Le Planteur Restaurant, Yangon

Fine Alsace Wine

We’ve been in Burma for two weeks. While we’ve had some excellent local food in Mandalay and Mrauk U, after two weeks there are some things we yearn for: a fine wine, the perfect baguette, rich dark chocolate. So here we are in Yangon. A good friend from Bangkok recommended Le Planteur and a couple we met in Mrauk U from Singapore also sang its praises. While the prices for the prix fix menu are rather dear, US$68 or $78, we decided to have a decadent lunch there. My experience all over the world has been that superb restaurants are often a (relative) bargain at lunch time. We were not disappointed.

In addition to the regular prix fix menus, Le Planteur also offers a vegetarian selection for US$44 and a Business lunch for a mere US$25. We found a wonderful Alsace Riesling, dry and delicate, to complement our seafood meal.

Amuse Bouche

Jumbo prawns appetizer

Delicious grouper in truffle sauce

We opted for the three course Business lunch. The food was perfectly prepared. In addition to the three courses, there was a group of three appetizers served as we perused the menu, then an amuse bouche, followed by our three chosen courses.

The third course is a selection from the dessert cart, and they encourage you to choose three or four items to sample. The servings are small, just right for a sampler. And after that, the chef brought us Swiss chocolates… the perfect end to a wonderful meal.

Dessert!

Swiss chocolates

Our compliments to the chef!

Contact information:
Le Planteur Restaurant
No. 22B KayarAye Pagoda Road, Yangon
Telephone: 541 997

http://www.leplanteur.net

If have reservations for dinner, they can pick you up in one of these beautiful antique cars, gratis.

Complimentary antique taxis

Technorati Tags: Burma, fine dining Yangon, Le Planteur Restaurant, Myanmar, restaurants in Yangon, Yangon

There is a dual currency system: US dollars are used for paying hotels, flights, and entrance fees and the local currency, kyat (pronounced “chat”) is used to pay for taxis, meals in non-hotel restaurants, purchases from markets, etc.

The kyat, like currencies of many small countries, is not a convertible currency. You can’t order it from your bank or buy it in other countries, and outside of Burma, it is worthless. This is also true of the VN dong, the Laos kip and the Cambodian riel. But the kyat has additional complications.

There is an “official” exchange rate of about 6 kyat to the US dollar. However, the “real” exchange rate is varies widely, in the last year ranging from about 650 to 850 kyat to the dollar. In 2009, we got 1000 kyat to the dollar. As a traveler, you exchange money on the “black market” (jewelry stores, travel agents, hotels, etc). Indeed, in the past if you asked to exchange money at the airport exchange counter, they would tell you not to exchange money there because they had to use the official exchange rate. Recently, an exchange has opened at the airport that gives reasonable rates, not as good as you would get in Yangon, but only 40-50 kyat per dollar less. It is illegal for a foreigner to exchange money at a bank.

Worldwide, you get the best exchange rates for $100 bills. The difference in exchange rates for $100 bills versus lesser denominations is more marked in Myanmar than other places I’ve been.

You will want to take $100 bills to exchange for kyat and $100 bills to pay your agent for hotels and airfares, but take a variety of smaller bills so you can pay exact amounts as you settle bills for meals and incidentals at your hotels, pay admission fees, etc. You cannot guarantee that places will have good bills to give you change.

The best exchange rates are in Yangon. In Yangon, the best rates are at Scott’s Market. The farther from Yangon you get, the lower the exchange rates will be. In Mandalay, expect rated to be perhaps 40-60 kyat per dollar less, at Inle, they are even lower, perhaps 100 kyat to the dollar less. So it makes sense to exchange what you’ll need in Yangon.

US dollars, whether to spend or exchange, must be pristine. Bills that are wrinkled or worn, with ink marks or scuffs are not acceptable and cannot be exchanged or spent in Burma. I have known people who ironed their dollars to make them acceptable. If possible, order new currency from your bank for your trip. If that is not possible, ask them to save to the best-looking bills for you.

The national bank has a policy of not accepting bills that have even the tiniest tears or are dirty or have ink on them. Thus, places that accept dollars such as hotels and travel agencies are very particular about the currency they accept, as if the central bank won’t accept a bill, it cannot be exchanged. Their only recourse is to find a visitor who will exchange an unacceptable bill for an acceptable one.

