Myanmar Travel Information

AIRPORT FACILITIES

Yangon : Yangon International Airport is located 20 km from downtown Yangon. The Arrival Terminal is located separately from the Departure Terminal and the Domestic Terminal and simplified procedures ensure that on arrival and departure, international passengers are processed quickly through immigration and customs. The Yangon International Airport works 24 hours daily.

Mandalay : Mandalay International Airport is located in the centre of Myanmar about 35km outside Mandalay, the country’s second largest city. It takes approximately 1hr to get from the airport to the centre of the city. It is a modern airport with six passenger boarding bridges and three of them can handle modern Boeing 747-400 planes.

LIMOUSINE SERVICE

A Limousine Service Counter is located in the Arrival Hall. Major hotels provide transfer services; and taxis are also available. Passengers are advised not to use the services of touts for taxi or other services.

BUSINESS HOURS

• Government Offices 09:30 to 16:30 hrs. - Weekdays Mon. to Fri.
• Banks 10:30 to 14:00 hrs. - Weekdays Mon. to Fri.
• Shops 10:00 to 21:00 hrs. - Mon. through Sat, some open on Sunday too

DRIVING

International Driving Permit required which must be presented to the authorities to endorse or issue a Visitor license.

MEDIA

Newspaper - Three morning newspapers Myanmar Ah Lin and Kye mon in Myanmar and The New Light of Myanmar in English are published in Yangon and The Yadanabon News in Myanmar is published in Mandalay. Myanmar Times Journal (English Version) is distributed every Monday, and the Myanmar Version is distributed ever Friday. Both journals are published in Yangon. The locally published magazines in English; Golden Myanmar, Myanmar Chronicle, and Myanmar Perspective, are available in bookshops. Foreign newspapers such International Herald Tribune, as Singapore Straits Times. and some foreign magazines and periodicals are available at In-wa (Ava) Bookshop, No.232, Sule Pagoda Road.

Radio - Radio Myanmar broadcasts English on the following schedule: 8:30 am to 9:00am 1:30 pm to 2:00 pm; and 9:00 pm to 10:30 pm. The new City FM broadcasts from 08:00 A.M. to 10:00 A.M., and from 13:00 P.M. to 17:00 P.M. daily, starting from January 1, 2002.

Television - There are two local TV channels: TV Myanmar and Myawaddy with programs running from 7 am to 4 am; and from 4 pm to 11 pm. Most hotels also have satellite TV. Myawaddy was started on the 27th March, 1995. The average broadcasting hours is about 8 hours per day when it started. But now.

MRTV 3 - English programs are telecast for viewers in Myanmar from 9:00 A.M. to 10:00 A.M. The transmission hours for viewers from abroad are from 13:00 A.M. to 14:00 A.M., 18:00 P.M. to 19:00 P.M., and from 02:00 A.M. to 04:00 A.M. It is an English channel for oversea audience. It can be received from 126 countries and is transmitted from Thaicom-3 C Band Global beam. In addition, the Ministry have also broadcast the MRTV3 programs pm the Internet using web based video streaming system via the gateway of Myanma Posts and Telecommunications. It can be accessed on Internet through http://www.mrtv3.net.mm web site.

MRTV 4 - It was launched on (15-5-2004) like a streaming video via satellite. MRTV 4 contains non-formal education programs and other entertainment programs. But for receiving, it can be matched by MMBox (Myanmar Media Box). This transmission contains educational programs from Ministries, Myanmar movies, English movies with Myanmar subtitles, cartoon programs and other entertainment programs. The transmission time is from 7 am to 11pm daily. For more quality and convenience, MRTV 4 will soon be broadcasting with Digital Video Broadcasting Technology (DVBT) terrestrial system.

DOMESTIC TRAVELING

Domestic Flights

The main tourist centers are located at a distance from Yangon, and it is convenient for visitors to travel by domestic flights. Myanmar Airways, Air Mandalay and Yangon Airways operate flights of major tourist sites including Mandalay, Bagan, Heho, Thandwe, Myitkyina, Tachileik and Kawthaung.

Rail Service

Yangon-Mandalay is the main rail link with four express trains running daily between Yangon and Mandalay. Furnished coaches (Cherry and Padauk) for a group of 4 or 8 persons are available. From Thazi on the Yangon-Mandalay line, a branch line runs to Shwenyaung (the nearest station to Inlay Lake) and to Taunggyi.

From Mandalay, there are rail services to Pyin Oo Lwin, Lashio, Monywa and Bagan. There is also a rail service from Yangon to Bagan which operate on alternate days.

Road Transport

Most tourist sites are also accessible by road. There are 12 Highway Bus services running between Yangon and Mandalay using air-conditioned coaches. Traveling time is about 14 hours with brief stop - overs at Taungoo and Pyinmana. Limousine taxis and mini-buses are available in Yangon for sightseeing and up country tours.

Inland Waterways

Myanmar has many rivers and a large delta in which the Inland Water Transport operates a huge fleet of double and triple-decker boats. There is a regular service between Bhamaw and Mandalay and between Mandalay and Pyay (Prome) via Bagan.

MEDICAL TREATMENT

If any tourist gets sick inspite of all the precautions, many hospitals can cater for foreigners medical needs. Some are as follows :

• SOS Assistance
  Inya Lake Hotel, 37 Kaba Aye Pagoda Road
  Tel : (95-1) 667877, 667879
• Kandawgyi Clinic
  Natmauk Road
  Tel : (95-1) 530083
• Pacific Medical Centre & Dental Surgery
  81, Kaba Aye Pagoda Road
  Tel : (95-1) 548022

CAR RENTAL

• Myanmar Airport Limousine Services Co., Ltd.
  15, Dhammayone St, Hlaing  Tsp, Yangon
  Tel : (95-1) 524993, 530430