Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
stereotypical offerings of processed bread, eggs and a cup of coffee, plus maybe a banana
or other fruit. Bigger places may lay out a more interesting buffet spread, sometimes featur-
soup eaten by most Burmese themselves to start the day.
Budget accommodation
Many of the country's very
cheapest guesthouses
and hotels (under $15/night) are aimed
squarely at locals and aren't licensed to accept foreigners - and those that do have a foreign-
ers' licence are often pretty squalid. Rooms are often dirty cubicles with filthy bedding and
flimsy walls covered with squashed insect remains and disintegrating paint. And you'll most
likely be sharing a grubby communal bathroom with cold water only.
Budget accommodation aimed at foreign visitors is mainly in
family-run guesthouses
or
smaller hotels
. Rooms typically cost between $15 and $30 per night for a double room. At
the lower end of this price range you'll probably be sharing a bathroom and the room itself
is likely to be pretty shabby. For around $25 per night you can usually find somewhere reas-
onably clean and comfortable with en-suite bathroom (possibly with hot water). Most rooms
have air-conditioning, except in cooler upland areas of the north and east, where this of-
ten isn't necessary (and, where available, costs extra). Mosquito nets are only sporadically
provided.
TOP FIVE BUDGET GUESTHOUSES
Mid-range and expensive accommodation
Most
mid-range accommodation
($50-100/night) is in functional concrete-box hotels.
Rooms tend to be larger and with a few extra trimmings (perhaps a fridge, safe, satellite TV
and writing desk), and there might be an in-house restaurant and 24hr reception, although all
things considered you may find yourself paying $50-70 per night for a room not appreciably
better than one costing $30.
Rates at
top-end accommodation
are similarly sky-high - and many are owned by indi-
viduals or companies with strong government links. A few places offer genuinely stylish and
enjoyable lodgings for as little as $100 per night, though you can easily pay double that, and
rates at the very best establishments run into the hundreds of dollars. Many upmarket ho-
tels are attractively presented and very professionally run, although most follow an identikit
