Although Myanmar essentially remains a 'fly in, fly out' destination, the good news is that the military government has gradually extended visa stays, resulting in more and more airlines putting Rangoon on their itinerary. The $US10 departure tax can be payed for in dollars or FECS.

There are some road border crossings at the Thai/Myanmar border (noticeably the Mae Sai-Thakhilek and Ranong-Kawthoung crossings) but they're currently closed because of guerrilla and bandit activity in the area. In times of certainty, foreign travellers can travel the famous Burma Road and enter Myanmar via the Yunnan province in China, although border traffic is all one way. It's not possible to cross back into China from the same checkpoint. Several entry points have also opened along the Thai border.

One persistent rumour is that the Chin State is about to open its borders to limited tour groups which may parlay in the not too distant future into permission for individual travellers to traverse the state via the Chin River, all the way to the Indian border at Tamu.

Travel in Myanmar tends to be uncertain and uncomfortable. Many visitors are tempted to take internal flights because of the restricted 28-day stay regulation, but the terrible safety record and 'flexible' notion of schedules of Myanma Airways and, to a lesser extent, Air Mandalay can be a deterrent. Not many visitors use buses for long-distance travelling because they tend to be extremely crowded and the government bus line is so slack it refuses to take a stab at the arrival times of its buses. Pick-up trucks with benches have recently begun to appear, and although they can be equally uncomfortable when crowded, it is possible to charter them. There is a daily express train between Yangon and Mandalay; forget the ordinary-class trains which are dirty, slow and unreliable.

The delightfully ancient buses in Yangon and Mandalay are very cheap and convenient, although you may end up hanging out the side. There are horse carts in Mandalay and trishaws just about everywhere; negotiate fares in advance.

The compulsory exchange requirement on arrival has recently been reduced from US$300 to US$200 but at the same time the FEC (Foreign Exchange Certificate) exchange rate has plunged in relation to the US$ exchange rate. In January 2001 US$1 was getting around 420 kyats while an FEC could go as low as 300 kyats. So visitors should try to use their FECs for expenditure which must be made with FECs or dollars, for example the US$10 or FEC 10 airport departure tax, and try to avoid changing FECs into kyats. You'll be 25% better off changing dollars into kyats rather than dollars into FECs and then into kyats.

To further complicate the problem US$ travelers checks can only be changed into FECs, not directly into kyats the way US$ cash can be. No other currency is readily exchangeable in Myanmar at banks or official money changers although on the street anything will have a price. In short don't use any currency except US dollars and bring them as cash not travelers checks, avoid changing anything into FECs unless you absolutely have to and spend as much of your compulsory exchange FECs on FEC or dollar denominated expenditure before resorting to changing it into kyats. If it's any consolation the current rumour in Myanmar is that the FEC may soon disappear.

Costs will vary depending on whether you use officially approved hotels and transport or take the increasingly available opportunity to arrange your own. US$2 a day will get you a room in a budget hotel.If you're travelling very cheaply, you can get by on about $10 a day. If you want your own bathroom and a choice of restaurants, budget $25-30 a day. Flying or taking express trains would add about $5 a day to that budget. If you want to stay somewhere fancy, you can pay anywhere between $25 and $300 a night.

Tipping is not really part of the Burmese culture, but 'presents' are. A minor bribe will get you a long way with Burmese bureaucrats. Money isn't necessary - cigarettes and pens will speed things up a bit, foreign t-shirts will work miracles.

Visas: Entry into Myanmar requires a passport valid for at least six months from the time of entry. 28-day tourist visas are issued and cost US$18
Health risks: cholera, dysentery, hepatitis, malaria, rabies, typhoid
Time: UTC plus 6.5 hours
Electricity: 230V, 50 Hz (when it's working)
Weights & measures: Imperial with local variations