Burma-Please help
 

I am Planning a trip to SE Asia in July.
We are flying to Singapore
Orient Express train to BKK
Flying to Burma and taking the Road to Mandalay
Fly back to Bkk and back to US.
I have been to BKK and Bhutan in June and the weather has been agreeable. I was never there in July. What do you think? Would you do this trip in July if that is the only time you can do this?
I have been trying to get in touch with Santa Maria Tours and had no success.
I have sent them two emails from their web site and tried to call them many times and have received no answer.
can anyone help?
Thank you

Is your question just about weather in Burma? If so, here is the data:
http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/c...p3?c=MM&refer=

Are you looking for help in Book the Road to Mandalay? If so, contact Orient Express.

I am trying to find out how to get in touch with Santa Maria.
I have seen many positive posts about Santa Maria and it doesn't make sense that noone is in the office to get back to me.

The email address I used was [email protected]

The website I used for them is http://www.myanmartravels.net

Because the government blocks email, people and companies do change their email addresses, but this address was good at the end of October.

Here is the phone contact info:

Tel: (+951) 384 743, 384 064 (Between 2:30am & 10:30am GMT/UTC)

Fax: (+951) 384 064

Adele - look here:
http://www.orient-express.com/web/rt...extensions.jsp

I assume you've already looked here.
www.orient-express.com/web/rtm/journeys.jsp

Do it ALL through Orient Express. You don't need Santa Maria, a travel agent or anything - full stop.

Trust me - this will be best for you. If you can't work the website, then ring the nice lady at the toll-free number. It's all done in one call.

Please, for Dogster, do this.

Dogster- I was trying to save some money on Burma part. Don't you think OE will do the same itinerary and much more expensive?
But if I can not go with Santa Maria, then I will go with OE.
And it seems like I am having no luck getting in touch with Santa Maria.
Thank you

The Road to Mandalay is an Orient Express boat. I don't believe that an agency can get a better price for you. So if RTM is what you want, that is the price you pay. Ther are other options, of course. Pandaw does cruises in Burma which are less expensive than the RTM. But for Pandaw, you'll need to book through Pandw. Again, I do not believe that an agency can get you a better price.

Typically, for both the RTM and Pandaw, the cruise company will set up one or more nights hotel stay plus your in-country flight as part of your purchase price. So you don't need a travel agency if that is what you want. If, say, you'd like another week in Burma, a travel agency could help you but you might do just as well do go through the cruise company as they typically have extensions you can book often at favorable prices.

You know, I don't know whether we are answering your questions or not because I don't know what your whole travel plan is. Perhaps if you gave us more info we could be more helpful. All we know about is the Orient Express Train and the Road to Mandalay. I know Orient Express has packages that would put these together at a discount. If there is more to what you want on this trip, do tell us so we can be more helpful.

Kathie-
This is what I have in mind so far:
Newark to Singapore
4 nights in Singapore-our first time.
Train to BKK-our third time in Thailand.
3 nights in BKK
We will have 10 nights in Burma including Road to Mandalay.6 nights before the cruise and one night after.
I don't need any agent for SGP and BKK. I know OE prices are fixed and I will get 20% discount when I book two of them together, and I am planning to do that trough OE or Centurion travel.
The only part I need a travel agent is my 7 nights in Burma. I could do those nights through OE or Centurion, but was thinking if I go through Santa Maria it will be less expensive. What do you think?
Dogster has kind of convinced me to go with OE and at present time I am waiting for a quote from them but still would like to look at other options in Burma. I know you have just comeback from Burma and I appreciate any insight.
Thank you.

Can not help you with OE prices, but the Balloons over Bagan trip was cheaper through Santa Maria than directly.

I have had no problems contacting them by e-mail, have you checked your junk mail folder? When I met with them, they were very helpful. It is always worth a shot.

Hi, Fanny, you are more awake than I am. Of course the emails are in her junk mail/spam folder! Adele, I'll bet you have a whole batch of frustrated emails from Santa Maria! (If you do not have access to your own spam folder, you'll have to contact your ISP).

I've never heard of Centurion Travel, but if they aren't based in Burma, don't use them. They will have a great deal of difficulty booking air tickets in Burma if they can do it at all. Use either Orient Express or Santa Maria. OE can likely get you a very good price at their lovely hotel in Rangoon, the Governor's residemce. By the way, I thought you were doing the RTM's longer cruise which does include a night at the Governor's Residence and air within Burma. The shorter cruise does not include this.

