Posted 26 Feb 2009

Gap year travellers enjoying the culture and scenery of China, or even volunteering abroad in the country, will be able to use their status as tourist visa holder to gain access to neighbouring Myanmar, it has been revealed.

Those tourists or gap year travellers who leave China by Yunnan province, in the country’s south-west, will be granted a visa-on-arrival by Myanmar, reported Xinhua News.

A more extensive visa-on-arrival will also be granted to gap year travellers arriving in Myitkyina via chartered flight from various Chinese airports, including Teng Chong.

Previously, tourists were only allowed to go as far as Myitkyina by cross-border visa, but they will now be allowed to access deeper parts of the country without the previously necessary formal visa.

These changes are part of Myanmar’s bid to improve its tourism relations and cross-border agreements with China.

Another recent development that gap year travellers may like to take advantage of while in China is the opening of the untouched region of Keke Xili in Qinghai province to a limited number of tourists.

Category: Asia