Page 54 - The Rough Guide to Myanmar (Burma)

52 BASICS Travel essenTials
vOiP (voice Over internet Protocol) service such as resembling a military installation, and it’s probably
skype or voipfone, although erratic connections best to avoid snapping police and soldiers as
can make this a very hit-and-miss business. well. There are usually no restrictions on taking
Otherwise you’ll need to use public call centres (try photographs in temples.
asking at the post office), although international The best photographic conditions can usually be
calls are expensive. found early in the morning, around 6–8am. not
By far the cheapest way of making both local only is the light at its best, but this is one of the
and international calls is by getting hold of a busiest times of the day around local markets
local SIM card. This used to be a difficult and and also a good time to photograph popular
expensive business until 2014, when the govern- temples and other attractions before hordes of
ment began issuing licences to foreign mobile tourists arrive.
companies, and local siMs can now be picked
up from phone (and other) shops all over the Post
country for just a few dollars – you may need
to show your passport if buying from one of The postal service in Myanmar isn’t known for its
the phone companies’ own offices. There are efficiency; sending postcards is cheap, although
currently three operators: Telenor (Wtelenor.com they don’t always reach their destinations. Post
.mm), Ooredoo (Wooredoo.com.mm) and MPT offices are typically open Monday to Friday 9.30am
(Myanmar Post & Telecommunications; Wmpt to 4.30pm and sometimes on saturday mornings,
.com.mm), with top-up cards widely available and many have an eMs (express Mail service)
and usually sold in values of K1000, K3000, K5000 counter offering faster and more reliable interna-
and K10,000. Telenor and Ooredoo have the most tional delivery.
modern 3G networks, although MPT has more
extensive coverage in rural areas. note that all Time
users are now required to register their siM card;
you will need to provide your name, address and Myanmar time is 6hr 30min ahead of GMT
passport number, plus a scan or picture of the (5hr 30min ahead of British summer Time), 11hr
photo page from your passport. registrations can 30min ahead of Us eastern standard Time, 14hr
be submitted online on your phone provider’s 30min ahead of Us Western standard Time, and
website – failure to do so may result in your 3hr 30min behind australian eastern standard
service being disrupted or blocked. Mobile phone Time. There are no daylight-saving time changes
numbers start with 09, though the exact number in Myanmar.
of digits varies.
To call home from Myanmar, dial the Tourist information
international access code (T00), then the country
code (UK T44; Us & Canada T1; ireland T353; The government-run Myanmar Travels & Tours
australia T61; new Zealand T64; south africa (MTT; Wmyanmartourism.org) maintains tourist
T27), then the area code and subscriber number. offices in Yangon and Mandalay, but in general
note that the initial zero is omitted from the area the best sources of travel information are
code when dialling the UK, ireland, australia and generally local travel agents or the staff at your
new Zealand from abroad. guesthouse or hotel. There are no Myanmar
To call Myanmar from abroad, dial the interna- tourist information offices abroad, although
tional access code and the country code for embassies and consulates may be able to help
Myanmar (T95), then the area code, minus the with information about which areas are currently
initial zero, and the subscriber number. restricted or off limits.
MYANMAR ONLINE
Photography
Good online news resources are listed in “The Media” section (see
Most Burmese love having their photo taken, but p.41).
it’s polite to ask before shoving a lens in someone’s Wburmalibrary.org Handy links to thousands of Myanmar-related
face and, assuming you’re using a digital camera, to websites and publications.
show them the picture afterwards. To ask “is it okay Wgo-myanmar.com Far and away the best online resource for
if i take a photo?” in Burmese, say “Daq-poun travellers to Myanmar, crammed with practical information, detailed
yaiq-teh, ya-deh naw?”. Don’t photograph anything accommodation and eating listings and a wealth of other information.

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