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Nanga Parbat is the ninth highest mountain in the world, with an elevation of over 8,000 meters. It is located in the northwestern part of the Western Himalayas, between the Indus and Astor rivers.

• The climate on this mountain is very variable and unpredictable.

Sudden snowstorms, fogs and snowfalls are possible. For most of the year, the peak is practically inaccessible for climbing.

Due to the large number of fatalities among climbers attempting to conquer this peak, the mountain was nicknamed “Killer Mountain”.

Some airlines have started offering their passengers “mystery trips” where the destination remains unknown until the moment of landing

The concept is simple: passengers buy tickets for a flight without knowing where they are going. All they know is the date and time of departure, as well as a list of luggage packing recommendations to be prepared for any conditions. It is only after landing that passengers learn their destination, which brings an element of surprise and adventure to an ordinary journey.

Airlines assure that all flights comply with international safety standards. Passengers are provided with information in advance about the necessary documents, including visas and insurance.

I wanted to go to Miami, but landed in Manila.

History

Myanmar cuisine, or Burmese cuisine as it is also known, is a very flavorful cuisine that combines the flavors of the delicious cuisines of Thailand, China and India. The regional cuisines of Myanmar are also based on the cuisines of the different ethnic groups that live in the present state of Myanmar. Myanmar is divided into 14 states and regions with over 135 ethnic groups. The largest of these are the Burmese and Shan, and their cuisines are known outside Myanmar as well. However, the cuisines of Kayan, Kachin, Mon and Rakhine cultures are also of great interest.

Characteristic foods

Plant-based foods

The staple food in Myanmar is white rice, which is served with accompanying meat dishes. In the mountainous regions, stickier varieties with low amylose content are preferred, while in the lower delta regions, varieties with higher amounts of amylose are favored.

Myanmar cuisine is dominated by large quantities of fresh vegetables and fruits. Many fruits of tropical origin include durian, guava, mango, banana, jackfruit, lychee, papaya, pomelo, watermelon, pomegranate, mangosteen and rambutan.

A very popular vegetable is jenkol (a member of the legume family, considered moderately toxic and can cause poisoning), which is usually boiled or fried.
Meat and fish

Modern Myanmar cuisine is divided into two types: coastal and inland. Cuisine in coastal areas, such as the main city of Yangon, makes extensive use of fish and seafood. The cuisine of Myanmar’s inland regions, such as Upper Myanmar or the mountainous areas, tends to use more meat and poultry, although modern inland cuisine also includes freshwater fish and shrimp in various forms.

Dairy products

Animal milk is hardly used in Myanmar cuisine.

Spices

Burmese cuisine is full of spices, from sweet or sour to salty. The most popular are pickled mangoes, balachaung (balachaung), and vegetables marinated in rice wine.

Burmese food is quite spicy, salty and oily. A must-have ingredient in Kachin cuisine is andaliman, which is the name of the lemon pepper that grows in Myanmar. Kachin cuisine is known for its extreme use of chili peppers.

Ngapi is a traditional Myanmar cuisine spicy paste made from fermented fish or shrimp. Ngapi is usually served with fresh vegetables and curries, and is also used as a base for many main dishes, soups or salads.

Pè ngapi (Pè ngapi) are chips made from fermented dried beans, typical of Shan State.

Pon ye gyi is another bean-based condiment popular among the Bamar and central regions. It is a thick, salty black paste made from fermented soybeans. Most often added to pork, and as a salad topped with peanut butter, chopped onions and red chili peppers.

Traditional dishes

Bread

Palata are flaky fried flatbreads and are often eaten with meat curries in Myanmar.

Nan bya - oven-baked flat cakes, often eaten with any Indian dish.

Aloo poori - oil-fried crispy wheat flour flatbread with potatoes.

Hin htoke (Hin htoke) - steamed rice flour products cooked in banana leaves.
Soups

Mohinga is a fish soup with rice noodles. The most popular dish of Myanmar cuisine.

Sabuti (sabuti) is a traditional Myanmar soup made of dried corn with beef broth. The spices usually used are salt and a mixture of chopped coriander leaves with ginger and green chili peppers.

Tofu Nway is a silky soup made with peas and rice noodles. It is garnished with red peanuts, pickled mustard, and roasted garlic on top.

Main dishes

Burmese curries - use a small amount of spices (compared to Indian curries) but contain more garlic, ginger and oil.

Danpauk (danpauk / danbauk) - traditional Burmese biryani. The name danpauk is derived from the Persian name dum pukht. Burmese danpauk involves cooking rice along with chicken, cashew nuts, yogurt, raisins, peas, cloves, cinnamon, saffron and bay leaf are also added. Biryani in Myanmar is eaten with a salad of sliced onion and cucumber.

Shan noodles are a simple and popular Burmese noodle dish with chicken or pork cooked in tomato sauce. Shan noodles are sometimes served with broth.

Salads and appetizers

Myanmar cuisine includes a variety of salads. A distinctive feature of Myanmar salads is the focus on one main ingredient. Rice, wheat, potato, ginger, tomato and lime salads are very popular here.

Myanmar is the only country where tea is not only drunk but also eaten

Lappet-so or laphet-tho (Lahpet / laphet) is a so-called tea salad. Fermented tea leaves that have been in the ground for at least six months are cut into layers and poured with water. Roasted nuts, beans, cabbage and tomatoes are added to the tea salad. On top is watered with lemon juice.

Desserts

Sanwin makin (Sanwin makin) is one of the most famous desserts of Burmese cuisine, it is prepared to celebrate the famous Festival of Lights in Myanmar - Thadingyut Festival. In Myanmar, semolina is also called shwe kyi, so the cake is also known as shwe kyi cake.

