Getting there & away
Land
Most of Myanmar’s borders are closed. It is not possible to reach Myanmar by sea or from Bangladesh, India or Laos.
China
You can enter Myanmar from China, but it is not possible to exit Myanmar this way. To enter from China requires a 28-day tourist visa – get one at Kunming’s Myanmar consulate (0871-360 3477; www.mcg-kunming.com; Room A504, 5th fl, Longyuan Haozhai, 166 Weiyuan Jie; 8.30am-noon & 1-4.30pm Mon-Fri) for Y185 to Y285.
To cross from the Chinese town of Ruili (20 hours from Kunming), it is necessary to book a multiday ‘package trip’ to go from Mu-se, Myanmar (at the border), and on to Lashio (northeast of Hsipaw). This will end up costing a hefty US$175 to US$225.
Thailand
It is possible to cross from the northern Thai town of Mae Sai to dreary Tachilek. It is also possible to cross from the Thai town of Ranong to the southern tip of Myanmar at Kawthoung. Visitors from Thailand can enter Myanmar for the day at the Mae Sot–Myawaddy border and Three Pagodas Pass, but tourists in Myanmar can’t enter Thailand at these points.
Air
All international flights arrive at sleepy Yangon airport (RGN), except direct flights from Chiang Mai to palatial Mandalay airport (MDL). The most common route is via Bangkok, a good place to pick up cheap tickets to Myanmar. From there a one-way ticket to Yangon starts at US$90, cheaper still with an Air Asia budget fare. Flights also connect Yangon with Kolkata, Delhi, Dhaka, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Kunming and Singapore.
It is important to reconfirm outgoing flights from Myanmar for all airlines other than Thai International Airways (THAI) and SilkAir. You do not need to show onward tickets to enter Myanmar.
The following airlines have regular links to (and offices in) Yangon.
Air Asia (code AK; 01-722299; www.airasia.com) Budget airline serving Bangkok.
Air China (code CA; 01-505024; www.airchina.com) Flight connections to Kunming.
Air Mandalay (code 6T; 01-525488; www.airmandalay.com) Connects Mandalay with Chiang Mai.
Bangkok Airways (code PG; 01-255122; www.bangkokair.com) Connects Yangon and Bangkok.
Biman Bangladesh Airlines (code BG; 01-240922; www.bimanair.com) Has connections with Bangkok and Dhaka.
Indian Airlines Limited (code IC; 01-253598; indian-airlines.nic.in) Flights to Bangkok and Kolkata.
Malaysia Airlines (code MH; 01-241001; www.malaysiaairlines.com) Connects Yangon and Kuala Lumpur.
Myanmar Airways International (MAI, code 8M; 01-255180; www.maiair.com) National carrier offering connections with Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.
SilkAir (code MI; 01-255287; www.silkair.com) Daily connections with Singapore.
Thai Airways International (code TG; 01-255499; www.thaiair.com) Connects Yangon with Bangkok and Chiang Mai.
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