Do you know what you want to do with your days in Burma? I expect your one day after the cruise will be in Rangoon to catch your flight back to Bangkok or Singapore. With 6 days/nights you could visit two places before your cruise. Which direction are you cruising? Bagan to Mandalay or reverse?

Nywoman-thank you,you solved the mystery for me.
Kathie-I wish we could do the longer cruise but because we are doing RTM and OE train, the only one that worked for us was Mandalay-Bagan for 3 nights, otherwise the trip would have taken more than 4 weeks and that was not feasible.
At this point it looks like we are staying in yangoon for 2 nights and Inle lake for 4 nights and one last night in Yangoon again. what do you think? I want to read your trip report but haven't done that yet. Do you have any suggestions for us?
Thanks.

If it was me (and it isn't), I'd stay one night in Rangoon (your last night) and divide your other time between Bagan and Inle. If you aren't temple fanatics (like we are), you might spend two nights in Bagan and three at Inle. Depending on when your boat docks, I suppose you could even do one night in Bagan and 4 at Inle. We had three full days at Bagan (4 nights) and two full days and two half days at Inle (3 nights). My trip report should give you a feel for how long you want to sat each place.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, here area few hundred thousand words to consider:

www.marlandc.com/Burma

Adele if there is any way you can spend an extra day in either Bagan or Mandaly do so. Inle is lovely, but 4 days are too many. Also 3 days Mandalay to Bagan is more than plenty. I took the slow boat and it was 9 hours.

Hello adeleh,

Most people travelling to Myanmar try to book with private companies that do not have government links. The following is cut & pasted from the Yangon section of Santa Maria's website:

'Bogyoke Aung San Museum

This museum itself dates from the 1920s and was in fact the home of General Aung San and his wife Daw Khin Kyi and family lived. The museum exhibits the old photos of the Burmese most distinguished national hero and independence leader General Aung San and his family including the widely publicized state’s enemy Aung San Su Kyi. The books in the library, furniture and items used by the General are kept in the different rooms as it has been arranged in the old times.'

I personally would choose not to do business with a company that expressed such views regarding the 'state's enemy' on their website. I do not know anything about this company's ownership but this passage certainly raised my eyebrows.

I think these replies will only confuse dear adele even more. The key point to remind ourselves of is that The Adele's want to travel on the Orient Express railway, then follow that with an Orient Express cruise. This is their preference.

This also implies that they are a certain kind of traveler. I've been on the Road to Mandalay twice, about 15 nights in total. I know the breed very well. I was one.

This is a very different kind of Myanmar experience, a very different way of tourism and a very, very different way of seeing Burma.

It bears no relation to Kathy's way, NY's way, the politics of Santa Maria, the fate of Aung San Su Kyi or the price of sliced bread. Frankly, most of the passengers wouldn't know who Aung San Su Kyi is - or even remotely care.

It is another zone entirely.

Adele - stay in the Zone.

Do not be diverted. Do not make a simple thing difficult. You'll be fine. You'll see everything you think you'll see, you'll be told everything you want to hear, you'll see Burma through rosy Orient Express eyes and have a very interesting time. No stress.

Then, when you come back, you may find yourself wanting to know more.

Which will probably be the time to read Kathy's report.

Thanks to everyone. I could still use more
help later on.I am trying to change my itinerary and spend more time in Bagan.
I love to read what people think. It only makes me smarter.
I am not what dogster call certain type of traveler who doesn't know who Aung San su Kyi is. Her book is in my bedroom and I am half way through it.
I am an Iranian American who knows vey well about the government brutality and suffocation.
But this does not stop me from visiting Burma, even though has stopped me from visiting Iran- because that is very personal.
I know that I can not make a difference in Burma's politics as no one can, but I know that we can make a little difference in local people's life by being there, listening to them, talking to them and tipping them.
I know very well why Santa Maria has so much praise for the General. If it doesn't it can not stay in business and consequently all those people who work for the company will go hungry.It ids not as easy as we-In America- think.
I read Kathie's trip report and learned a lot.
One more thing, what happens if no one travels to Burma because of politics?
Just think about that.

