Health The greatest concerns when travelling in the Golden Triangle region of Myanmar are malaria, prolonged exposure to the intense sun, and diarrhoea. Be sure to bring a hat or umbrella with you, keep under cover at midday, and use a strong sunscreen. Burmese women and children can often be seen wearing yellow thanaka-bark powder on their faces to reduce exposure to the sun. We strongly recommend having a good health insurance and carrying a good first aid kit. There is a chronic shortage of trained medical help and hospitals. Therefore, you should avoid treatment in Myanmar. Evacuation to Singapore, Thailand, or Malaysia is recommended. VACCINATIONS Officially, there are no vaccinations required for a visit to Myanmar. But a vaccination for cholera is essential for travel through the country. Vaccination for hepatitis, Japanese Encephalitis, rabies, polio, tetanus and typhoid are also recommended. MALARIA The best protection against malaria is to avoid being bitten in the first place. Check with your physician about taking a course of anti-malaria's. If it is considered necessary given your itinerary, you might need to begin before your trip and continue for a time after you return. The greatest risk of contracting malaria is between May and December at altitudes below 3,000 ft./ 1,000 m. Dengue fever, which is also transmitted by mosquitoes, is often mistaken for malaria. Its symptoms are severe pain in the joints, high fever, and extreme headache. Aside from avoiding being bitten altogether (this mosquito is active in daytime and is often a striped variety), there is no - prevention available. Hospital treatment is urgently required. FOOD & WATER Standards of hygiene in many parts of Myanmar can be quite low, so the threat of amoebic dysentery is present. Make sure you peel all fruit yourself and avoid eating raw vegetables. However, dehydration can be a problem, so you should drink plenty of bottled liquids along with a mixture of dehydration salts. Avoid all water that hasn't been thoroughly boiled or sterilized. Drink only bottled water and soft drinks that haven't been opened yet.