Technically, private citizens in Burma are not allowed to possess foreign currency. Even those private citizens who are allowed to accept foreign currency (such as taxi drivers from the Rangoon airport or horse cart drivers in Bagan) are often hassled by government officials as they try to exchange dollars. For small vendors, exchanging dollars is a problem. If/when they can exchange them for kyat, they may be harassed and they will not get a good rate. Vendors often ask tourists to trade them kyat for the dollars they have previously accepted. Do the vendors a favor and only use kyat when you purchase. If you have extra kyat, do trade them kyat for dollars.

Because of the sanctions placed on Burma by most of the world, Burmese companies cannot accept credit cards. You will find some places (typically high-end hotels) that will accept credit cards to pay your bill with a 5-15% surcharge, as they use Thai or Singapore companies to process the charges. No American Express cards can be accepted anywhere. 
 If you find yourself really in trouble – out of money – there are a few hotels that will advance you money by charging your credit card, but you’ll pay about a 20% premium for this. So when you figure out how much money to take to Myanmar (Burma), add a good margin of safety. It’s not like the rest of the world where you can just find an ATM if you need to replenish your money supply.

By the way, if you are headed there via Bangkok, there is an ATM airside at the Bangkok Airport that dispenses US dollars.

What about other currencies? You may be able to find people who will exchange Euro, Baht, Indian Rupees, Pounds Sterling or RMB in Yangon, but the rates won’t be as good as for US dollars.

Technorati Tags: ATMs Burma, ATMs Myanmar, best exchange rates, credit cards Burma, credit cards Myanmar, exchange rate, exchange rates, independent travel Burma, independent travel Myanmar, money matters in burma myanmar

I received an email from a friend today asking about travel to Burma, as a colleague of his thought he wanted to set up a business meeting there. The email made me realize how few people know much about Burma.

Here is what I told him:

Yes, we were in Burma in Nov, 2009. Fascinating country. So fascinating, in fact, that we are going back there this November. I think it will be very difficult for your colleague to hold a meeting there this December.

1. All of Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand have economic sanctions against Burma. About the only major country that does not have economic sanctions against them is China.

2. Because of the economic sanctions, one cannot use credit cards within Burma. A few high-end hotels will take credit cards (by running them through Thailand, Singapore or Hong Kong) but will add an 8-20% surcharge for this. To pay for things, you have to hand-carry US dollars into the country (crisp, unblemished or they will be rejected). Some travel agents in Yangon have overseas bank accounts set up and you can send a foreign wire transfer to them for a deposit. But – you cannot tell the bank that the deposit is going to Burma or they cannot legally send it.

3. Burma has suddenly (with the recent release of ASSK) become a popular spot for more adventuresome travelers. While the tourism numbers are still very low, their infrastructure is stretched as far as it can go for this high season (Nov, Dec, Jan). We had difficulty getting the hotels we wanted for November when we were making reservations in May, and I hear from other travelers and from my agent in Yangon that the high end hotels are all basically full for this high season.

4. Visas: Burma has no visa on arrival. You must get a visa in advance. If there is any hint that a person is affiliated with the news media (for instance) the visa will be denied.

5. Internet access: High-end hotels have internet access, often wi-fi, though it is very slow. The problem is that the government blocks access to email accounts. Between the two of us, we probably have half a dozen email accounts with different providers. The only account we were able to access was a gmail account because the locals have devised a work-around to avoid the government blockade. Even with a personal VPN we were not able to get to our accounts. So none of the attendees would be able to access their work email while in Burma. The government changes its blockades as people devise new work-arounds (e.g., the use of proxy servers) so when we go back this time, we don’t know if we’ll be able to access a gmail account or not. In any case, one should just assume you will not be able to access email.

6. Satellite phones are illegal in Burma and may be confiscated.

There are lots of oddities in traveling to Burma. You pay for hotels, flights, admission fees is US dollars. You pay for purchases, taxis, food, etc in the local currency, kyat (pronounced “chat”). The official exchange rate is about 8 kyat to the dollar. Foreign aid, money to NGOs. etc comes in at this exchange rate. The actual exchange rate is currently about 700 kyat to the dollar. As a traveler, you exchange money on the “black market” (jewelry stores, hotels, etc). Indeed, if you ask to exchange money at the airport exchange counter, they will tell you not to exchange money there. And it is illegal for a foreigner to exchange money at a bank.

