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= == Hitchhiking in general ===(Hitchhiking in Myanmar might be technically illegal for foreigners, someone please confirm or debunk this.)
*[[Nomad:Myanmar]]
→Border Crossings
'''Myanmar''', or '''Burma''', is a country in [[South-Eastern Asia]]. Although most people (and especially the stupid "Loney Planet Myanmar" book) connect Myanmar only with its bad government, this is not the whole story and should not be the only fact to focus on. Rather it is much more worth seeing Myanmar how it really is: A beautiful country, with hospitable and friendly people and an incredible rich culture. This country has so much to give, it is awesome.
Hitch-hiking in Myanmar is not that difficult, if you know how to do it. First of all, forget about the European way raising your thumb. As in almost all non-Western countries, raising your thumb will not be understood as anything but an odd gesture. Try other ways using body language for instance by waving at the drivers and signalling them to stop, or by waving and pointing in the direction you're going. You need to communicate with the driver in the few seconds you have while he sees you. Once you learn this, you will get rides in no time.
Hitch-hiking in Myanmar might seem difficult at first. You will face some trouble that can make it seem completely impossible. Here is a list of things you should be prepared for:
* People won't understand what you are doing: You If you are white, you should be rich and for sure you have enough money for the bus or a taxi.* Holding up a hitchhiking sign (in Myanma script) helps tremendously with communicating what it is you're doing. Even without knowing the concept of hitchhiking, people understand you're asking to travel to the place on your sign.
* 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.
Myanmar hitchhiking is like heaven and hell. Here comes the heaven. Between Mandalay and Yangon is a brand new express-way since December 2010. They put much effort in this project. It was the third time after the fifties and the seventies, that they tried to build this road and finally it worked with Chinese support. Now they did it and it is one of the the greatest an easiest roads you can hitchhike. It is not really a challenge, good for beginners and a nice trip. A lot of cars drive the whole route between the two biggest cities, so you can jump on and off where ever you want. There is no confusion about what you do, because there are no taxis on this highway, only express buses in the night so the understand quickly, that you are looking for a ride in a car on the highway. Also the feeling is very special. It might be like Germany in the early fifties. You have a very new, big and fast road, but there are almost no cars on it. Maybe 10 cars per hour, which is not much for a toll road (the drivers pay about USD 7 from Mandalay to Yangon). At the moment there are still people around the highway planting trees, or fixing some road borders and sometimes you might see some kids which are flying a kite in the middle of the road. Awesome. This would never be possible on the crammed European highways.
=== Useful Vocabulary === MIN-ga-la-baa = HelloCHAY-zu-baa = Thank youMyoot = City/TownshipToe gate = Tollgate == General information ===
Some things that might be important before entering the country:
* There's an e-visa you can apply for online (January 2020). You'll get a maximum stay of 28 days and it costs US$50. [[user: MOAH | Mind of a Hitchhiker]] and partner got their e-visas within 2 working days. You'll need to print this out. * There are now ATM's ATMs in Myanmar. All major cities have them and all accept visa/MasterCard. Money is given is local currency not USD and you are charged anything from USD 2 to USD 15 for using the machine. Paying by card is possible in high end hotels(with a 3% surcharge), but not on the street so make sure that you have enough cash on you for daily spending. Also make sure to spend/exchange all your Kyat before you leave Myanmar as it's not a currency that's easy to exchange.
* In general you should know that a lot of information about travelling in Myanmar 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 information you will find. As a tourist they will not make your life difficult with absurd rules.
* 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!''' 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. You can wear a facemask in cities and in the back of pickup trucks to prevent yourself inhaling that stuff. It's totally normal to wear a facemask in public.
=== Living ===
Some places that are popular pilgrimage sites (Kyaiktiyo - the Golden Rock Pagoda) have '''free accommodation'''. Check out Sea Sar restaurant/hotel. They allow you to sleep on bamboo mats in the restaurant hall for free. Showers are available for 200 kyats across the road. Their food is lovely too.
