Lashio

[Baa_Mango]

Has anyone ever went to Lashio? I believe it is in Shan state, which is restricted to travel to w/o proper permits or documentation. Is it easy to apply and receive this? Anyone have any experiences with this Lashio, or otherwise?

Thanks

[phuketrichard]

i went to Hsipaw which is the town before Lashio,

heard it was not that much to see so heading north instead to Namsham ( which is closed sometimes)

was told no special permission needed to to Lashio and can travel by taxi or train

BUT if u have a chinese visa you can get special permission to travel all the way to Mu Se and cross into China

[Tomtomtom69]

i went to Hsipaw which is the town before Lashio,

heard it was not that much to see so heading north instead to Namsham ( which is closed sometimes)

was told no special permission needed to to Lashio and can travel by taxi or train

BUT if u have a chinese visa you can get special permission to travel all the way to Mu Se and cross into China

Mu-se is open without a permit, I've been there twice, the most recent trip being in February. However, to cross the border into China a permit is required. There is a checkpoint just as you enter the Mu-se economic zone where they might ask you for a permit (as the vast majority of the tiny number of visitors to town who arrive from the Myanmar side are intending on heading into China) but once you explain you are just going to Mu-se a few phone calls will be made and you can stay in town.

After the November election the Burmese and Chinese governments will upgrade the Mu-se-Ruili checkpoint to an international crossing, something they have been planning for nearly 2 years now and thus allow foreigners, Burmese and Chinese across with just a visa (if required for your nationality) and no more permit.

Lashio is a nice enough town, quite scenic and lots of ethnic groups living in town, but not a whole lot to do. Most foreigners head to Hsipaw for the trekking.

[Tomtomtom69]

To the OP, the Shan State is not a restricted state at all, some of the country's most important tourist sites such as Kalaw, Inle Lake, Taunggyi, Pindaya and Hsipaw are all located in Shan State. However, where the misconception probably comes from is the fact that quite significant parts of the state are still off-limits (without first obtaining a permit at least). These areas include: Taunggyi to Kengtung road route number 4 (this means that any travel from Mae Sai to Tachilek, continuing via Kengtung to the interior of Myanmar requires you to either obtain a permit and car and driver to travel the road or fly); the Kokang area east of Hseni and Kutkai and indeed anywhere off the Mandalay-Mu-se highway starting north of Hsipaw; Namshan is sometimes off limits as Phuketrichard mentioned (need to check locally for more info); roads south of Lashio to route 4, etc.

Areas OK to travel: Mandalay to Mu-se road; anywhere south or west of Taunggyi; Lawksawk to Taunggyi; Kalaw to Ywan ngan and Ywan ngan to Kyaukme/Mandalay; Tachilek to Mongla via Kengtung; Tachilek to the Lao-Myanmar friendship bridge (which may not yet be open to foreigners but still).

[Baa_Mango]

hey - thanks for all this very useful information! Looking forward to getting up there some time soon

[sabaijai]

To the OP, the Shan State is not a restricted state at all, some of the country's most important tourist sites such as Kalaw, Inle Lake, Taunggyi, Pindaya and Hsipaw are all located in Shan State. However, where the misconception probably comes from is the fact that quite significant parts of the state are still off-limits (without first obtaining a permit at least). These areas include: Taunggyi to Kengtung road route number 4 (this means that any travel from Mae Sai to Tachilek, continuing via Kengtung to the interior of Myanmar requires you to either obtain a permit and car and driver to travel the road or fly); the Kokang area east of Hseni and Kutkai and indeed anywhere off the Mandalay-Mu-se highway starting north of Hsipaw; Namshan is sometimes off limits as Phuketrichard mentioned (need to check locally for more info); roads south of Lashio to route 4, etc.

Areas OK to travel: Mandalay to Mu-se road; anywhere south or west of Taunggyi; Lawksawk to Taunggyi; Kalaw to Ywan ngan and Ywan ngan to Kyaukme/Mandalay; Tachilek to Mongla via Kengtung; Tachilek to the Lao-Myanmar friendship bridge (which may not yet be open to foreigners but still).

Do you know if it's possible to travel along Hwy 41 north of Lawksawk to Intaw? Or further north from Intaw to Hwy 3? Thanks.