Technorati Tags: Burma, flight reservatations Myanmar, flight reservations Burma, hotels Burma, hotels Myanmar, important things to know before planning a trip to burmamyanmar, money exchange Burma, money exchange Myanmar, Myanmar, planning a trip

Technorati Tags: bank, check, cost, exchange premium, follow up on the foreign wire transfer, foreign, foreign exchange, transfer, wire, wire transfer

I always begin my visa research by going to the country’s embassy website here: http://www.indianembassy.org/newsite/default.asp

India has outsourced its visa processing to a company, Travisa outsourcing at https://indiavisa.travisaoutsourcing.com/homepage

The excellent website has very clear instructions and details all of the items you need to send with your visa application. I must say that while I have applied for a number of visas from embassies or consulates, I’ve never had to mail in a copy of my birth certificate or provide proof of my address via a driver’s license or a utility bill. Each country has different requirements.

The visa application is filled out online. The format gives you instructions for each line or box you have to fill in. You then print out your application and send it in with your passport and the required documentation.

India has the option for US citizens of a 6 month ($60), 5 year ($150) or 10 year ($150) visa. All visas have a $13 service fee added to the cost. We felt the 10 year visa was a good idea, as this is only our first trip to India – we know there will be others. As you can see, it’s also a good deal, price-wise.

We sent our visa applications, documentation and passports via Federal Express so it can be tracked. The Travisa website also has tracking information online, so once our applications have been received, we can track its progress.

Technorati Tags: getting a visa, getting a visa for india, going to the country, india visa, indian embassy, travisa, travisa website, visa, visa application, visa applications

Finding books is a bit more difficult for Sikkim than for other places we’ve visited. I’ve done a thorough search for books on Sikkim, and have turned up only a few, none of which are available directly from Amazon. I ordered two books from IndiaClub.com. One arrived in a week or so, the other arrived in a couple of weeks, shipped from Delhi. Next, I did a more thorough search and turned up a number of books I could get from Amazon resellers. I ordered the books, and have received all but one of the books, which is being shipped from Delhi.

Here is a list of what I’ve found:

Sikkim: A Traveller’s Guide, Photographs and Essays by Sujoy Das, Text by Arundhati Ray. Permanent Black, New Delhi, 2001 (This is the book most often recommended)

Garuda & Winged Horses by Somnath Guha. Srishti Publishers, New Delhi , 2001

Memoirs of a Political Officer’s Wife in Tibet, Sikkim and Bhutan by Margaret D. Williamson. Wisdom Publications, London, 1987

Mountaintop Kingdom: Sikkim Photographs by Alice S. Kandell, text by Charlotte Y. Salisbury. Norton & Co, New York (no pub date listed)

History of Darjeeling and the Sikkim Himalaya (this book not yet received; being shipped from India).

I also ordered one DVD from Amazon, The Lion’s Roar, a documentary about the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa filmed in 1985

The next task is to read and digest as much of this information as possible!

Technorati Tags: more research on our trip to sikkim india

Sometimes the question of where to next answers itself before I get home from the last trip. I’ve always had a long list of places I wanted to see. Some are written down, some are in my head.

This year, I went back to several lists and looked at ideas. One idea that has been with me for a long time has been Machu Picchu. I’d planned to take that trip a decade ago. But before the trip was planned I was in an auto accident. While I wasn’t badly hurt, my back was injured enough that long walking was clearly not in my near future. My plan for Machu Picchu had been to walk the Inca trail and enter through the Gate of the Sun. That plan had to be put on hold. As the years have gone by, my back is better, but I don’t think I’ll ever hike the Incan Trail. An easier Machu Picchu option is likely in my future. But Machu Picchu hasn’t struck me as being the right trip for this year. And there are mudslides blocking the railway.

So back to my lists. India has long been on my list. But it’s so huge and varied – what to tackle first? One of my lists had Assam on it. So I started doing some research.

I started by doing some reading on my favorite travel boards and buying a guidebook. The guide I could find with the best info (and still, it didn’t have a lot) was the Lonely Planet Guide to Northeastern India.

Assam sounded good to me for a number of reasons. Our last trip was to Burma, and Assam shares a border with Burma. The there are shared history and customs among the people on the two sides of the border. It seemed like a natural extension of our time in Burma. Assam offers the opportunity for a variety of interesting activities. National parks offer wildlife viewing. There are tea plantation, temples and markets. And my favorite weather site, weatherbase.com confirms that it will be a pleasantly warm break from November‘s rain and cold in Seattle.

Technorati Tags: independent travel itinerary, independent travel planning

It’s been a while since my last post here. I have to admit that I got caught up in planning my next trip to my favorite part of the world, SE Asia. Finally, I decided to visit Burma. I won’t go into all of my machinations about whether or not to go, as that debate spanned some twenty years, but I do want to tell you about my experience booking this trip.

