Guide to UNESCO World Heritage Sites
The world is full of wonders and while I typically encourage people to broaden their spectrum of destinations and activities, in this post, I would like to do the opposite. There is a growing trend of ‘responsible tourism’ which is an idea I strongly support. Earlier, I posted a list of places or activities that I thought were unethical to animals. Today, the stakes are higher as we are dealing with human beings. These are two places I strongly suggest you DON’T go.
I finished up my three-month trip across SE Asia a few weeks ago and now the question: Which country was my favorite? (hint: title) I don’t shy away from it or like to give a BS “They are all so different!” answer (seriously, that annoys me so much). It was Myanmar, no doubt about it. There were definitely things I liked about Thailand and Malaysia, and of course, Cambodia will always have a special place in my heart, but Myanmar, just wow!
The country also known as Burma is so different from its well traveled neighbors. It has not been spoiled by millions of tourists every year and the culture is proudly and passionately unique. The incredibly friendly locals and interesting customs make this a must for any adventurous traveler.
While I was there, I took note of anything interesting or unusual that I noticed. This list grew pretty quickly and to be honest, I couldn’t really decide on how to relay this information to you guys until now. Here is that list of those tidbits with an explanation of each.
When you think about foreign workers looking for a better life, we think of people coming to a western nation. However, in the region, Thailand is big brother where many Cambodians and Burmese people go to earn some big bucks. It was very interesting how we see Thailand as still a developing nation while in SE Asia, it is the regional land of opportunity.
The spring of 2007 marked my 21st birthday and of course, I celebrated with a memorable trip to Las Vegas. The weekend (which landed on spring break no less) is still fresh on my mind, not because I did something crazy. It also marks the day my mother bought me my first point and shoot camera, a Panasonic Lumix.
Fast forward to 2010 when I purchased my first DSLR. It was $900 total with extra batteries and carrying case. Maybe a little steep, but it was then that I realized something very important. Even a ‘professional camera’ was now affordable to a guy like me. I rejoiced at the thought that the layman would soon fill our internets with wonderful pictures from around the world.
Unfortunately, the cheap camera revolution has caused as much harm as good. While we do have stunning pictures by otherwise amateurs, contrary to popular belief, a camera doesn’t make a douchebag into an ‘artsy’ person. It just creates a ‘douche photographer.’ If you want to catch on this trend, check out these tips on how to be one too!
TL;DR: Cheap cameras lead to idiots with cameras.
Visiting one of the most popular places in the world? No problem. Who cares is there is barely any room to move around, YOU have a camera and THEY don’t. Your group will never remember this moment unless you take 10 minutes getting into the right pose. Just make sure you wave your hands frantically to get everyone else out of the way. Done, but it wasn’t perfect? Take another, no one will mind.
Myanmar has been visited by westerners since Marco Polo entered the ancient temple city of Bagan in the 13th century. Since then, the wonderful Burmese culture has received trickles of tourists here and there to see the famed city and other fabulous sites around the country wherever the government allowed. All that is about to change.
Burma has been dominated by a military junta for decades. Political suppression, however cautious, had been the norm until 2012 when, in a surprise move, the military started easing up their control and started allowing more liberties for locals and foreigners alike. Tourism was HIGHLY discouraged until then as it was considered irresponsible to go and feed the machine of that government.
Myanmar, interchangeably called ‘Burma,’ is a wonderful country, but due to its historically limited accessibility, getting reliable tips and information has been difficult. Publications like the Lonely Planet are just loaded with inaccuracies which shouldn’t be a surprise when you try to summarize a country that is changing so quickly in a yearly book. Here are some tips I wanted to pass on from my three weeks (Aug-Sept, 2014) in this wonderful country.
As I tried to write tips in general, I realized there were just too many about money. I will summarize them in this single entry.
If you are like me and like to have a good amount of cash before entering a foreign country, bring crispy new bills. You have never seen scrutiny of currency like this before. Every single note is carefully examined and bills that aren’t perfect or with older serial numbers are rejected. We spent way too much time in the airport as the money changer clerks looked like they were disarming a bomb with how delicately they handled our money.
This is true in most places in SE Asia, but $100 notes get a better exchange rate. The difference can be quite large in Thailand and Myanmar. $50 notes often get the same rate, but $100 is safer.
Europeans I met were often scared by the Lonely Planet and felt the need to change to USD before coming to Myanmar. While the dollar does get a better rate, Euros and Singapore dollars were also accepted at the airport and most banks. While not every money changer accepted non-USD, I would personally risk it if I were European given what a scam money changing is in some European countries. It that doesn’t work…
This sounds like a silly tip, but many people came into Myanmar thinking that if they didn’t bring cash, they would be totally screwed. Again this is ancient information as there are ATMs everywhere. Sid and I had no problem withdrawing money and neither did anyone else we talked to. Be advised that some ATMs do shut down at night (as they do in many Asian countries).
The local currency does not have coins in use. This causes the smaller notes to become very crumpled and sometimes ripped as they exchange hands often. Notes of 1000 kyat and above should have no rips at all. Examine every bill you get for change and feel free to reject any that is ripped. The locals know the routine and will gladly exchange them. I got a pretty beaten 1000 kyat note from the airport bank and couldn’t get rid of it until the last day despite trying at least 20 times. They were a lot more lenient for bills under 1000 kyat.
Entrances to Bagan and Inle, as well as hotels allow you to pay with USD or Kyat (Euro accepted at entrances, but not sure about hotels). They take 1USD = 1 Euro = 1000 kyat. Since the Euro is worth the most and the dollar the least, you save a little money by paying in dollars (3%) instead of kyat. If you pay in Euro, you are wasting around 30%.
In Mandalay and Yangon Airports (domestic terminal for Yangon), the exchange rate was 973/969 buy/sell of USD. This is not a large spread and is a profit margin of less than 1/4%. You will not find any better rate and since the money changers are not exactly everywhere, don’t waste your time. Just exchange at the airport.
I mistakenly spent my first few days in Thailand near infamous Khao San Road (I feel shame saying that, but that is a whole other story). One good thing that did come from that was meeting Oong, the Burmese guy working in the hostel I stayed. He talked highly of his own country and convinced me that the time to go was NOW! Read more
If you are like me, you probably have a master list to cross reference the things you should bring on a trip. For whatever reason, no matter how many of these lists I have, I always seem to forget something. To be honest, I have never forgotten anything important like my passport, my wallet, or money. Nevertheless, these are five things that would definitely come in handy if you remember to bring on your trip: