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* This is usually not the case, but some people might be afraid about getting in trouble with the government, when they pick you up. I does not mean that the Burmese people are afraid of getting in contact with foreigners, but some will tell you this reason if you ask them about difficulties with hitchhiking.
* Many pick-up trucks are considered to be short-distance buses. Of course they will be delighted to pick you up, but make sure about the payment first.
* Cars with red number plates are taxies. Don't get on one by mistake, since many taxies are otherwise unmarked, and drivers are often very nice and may not even mention a price until the end of your trip.
* The people are too friendly. Some of you might know this situations where you are somewhere in a fucked up place, nobody is stopping, which is bad and after a while people gather around you because they want to know where you are from and what are you doing. This is also the situation in Myanmar, but here you can add that despite all this things the people also try to help you, which makes the whole situation even worse, because they don't understand hitchhiking. With 10 people around you it is hard to stop a car and there you might have the situation that a car finally stops, you jump on and just want to leave and the driver starts to talk to the people on the street about you. They just want to help, but in the end the driver is so confused, that he refuses you and you are again with your buddies on the street. To avoid this, make sure to travel from one town/city to another, but always start hitch-hiking a little outside the cities.
Some things that might be important before entering the country:
* There are no ATMs now ATM's in Myanmar. The money you All major cities have in your pocket is them and all you will ownaccept visa/MasterCard. You will Money is given is local currency not be able USD and you are charged anything from USD 2 to use credit cards, traveller's checks, or other things that don't look like Dollars, Kyat, or BhatUSD 15 for using the machine. The lonely planet will tell you about some Paying by card is possible in high end hotels that accept Visa, but this information (like 50% of this book) is not valid any more (September 2011). There are rumours about one travel agency in Yangon on the street so make sure that might accept Visa cards, but that has nothing to meanyou have enough cash on you for daily spending.
* In general you should know that a lot of informations information about travelling in Myanmar are is wrong, because things are changing so fast. This addresses the USD 300 you have to show at the airport (wrong!), the USD 10 airport tax (included in AirAsia tickets since August 2011), the interview in the visa process (getting a visa in Bangkok is straightforward, fast and very easy) and many other informations information you will find. As a tourist they will not make your life difficult with absurd rules.
* If you take much money with you, be relaxed. Myanmar is a pretty safe country. Although every tourist is carrying a lot of money around with them, only few people get ripped of. It might be because the people are so nice (see below "people") or because you will not be allowed to enter assumed dangerous areas (see below "travel restrictions").
* Generally the people won't cheat you. Cheating is a new thing to them, but this is changing as well, especially when it comes to changing money in the street. NEVER DO IT'''Never do it! ''' Not even if it's Sunday, the banks are closed and you need money for the hostel. Find another solution, because the guys in the street are only there to cheat you. They won't change your money!
* Cars and buses are very old (because of the embargo), stinky and slow. The traffic is not so much, but in the cities the air might be more polluted as in Bangkok during the rush hours. Sometimes you find yourself while hitchhiking beside the street surrounded by a black smoke cloud, or you sit in the back of a truck and it is a bit annoying to breath the delicious exhaust fumes that pass through you.
Myanmar is maybe (besides Singapore) one of the most expensive countries in South East Asia. A USD 10 budget per day is very tight (guest-houses usually take USD 6-8 per night for the cheapest rooms), with USD 15 you can get around easily and with USD 20 you don't need to worry about money. All the prices you will find on the internet, or in guidebooks are not valid any more. Everything is much more expensive (40% more for food, +USD 2-4 for accommodation in September 2011). Also the exchange rate is changing enormously. In 2010 you could get for USD 1 around 1000 Kyat. In August-September 2011 it was between 650-750 Kyat for USD 1. The rate is changing constantly and can vary in from 50 to 100 Kyat within 24 hours. Be careful with money exchange, don't make a deal with people that offer you exchange on the street. In Yangon the gem market is a good place with fair and stable exchange rates.
You will need Dollars for accommodation and if you are staying in high end hotels; small local places will accept Just at the rate of 1000 to 1USD (in 2015). Kyat is the currency for the street. So take with you both currencies and don't exchange everything (otherwise you will become a real money trader, without making profit, but loosing a lot). Also most of the people will not accept your dollars if there is something written on, if they have a wrinkle, or let's say if they don't look brand new (I didn't get this). If you pay with Kyat in the guest-house it will become very expensive. Also the local prices for accommodation are about USD 3 (2000 Kyat), but foreigners are only allowed to stay in guest-houses that have permission and those are often much more expensive.
=== Travel restrictions ===
=== Cities ===
* [[Naypyidaw]]
* [[Yangon]]
* [[Mandalay]]
== India/Myanmar Border ==
As of 2014 it seems possible to cross the border from Myanmar to India at Tamu - Moreh, at a cost of $50 - $100 for a permit (depending which agency you arrange the permit with)
You will need: - Copy of passport and Myanmar visa- Copy ; copy of Indian visa (when applying avoid mentioning you are crossing by land). It is possible and easy to get Indian visa in Yangon, as of March 2015 no plane or hotel bookings were required. - ; Itinerary: just a list of cities to be visited along the way to the border (choose the most touristic destinations)- ; Fee ($50 - $100 per person, just depending on the agency you choose)Officially it takes 15 - 20 days to obtain the permit. But [[User: Rovingsnails | RovingSnails]] got , but it in could be less (like 10 days). There is no need to collect the permit in person; , the agency sends a scanned version by email and one can simply print it out.
You can read more about it here...
== External links ==
* [http://marcandoelpolo.com/como-es-viajar-a-dedo-autostop-en-myanmar/ Information, tips and personal experiences of hitch-hiking in Myanmar]. A 1545 km journey on 33 vehicles (only in spanishSpanish)], by Marcando el Polo.*[http://rovingsnails.com/2015/03/10/hitchhiking-from-myanmar-to-india-overland-crossing-at-tamu-moreh/ | How to cross from Myanmar to India overland at Tamu - Moreh] Bureaucracy and tips by [[User: Rovingsnails | RovingSnails.]]{{IsIn|South-Eastern Asia}}
[[Category:Asia]]
[[Category:Myanmar|*]]
*[[Nomad:Myanmar]]
