Myanmar (Burma) - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 519

domestic airlines still do not sell tickets
online - although they may allow you to
make an online reservation and then pay
once in the country. In addition,
travellers should avoid flying if they are
trying to limit the amount of their
money that ends up with the government
or its cronies (see box, p.521).

uncommon for trains to be delayed by
several hours. Trains are also more
expensive than buses, and since they are
state-run, the money goes to the
government. All that said, there are
reasons why you might want to take a
train at least once during your trip. One
is that on a few routes, such as from
Mandalay up to Naba and Katha, road
transport is closed to foreigners. Another
is for the experience itself: many routes
run through areas of great beauty, for
example the Goteik viaduct between Pyin
Oo Lwin and Kyaukme, and there is the
chance to interact with local people.
All express trains have upper- and
ordinary-class carriages. he former have
reservable reclining seats, although the
mechanism is often broken, while the
latter have hard seats and no reservations.
Some trains also have first-class carriages,
which fall somewhere between upper
and ordinary. Sleeper carriages, when
available, accommodate four passengers
and come with blankets and linen.
Long-distance trains may have
restaurant cars , and food vendors either
come on board or carry out transactions
through the windows whenever the train
stops. he bathrooms on-board are basic
and often unclean.
Fares are payable only in US dollars.
Try to reserve a day or so in advance, or
more for sleepers.

BY BUS
Buses are usually faster and cheaper than
trains, and are generally the best way to get
around on a budget. here are many
different bus companies and most are
privately owned. Taking buses can be quite
tiring, however, since most long-distance
services run through the night, stop
roughly every three hours for toilet or food
breaks and arrive before dawn.
Most long-distance buses are reasonably
comfortable, but make sure you bring
warm clothes as they tend to crank up the
air conditioning. On major routes, such
as Yangon to Mandalay, it's possible to
take a more modern and spacious “VIP”
bus for a small additional fee. here are
also local buses running segments of
longer routes, such as Taungoo to
Mandalay (rather than the full Yangon to
Mandalay trip); these are usually in worse
condition but are cheaper for shorter
trips, as on long-distance buses you pay
the fare for the full journey even if you
get on or off partway through. You'll also
find smaller, 32-seat buses that should be
avoided if possible for long trips, as they
tend to be jam-packed with luggage.
It's a good idea to book a day or two
ahead for busy routes (such as Bagan to
Nyaungshwe), routes where only a few
buses run (such as Ngwe Saung to
Yangon) or where you're joining a bus
partway through its route (such as in
Kalaw). Guesthouses can often help book
tickets for a small fee, or you can buy
them either from bus stations (which in
some cases are outside of town) or from
in-town bus company o ces.

7

BY SHARED TAXI AND VAN
Shared taxis and shared vans are available
on some routes, and can be arranged either
through accommodation or at shared-taxi
stands. hese vehicles charge separately for
each seat, typically around fifty percent
more than a seat on an air-conditioned
bus. hey will usually drop you wherever
you like, however, which saves on transfer
costs in towns where the bus station is
inconveniently located.

CAR, BIKE AND MOTORCYCLE RENTAL
Renting a car is not a realistic option in
Myanmar as there is too much red
tape involved, but it's easy to arrange
a car and driver (from around $40 per
day) through your accommodation or
travel agencies.

BY TRAIN
he railway system in Myanmar is
antiquated, slow and generally
uncomfortable. On most routes a bus is
faster and more reliable, as it is not