General

Myanmar (Burma)

Sharing a common border with India, Bangladesh, Laos, China and Thailand, Myanmar is about the size France and England together, one of the largest countries in Southeast Asia. Its length is about 2.000 km from the Tenasseri Peninsula in the south to the north of Himalaya mountain ranges which border Yunnan, Tibet and India.

Myanmar has a wide range of beautiful attractions: Bagan and Mrauk U, where centuries old edifice of religious monuments are silently showing off the historical treasures, whilst scenic Inle Lake in the eastern mountains is famous for the charming tribes, where you can find the famous leg rowing fishermen. The northernmost part of the country has Southeast Asia highest Mt. Khakaborazi (5881 meter) with rich flora and fauna whereas the southern Mergui Archipelago comprises over 800 unspoiled islands. Myanmar is also proud of having an extensive coastline along the India Ocean awarded by long and white sand beaches such as Ngapali & Ngwesaung. Its last royal capital of Mandalay boasts for the finest arts & crafts while the city of Yangon finds a cluster of old colonial buildings and beautiful gardens. The Central plain is where most of the population lives and is not wider than 960 km.

Official name Republic of the Union of Myanmar
Area 678 500 km² or about 1,2 x the size of France
Population 53 millions
Capital Nay Pyi Daw since 2005
Biggest city Yangon (Almost 6 millions inhabitants)
People and ethnic groups Out of the 135 different ethnic groups, 65% are Burmese, 10% Shan, 7% Karen
Official language Burmese (Sino–tibetan)
Religion Theravada Bouddhism (87%), Christians (5%), Islam (4%)

Mobile Phones

At the moment, there is no international mobile phone coverage. So better leave your mobile in the safe of the hotel. We expect a change in the future. Hotels provide for international calls, but at the VERY EXPENSIVE rate of 6 & 8 dollars per minute to foreign countries.

There is a possibility of renting a local mobile phone or CDMA at the airport with a deposit of $50 and the local SIM card.

Internet

Internet access is available in Internet or Cyber cafes and in most hotels. Although it is slow, it works.

Time difference

Myanmar runs on GMT+6h30, or a difference of 4h30 in the summer and 5h30 in winter with central Europe. When it is 12h00 in Paris/Brussels, it is 16h30 (summer) or 17h30 (winter) in Yangon.

Shopping

Myanmar is a shoppers paradise. Not too much for International items but more for the local handicrafts such as lacquerware, silk, wooden statues, wild cotton…

As the world producer of rubis, Myanmar gives you a unique opportunity to buy the stone at a good price.

Electricity

220 volts is used in the country and plugs can vary. Most hotels have multi-use plugs in the bathroom to recharge small appliances like camera or phone batteries. Ideally you should bring a « universal » adaptor. If power cuts are frequent, most hotels have generators.

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