| | Hey Nick!
I've been in Myanmar for 6 weeks with a Meditation Visa in May/June 2014, so I can answer most of your questions :
1. To get a meditation visa, you need a printed sponsorship letter from a Burmese monastery, otherwise the embassy you'll be applying at won't issue you the meditation (religious) visa. It's not allowed to do tourism with a meditation visa, but really, nothing stops you from taking a few days before and after the retreat to explore the country a little. Although it's not permitted, I really don't see how it would be a problem.
2. Some centers won't allow you to stay in their monastery with a normal "tourist" visa, and most will definitely not allow you to stay beyond your visa expiry date, as it would put them in legal trouble. The fee is 3$ per day if you overstay your visa, payable at the airport when you exit the country.
3. February and March are amongst the best months to travel in Myanmar. It's the dry season so there shouldn't be too many mosquitoes and the weather isn't as uncomfortably hot as in May/June. I would assume that regions closer to the water are worse for mosquitoes whereas those closer to Yangon are better.
4. I've stayed at Pa Auk Tawya, which focuses strongly on concentration practices, and I really liked the center. I've also heard good about other centers (like Panditarma). It really comes down to personal preference and what type of meditation/tradition you want to practice.
The tourist visa is 28 days, and most hostels/guesthouses won't rent you a room if it is expired. Normally, the meditation visa is also 28 days by default, but as far as I know, your monastery is able to extend it to 3 months, 6 months or 1 year. The process takes a little while so definitely do it as soon as you arrive in the monastery, especially if you plan to stay a short period of time. Also, you could always do a "visa run" by booking a flight back and forth to Bangkok with a cheap airlines, get a new tourist visa, and resume tourism in Myanmar then.
Don't hesitate to ask if you want more info! |