Tips for First-Time Travellers to Yangon
Apply for your visa about a week before your flights Melbourne to Yangon
Australians can apply for a visa to visit Myanmar online through an easy application process and a fee of $70 AUD. Once you have applied, it can take about three business days to receive your visa. To be safe, allow a bit of extra time before your Melbourne to Yangon flights. Once you arrive into Yangon International Airport (RGN), you can stay in Myanmar for 28 consecutive days.
Exchange money to a combination of Burmese kyat and US dollars
These are the two currencies that are accepted when you have flights Melbourne to Yangon. While many vendors accept both currencies, some only accept kyat while others only accept US dollars. Before catching your cheap flights Melbourne to Yangon, exchange Australian dollars into each of these two currencies.
Dress conservatively
Visitors with Melbourne to Yangon return flights are expected to dress in a respectful manner. Both men and women should keep shoulders and legs covered. While travellers should follow these guidelines at all times, it’s especially important while visiting a temple or pagoda following your Melbourne to Yangon flights.
Major Events and Festivals
Thingyan Water Festival
The Thingyan Water Festival is a major holiday in April that celebrates the Burmese New Year. When you book cheap flights to Yangon from Melbourne during this event, you’ll witness a unique cultural experience. During the Thingyan Water Festival, people splash water into the streets and onto passersby. You will likely be sprayed by children playing with water pistols as well. The significance of water during the festival is that is signifies the end of Myanmar’s dry season and the beginning of their wet season.
Thadingyut Festival of Lights
While the exact date of Thadingyut Festival of Lights changes every year, it is always held on a full moon during the lunar month of Thadingyut. Often, this month overlaps with October. If you book cheap flights Melbourne to Yangon during the Thadingyut Festival of Lights, you can witness the final celebration in Burmese Lent. During the festival, the city comes to life with light displays and lanterns, pagoda festivals and musical performances. You can also enjoy fireworks and street fairs in central Yangon.
Kason Festival
Plan your cheap flights to Yangon from Melbourne in late April or early May to experience the traditional Kason Festival. The Burmese month of Kason is related to the astrological sign of Taurus; the two share several similar qualities. The Kason Festival lasts all month and is centred around Maha-Bodhi trees, said to be the type of tree under which Buddha achieved enlightenment. When you have Melbourne to Yangon flights, you can witness the tradition of locals gathering to water these trees following the country’s dry season.
Public Transport and How to Get Around after flights Melbourne to Yangon
With 250 different lines, the bus is a great way to explore the city when you have tickets to Yangon from Melbourne. The bus numbers and routes are all written in Burmese script, and many bus drivers do not speak English. So it’s important to plan ahead when you’ll be taking the bus. Get some assistance from your hotel in the morning, or try asking a local for directions. Overall, the people of Myanmar are very friendly and are happy to help visitors.
Taxis are widely available throughout central Yangon and are an efficient way to get from one place to another after your Melbourne to Yangon flights. While Burmese taxis have meters, they are rarely used. To avoid being overcharged, agree on a price with your driver as soon as you get into the taxi. Taxi rides throughout Downtown should cost between 1,000 and 2,000 kyat (95 cents and $1.90 AUD). For day trips around the region, you can also hire a taxi for the day for about $25 USD ($36.25 AUD).
Note that visitors are not allowed to drive in Myanmar, so you won’t be able to rent a car or motorbike when you have flights Melbourne to Yangon.
How Much Time to Spend in Yangon
When you have flights Melbourne to Yangon, it’s important to remember that Australians can only stay for 28 days at a time in Myanmar. While visas are valid for 90 days, if you plan to stay longer than four weeks, you must exit and re-enter the country. In order to fully experience the country, plan your cheap flights to Yangon from Melbourne for about two weeks. During this time, spend about three days in Yangon to start off your trip. From there, catch a train to explore some other beautiful destinations in Myanmar, such as Bagan, Mandalay, and Mount Kyaiktiyo.