Myanmar/Burma Overland
Update May 2014 Thailand/Myanmar/China
Warm greetings from Diethelm Travel YANGON!
Thank you very much for your mail and your interest to travel through Myanmar from Thailand into China by own car (4 Wheel Drive) in May 2015.
As per information received from Myanmar Hotels and tourism, below are the summary of what we will need to be done for your overland drive.
Documents required for entering / exiting Myanmar with own vehicle:
· Copies of passport showing all personal datas of all participants
· International driving licenses
· Home address
· Pictures of vehicles, from front, back, side
· All details of the vehicles
o Registration plates
o Insurance paper
o Chassis number
o Model
o Engine number, power
· Detailed program, day by day from day of entry until day of exit
Tour has to be escorted by a licensed local guide and one member of the Ministry of Tourism in a separate vehicle. They can sit together in your car if you have enough space. However you have to give proper seating with seat belts.
Accommodation has to be in local guest houses, hotels (you are not allowed to camp along the roads).
Time frame:
45 – 60 days are required once all details are in hand to proceed with the permits
Deposit:
· A non refundable deposit of USD 500 is required to start the process
· Full payment needs to be made 45 days prior to arrival
· Hotels might have special conditions which we will advise at time of confirmation.
· In case of permit refusal, all deposits paid are non refundable.
This is the current rules and things might change until 2015.
For the program, we would like to suggest following outline 28 Days in Myanmar based on your request destination.
Day 1
Cross into Myawaddy (Myanmar) from Mae Sot (Thailand) and drive to Hpa-an
Day 2
Hpa-an-Mawlamyine
Day 3
Mawlamyine & surrounding
Day 4
Mawlamyine - Kyaikhtiyo (Golden Rock)
Day 5
Kyaikhtiyo (Golden Rock) - Bago - Yangon
Day 6
Yangon
Day 7
Yangon - Naypyitaw
Day 8
Naypyitaw - Kalaw
Day 9
Kalaw - Phaekon - Loikaw
Day 10
Loikaw
Day 11
Loikaw - Nyaung Shwe
Day 12
Inle Lake (excursion by boat)
Day 13
Inle Lake (excursion by boat)
Day 14
Nyaung Shwe - Thazi – Meikthila
Day 15
Meikthila – Bagan
Day 16
Bagan (driving through 2000 temples and pagodas along the Irrawaddy river)
Day 17
Bagan (driving through temples or visit local villages)
Day 18
Bagan - Mt. Popa - Salay
Day 19
Bagan - Pakokku - Monywa
Day 20
Monywa - Manalay
Day 21
Mandalay
Day 22
Mandalay & surrounding (Ava, Sagaing, Amarapura)
Day 23
Mandalay - Pyin Oo Lwin (Maymyo)
Day 24
Pyin Oo Lwin (Maymyo)
Day 25
Pyin Oo Lwin - Hsipaw
Day 26
Hsipaw & surrounding villages
Day 27
Hsipaw - Lashio
Day 28
Lashio - Muse - border cross into China Shwe Li/Ruili
This program is a first proposal which can be modified depending on your time frame and comments.
Enter to Myanmar: the road from Myawaddy (Thai-Myanmar Border) to Hpan is open on alternative days only (directions change). So your arrival date may need to flexible in order to fix the date for drive pass.
If everything is fine, we will work out the day-day-day program and how much (approx) this tour will cost. The cost for the escorts will be for more days, as we have to drive up to the border and meet you, and then again, drive back to Yangon from the China border.
Very much looking forward to hearing from you in order to well plan ahead.
With best regards,
Paing Naing
Further Information:
Myanmar Booking Policy
Myanmar Travel Tips
When to Travel
Naing AungZin – Account Manager - Diethelm Travel Myanmar
Tel. 95 1 86 10 458-460 Mob. + 95 9 25404 3445 Fax. 95 1 86 10 456-457
Email: naingaung.z@mm.diethelmtravel.com
Update 2012:
The following communication has been received from a fellow overlander from Diethelim Travel which makes travel look promising....soon
We have pleasure to hear that you intend to travel with your own vehicle into Myanmar. We can certainly help you with arrangements, however you will have certain restriction to respect which until now are still in place
- Foreign cars need to give a detailed programme to the Authorities of the day by day routing. This then needs to be approved.
- You will have two choices of ‘escort’ or guide: either we put one person into your vehicle, or if this is not possible, then you will have a car driving with you as an escort.
- Accommodation: has to be in government approved hotels or guesthouses, you cannot sleep in your car where ever you like (camper car).
- Border entries: You can enter by car from the Chinese side (Ruili/Muse) and exit at the Indian side (Tamu) provided you have all the necessary authorization to travel through Manipur (India). This can be a tricky part.
- Entering from Thailand: as per my current information, the borders with Thailand are still not open for tourists. You can enter from the north of Thailand into Kengtung area, however you will not be allowed to travel further into the Shan State. Hence, this entry point is of no use to you.
I am planning a meeting with the ministry of tourism sometimes next week, and I can bring this subject up to get hopefully more updated information. I will get back to you no sooner I have had the meeting.
I have met with the high up authorities, and for the time being, self driving can be arranged for caravan groups only. We would need to apply for permission to travel where we need to give the exact routing and time.
Entry from Thailand is only possible in Tachilek, hence your overland drive into the country does not work, as you cannot do the overland part from Tachilek to Taunggyi. Other borders with Thailand are still not open for tourist vehicles.
The easiest would be to enter through China (Muse/Ruili) and exit the same way again.
We can assist you with the permits provided that you give us an exact routing which we can submit to the authorities.
As the country is opening fast, you might want to wait for a year or two by when the situation might be different and requests like yours would actually be possible without too much hassle.
Please let me know of how you wish to proceed
With best regards
Lilli
Lilli Saxer - Managing Director - Diethelm Travel Myanmar
Tel. +95 (1) 373 937, 376 801~4 Fax +95 (1) 373 940, 376 805 Direct Tel. +95 (1) 373 923
Email: lilli.s@mm.diethelmtravel.com