Tachilek, Burma Dec 2005

VISA ....

2 weeks on arrival at the border. 10 dollars US or

500baht. 3 photos required. You leave your passport

iat immigration in Tachilek and are issued with a

folder which you hand in at the checkpoints and your

hotel to keep. The taxi drivers and hotel takes care

of all the paperwork for you.

CAREFUL if you wish to go to Mongla, you must

inform them at Tachilek. This stamp/permission can't

be obtained in Kengtung.

You have to have 37Yuan to pay to cross the border

into Mongla. The guard unhappily took my 5dollars US

as I had no Yuan. You can probably change money to

Yuan at the gold sellers at the market in Keng. where

I changed Yuan back to Kyet.

 

MONEY......

US dollars and thai baht can be used in

KENGTUNG/TACHILEK. They will often give change from

thai baht in thai baht. Small notes please. Keep some

small bills for last, as you don't want to be stuck

with Kyet before leaving.

MONGLA. Chinese currency only, and I changed mine

at a pharmacy upon arrival.

 

Get your US dollars before going to Mae Sai. 5

banks either had no USD, or only in 100 notes.

Exchange rates commonly rounded eg: 1,000 Kyet = 1

USD = 40baht=7.5 Yuan.

 

 

TRAVEL....

TACHILEK TO kENGTUNG Choose a driver at 8.30-9am

either at the end of the Tach bridge, or immigration

can organise this for you.

Thais paid 250b, but even if you can speak thai no one

we met paid under 450baht to Kengtung. Most of us paid

400b for the return trip.If there are less in the

taxi, the price goes up.

KENGTUNG TO MONGLA was 400 to 450b also.

Sometimes you can jump straight into a taxi and go,

another time I waited 3 hours at the guesthouse. I

think it would have been better if I had gone to the

taxi station myself.

Both these journeys took between 2 and a half to 3 and

a half hours. If your trip is shorter take some

mints...the road particularly to Mongla is very windy

and hilly/mountainous.

We often left our bags at the guesthouse when

arranging the taxi, as when they have 4 people, they

come and pick up other passengers anyway.

We didn't try the bus from Tach. as the station is

a couple of K's out of town, and I didn't fancy my

chances of getting a bus driver to drive back to the

border to immigration to wait an hour or more to

process the papers.

 

INTERNET....

Didn't see any anywhere.

 

LANGUAGE....

Lucky you if you can speak some thai already, as

the Shan people speak Thai Yai, which is similar, so

it is well understood and spoken in Tach. and Keng.

Mongla is a Wa state, so they speak chinese. Very

little English was spoken in the 2 days I was there,

apart from a few Burmese/Shan there who spoke thai and

a bit of english.

 

FOOD.....

My favorite subject....Tachilek and Kengtung you

can get chinese, burmese, Shan and thai.

Side of the road stalls sell Indianstyle

springrolls, samosas and bean patties similar to

felafel Yuuuuuuuuuum. Approx 50Kyet each.

KENGTUNG....Aung Naing restaurant on the street

next to the market has pots of mildly spiced burmese

curries which come with soup, 2 dipping sauces,

condiment and fresh cabbage/lettuce/herbs. All this

and a drink for 1,300kyet. Gorgeous. There are 2

restaurants in this street, this is the bigger and

better one.

There is a huge restaurant 2 doors down from

Shein Tip hotel on the airport road which is

fantastic. Thai, burmese and chinese food.

Shan food uses salty soybean sauce for flavor and

pickled vegies unlike other parts of burma that use

fermented fish sauce.

MONGLA....Chinese mostly.....and you can eat your

noodle soup to the sound of hacking and spitting on

the floor at the next table. mmmmm

 

MARKETS.....

The central market in Kengtung and Mongla sell a

lot of cheap chinese clothing, some fruits and vegies

and pots and pans....some sarongs as well. Nothing

special but ok for a look!

 

ACCOMMADATION....

TACHILEK. 9 stars hotel. 350-400b double with hot

water and tv.

Small rooms but cosy and comfortable.

 

KENGTUNG.... SAM YWET on airport road. 8-10 USD

per person even if you use the same room. Huge bunglow

with solar hot water....no sun, so fffreeezzzzing.

Damp and mouldy smelling, although this place would be

nice in the summer. free b'fast.

SAM YWET in town close to the market. Same price

as above.Nicer place with spasmodic hotwater and free

b'fast (egg, toast, fruit coffee) Very nice people.

Not good value for couples, as most paid 20dollars US

for the same room I paid 8USD for. You can bargain if

you stay longer.

HARRYS HOUSE... was full, but looked good. A

couple I met paid 10USD a room for the two of them,

but you can also get 5USD rooms with hotwater. It is a

little out of town but not too far to walk. It is only

2-300kyet by motorbike taxi or tuk tuk.

SHEIN TIP HOTEL... 7USD for small and a bit dingy

rooms with hotwater. Larger room available, and the

15USD room was much brighter and huge with 3 double

beds.Nice people, helpful manager who speaks good

english, and an outstanding restaurant 2 doors

down(forgot the name). Building works next door at

present. Also a bit of a walk from town on the airport

road.PH 084.22208

 

MONGLA....

I stayed at the big chinese place next to the

market...will post the name later. It is usually

100yuan, but due to the casinos and discos closed

down, has dropped to 60Yuan. It is a bargain, as it is

beautiful, huge room and bed, hotwater, tv, water

dispenser, furniture....very flash. And close to the

taxi stop.

 

 

PHONE..... My thai sim card still worked in Tachilek.

 

ELECTRIC PLUGS....Same as Thailand, with some like the

3 pronged ones in Australia.

 

FLIGHTS....Yangon air ...when changing flights it is

free to bring the date forward, but costs to delay

flight.

 

MONKS....In Kengtung. Naughty young boys who came

begging to the guesthouse everymorning around 9am when

they knew you were eating brekkie. They wouldn't leave

unless you gave them something, and often chanted

money money money. They didn't ask for anything from

other burmese. The owners of the GH and a guide told

us not to give to them as they were not hungry or

destitute, went to school and lived with their

families.

 

STRANGE KNOCKING STYLE.... Don'e be alarmed if when

they knock on your door they jiggle the door knob

backwards and forwards. They aren't trying to get in,

it is just their knocking style.

 

GOVT RUN?.....We had no idea which hotels were and

were not govt run. Our guidebook didn't cover these

areas.

 

BOOKS....Take plenty as we saw none in either a shop

or at the GH's. And very few travellers to swap with

at the time.

 

Phew, I think that's it. Feel free to PM me anyone if

you have any further q's...

Have a great trip, the people in Kengtung were

amazingly friendly, warm and welcoming, and interested

in travellers.

 

 

Done