Page 50 - The Rough Guide to Myanmar (Burma)

48 BASICS Travel essenTials
EMERGENCY NUMBERS Myanmar remains an extremely safe place for
Police T199 foreign visitors. violent crime against tourists is
Ambulance T192 extremely rare, and even petty theft is relatively
Fire T191 uncommon, although obviously it pays not to
leave valuables lying around or rooms unlocked. if
you are unlucky enough to suffer a theft you’ll
expensive, especially when you consider the time- need to report it to the police to get a statement
saving involved – Yangon to Bagan, for example, will for your insurance claim. Taking a Burmese-
cost somewhere in the region of $70–100. Hiring speaking companion to translate is pretty much
your own car and driver is expensive (at least $60/ essential – ask at your accommodation. Major
day, often significantly more), as are packaged trips, tourist centres have dedicated tourist police,
especially cruises – more upmarket river trips can although even so it’s worth taking a Burmese-
cost thousands of dollars. Admission fees aren’t too speaker with you if possible.
punitive – the week-long ticket covering the whole realistically, the biggest dangers to travellers in
of Bagan costs a relatively modest $25 (compared to Myanmar are entirely prosaic. Health risks
$37 for a one-day ticket to angkor, for example). (see p.38) shouldn’t be underestimated, while
Government museums typically charge a K5000 traffic can also be a menace, particularly in
entrance fee. Mandalay. On top of this, there’s a real possibility
all things considered, if you’re travelling around of injuring yourself by falling into a pothole or a
Myanmar as a couple you might conceivably be gap in the pavement after dark, so it’s best to
able to get by on a daily budget of $15–20/£12– pack a torch.
16/€14–19 per person (maybe even less), although There’s also a slight risk of becoming acciden-
$25/£20/€23 per day is a more realistic target. For tally caught up in political or ethnic violence.
$40/£32/€37 per person per day you can be pretty Tensions are likely to be particularly high during
comfortable. equally, it’s perfectly easy to spend elections (avoid large crowds and rallies), while
$200/£160/€185 per day if you’re staying and eating there are also sporadic outbreaks of religious and
in top-end hotels and travelling with a car and ethnic unrest – for instance the ongoing tensions
driver. Travelling on your own obviously bumps in rakhine state between the Burmese and the
costs up considerably, given that you’ll have no one rohingya (see p.121), or sporadic clashes
to split pricey accommodation rates with. between Buddhists and Muslims (something that
Upmarket restaurants and hotels may add a ten appears to be getting worse under the new nlD
percent service charge. elsewhere, tipping in local government). There are also ongoing clashes in
restaurants, teahouses, taxis and so on isn’t really various parts of the country between the army
expected (although of course is always appreci- and various ethnic resistance groups, including
ated). Caretakers and guardians will expect a tip for (at the time of research) northern shan state and
unlocking a temple, museum or other monument parts of Kachin state; obviously the situation is in
for you. constant flux and it pays to check the latest
situation if travelling to remote areas. The govern-
Crime and personal safety ment generally closes off any area where there’s
even a hint of danger, however, both to keep
Despite decades of military oppression, often tourists safe and to stop them witnessing things
grinding poverty and a string of local insurgencies, the military doesn’t want outsiders to see.

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