Myanmar - how best to get around inside the country ?

[jhm]

I'm thinking about visiting Myanmar. I was just wondering what's the best way to travel inside the country ? It seems the options are:

* Air - the airlines are risky (accidents in the last few years etc); and some have only started up recently and are expanding fast (which doesn't inspire me with confidence).

* Rail - the network is not good and breaks down; toilets may be a hole in the floor...

* Road - it takes days to get anywhere.

Out of the above options, it seems the best way may be to hire a private car and driver (from a reputable company if such exists) rather than (e.g.) risk my life by flying.

Or am I being too risk averse (he says despite recently visiting for tourism an area in Lebanon (Baalbeck) only a few miles away from Syria and designated by the UK government as a "do not travel for any reason" area) ?

[CarbonMan]

On our last holiday, we flew all the way. Road journeys are not all that safe either, and they are long, and the roads not that great. We had a private guide and his company arranged the flights as well as the local land transport. Airport security was rather patchy outside Yangon but apart from that it was okay for a third-world; have seen worse.

[Lobster]

Flying is the only real option. Yes the airlines are not the safest in the world but some are OK. I mainly used KBZ when I lived there and they were fine.

Using the roads will be much much much more dangerous than flying. Plus it will be very uncomfortable and take ages to get anywhere.

Totally forget the railways it would be quicker to walk between places

[jhm]

Many thanks, CarbonMan and Lobster. Very helpful - I am reassured (mostly!) and will look at airlines (in particular KBZ).

[Pinkfloyd]

Totally agree about the roads in Myanmar. Use to travel by car between RGN and NPT and the roads are best described as pothole-riddled concrete slabs... Extremely uncomfortable for the 5-odd hour drive... Much better to fly.

[MAN Flyer]

As others have said, including the person who would know better than anyone, flying would be the way to go.

The place looks different each time I go there. It's changing faster than what I saw in Vietnam over a decade a few years back.

[FlyingDobber]

I went 12 years ago...

Took the bus from Yangon to Pye - 15 hours with a stop at 3am fro a spot of welding on the rear axle.

Took a train to Mandaly from Myamo...10 hours! I "complained" and said the trains were much better in the UK

Travel was fun! And if I go back, would do exactly the same...forget flying