Travel advice: independent travel in Burma
16th Mar 2012 3:32pm | By Editor
TNT's resident travel expert, Laura Lindsay from Lonely Planet, answers readers' travel questions. If you have a question, email traveltips@tntmagazine.com. If your question is published, you'll win a Lonely Planet guide
Question
My wife and I are planning on going to Myanmar/Burma for about 14 days in late December. We would like to travel independently and stay in budget and/or mid-range accommodation. We still haven’t quite worked out the travel arrangements between different towns. Any suggestions would be welcome.
Sarad, via email
Answer
It’s impossible to discuss travel to Myanmar without considering its current political situation. You should choose carefully how and where you travel, as how you spend your money will affect the lives of the local people. Choosing to stay in small, family-run accommodation is a good idea, as you’ll not be contributing as much money to the government. Lonely Planet’s new Myanmar guide offers hundreds of accommodation options that are believed to be run independently. Bear in mind that a tax of at least 10 per cent goes to the Myanmar government, no matter where you stay.