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Burma isn't for everyone. Before booking a trip, consult the Web sites of the Burma Campaign U.K. (www. burmacampaign.org.uk), the New York-based Burma Project (www.soros.org/burma), and Lonely Planet (www.lonelyplanet.com). The U.S. State Department (www.state.gov) releases an annual human rights report. If you do go, consider taking steps to reduce the money the government will receive (beyond the $200 per person required on entry). Many package trips are affiliated with the state-run Myanmar Travels & Tours; New York custom outfitter Absolute Asia (800/736-8187; www.absoluteasia.com) makes a conscious effort to work with private tour companies instead. Besides hotels owned in whole or in part by the government, there are guesthouses and private hotels, such as the French-run Pansea Yangon (35 Taw Win Rd., Yangon; 95-1/229-860; www.pansea.com; doubles from $130) and the venerable Strand Hotel (92 Strand Rd., Yangon; 95-1/243-377; www.ghmhotels.com; doubles from $415), owned by a Singapore-based group. You can buy crafts, such as lacquerware, at their source or in the market rather than in government stores. If you tip in U.S. dollars, many Burmese will keep the currency against inflation of the kyat. Lastly, the magazines and paperbacks you read in-flight make great gifts in news-starved Burma.
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