Basics - The Rough Guide to Myanmar - page 50

remains ingenerally shortsupply,thecountry'srapidlyboomingtourismindustrymeansthat
new places are now opening all the time, in all price categories, and there's now a far wider
choice of places to stay than ever before.
Be aware that not all guesthouses are licensed to accept foreign guests , so some places
(particularly small guesthouses in remote towns that don't see many foreigners) may be
forced to turn you away even if they have space.
National power shortages mean that electricity is only available in some towns for set peri-
ods (typically 6am-6pm, although in some places electrical cuts may happen in the middle
of the night). Most, but not all, mid- and top-end places have their own generators - and
therefore24hrelectricity.Inbudgetplacesyou'llhavetodowithoutelectricityduringoutage
hours.
ACCOMMODATION PRICES
Rates quoted throughout this Guide are for the cost of the cheapest double room in high
season (Nov-Feb), excluding peak-period spikes such as over Christmas and New Year
and during Thingyan Water Festival. Rates at most places include all relevant taxes and
service charges , although some top-end places quote pre-tax rates and then add on an ad-
ditional fee - typically a ten percent service charge and a ten percent government tax. If in
doubt, check when you book/check in. Breakfast is normally included. Singleroom rates,
where available, are normally around two-thirds the price of a double room.
Rates and reservations
Where you stay will depend a lot on where you are. In larger tourist centres (Yangon, Man-
dalay, Bagan) there's plenty of accommodation and you can afford to pick and choose (as-
suming you reserve ahead). In smaller and/or less touristed places there may be only a hand-
ful of options, if that. Given all this, it pays to reserve in advance - Yangon can be particu-
larly tricky to find a cheap bed in, for example, while at the time of writing there were only
seven rooms in the whole of Ngapali for under $100, making advance reservations more or
less essential if you're travelling on any kind of budget. Equally, don't be amazed if your re-
servation isn't honoured - many places, particularly budget guesthouses, are rather good at
losingbookings.It'salsooftenworth bargaining ,especiallyinbudgetguesthouses(although
you may even have some joy at mid-range places), particularly in low season or if you're
staying several days.
Different places give room rates in either dollars or kyat (sometimes both) - we've quoted
prices throughout the Guide in the currency used bythe establishment itself. Most places in-
clude some kind of breakfast in their room rates - all the prices quoted in the Guide include
breakfast, unless specifically stated otherwise. The breakfasts themselves are usually fairly