Monthly Archives: June 2014

Myanmar currency

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Things are changing very quickly in Myanmar, but one of the most important things for a tourist is how to get money.

It used to be that you would have to bring US dollars in and that would be your only source of funds.  This is no longer the case.  There are many ATMs that will dispense kyat for you.

Here is 300,000 kyat, the maximum withdrawal amount from an ATM.  Unfortunately 5,000 kyat is the biggest note a cash machine will give out.
A few things to note:
– 300,000 is the maximum withdrawal and the machine will charge you a 5,000 kyat fee.
– Some hotels still prefer US dollars, so it’s handy to keep some on you.
– Many US banks stick with the US trade embargo which means those credit cards will be declined and you can not use them to take out cash here.
– So far no businesses have accepted credit cards, but MasterCard is here, there are advertisements all over, so it’s just a matter of time.
As far as US dollars go, make sure they are new and crisp, without any markings or creases on them.  They are very picky and some of my $20 bills have been refused.  Of course they can be exchanged in Bangkok or brought home, but they are useless here.  I have no idea why they are so picky on US dollar bills as kyat often comes back to you folder, ripped, washed, or otherwise destroyed, and they have no issue with that!

Shinkansen in Myanmar

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Ok, well, maybe not the Shinkansen, but rail travel in Myanmar is possible, but I would struggle to call it comfortouble.  It is, on the other hand, very affordable.


Most guidebooks will tell you that you must buy tickets in US dollars and foreign prices are 3 to 4 times higher than locals.  As of April 2014 this is no longer true.  Locals and foreigners pay the same price and they both pay in local currency, kyats.

Here is the Bago train station.  It looks a little different than say Kyoto or Hiroshima central stations!  Even Churchill station in Northern Manitoba would be a step up from this!

There is actually a safety line there, it’s very faded.  It was drawn by the British when they built the station and has never been repainted since.  There is a bridge to cross the tracks, but nobody uses it, they just walk across the lines.  These trains move so slowly anyway, there is not really a safety issue.
Vendors sell food and drinks on the platform, as well as on the train.
There are two seating options, ordinary and upper class.  Ordinary class just has wooden benches that only face one way.  Upper class has padded reclining seats that can be turned around.  Some of these cars are 50+ years old.  They are generally pretty grubby and most of the time the seat is stuck in a reclined position.  Even so, you can get up to walk around and stretch your legs and you get to see some scenery from the open windows and doors.
Train or Bus?

So, which is better?  In my opinion, there is no good ground transportation in Myanmar!  Both buses and trains are slow.  Buses are very crowded, but trains are not. Trains are cheaper, but usually slower. In general, travel in Myanmar takes a lot of patience.  Late trains and buses are very common, as are breakdowns.  Track switching is manual here.  The train must stop and the driver manually moves the track switch and then continues on.
I suggest if you travel Myanmar, you should try both options.
Other choices

There are 2 other options if you want to spend a bit more money.  You can hire a taxi for long distance travel.  You must pay the driver for both ways, since he must come back empty.  This may make sense if you travel in a group.
You can also fly, but only between major hubs; Inle lake, Bagan, Mandaley, Yangon.  Generally there are one or two flights per day.  One way flights come in at about $100.

Bago

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Before heading North I wanted to stop at Bago.  It had the world’s second largest reclining Bhudda (the largest being in Bangkok) as well as several other temples and sights in the area.

Bago is about 100km from the base camp of Golden rock.  I caught a noon bus which took 3 hours to get to Bago.  Buses in Burma don’t know the meaning of being full.  Any additional passengers that the driver can cram into the bus is money in his pocket.  For this reason, he keeps stopping at the side of the road to try to get new fares.  This is interesting at first, and bloody irritating later on.
Once I arrived in Bago I found a taxi driver that found me a great deal on a hotel and offered to be a tour guide for the afternoon for $15.  Taxi drivers here are much better than neighbouring countries because they don’t get commission from a hotel.  In this way they can actually recommend whatever hotel they actually like.
There are several standing and reclining Bhudda’s in Bago.  This one is outside, which looks good, but the sun and the rain force continual upkeep on it, so it costs more money.
This one, behind me, is inside.  You can see the flashing lights again that are so popular here in Myanmar.
There were 4 standing ones back to back that I would of never found without a guide.  The guide was great, he had good knowledge about the history of the temples and it was nice to talk to a local about everyday myanmar life.  He also knew where to get cheap beer 🙂