Well, bless you adele, that's really good. I never was suggesting you were politically ignorant, not for a moment.

You will not be surrounded by kindred spirits on the Road to Mandalay, just the same.

adeleh, you asked "what happens if no one travels to Burma because of politics?" Well, as you know, ASSK asked about 20 years ago that people not visit Burma. The hope was that this would put pressure on the junta and perhaps eventually bring them down. Then economic sanctions were imposed by much of the world. ASSK has not changed her view (though some others in the NLD have). Unfortunately, neither the tourist boycott nor the economic sanctions have brought down the generals.

I also agree with you about the statement in Santa Maria's materials. I noticed that books published in Burma all had an introduction that included the multiple statements of the government's goals.

As you know, we loved Bagan. Let me know if you have questions I can answer.

General Aung San is Aung San Suu Kyi's father and actually is regarded as a national hero - he was assassinated in 1947 and is not part of the current regime.

Yes, that's what the quote says "most distinguished national hero and independence leader General Aung San." It's his daughter, ASSK, who is "the widely publicized state’s enemy." It's that comment lost soul objected to. But of course, it's true - she is the enemy of the junta - thank goodness!

We came back from a successful trip to Burma/Myanmar in October 2009 using frangipanitours, website [email protected] or www.myanmarfrangipanitours.com. Frangipani replies to emails immediately and were very efficient, safe, and fun. In addition, the owner Min Min is the unpaid coordinator for several orphanages in Myanmar; has a degree is physics. He is precise but also quite personable.
When we were last in Mynamar, Ang San Suu Kyi was beginning to have talks with the generals in power and there were hopes that the US State Department might might be negotiating a lessening of the economic sanctions against Burma. The magazine the Economist is probably your best source for information about the current political situation. The International Herald Tribune reported on the talks- we got a copy in our hotel but news in general is difficult to obtain while in country.
We have nothing but praise for frangipani tours (and have visited various locations in SE Asia -Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore- at least 15 times in past 30 years mostly as independent travelers). Min Min also arranged for us to visit an orphanage in Mandalay which made the visit more in touch with the realities of life in Myanmar- very pleasant and well run place which has a lot of community support.
It was very hot and muggy when we went in October and our guide said that it can get oppressively hot and muggy so I would really check on the weather before scheduling a trip. You also need to be aware of monsoon season as you may be aware of the damage that the typhoon Naris (spelling?) caused in 2008 in the delta area of the Irrewaddy with major flooding and loss of life. Generally the guidebooks have recommended a November through March time frame for more pleasant, predictable weather.
We loved Myanmar and hope to return in the future.

Kathie or anyone who can help,please.
I made some changes to my itinerary and it looks like this now,
July12- Leave JFK on Singapore Air
July13-16 Singapore
July17 OE to BKK
July19-21 BKK
July22-23 Bagan
July24-27 Lake Inle
July28-30 Road To Mandalay (Mandalay-Bagan)
July31-Aug1 Yangon
Aug2 BKK
Aug3 leave for US
I am not sure if I should do 2 nights Bagan and 4 nights Inle Lake or I should change it to 3 Bagan and 3 Inle.
We are VERY active peole who can not sit still and relax. We love to hike and walk a lot.Is there enough to do in Inle Lake for 4 nights?
Please tell me what you think.
Thanks

If it were me (and it isn't), I'd opt for three nights in each Bagan and Inle. There is plenty to do in both places. We had three full days in Bagan and two full days and two half days at Inle. We were moving every minute, and would have like another half day (at least) in each place, but we had to work with the time we had.

You have to figure in your travel time, and three nights will often be just two days. Have you looked at flight schedules? They dictated more of our planning than we would have liked.

Hope you will have good weather in July since it's part of the Monsoon season.

Am agreeing with Kathie I would do 3 and 3. However I don't understand your schedule you go from BKK to Bagan, which has to be done via Yangon or if there is a flight into Mandalay.
Then you do the road Mandalay to Bagan. Are you in Bagan twice?

Nywoman-that is right. Because I want to do the RTM and that leaves Mandalay on 28th and arrives at Bagan on 31st, it makes things a lille difficult. But for some reason I really want to get on that boat!! And I am trying to arrange the rest of the trip accordingly. Do you have any other suggestion?
Thanks.