International Transportation

ENTERING THE COUNTRY

If you're arriving by air, and have your visa ready and your valid passport in hand, you should have no trouble entering Myanmar. Arriving so by land is land less predictable. Presently you can cross at three places-from Rule (China) to Mud-se; from Mae Said (Thailand) to Tactile; and from Ramon (Thailand) to hawthorn for more details on these). There is no way that foreigners can reach. Myanmar by land or sea from Bangladesh, India or Laos. At the time of research, a road link between Bangladesh and Myanmar-strategically linking Myanmar with India-was under construction, though it is unlikely that this route will be made open for foreigners to use.

There is no requirement for you to show an onward ticket out of the country to enter Myanmar.

Passport

You will need to have a passport that have at least six month of validity from the time of entry.

Yangon International Airport (Mingalardon Airport) and Mandalay International Airport are the main International Airports in Myanmar. Yangon has direct air links with Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Calcutta, Chiang Mai, Taipei, Kunming, Doha and Dhaka. Mandalay has direct air link with Kunming.

Land crossing is allowed at three places in Thailand but only for a limited time or up to a certain point only. There is more convenient way to renew your Thai visa than to explore Myanmar although Myanmar shares its border with China, Thailand, India, Bangladesh and Laos, border-crossing tours are possible only with China and Thailand at the moment.

Border Crossings

There are presently only three places to cross into Myanmar country. There is no buses or train into Myanmar country from other countries or you cann't travel by car or motorcycle across the border. Note that both border crossings with Thailand involve reaching closed-off areas of Myanmar, from where you will have to fly to reach the other parts of the country (including Yangon or Mandalay). The majority of travelers crossing the border at these places is making day trips -or is seeking to renew a thai visa.

TO/FROM MAE SAI, THAILAND

North of Chiang Rai it's possible to cross to dreary Tachileik. Travelers already possessing a 28-day visa (obtained from Bangkok or elsewhere) are permitted to enter Myanmar here and travel to the rest of the country. If you don't have a visa, a US$5 day pass (paid to Myanmar immigration on town; a US$10 14-day pass, also obtainable at the border, also allows travel to kengtung and Mong La. It is not a problem to leaves Myanmar here, as long as your visa hasn't expired.

TO/FROM RANONG, THAILAND

Travel agents in Ranong help arrange 28-day visa allowing you to cross into Kaw- thoung and travel to the rest of Myanmar. There are more than 3 border check points between Myanmar and Thailand but Tachilek and Measia are the only points available at the moment. Only a very short bridge of 2 minutes' walk lies between the two border towns. After crossing the bridge, clients can proceed by land ( 3 hours driving ) or by flight ( 15 minutes ) to Kyaing Tong, the place of hill tribes. Or can fly to Inle Lake ( 50 minutes ) or Yangon ( 2 hours by direct flights but usually there will only be transit flights via heho, Mandalay so takes about 5 hours ). You can also enter the country for two days by burchasing a US$5 "day pass", which doesn't subject you to the same 5km restriction. Traveler can exit Myanmar here too. Presently immigration charges US$25 for you to do so; this is likely not an official fee but seems to be pretty standard.

TO/FROM RUILI, CHINA

At the time of research, you could come into Myanmar from China, at the tourist visa in a day or two in Kumming at the Myanmar Conulate (0871-371 6609; Cemellia Hotel, Bldg No 3; 8.30am-noon & 1-4-30pm Mon-fri), in Yunnan provinve. The cost is Y185 to Y285, depending on how quickly you need it.

There are more than 3 border check points between Myanmar and China. Muse-Ruili point is currently the most popular junction. Border checkpoint is about 15 minutes drive from Ruili, China. After crossing the border gate, clients arrive into downtown Muse, a Burmese Town. If time permits, clients can proceed up to the city of Lashio by cars or buses, which take 4 hours.

To cross overland at Ruili it's necessary to book a multiday "visa-and-package trip" - you can't go on your own - to go across the border at Mu-Se and on to Lashio. This package costs about Y1400, generally about the same as a one-way flight to Mandalay from kunming. We're heard it can take more than a week to arrange, or as little as two days. The package, which includes basic transport and a "guide" to ensure all goes OK, doesn't include food or accommodation. The border, at Ruili, is 20 hours by a road from kunming. The dirver from Mu-Se (just across the border) to Lashio is on good portion of the old Burma Rd and takes about five hours.

The China International Travel Services in Kunming can arrange this package.

RIVER & SEA

It is impossible for foreigners to go to Myanmar or from Myanmar by sea or river.

TOURS

Many foreigners-run companies book package tours to Myanmar. We're not recommending them as, in most local people if you travel on your arrange a driver and guide from a locally based agent. Travel agents along Bangkok's Kaho San Rd offer a host of short-term package trips to Myanmar, some of which are geared more to midrange locally run hotels than top-end join-venture hotels. Four-night trips to Yangon, Mandalay and Bagan (Pagan) start at US$329 to US$399, including hotels and flight.

GETTING AROUND

Much of Myanmar is off limits to foreigners or can only be accessed after getting permission or by taking an expensive tour organized by the government's Myanmar Travels & Tours (MTT). But in the places where you are able to go there's surprising freedom to stop and roam where you want. Some isolated towns such as kengtung, Sittwe and Kawthoung require jumps by air or bus to reach.

It's worth adding that the government is very happy about their (literal, not political) bridge building, capped by the country's largest in Mawlamyine (Moulmein); this 3km bridge over the Thanlwin (Salween) River was completed 2004. See the list of bridges at www.myanmar.com/build/bridge.