Myanmar
 

Hi,

I have been trying to use two agents to arrange hotels for us in our trip to Myanmar. So far, I am able to directly contact the hotels I want and get the reservations even after the agencies tell me that they cannot get the reservations. So, do I make the reservations and ask the agency to handle the transfers, internal flights, etc. or do I also do this and minimize the usage of an internal Myanmar travel agency??

When are you going?

In general agents can save you money on hotels. This year, with the huge surge in tourist arrivals, there have been problems with some hotels not wanting to honor their contracts with agents. If you can get reservations directly with the places you want, go ahead and make your reservations. Ask the agent you are working with to make flights arrangements and any transfers or car and driver that you want. Local agents are the only ones who can make these reservations.

I like using local Yangon agents, as that is a way to put money in the hands of the local people.

PS in case you are tempted to try to make your own flight reservations, the domestic airlines do not have a way for you to purchase tickets online. But of course, there are scammers who are happy to take your money. There is a French agency who has put up websites that look like local airlines and will take your credit card payment, but they cannot produce a valid ticket for you. This is the same agency that put up a fake Lao Air website. They now show an address in France and one in Bangkok. But they still cannot deliver valid tickets to you.

Thanks Kathie. I would also like to use local agents and have in the previous visit to Myanmar three years ago but it appears this time that I am able to get the hotel reservations that they have "said" that they are unable to get as I mentioned in my above post. So I am tempted to just make the reservations and HOPE that the agency will handle the transfers, flights, etc. without being upset that I made the hotel reservations. I have emailed them concerning my ability to get the reservations I wanted but have not received word back. My concern is if I do not move fast, even those reservations will be gone.
What do you think??
Again, always appreciate your input.

I expect what is happening is that hotels are holding rooms, hoping to get "full price" (read vastly inflated) for them rather than allowing the agents to sell the rooms at a discount. The Gov Tourist office actually stepped in and told the hotels they could not raise their prices to agents more than 30% or 50%, because the hotels were doubling and tripling their prices. Agents are allocated a specific number of rooms, and in the past they could get more. I would be upfront with your agent, let them know you now have rooms directly from the hotel and have them book flights and transfers, etc for you.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

Thanks Kathie. Will let you know what happens.

gpeters: When are you planning on going? I have been trying to find accommocations in February '13 and have had NO luck at all. What's your secret?

losaltos,

What cities are you looking to visit? Sometimes it is worth calling the hotels directly. I think what I have been finding out is that "some" hotels are willing to hold back rooms from the agencies and are willing/wanting to deal directly with the tourist for obvious reasons.
So a phone call may help. Let me know how you do.