Thailand & Burma/Myanmar!
 

Hi everyone!

My husband and I are hoping to visit Burma/Myanmar at the end of the year.
Our dates will be Dec 28th - Jan 11th. We want to spend a maximum of 3 days in Thailand, and the rest of our time in Myanmar. We are a young, newly wed South African couple, but we don't want to have anything to do with the party scene in Thailand. We would only be after a day or two at a quiet beach, and some time to sample the local flavours and culture and natural beauty. Off the beaten track is what we are after.

And then for Mynanmar, I don't know very much about it at all. It looks incredible beautiful and unspoilt, and rich in culture and natural beauty. That is exactly what we are wanting to see. Can anyone recommend a rough itinerary for us? I have hgeard rumblings about safety worries and political unrest. Has anyone been lately that can offer any information on that? Any information on Visa requirements for South Africans?
I have read that its possible to get them in Thailand (we will be flying into Bangkok and then onto Myanmar) so could get our visa then? We would prefer to spend the 2-3 days in Thailand after Myanmar, so around the 9th January.

Any information or advice would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you so much!

Roxy

Take a look at some of the (now) many trip reports on Burma. I have two, from 2009 and 2011. The itinerary for the 2009 trip is the one I'd recommend for you. Click on my name to find my trip reports.

You will need a visa in advance, but do look at the consulate's website to see the exact requirements for you. It would be best to get your visa in advance in your own country. Otherwise, you will need several days in Bangkok to get the visa issues. Another option is to have your local travel agent in Burma get a pre-arranged visa for you.

You are rather late to be planning this trip. Burma has limited tourism infrastructure, so getting hotel reservations may be difficult. You will want to contact a local travel agent in Yangon. We used Santa Maria Travels for both of our trips, but there are many reputable agents there.

If you just want a few days of beach, you might see if you can get beach reservations in Burma.

I did more reading on Burma than on any other country I've visited. It pays to prepare well. Here is a reading list: http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...-bookshelf.cfm

You will want a copy of the Lonely Planet Guide, but be aware that accommodation prices have doubled or tripled since the book was published.

Happy planning!

PS - Yes, there is unrest in Burma, and there will no doubt be continued unrest for decades to come. Do some of the reading and you will better understand why. Still, your chances of being caught in violence are miniscule. Mostly, the areas of unrest are off limits.

Roxy,

I like to suggest you stay in Thailand until January 1st to celebrate the New Year and then start your Myanmar trip. For Thailand I like to suggest you only stay in Bangkok as you don't have a lot of time and if you stay at a hotel by the river then you can enjoy the fireworks display for the New Year.

The typical cities to visit in Myanmar will be Yangon, Inle Lake, Bagan and, not my favourite, Mandalay. I love all except Mandalay which IMO did not offer much interest for me. Do read Kathie and others trip report to help you understand the country better. I have some pictures from a few years ago which might help you as well.

http://khun-pook.smugmug.com/Holidays/Myanmar

From google here are some visa information for South Africans: http://www.dfa.gov.za/consular/visar...ssholders.html

Looks like there's an embassy or consulate in your country so try contacting them.

I think the most important thing Kathie has told you is how late it is for you to be planning a trip to Burma for December. I did my own planning and booking last year, started in June for a trip in November and had a difficult time booking hotels and guest houses even 5 months in advance. I ultimately found that I was able to change accommodations after arrival but would not have gone had I not had places to stay reserved in advance.

I've found in other countries around the world it's possible to book upscale places when the more affordable options are full. But in Burma it's the nicer places that book up early leaving less expensive options without online booking available after arrival. But I don't think I'd count on it.

Flights and boats were booked by our Yangon hosts which helped with logistics and I think made it possible to pull together when we had difficulty getting the services of a travel agent. I'd say if you can't find accommodations & flights very soon you might want to postpone the Burma trip. If this is the only time you have and aren't successful very soon there are loads of lovely places to visit in SE Asia that don't suffer from the crush that Burma is experiencing.

Thank you so much @Kathie & @Hanuman for the info. We are a little late in organising the trip, but hopefully we can still organise a wonderful trip.

Thank you again for those reading lists and info