When Burma first opened to tourism over two decades ago, they allowed only group tours to enter. At first there was a strict limit of 7 days in the country. As time went on, the rules loosened gradually, but even today by far the majority of travelers to Burma go as part of a tour group. If you aren’t going as part of a tour group, they would prefer that you have a travel agency just book your itinerary for you.

I wanted to travel according to my own plan so I really had to work to get the travel arrangements I wanted. I usually book all of my own flights and all of my own hotels over the internet. For Burma, this was a real challenge. Because most email is blocked in Burma, emails to hotels may never be received. E-mailing is often an exercise in frustration. I was able to book one hotel directly via e-mail; another I found a Thai booking site where I could reserve and pay by credit card in advance – a great advantage in a country where credit cards are basically unusable. And my third hotel I was able to book via a phone call to The Leading Hotels of the World.

Air tickets were harder. There is no way to book intra-Burma flights online. Indeed, it was impossible to find a current timetable, let alone one for a month or two away. Eventually, I found a posting of what flights flew last week. I have a travel agent in Bangkok I’ve used for booking intra-Asia flight when needed. I wrote to him, and after several weeks of trying, he told me he was unable to book my flights. At that point, I emailed a travel agent in Yangon. They were able to tell me the times of the flights and book them.

And no one told me that there are no non-stop flights among all of the major cities. Of our three internal flights, two had stops on the way. And there are few choices about when to fly. It is not uncommon to have only one flight a day between two of the four major destinations in Burma. So our time in each place was a little different than we had originally planned.

Still, we did eventually get all of our hotels and flights and we had a wonderful time.

But I learned that a country that would prefer that you not travel independently can make it difficult for even the most stubborn independent traveler!

Technorati Tags: Bagan, Burma, Inle Lake, Mandalay, Myanmar, Rangoon, Yangon

First of all, it helps to have a context for bargaining. In cultures where bargaining is done, it is a part of the social discourse. It is expected that you’ll bid back and forth and come to a mutually agreeable price. Think of bargaining as similar to other scripted social interactions. “How are you?” “ I’m fine, and you?”

Start low so you have room to trade bids when the vendor comes back with a higher bid. Don’t start with the price you want to pay.

Remember that when it gets down to the final bids, you are likely talking about a few cents. Don’t bargain as if your life depended on getting the lowest possible price. Bargain with a smile. Be pleasant even when you are saying, “that’s too much.” Remember that you both want the same thing, the seller wants to sell you something at a price you’ll both be pleased with, you want to buy something at a price you’ll both be pleased with.

What Should I Start With?

So how much less than the starting price should my first offer be? There is no hard and fast rule. Sometimes you should offer as low as 10% of the asking price; sometimes you’ll be lucky to get 10% off the asking price. It helps to have some idea of what the item is worth. If you’ve wandered around a bit, you’ll have an idea of what other sellers are asking for the item. If you’ve been to a store with fixed prices and have seen an item, you’ll have a better idea of what it is worth.

If you are really nervous about bargaining, you can always simply ask if you can get a discount or if the seller will give you a “special price.” The seller will almost always offer you a lower price, which you can then either accept or can make a slightly lower bid. You won’t get a rock-bottom price doing this, but it can be a way to start learning how to bargain.

You can ask the price of anything with no obligation to buy, but once you start bargaining, you are obligated to buy the item if you and the seller come to a mutually agreeable price.

The first sale of the day is considered good luck, so sometimes sellers are willing to come down farther in price for that sale. After you pay, the seller may touch all of the items in the stall with the money you paid. I always enjoy this little ritual and laugh with the seller about the sale being good luck.

Always Know You Can Say No

When you are bargaining for an expensive item and you can’t come to an agreement, it is ok to say no thank you and walk away. Sometimes that will inspire the seller to come after you and offer a lower price, sometimes not. But you can always return later and resume your bargaining.

There is no need for a common spoken language to bargain. I’ve often bargained for items with a calculator passed between us. Perhaps the most important currency in bargaining is goodwill and a smile.

Technorati Tags: independent travel bargaining, se asia bargaining, tourist bargaining, travel bargaining

Your Own Laptop – Best Solution

Having your own laptop with a personal VPN and your firewall turned on is by far the safest way to go. This is true for both Windows and Mac. I’m more familiar with Windows, both XP and Vista have a personal firewall that you should always have turned on when you are using it on an unsecured network to prevent others from coming in a using your laptop as a launching pad for such unsavory things as pornography, spamming or spreading viruses.

