I browsed through the comments about Myanmar visas and entry points but there's a lack of info about actual costs and availability of hostels etc. Lonely planet says $60 per night...a joke? There are no/little hostels on websites so where do people stay? Is it easy to rock up in any place and get a cheap room or dorm? I was planning to go for 3 weeks to a month but want a proper budget trip. Is 200-300 RMB/day totally unrealistic?

Are ATMs available, how available? Does the 'bring all your money in U.S crisp dollars' rule still apply?

One final thing. I was planning on flying in to Yangon and then seeing the country before leaving over a Thai border. Online it appears you can but has anyone done this recently?
I called the consulate in KM. They told me it should be fine but they also told me it would be fine to cross the Bangladesh border, which is mined and definitely closed to foreigners. Reliable！

Thanks for any info

The Thai border crossing at Myawaddy/Mae Sot will open officially for overland crossings this month (probably next week or around mid-April after the Water Festival at the latest). This is the only overland crossing where travel to/from the rest of Myanmar will be permitted without permission. The Mae Sai/Tachileik crossing should allow overland crossings too BUT you have to fly to Tachileik or Kengtung from Taunggyi first as the road between Taunggyi and Kengtung has not yet opened (only the first couple of dozen of km from either side are OK to travel but not anywhere between the checkpoints, which leaves most of the road off-limits).

From China, the permit requirement for travelling between Mu-se (opposite Ruili) and Lashio has been removed since last month, however I'm not sure whether a permit is still required to cross the Chinese border overland in either direction via Ruili though. Please check with a Kunming or Ruili based travel agency and keep us updated. Forget about the Bangladesh border, it is definately closed and not safe on either side.

Just showing up to find a room should be possible, particularly in smaller towns where online booking is not an option. When it comes to Yangon, it's best to book ahead a couple of days as most accommodation is full most of the time there BUT if you happen to stumble upon a place, particularly on the outskirts of the city it's unlikely such a place would be full since most foreigners choose to stay in the city center.

ATMs are available in most larger towns and they definately work (VISA and Mastercard credit and debit cards accepted as well as Maestro etc.) the most reliable bank seems to be CB Bank but Kandawza is OK as well from what I've heard. The maximum withdrawal amount is 300,000 Kyat per transaction and there is a 5,000 Kyat user fee added onto that for each transaction you make.

Since Mar 31st, Yuan and Thai Baht can be exchanged at banks and money changers in addition to Euros, Singapore Dollars and of course US dollars. It is therefore no longer necessary to bring in only crisp US dollars. In February, I brought in some Euros and US Dollars, however, I exchanged everything for Kyat - I didn't spend a single US dollar anywhere.

I would therefore bring in any quantity of these 5 currencies that you may need and fund the rest of your stay using ATM withdrawals - and perhaps bring a small amount of US dollars just in case, but increasingly it is possible to avoid using US dollars whereas just a year ago this was not the case.

300 Yuan or $50 a day is a reasonable budget - in Yangon you might be pushing it a bit but hostels for $15-20 a day can still be found, otherwise most places go for at least $30-40+ and often much higher. In other towns, $30-40 gets you a good room, but $20 is the average for a cheap room.

I just skimmed Tom69's replies and they seem mostly consistent with my experience on a trip last month, except for the money issues. Some thoughts/comments:

Border crossing: I was also hearing that returning to Thailand over land is doable.

Hostels/Hotels: Advisable to book ahead when you can. You definitely do not want to land in Yangon with no room. I paid as little as $10 (Motherland 2, dorm, in Yangon, totally serviceable) and as much as $50. Seemed like the standard for a passable but not nice room was around $25 everywhere you go.

ATMs: You really should bring crisp USD. ATMs very rare in Yangon, and the amount you can get vs the fee (plus what you get charged by your own bank) is ludicrous. If you are desperate, yes you'll be able to get money from an ATM but you don't want to count on it. There is a good chance you will not be staying near any ATMs. I also saw a Chinese guy trying to exchange RMB at the airport, and getting basically laughed at.

Granted, I was there mid-March, and our friend here is saying the situation changed March 31. But I would really bring USD if you can.

Yes, the situation changed March 31st. Since then, Yuan are acceptable for exchange at banks and moneychangers that deal in foreign exchange throughout the country; previously Yuan could only be used/exchanged in northern border regions of Myanmar.

Agree with you yelp, definately book ahead for hotels (even hostels) especially in Yangon. Booking ahead might be difficult in smaller towns like Hpa-an and unnecessary in Myawaddy (which has just opened up if you are coming from the west) since Myawaddy just recently opened for overnight stays, few foreigners have stayed there since this has been allowed...however once overland access from Thailand is allowed (apparently after around April 24th) expect this situation to change rather quickly.

Regarding money, I'd personally take a combination of currencies, some Euros, a small amount of US dollars just in case and the rest in Baht, Yuan or Sing dollars (if you are arriving from those currencies, otherwise stick to Euros or US dollars). Personally the availability of ATMs now was a blessing. It's not realistic to bring in large volumes of cash so being able to fund the rest of your stay using ATMs will prove very valuable but by all means, to avoid being hit by bank fees bring a reasonable amount of cash as well (and book all your hotels in major cities like Yangon, Mandalay etc. online, paying by credit card).

The budget of $50 / day is now very hard to do. Hotels are more and more expensive.
I contacted www.burmatour.net and asked for a trip, it seems that for 3 star hotels and similar tour standard, they asked for about 150usd/person/ day for group of 4 people

Just an update: Thai Baht and Yuan can still NOT be exchanged at banks and moneychangers away from their respective border areas. The change in regulations that was supposed to be implemented starting on March 31st hasn't come into effect yet, despite a news report indicating so. Therefore, only USD, EUR and SGD can easily be exchanged. Other currencies can still be exchanged in a few places in Yangon and Mandalay but it would be difficult so best to stick to one of these three currencies. For some expenses, especially flights and visas, US dollars are still needed, for everything else Kyat can be used nowadays even if the original price is quoted in dollars.