were ready to move on. Don't miss Mount Popa, and stop at one or two of the small cottage industries on the roadside getting there.

Silverswimmer

"We used Shalom Myanmar, and Kathie, I believe, used Santa Maria, and they are the two best known, and well-regarded agencies in Burma"
Whilst they are well known and regarded I would disagree with your comment that ' the two best known and well-regarded"
They are hardly mentioned on other forums (Thorntree/travelfish/Tripadvisor) where the consistently top recommended Agencies are Tour Mandalay,One Stop Travel and Pro Niti.
However-please post again with your review on The Stand Cruise,which is new this winter (The Irrawaddy is now getting really crowded with cruises...)
SS

CaliforniaLady

Silverswimmer, I meant that Shalom Myanmar and Santa Maria are the best known and well regarded Burma agencies on this forum. I personally would not trust Tripadvisor as many of the reviews are fake. Since I started listening to posters here, my last two trips were much better than before.

billirandall

Myanmar is a good decision you had taken for the trip..Mindblowing place with mouth watering cuisine,amazing architecture,colorful festivals and amazing beaches..apart from this as you said that " the guide should receive $15 per person and the driver half that amount" its not necessary that every one do the same.I guess you concerned with some tours and travel company..don't focus on what they said...so be relax and hope you will enjoy your trip..have fun!!!