Myanmar is maybe (besides Singapore) one of the most expensive cheapest countries in South East AsiaSEA. A USD 10 budget per day is very tight (guest-houses usually take USD 6-8 per night If you go for the cheapest rooms)street food, 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 a full dinner (40% more for food, several dishes +USD 2-4 for accommodation in September 2011soup). Also the exchange rate is changing enormously. In 2010 you could get for USD less than 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 cheapest rooms in from 50 to 100 Kyat within 24 hoursa guest house cost about 8 USD. 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 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). 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.
It is very obvious that the government is keeping track about your travels. Every guest-house has to report which guests they had and even if you stay in a small village you need to register with the local police guy. It is almost impossible to stay with locals, because they need a permit. A few years ago it might have been allowed to stay one night in a monastery, but also that is not possible any more since the protests in Yangon in 2008. Some locals say that there are many new (unclear) rules and nobody wants to get in trouble. Be careful that you don't push people to help you and put them in danger. Also don't be surprised if you stay during the day with some monks somewhere and the local police officer is coming around to ask some question. As the locals told me, it is just their job nothing important, they have to report what are you doing, but in general there will be no problem, if you don't stay overnight.
EDIT 2019: It seems to be really difficult to stay with locals overnight. Even though most of them are super friendly, the restrictions from the government still seem to be a big thing. Also keep in mind that in the worst case not only could you end up being questioned by the police or local authorities but also you might put the locals in danger. Same holds for temples. That being said, if you can make sure to not be caught, you'll have a great time!
=== Political situation ===
* [[Mandalay]]
== India/Myanmar Border Personal Experiences ==As [[User: MOAH | Mind of 2014 it seems possible to cross the border a Hitchhiker]] - ''traveled from Myanmar Mandalay to India at Tamu - Moreh, at a cost Kawthaung over 28 days in January 2020 with partner. The waits were usually not very long because we always got out of $50 - $100 for a permit (depending which agency you arrange the permit zones with)You will need: Copy lots of passport and Myanmar visa; copy of Indian visa (when applying avoid mentioning you are crossing by land)foot traffic. We always used hitchhiking signs written in Myanma script to tell people where we were going. It is possible was very easy and easy to get Indian visa in Yangon, as of March 2015 no plane or hotel bookings one ever expected payment—not even on the toll roads. The people 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 personamazing and super friendly, just depending on but the agency you choose)Officially it takes 15 - 20 days police were often confused as to obtain the permitwhy there were foreigners riding along with locals. The cops sometimes made a fuss, but it could be less (like 10 days)they always let us travel on. There is no need I blogged about every single hitchhiking day and added our hitchhiking spots to collect the permit in person, the agency sends a scanned version by email and one can simply print it outmaps. You can read more about it here...[httpsWe did://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/forums/asiaNyaung-south-east-asia-mainland/myanmar/myanmar-india-land-border-crossing-at-tamu-moreh-open?page=3 India/Myanmar border 2014] == Myanmar/ChinaBorder ==It is apparently possible U (Old Bagan) to Naypyitaw, Naypyitaw to cross the Myanmar China border at Ruili. The process should be similar Yangon, Mawlamyine to crossing the Indian border: copy of passportDawei, valid visasDawei to Myeik, and a permit. An agency confirmed it Myeik to Bokpyin to [[User: Rovingsnails | RovingSnails]] in May 2015Kawthaung.''
== External links ==
* [https://mindofahitchhiker.com/tag/myanmar/ Experiences hitchhiking in Myanmar in January 2020 with other Myanmar-related articles in English]. Iris and Jonas stayed in Myanmar for 28 days and hitchhiked 1585 kilometers north to south with 9 vehicles, while also working online from the hotels.
* [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 Spanish), 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]]
== Nomadwiki & Trashwiki ==
{{nomadwiki}}
{{IsIn|South-Eastern Asia}}
[[Category:Asia]]
[[Category:Myanmar|*]]
