lonely-planet-myanmar-burma-11-edition

366DIRECTORY A–ZYANGONPICK-UPShipping goods abroadfrom Myanmar is veryexpensive (and impossibleif you live in theUS, due to sanctions). Ifyou want a few puppets,but are worried aboutbreaking them alongthe way, many shopsaround the country willpackage your gifts andarrange to deliver themto a Yangon hotel by busfor a minimal fee.Safe TravelConsidering all the bad newsthat trickles out of Myanmar,it may sound like a rather unsafecountry to visit. For thevast majority of visitors, thereality is quite the opposite.Bugs, Snakes, Rats &MonkeysMosquitoes, if allowed, canhave a field day with you.Bring repellent from home,as the good stuff (other thanmosquito coils) is hard tocome by. Some guesthousesand hotels don’t providemosquito nets. See also entrieson malaria (p 384 ) anddengue fever (p 384 ).Myanmar has one of thehighest incidences of deathfrom snakebite in the world.Watch your step in brush,forest and grasses. See p 386for information on what to doif you’re bitten.Rats aren’t all that rampant.Family-run guesthouses,like regular homes, mighthave a rodent or two. Washyour hands before sleepingand try to keep food out ofyour room. If you trek in ShanState and stay in local accommodation,you may hearlittle footsteps at night.In a few sites, such as HpoWin Daung Caves, near Monywaor Mt Popa near Bagan,you’ll have monkeys beggingfor snacks. Take care as bitesare possible. See p 384 forprecautions against rabies.CrimeAll over Myanmar, policestations have English signsup that ask: ‘May I helpyou?’ It’s easy to smirk at,but supposedly some of therestrictions to travel aroundMyanmar are based on thegovernment’s desire to keepforeigners out of harm’s way.Locals know that thepenalties for stealing, particularlyfrom foreigners, canbe severe. Most travellers’memories of locals grabbingtheir money are of someonechasing them down to returna K500 note they dropped.If someone grabs your bagat a bus station, it’s almostcertainly just a trishaw driverhoping for a fare.Insurgents & BombsIn recent years, including in2011, there have been a handfulof bombings, usually linkedwith insurgent groups, inYangon and elsewhere. Nonehave targeted foreigners.Despite treaties betweenthe government and most insurgentgroups, signed in thelate 1990s, violent incidentson the Myanmar-Thai bordercould erupt at any time,particularly in and aroundTachileik. Land mines on theMyanmar side of the borderare another threat. Most traveladvisories warn against travelto this area, most of which isrestricted for foreigners.In Kayin State, splinteredKayin groups live in a potentialbattleground betweenthe Karen National LiberationArmy and governmenttroops. The section of theMyanmar border in a restrictedarea of Kayin betweenUm Phang and Mae Sariangoccasionally receives shellingfrom Myanmar troops inpursuit of Kayin (also knownas Karen) or Mon rebels.The presence of Shan andWa armies along the Thai-Myanmar border in northernMae Hong Son makes thisarea dangerous. The Wa havereportedly sworn off drugproduction, but there’s stillplenty of amphetamines andopium crossing some borderareas.In the past there havebeen reports of bandits holdingup vehicles at night, mostcommonly in the Tanintharyi(Tenasserim) division insoutheastern Myanmar, butalso near Taungoo. We’venot heard of foreigners beingtargeted.PoliticsThe message is clear: allowlocals to introduce the subjectof politics and proceed totalk with discretion if they do.Since Aung San Suu Kyi'srelease in 2010, driving byher house in Yangon hasbecome much easier, butyou should think twice aboutstopping to take photos thereand especially at any NLDoffice. You are not only riskingtrouble (possible deportation),but implicating yourtaxi driver too.Guides, trishaw drivers,vendors and hotel staff areoften able to talk at lengthwith foreigners withoutsuspicion. Some can besurprisingly frank in theirviews. Teahouses carry thereputation as being opendiscussionforums for somelocals – but not all. Again, letthe locals lead the conversationin that direction.Restricted RoadsMany overland roads areclosed to foreigners. However,in places you can enter thereare surprising levels of freedomto stop and look aroundwhere you want. The map onp 380 shows the main routesthat are openly accessible,though this can change.Scams & HassleMyanmar touts are pretty minorleague in comparison withothers in the region. Mosthassle is due to commissions.These small behind-thescenespayments are made,