Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
There are no car-rental agencies per se, but most travel agencies in Yangon, Mandalay
and Bagan - as well as guesthouses and hotels elsewhere - can arrange cars and
drivers.
Among the most popular and reliable rental cars in the country are secondhand, recon-
ditioned Toyota Corona hatchbacks imported from Japan. A slightly better quality car is
the Toyota Chaser. Myanmar also assembles its own Mazda 'jeeps' (MJs) using 85% local
parts. Though mostly a government monopoly, these jeeps make decent off-road vehicles.
The old US-made, WWII-era Willys Jeeps that once characterised outback Myanmar
travel are becoming few and far between.
Petrol & Tolls
Petrol costs K4200 per gallon. In rural parts of the country you'll find roadside stalls selling
bottles of petrol.
Another cost to consider when travelling by car is the customary K50 or K100 'toll' col-
lected upon entering many towns and villages throughout Myanmar. Many drivers are ad-
ept at handing these to the toll collectors while barely slowing down.
The toll for private cars using the expressway from Yangon to Mandalay is K4500, while
to Nay Pyi Taw it's K2500.
Motorcycle & Mopeds
It's occasionally possible to rent a motorbike or moped, though few locals advertise this -
and the authorities frown on it since they don't want to deal with the complications of visit-
ors involved in accidents. In Mandalay and Myitkyina, for example, it's K10,000 per day to
rent a motorbike. Unlike cyclists, you're required to wear a helmet in most towns.
Note that motorbikes and mopeds are banned in Yangon.
Hitching
Hitching is never entirely safe in any country in the world, and we don't recommend it.
Travellers who decide to hitch should understand that they are taking a small but poten-
tially serious risk. People who do choose to hitch will be safer if they travel in pairs and let
someone know where they are planning to go.
One extra reason to avoid hitching in Myanmar is that local drivers may not know which
areas are off limits to foreigners and may unwittingly transport them into such areas. In
such cases the driver will probably be punished.