Personal VPN software

The personal VPN software I recommend is from Witopia. It currently runs 39.99/year which is very cheap for what it does. It’s very simple to use and quite dependable. You install it on your laptop and every time you are on an unsecured wireless connection, you double click on it and it creates the VPN tunnel within about 30 seconds. Actually, you can use it any time you turn on your laptop, even at home, and your IP will continually be different. If you don’t understand what an IP is, don’t worry! I initially purchased Witopia when I started spending more time working in coffee shops around Seattle. I now need not worry about someone in the area “sniffing” my network connections in plain text.

Many more reasons to install a personal VPN are explained here at the Witopia site. Witopia – Reasons to Install a Personal VPN

Here’s the one you’re most interested in while traveling, so I’m quoting it here:

“You use Wi-Fi Hotspots.

Although most don’t realize it, Wi-Fi Hotspots, whether paid or free, are horrifically insecure. You are literally broadcasting all of your data “in the clear” with typically no security whatsoever. This can include your e-mail, IM messages, web searches, and any other data sent or received over the wireless network.

It is shockingly easy for anyone to “sniff” and capture your data without your knowledge. Due to the ease of the crime, and the fact Wi-Fi Hotspots are typically frequented by folks with a little change in their pocket, a Wi-Fi Hotspot is a tantalizing place for bad guys to lurk.

One common tactic is something called the “evil twin” attack where the evildoer sets up a laptop as a seemingly legitimate Wi-Fi Hotspot. You connect to the Internet through “FREE Airport Wi-Fi” — or anything the bad guy wishes to name it — and although all seems fine you are actually sending all of your data through a hacker’s laptop.

Honestly, we’re not sure how often this happens, and it may even be pretty rare. Nevertheless, with data crimes, it usually only takes once to cause some pretty serious havoc in your life.

With WiTopia VPN service you could even connect through the hacker’s laptop and all they would be able to capture is a lot of encrypted gibberish they will never be able to crack.”

Public Computers

When you decide to use a public computer, even a computer at your hotel that you assume is safe, you’re taking a huge, repeat, HUGE risk. Even using an https address will not protect you from spyware and key logging programs or hardware. Always be very aware that when you choose to use a public computer, be it at the hotel or at an internet café, you are taking a huge risk of getting your passwords stolen if you type them in manually.

Bottom line, when you use a public computer, you should not log onto your bank accounts unless you are using some kind of password autofill program. Read more password autofill options below.

Password Autofill Software

I recommend password manager I use at home is RoboForm. For use while traveling, I’ve purchased Roboform2Go, which is a $20 add-on to the Roboform software. This will will provide you with everything you need to access your passwords securely while traveling using a USB drive. Be sure to purchase a U3 Smart USB drive, they have security built in. Bottom line, Roboform costs a relatively small amount for what it offers and I’ve gotten to where I can’t live without it now. It also does form filling for you.

If you’re looking for something free but not quite as robust as Roboform, check out Lastpass. It’s very simple software to use. All of your passwords are stored at LastPass (they use very secure 256 AES encryption). When you’re using an untrusted computer, you’ll log onto Lastpass using a one time password that you generated before you left (be sure to do this or you’ll be out of luck). Get this service before you leave, be sure to store all of your passwords that you’ll use on the road on it and then create about 50 one time passwords (or however many you think you’ll need to gain access to your password vault while on the road).

Other Opinions About Using Hotel or Other Non-Secured Computers

Quoted from CNET PCMag Article

“But really, you should do your best to avoid using nonsecure computers. Even if you keep a key¬logger from snagging your password, it might still take screenshots of key financial info. Your best bet is to implement a high degree of security on your laptop and resign yourself to lugging the darn thing along.”

What To Do Every Time You Finish Using a Public Computer

Clear the browser cache and cookies! Normally this is done by going to Tools – Internet Options.Don’t, I repeat, DO NOT leave any personal information on the computer.

In Conclusion

This isn’t about being paranoid, it’s about being smart. We’re beyond the days of leaving home and really being gone, but you can check your email and your bank accounts safely if you follow the recommendations shared in this article.

Bon Voyage!

About the Author
Cheryl is both a computer systems professional and as someone who travels frequently for both business and pleasure both here in the US and internationally.

Technorati Tags: computer fraud traveling, computer security traveling, password keeper programs, personal VPNs, travel laptops