AboutNancy B Expertise One of my all-time favorites. I`ve been there more than 10 times (for at least a month each time), done the tourist loop five times and travelled to several permit-only areas. Aside from the Yangon, Bago, Inle, Kalaw, Mandalay, Pagan, Pyay route, I`ve travelled twice to Sittwe, Mrauk-U and the Chin areas and then down to Ramree Island, Ngapali and Pathein. Been on the wonderful boat from Bhamo to Mandalay and sojourned in the south a bit past Moulmein. Most recently I trekked in the northern Kachin state, camped and stayed with the Rawang tribe, for 2 weeks on the way to Phonekan Razi to see the Himalayas from the east. I`ve taken nearly every mode of transport--trains, planes, buses, boats, bikes, oxcarts, trekking on foot. I can answer logistical questions about airfare, hotels, restaurants, trekking, trains, restricted/open areas and, especially, cultural/religious sites and their significance.
Experience The world is a fascinating place and nothing reveals this more thoroughly than exploring faraway lands. I've got a penchant for the exotic, a friendly face and a true curiousity about the people, art and life.
Question Dear Nancy: I am traveling to Myanmar with my husband and son in October. I was wondering how easy it is to communicate with the states. My father is rather ill and I need to maintain contact on a daily basis. We will be traveling the typical tourist route during our 11 days there. Is there any cell service available? Are there calling cards to be had? Additionally, do you think that it is a safe time to travel with the activity currently taking place in the country? Any insight you can offer is appreciated. We are traveling with a tour company but will only be traveling with a guide and driver on our own.
Thank you.
Answer Dear Karen,
Yikes! Myanmar is one of the worst places for communication! Rates can run up to $8 USD per minute (can be as low as $3 per minute), there are NO calling cards (nor atms, nor credit cards, nor international phones except at the post office) and for foreigners no cell service. As far as I know you can't even use a Thai cell phone there. There is no internet portal, the portals are by transponder through Singapore or Thailand . . . and many websites and providers (such as AOL, yahoo, hotmail) are DENIED access so you can NOT pick up email from those sites. However, there IS email, but MOSTLY outgoing is easy, not incoming. When you are in Yangon, many internet places will allow you to set up an email account at their shop (but it doesn't travel), and many hotels will allow you to receive email to the general email at the hotel, referencing you as a guest. (outside of Yangon and Mandalay, internet cafes are rare.) Please be aware that both of these methods may be screened (as will faxes) and don't mention anything politically sensitive. Also, if you have your own domain on the net, you MAY be able to access your email through your domain as the government often doesn't block individual domains. Even the way emails are sent from hotels and internet cafes is usually by "batch sync", so you compose your email offline and they will then sync with the provider to send it. Usually then email place or hotel charges $1 per email sent. Don't forget electricity is erratic (even with generators), so often there are transmission problems.
Your best best is to pay to email to your dad with your hotel phone number (as it changes as you travel), and if possible, the hotel email, so someone can always get in touch with you. (From the U.S. it's 011-95-(city code, which for Yangon is 1)-the phone number.) But it can take a lot of patience to get through on the line. Otherwise I'd go to the nearest backpacker place and see if you can place calls for about $3 per minute (and the staff speaks some English). In Yangon, try Beautyland, in Mandalay AD1, in Inle Phi guesthouse, etc.
The "trouble" . . . as a foreigner, you'll never see it. They are VERY careful that nothing happens to a foreigner. If any of the areas you go to become sensitive, you just will be prevented from traveling there. If you're with a tour other than MT&T (the government tour agency), you may get a MT&T escort as an extra "guide". (Our poor extra guy from the government had to trek with us in the northern mountains for 11 days . . . he wasn't happy about it.) The only area that might be sensitive right now is Pakkoku because of the monks holding the security forces there. But most foreigners take the boat from Mandalay to Pagan (not the road) and don't get off in Pakkoku. At this juncture, I think it's safe to go.
By the way, keep in mind that if something happens at home, it can be hard to leave fast. If you're upcountry it can take 10 hours by road, then you have to fly to Bangkok (generally) to fly to your international destination (which if it's in the U.S. can be 18-22 hours away).
