can anyone recommend a travel agent for myanmar?
 

thanks to help from people on this forum, we're now thinking of blowing off LP and phuket, and doing 6-7 nights in myanmar. hopefully this will allow us to do yangon,bagan, and mandalay. "gracious myanmar travel (GMT)" has air, hotel, and tour packages. we usually don't go this route, but myanmar seems tough. has anyone any knowledge of this travel agent, or can you recommend one? thank you, again.....

We used Santa Maria in Yangon-www.myanmartravels.net-they are right behind Traders Hotel in the city centre. Excellent, honest reliable. No payment until you get to their office in Yangon. They handled some hotel & air bookings. Some we did ourselves, due to our flexible dates etc. I emailed them a couple of months in advance & not one hitch or hassle. No extra charges either! Same as or less than airlines/hotels website!

I used myanmartravel -- Myriam Grest. She was originally the owner of Gracious Myanmar Travel which is now run by her ex-husband. When I used her they were still married so I met him and liked him. I am sure he is good but I KNOW Myrian is.

Whichever one you use ask for a guide named Nhi Nhi. He is fabulous!

Gloria

bodhijack, I have to chuckle. You've changed your mind so many times on where you are going! I think part of the problem is that you want to see everything and you are thinking of this as your trip to Asia. Think of it instead as your first trip to Asia, and plan just the first few places you want to see. You might benefit from buying a general guidebook to SE Asia to help you prioritize.

My general advice to everyone going for the first time is to slow down and experience the place. You'll enjoy it so much more. Your most recent question about Burma and your wish to see the three main cities in 6 or 7 days... well, if you fly you can touch ground in all three places (if the flights are running and are roughly on time), but most of your experience of Burma will be of the airports - no the most interesting or attractive parts of the country.

I'd really recommend that you pause and re-thin your trip.

I'd second Kathie's thought. I spent 3 1/2 weeks in Burma and felt rushed and know I have a lot left to see. I spent 5 weeks in Thailand my first trip and have been back 18 times to see what I missed. The real joy in travel in asia in my opinion is to learn the culture and get to know the people. And you can't do that if you're spending all of you time in planes or trains. Stop and smell the roses as they say.

Gloria

glorialf, kathy, of course, i know it appears that i'm trying to rush each destination. but, actually i'm just caught-up in the planning. everything sounds so good. in the end, we won't be doing 3 places in 6 nights! my wife likes to stay in a given place longer than i do, and since she's the boss (i'm a smart man), that is how it will end up! anyway, thanks again for the honest input.........