Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ROUGH GUIDES TRAVEL INSURANCE
Rough Guides has teamed up with
WorldNomads.com
to offer great travel insurance
deals. Policies are available to residents of over 150 countries, with cover for a wide range
ofadventuresports,24hremergencyassistance,highlevelsofmedicalandevacuationcov-
er and a stream of travel safety information.
Roughguides.com
users can take advant-
age of their policies online 24/7, from anywhere in the world - even if you're already
travelling. And since plans often change when you're on the road, you can extend your
policy and even claim online.
Roughguides.com
users who buy travel insurance with
WorldNomads.com
can also leave a positive footprint and donate to a community devel-
opment project. For more information, go to
roughguides.com/travel-insurance
.
Internet and wi-fi
Until recently Myanmar had one of the world's lowest internet penetration rates, although all
that is now rapidly changing. The country's
wi-fi
network, in particular, is growing at an ex-
ponential pace. Pretty much all mid-range and top-end hotels now offer wi-fi as standard, as
do the majority of budget establishments, including even quite down-at-heel places, as well
as many restaurants - although connections may be hit and miss.
Internet cafés
are rather less widespread, although all major towns and cities have at least
one or two places, typically charging around K500 per hour. Almost all have printers and
many provide Skype, although connections are often agonizingly slow.
The formerly stifling levels of internet
censorship
have been radically scaled back since
2012,allowingunrestrictedaccesstointernationalnewssites,dissidentbloggersandthelike.
You probably won't be aware that there's any censorship at all unless you go surfing online
for porn, poker, or Myanmar brides.
Laundry
Not surprisingly, you won't find any laundrettes in Myanmar. Upmarket (and some mid-
range) hotels generally have a laundry service, usually pricey,while budget guesthouses may
be able to wash clothes (or farm them out to someone who does). Alternatively, just look out
for a convenient back-street laundry. These should be able to turn washing around overnight,
charging in the region of K500 per item.
Mail
The postal service in Myanmar isn't known for its efficiency; sending postcards is cheap but
they often do not reach their destinations.
Post offices
are typically open Monday to Friday
9.30am to 4.30pm and sometimes on Saturday mornings, and many have an EMS (Express
