We are thinking of a trip to Myanmar in Jan or Feb 2014. Have just started reading and researching. How far in advance do we need to begin making reservations/plans for this? From the little I have read so far, it sounds like we need to use a travel agent for bookings? Is this correct and if so any recommendations on who to use? Thanks!

I expect high season 2013-2014 will be as busy as this high season has been. I'd contact an agent after this high season is over, say, March but before the New year holidays in April. We used Santa Maria for both of our trips and they were excellent.

All of the agents this year were (and still are) just swamped. So be patient, be persistent (emails don't always go through), be clear about what you want.

Thanks, kathie -- I read your wonderful 2 TRs on Myanmar. They are extremely helpful. Time wise is Jan better than Feb in terms of weather?

I spent 3 weeks in Myanmar from Jan. 14 to Feb. 6 and the weather was almost perfect. Feb. will be warmer than Jan. by about 5 degrees in most of Burma, and that would make it very hot in Yangon and Bagan, but moderate warm in the mornings at Inle Lake.

@shelleyk - about how far in advance did you make reservations? thanks

i plan and book as early as i can any place in SEA... i find many bargains that way

thanks -- any special places you look for or find bargains.

I went in Jan. 2012 slightly before Myanmar became really popular and busy. I started making arrangements in the preceeding May, and finalized them in late August. If I were plannining a trip today, I would start planing a year in advance and finalize things as quickly as possible. Though some hotels might not have their rates set for a year in advance, you could still reserve a room, and choose hotels based on current prices. We choose mid rate hotels, most of which have since raised their prices, but I was satisfies with all of them, especially the one on Inle Lake. Click on my name for a TR with hotel names and descriptions, if you are interested.

Not many (maybe any) bargains in Burma these days. All the hotels run completely full. The prices in Burma are now higher than Thailand for accommodation.

There ar new places being built, so hopefully, there won't be as much difficulty getting accommodation as there has been this year.

oops - forgot to add, you'll get the best accommodation prices from a local agent. Don't use places like Extissimo or Dietelheim even though they have offices in Burma. Their prices are substantially higher than local agents.

Thanks. @shelley-I will check out your report.
Sounds like we need to decide shortly if we will go.
@kathie. Again thanks for your tips.

we were in Burma from November 24/2012--Dec. 17, 12--ten days of which were on a Pandaw river cruise. We started working with Santa Maria in January, and had booked all hotels and flights by mid March--AND weren't able to get into our first choices in either Yangon or Inle Lake. I've since found out that the problem in Inle Lake was partially because we were there for four nights and three of those nights were during the Full Moon festival in Taungyi, and the area was completely overrun with both foreign tourists and Burmese. And in Yangon, we could have gotten one night of the two at our first choice, The Governor's Residence, at the beginning of our stay, but had no interest in switching for one night--and once we arrived in Yangon were very glad that we'd wound up at The Strand as we much preferred its location. What was curious though, is that we met people throughout our trip who DID get reservations at both the Inle Lake hotel (the Inle Princess) and The Governor's Residence, who had made their reservations later than we had--and had used foreign agents. I believe they also paid a higher rate--and perhaps stayed only two nights in Inle Lake--and weren't there during the festival.


Anyway, long story long, if you want to stay at one of the more upscale hotels, probably best to reserve as early as possible--OR very close to when you plan to leave, if you're willing to risk it--as there always seem to be cancellations.

I hope to write a trip report of our trip in the next couple of days, but weirdly my entire Burma file just DISAPPEARED from my Outlook Inbox!! I'm completely stumped as to what happened. Anyone have any suggestions?

Book flights and accommodation first, well ahead of travel (eg, months). Visas are stretching out a bit, as well. Ours took 5 weeks at the Myanmar embassy in Australia.