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koolbreez
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You will need to get your visas for Vietnam, and Burma before hand. You can get the Vietnam visa very fast if you apply before you come over here, but it is much quicker to get the Burma visa from the embassy in Bangkok It takes going there in the morning, then picking it up the next day at bt1260, or waiting 3 days for bt800.
Right now AsiaAir has the best fares for where you want to go into the countries. use their website, and be sure you get the baggage charge on the website, or you will pay double when you check in.
You will be transitting through Bangkok when going to both countries. Internally in Vietnam you can take the train, or fly with Vietnam air to where you are going inside the country once you get there, making the arrangements the day before.
In Yangon in Burma I always stay at the Center hotel at $40 a night. It is a busy hotel so you do want to book it beforehand. Now with the relaxing of restrictions somewhat you can call them directly from Bangkok when you get here.
In Burma you book everything after you get there for next day travel. Right next to the Center hotel is a great travel agency that I use for all airfares, then just look on the internet for your hotels in each place, and call them for the best rates. In this case Agoda does not have the best rates.
Also your cell phone will not work. Burma is on a different system, and a sim card is prohibitively expensive, and not able to get as a tourist. There is a phone to use in the hotel though, or you can use one of the booths on the street. There is NO coins in Burma so the phone booths are staffed. They make the call then you pay when you are done.
The 4 travel destinations in Burma are Yangon, and the ShweDagon Pagoda, then the circle train that goes around the city on a 3 hour journey to the 34 different stops.
Then there is Inle Lake, staying at NuaengShwe. It is a very nice place real layed back. Email me, and I can set you up with one of the best travel agents for anything you want to do there.
Then there is Mandalay, not a whole lot to do there.
The last place on the route is Bagan, and all the ancient stupa, and temples from the 7th to the 13th centuries. There are 9 major, and 3500 minor ancient structures, with the only place I know of to get real lacquerware. The bamboo wrapped frame with horse hair, then taking 17 weeks to complete each piece with intricate hand etched detail as the layers of lacquer are applied, and dried.
These are the main tourist locations. It is still a very restricted country to travel in.
The biggy in Vietnam is howlong bay. You go there then take a live aboard boat/junk for anywhere from 3-7 days on a cruise through the different islands, and limestone formations. There are lots of rip-off companies there so do your research on the Thorn Tree forum by Lonely Planet to get up to date information, and information on everywhere you plan to go.
This will get you started. Doing anymore, and I would have to charge you my regular rate.
I do this for a living so if you do want everything set up, my rates are competitive with anything you will find in the States, but with what I listed you should be able to figure it all out on your own.
Just remember you do have to get your visas before you get to Vietnam, and Burma (Myanmar). They will not let you on the planes without your visas.
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Thai Girls : Meet Sexy Thai Girls
Posted on: 9:42 am on Nov. 25, 2011
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koolbreez
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One other thing I forgot to mention. In Vietnam there are ATM machines, and you can use credit cards, BUT in Burma (Myanmar) it is all cash, and they only accept crisp new American bills.
There can be no marks of any kind on them, no crease marks in the middle of the bill if you fold them over. They are obsesive about this. Get all your bills at the bank, and get brand new money if they have it, in mostly $100US bills. They have to be new serial numbers, nothing from 1996, or with a "CB', or "CS" in the serial numbers. I CAN NOT STRESS ENOUGH THAT THEY CAN NOT HAVE ANY MARKS OF ANY KIND ON THEM. They will refuse them.
In Burma you also do not change any money at the airport, even though they did open up a new exchange point that is no longer the rip off of before, you wait until you get to the hotel, then go walking out on the streets looking for a black market money changer. THIS IS HOW IT IS DONE, and it is safe. The current rate is 800 Kyat (pronounced Chat) to the dollar, but it floats up, and down about 200 Kyat. It will not be more than 800 to the dollar.
Once you get out of Yangon, and all flights in, and out of the country have to go through there, headed up country the exchange rate drops down, so change about $200US for Kyat in Yangon. All hotels, and air fares take US money, but food, and tours take Kyat for the most part when you get out of Yangon.
I just wanted to stress this cash point about Burma because it is very real, and extremely important.
Also there are absolutely NO ATMs, and only a few of the 5* hotels in Yangon will take credit cards if you happen to run out of cash, but they charge a 25% handling fee. They have to send the transaction to another of their hotels out of the country.
Burma is a totally closed country to international banking. It is ALL cash, and US dollars are like gold, but without any marks, or creases on them at all.
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Bangkok Women : Meet Sensual Bangkok Women
Posted on: 9:56 am on Nov. 25, 2011
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CalEden
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koolbreez, thanks for the information, very interesting. I have been monitoring this thread, last several trips had Burma on the to do list. Just never got to it.
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Thai Girls : Meet Sexy Thai Girls
Posted on: 12:41 pm on Nov. 25, 2011
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