Frequently asked questions
Q. What kind of visa do I need to visit Myanmar?
A. All visitors to Myanmar must have a passport that is valid for at least six months beyond the date you intend to enter the country. Myanmar requires a visa for all tourists regardless of originating country.
You can get a Myanmar tourist visa from your nearest Myanmar Embassy or Consulate Office. There are two types of tourist visas called EVT (FIT) and EVT (Package) Visa. We advise you to apply for the EVT (Package) visa.
Visa-on-arrival will be available soon but getting a visa in advance may be prudent as regulations can change without warning. Myanmar Embassies <http://www.mofa.gov.mm/myanmarmissions/indexmyanmarmissions.html>
The latest visa-on-arrival information is here at: http://www.mip.gov.mm/visaonarrival/
Q. What kind of hotels do you book for tour groups?
A. The hotels are either 3 or 4 star-rated, always very clean and quite beautiful. We have chosen these hotels based on comfort, location, affordability and how well they accommodate our group(s).
Q. What kinds of meals do you provide during the tour?
A. Breakfast is included in the room rate and is served at the hotels. Most International hotels serve buffet breakfast and standard hotels serve Continental. Lunch and dinner will be optional and if requested, provided at the best local restaurants with Myanmar or Chinese cuisine.
Q. Can I use my laptop at the hotels?
A. Yes, you will have power at all hotels. Power outages may happen but not frequently. But please do not expect consistent internet access.
Q. Can I access the internet in Myanmar?
A. Yes, there is internet at some of the hotels but it is usually very slow. If you have a laptop and connect to Wifi, sometimes it is available but, again, it can be so slow that it is more frustrating than its worth. The situation is improving in some areas though.
Q. Do the hotels have a laundry service so that I can pack light?
A. Hotels will certainly laundry service at reasonable rates.
Q. Do I need to worry about mosquitoes or malaria in Myanmar?
A. No vaccinations are officially required to visit Myanmar. However, you should check with your local travel doctor as to what precautions they would recommend.Malaria is not present in the main cities but it is present elsewhere in the country. Dengue is also present throughout
Myanmar. The best option is to avoid mosquito bites. Wear light colours with long sleeves/legs, especially around dusk. However, the mosquito which carries dengue also flies during daylight. Carry mosquito repellent with you.
Q. What else should I know concerning the weather, drinking water etc?
A. The sun is very strong, so bring sunscreen or an umbrella and sunglasses. Purified bottled water is available cheaply everywhere. It is advisable to never drink tap water. First time visitors would be wise to avoid food served on the street sides unless they see it being cooked and it is still hot.
Care should be taken when walking off the road in the countryside as Myanmar has snakes, some of which are poisonous. Myanmar hospitals are not yet up to international standards. Ensure you have arranged appropriate medical insurance (including evacuation) before you arrive. ISOS has a clinic for their clients at Inya Lake Hotel in Yangon.
Q. What kind of footwear should I bring?
A. Sandals will work well for much of the time. They will be much easier to take off and put back on at the pagodas we visit and are better as it can get quite hot here especially in the afternoons. There will be times when we will be visiting villages and it will be dusty, so trainers would be suitable too.
Q. What kind of people are you tour guides?
A. Our tour guides at Mandalay Tours for You are very experienced, service-oriented people with excellent language skills. Our English-speaking guides will be waiting for you at each destination but Russian, Spanish, German, Italian etc speaking guides will accompany you through your whole tour.
Q. Do I need insurance for this tour?
A. We highly recommend you buy insurance that includes travel, medical and evacuation insurance in your home country. Unfortunately, we cannot issue refunds past a certain point because items such as hotel fees have been paid for in Myanmar in advance.
Q. Could you arrange my International air tickets for my group?
A. We do not recommend it. International air-tickets are best purchased at the point where travel starts. No agent in Yangon or in other country can offer you the best price. We suggest you consult with your local ticketing agent to get the cheapest airfare.
Q. How many persons are required for a tour to operate and what are the departure dates ?
A. It is possible from one person and up and many days of the week since our programs are of private departure.
Q. What services are included and excluded in your tour packages?
A. We will clearly mention in our tour proposal the services we include and exclude. There will be no hidden costs.
Q. How do I settle the payment for the tours I book?
A. Advance payment for hotel fees are sent to our bank account and we prefer USD cash on arrival in Myanmar. Other methods can also be taken into consideration.
Q. Why do I have to pre-pay for the hotel rooms to you before the tour starts / check-in?
A. It is now much more difficult to find acceptable hotel rooms in Myanmar, thus the reservation and payment must be submitted to us in advance to ensure there are rooms for you. The advantage is you get better hotels at better rates, the disadvantage is you need to make pre-payment. This is now standard procedure for all tour companies in Myanmar as the number of available rooms is severely limited.
Q. Why should I use a registered travel agent like Mandalay Tours for You?
A. We make sure you spend your holiday enjoying the sights and scenes while taking care of all booking, transportation and logistics matters. We cater, assist and provide security to you and your group in any way possible while you see this beautiful country.