[Saigon]

i went to Hsipaw which is the town before Lashio,

heard it was not that much to see so heading north instead to Namsham ( which is closed sometimes)

was told no special permission needed to to Lashio and can travel by taxi or train

BUT if u have a chinese visa you can get special permission to travel all the way to Mu Se and cross into China

Mu-se is open without a permit, I've been there twice, the most recent trip being in February. However, to cross the border into China a permit is required. There is a checkpoint just as you enter the Mu-se economic zone where they might ask you for a permit (as the vast majority of the tiny number of visitors to town who arrive from the Myanmar side are intending on heading into China) but once you explain you are just going to Mu-se a few phone calls will be made and you can stay in town.

After the November election the Burmese and Chinese governments will upgrade the Mu-se-Ruili checkpoint to an international crossing, something they have been planning for nearly 2 years now and thus allow foreigners, Burmese and Chinese across with just a visa (if required for your nationality) and no more permit.

Lashio is a nice enough town, quite scenic and lots of ethnic groups living in town, but not a whole lot to do. Most foreigners head to Hsipaw for the trekking.

Have the foreign tourists been allowed to cross this border without a special permit by now?

[Tomtomtom69]

To the OP, the Shan State is not a restricted state at all, some of the country's most important tourist sites such as Kalaw, Inle Lake, Taunggyi, Pindaya and Hsipaw are all located in Shan State. However, where the misconception probably comes from is the fact that quite significant parts of the state are still off-limits (without first obtaining a permit at least). These areas include: Taunggyi to Kengtung road route number 4 (this means that any travel from Mae Sai to Tachilek, continuing via Kengtung to the interior of Myanmar requires you to either obtain a permit and car and driver to travel the road or fly); the Kokang area east of Hseni and Kutkai and indeed anywhere off the Mandalay-Mu-se highway starting north of Hsipaw; Namshan is sometimes off limits as Phuketrichard mentioned (need to check locally for more info); roads south of Lashio to route 4, etc.

Areas OK to travel: Mandalay to Mu-se road; anywhere south or west of Taunggyi; Lawksawk to Taunggyi; Kalaw to Ywan ngan and Ywan ngan to Kyaukme/Mandalay; Tachilek to Mongla via Kengtung; Tachilek to the Lao-Myanmar friendship bridge (which may not yet be open to foreigners but still).

Do you know if it's possible to travel along Hwy 41 north of Lawksawk to Intaw? Or further north from Intaw to Hwy 3? Thanks.

Route 41 from north of Lawksawk to the highway 3 junction could be a problem. You'll increase your chances considerably if you travel in a private car with driver.

I've traveled route 411, no problem at all. Lawksawk itself is fine too, plenty of coffee plantations in the area. I suppose you could take your chances and see how you go on route 41, but have a backup plan, just in case (which would be going via route 411 and Pyin Oo Lwin back to highway 3).

[Tomtomtom69]

i went to Hsipaw which is the town before Lashio,

heard it was not that much to see so heading north instead to Namsham ( which is closed sometimes)

was told no special permission needed to to Lashio and can travel by taxi or train

BUT if u have a chinese visa you can get special permission to travel all the way to Mu Se and cross into China

Mu-se is open without a permit, I've been there twice, the most recent trip being in February. However, to cross the border into China a permit is required. There is a checkpoint just as you enter the Mu-se economic zone where they might ask you for a permit (as the vast majority of the tiny number of visitors to town who arrive from the Myanmar side are intending on heading into China) but once you explain you are just going to Mu-se a few phone calls will be made and you can stay in town.

After the November election the Burmese and Chinese governments will upgrade the Mu-se-Ruili checkpoint to an international crossing, something they have been planning for nearly 2 years now and thus allow foreigners, Burmese and Chinese across with just a visa (if required for your nationality) and no more permit.

Lashio is a nice enough town, quite scenic and lots of ethnic groups living in town, but not a whole lot to do. Most foreigners head to Hsipaw for the trekking.

Have the foreign tourists been allowed to cross this border without a special permit by now?

Nope. Actually, recently it has become impossible even to obtain a permit, including for Chinese citizens. The Myanmar government plans to make an announcement this month or next month (according to a Myanmar travel agency) about the procedures for crossing this border and the Indian border at Tamu.

From now on, rather than follow the speculation of the news, there needs to be an actual announcement before we can be sure about the opening of the border, so I will refrain from my own speculation and just say "there is a plan to open the crossing in the not too distant future".

All the way back in 2013, an announcement was made, of all places by the newsreader (Mark Glanville) on FM Radio's Met 107 station in Bangkok that the border crossing between China and Myanmar was about to become international. I have no idea why that should interest Thai and foreign listeners of a Thai radio station, but almost 3 years later it seems we are even further away from an opening of this border than before.

Edited July 6, 2016 by Tomtomtom69