Myanmar (Burma) - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 524

donation) at a centre in Yangon on
Nga Htat Gyi Pagoda Road, close to
Shwedagon Paya. he Kyunpin
Meditation Centre ( T 099 1026653 or
T

some Asian SIM cards. At the time of
research foreigners could not buy
Myanmar SIM cards, and the only
(expensive) option was to rent one together
with a phone at the international airports. 096 1026653; W kyunpin.com) in

Sagaing, near Mandalay, also has good
reports from foreign visitors.

CRIME AND SAFETY
Very few foreign tourists are victims of
crime in Myanmar, possibly because the
penalties for stealing are severe. here are,
however, occasional reports of
opportunistic theft such as of cameras left
charging on ferries while the owners
wander the decks. Although the
government is engaged in conflict with
ethnic resistance groups in several parts
of the country, if there's any danger in an
area then it will be closed to foreigners
both for their protection and to keep the
violence hidden away from international
attention. In October 2013 a series of
explosions in different towns and cities
left three local people dead; one tourist
was injured in Yangon. he government
blamed the Karen National Union, but
other theories suggested that the attacks
were linked to the violence in Rakhine
State (see box, p.540) or were carried out
by the military as a way to forestall
political reforms.
Although the quasi-civilian government
inaugurated in 2011 has taken steps to
reduce censorship and released many
political prisoners, Myanmar is still far
from being a place where freedom of
speech can be taken for granted, and
violence is still regularly used against
dissenters and protesters. It is still
therefore wise to avoid raising political
topics in conversation, as local people can
be nervous about finding themselves in
trouble. Let them take the lead.

COMMUNICATIONS
he postal service in Myanmar is not
known for its e ciency, but many post
o ces have an EMS (Express Mail
Service) counter offering faster and more
reliable international delivery.
here are internet cafés in most towns
and cities, typically charging K300-500
per hour. In addition some hotels and
guesthouses have wi-fi access, although
connections are unreliable and can be
frustratingly slow. Unsurprisingly,
high-end hotels and their cafés tend to
be the best bet.
Many guesthouses will let you make
local calls from reception (check the price
first), or may make the call for you if
you're trying to book accommodation for
later in your trip. here are also local call
stands - often just a table with a
telephone - in the streets and in some
shops. he cheapest and easiest way to
call internationally is through a VOIP
(Voice Over Internet Protocol) service
such as Skype or Voipfone. Some internet
cafés offer such calls for a per-minute fee
if you don't have your own account.
Mobile phone numbers start with 09.
International roaming is in its infancy in
Myanmar, and currently works only with

7

MYANMAR ONLINE
W burmalibrary.org A huge collection of
text from books and articles about
Myanmar, plus relevant links, organized
into categories.
W irrawaddy.org One of the most
reliable sources of up-to-the-minute news
on the country.
W myanmartourism.org This o cial
tourism website has hotel and tour
company telephone numbers, plus a list of
places that are off-limits or require permits
(although this may be out of date).

MEDICAL CARE AND EMERGENCIES
he quality of health care in Myanmar
is generally poor. Routine advice and
treatment are available in Yangon and
Mandalay but elsewhere the hospitals
often lack basic supplies, and some suffer
under corrupt administrations. Avoid
surgery and dental work, as hygiene
standards cannot be relied upon; if you