Page 26 - The Rough Guide to Myanmar (Burma)

24 BASICS GettinG there
time spent in transit. Airlines flying from the west return airfares start from around $200. Full-price
coast include China Airlines, China eastern (Wfly carriers, including Golden Myanmar Airlines
chinaeastern.com), Singapore Airlines (Wsingapore (Wgmairlines.com), SilkAir (Wsilkair.com) and
air.com) and Cathay Pacific. Singapore Airlines (Wsingaporeair.com), also
operate daily flights, with airfares from around
Flights from Australia, New $250 return.
Airlines that fly directly to Yangon from cities
Zealand and South Africa around Southeast Asia include AirAsia and Malaysia
When travelling to Myanmar from the southern Airlines (Wmalaysiaairlines.com) from Kuala
hemisphere, Bangkok, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur and Vietnam Airlines (Wvietnamairlines
Lumpur are the most convenient places to .com) from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Air Bagan
transfer onto a flight to Yangon. From Australia, (Wairbagan.com) fly between Yangon and Chiang
Kuala Lumpur is typically the cheapest destination Mai several times per week, and Asian Wings
of the three, with direct flights from Adelaide, Airlines (Wasianwingsairlines.com) fly between
Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth starting Chiang Mai and Mandalay.
from just Aus$300 return, thanks to the presence
of budget carriers (including Jetstar (Wjetstar Regional airports
.com), Scoot (Wflyscoot.com) and AirAsia Mandalay International Airport is served by an
(Wairasia.com) on various routes, along with full- increasing number of direct international flights.
price airlines. there are also daily direct flights At the time of research, there were non-stop
from Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney to flights to Mandalay from Bangkok Suvarnabhumi
Singapore (from Aus$350) and Bangkok (from (daily; 2hr; around $200), Bangkok Don Mueang
Aus$500). (daily; 2hr; around $150), Chiang Mai (daily; 1hr
thai Airways (Wthairairways.com) operates 30min; $170) and Singapore (2 weekly; 3hr 25min;
several direct flights from Auckland (from nZ$1700) $360), as well as Kunming in Yunnan, China, and
and Johannesburg (from ZAr8500) to Bangkok Gaya in Bihar, india.
each week, Singapore Airlines (Wsingaporeairlines in addition, Bangkok Airlines (Wbangkokair.com)
.com) flies direct to Singapore from Auckland and operates five flights each week between Bangkok
Christchurch (from nZ$1650) and Johannesburg Suvarnabhumi and Naypyitaw’s recently expanded
(ZAr9250). Malaysia Airlines (Wmalaysiaairlines airport (2hr 30min; $245), and there are also
.com) also operates daily flights from Auckland occasional charter flights from further afield.
(from nZ$1385) to Kuala Lumpur. All prices are for
return airfares.
Overland from Thailand
Flights from Southeast Asia Of the five border crossings between Myanmar
and Thailand, four were fully opened to
Flights between Bangkok and Yangon (1hr) start at independent travellers at the time of research.
$70 return, with the cheaper airlines often flying Ranong–Kawthaung (see box, p.177) and Phu
out of Don Mueang international Airport (DMK) Nam Ron–Htee Kee (see box, p.172) in tanin-
rather than the larger Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK), tharyi region, Mae Sot–Myawaddy (see box,
which is preferred by standard-price carriers. ensure p.158) in Kayin State and Mae Sai–Tachileik (see
that you leave enough time between connections box, p.275) in southern Shan State are all now
if you’re flying into one airport and out of the other open to travellers with valid Myanmar visas. the
– it can take over an hour to drive between the two. fifth checkpoint, Three Pagodas Pass between
Airlines flying between Bangkok and Yangon Sangkhlaburi in thailand and Payathonzu, is not
include Bangkok Airways (Wbangkokair.com), thai open to foreign tourists.
Airways (Wthaiairways.com) and Myanmar Airways Visas on arrival are no longer available to tourists
international (Wmaiair.com) out of Suvarnabhumi, at any border (or airport), but Myanmar e-visas
and nok Air (Wnokair.com) and AirAsia (Wairasia (visas applied for online) are valid for entry into
.com) out of Don Mueang. Myanmar via all of the open crossing points except
the longer flight from Singapore to Yangon for the Phu Nam Ron–Htee Kee border.
(3hr) is well served by budget airlines, with Jetstar if you plan to cross at Mae Sai–tachileik, note that
Asia (Wjetstar.com) and tigerair (Wtigerair.com) it is not possible to travel overland further into
operating daily services between the two cities. Myanmar beyond Kengtung without a special

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