Jaggery is a candy typical of Asian cuisines. There are two varieties of jaggery in Myanmar:

Htanyet (Htanyet) - lollipops made from palm palm sap.
Kyan Tha Kar - lollipops made from sugar cane.

Drinks

Yay nway gyan - Burmese light green tea.

Alcohol

Khao yae (khao yae) - Kayan rice wine drunk by men, women and children in Kayah State on special occasions to celebrate weddings, harvests and religious festivals. Rice wine is drunk through a bamboo straw. To make Kayan rice wine, glutinous rice, millet, natural yeast and water are mixed together. The drink is then fermented in a large clay pot for about three weeks. The liquid becomes light pink, slightly fizzy, and sweet with a pungent odor. Although the exact alcohol content is unknown, basic rice wine is believed to contain 17-18% alcohol, and it is stronger the longer it is left to ferment.

Khao bu is a hot rice wine, a lighter version of the original wine that is mixed with hot water to give a completely different, sweeter flavor. This version is especially popular during cold winters.

Khao phyu, a white rice wine, is fermented for only 18 days using a different type of rice. It has a tart flavor and stays fresh for only three or four days.

Htel Lei, a rice wine named after the village it comes from, has a more rounded, honeyed flavor.

Sote khao - A rice wine served in a tall bamboo cup and drunk through a bamboo straw. There are three different layers of flavor: the top layer is warm, spicy and dry, the middle layer is more tart, and the bottom layer is earthy.

Register here as an assistant or local guide if you live in one of Myanmar’s towns or villages and want to become an ambassador of the Friendly World to help people have an unforgettable trip around your town. Learn more about the opportunities that Friendly World offers you. Not only can you help people, but you can also make new friends and earn money.

There is a variety of dining options in Myanmar, from local food to Western food, Thai food, and Chinese food. Some tasty snacks are sold by vendors on the streets, while authentic Burmese food is served in some traditional restaurants, which are often built from wood.

Dining at your hotel is also a good option with different kinds of food being provided. You will have a chance to see the Burmese classical dance or an interesting puppet show at the same time. The dining place is well-decorated for clients to enjoy themselves in a relaxed atmosphere.

The main dish can be chosen from beef, pork, chicken, fish, prawns, and squid. The common staples are steamed rice, fried rice, and fried noodles. Italian food, such as pizza and pasta, is also available in the tourist resorts.
Prices for meals vary between restaurants. You can expect to pay less than US$5 for a simple meal. Usually US$10–20 is enough for an elaborate meal.

Register here as an assistant or local guide if you live in one of Myanmar’s towns or villages and want to become an ambassador of the Friendly World to help people have an unforgettable trip around your town. Learn more about the opportunities that Friendly World offers you. Not only can you help people, but you can also make new friends and earn money.

The number of places you can visit depends on the time you have available. In 9 days you can see the main sights of Myanmar by visiting Yangon, Bagan, Mandalay and Inle Lake. In 12 days, you can spend two free days relaxing on Ngapali Beach or combine Bangkok with Myanmar.

Ballooning in Bagan

The sight of hot air balloons floating serenely over the plains of Bagan has become iconic. Most hot air balloon flights begin a few minutes after sunrise, offering an unrivaled perspective of the vast plains, from thousands of temples to the Irrawaddy River.

After an hour of drifting in the air, passengers can land next to a pagoda, on a sandy shore or in a field. This magical flight can be an experience of a lifetime and something special to share with friends. Add this to your wish list.

Travel with a guide and private vehicle

A local guide can help you make the most of your time. Guides in Myanmar are truly attentive, reliable and flexible. They are enthusiastic about their culture and lifestyle and are attentive to each visitor.

We recommend that you stay with one guide throughout your Myanmar trip, rather than using different guides in different cities. This way you will have a more comfortable experience.

A private car and driver are essential in a country where infrastructure is poor and public transportation is unreliable. The driver will know your route and will take you there. You won’t need to consult maps to figure out how to get to attractions from your hotel or find a restaurant.

Temperatures stay around 30°C during the day, so you’ll be relieved to get into an air-conditioned car and be driven around the city. It also makes for a more flexible experience.

The cost for one day is approximately $90 USD for a guide and a chauffeur-driven car.

Register here as an assistant or local guide if you live in one of Myanmar’s towns or villages and want to become an ambassador of the Friendly World to help people have an unforgettable trip around your town. Learn more about the opportunities that Friendly World offers you. Not only can you help people, but you can also make new friends and earn money.

Myanmar offers a wide range of accommodation, from low-budget guesthouses to luxury resorts. Most hotels in Yangon and Mandalay are business hotels with high standards of service and facilities, but they rarely have their own ‘character’.

On the contrary, some resort hotels in Inle Lake and Bagan are more attractive because they make the most of their scenic position with special building materials and beautiful views of lakes or temples.

One night in a 3-star hotel costs from US$60 per room, while a 4-star hotel costs from US$120 per room. Rates at 5-star hotels usually start at US$200 per room per night.

Prices for all types of hotels in Myanmar are significantly higher than in other Southeast Asian countries, which is due to the shortage of rooms, especially in high season.
Register here as an assistant or local guide if you live in one of Myanmar’s towns or villages and want to become an ambassador of the Friendly World to help people have an unforgettable trip around your town. Learn more about the opportunities that Friendly World offers you. Not only can you help people, but you can also make new friends and earn money.

Myanmar’s major cities offer a variety of transportation options - buses, taxis, rental cars, motorcycles, trishaws and even horse-drawn carriages. Public transportation does not work very well. Most tourists prefer to use taxis and rental cars.

Buses

There are buses of all kinds that ply the streets of the major cities in Myanmar. As most vehicles are dilapidated and filled with locals, a bus ride can be a frustrating experience - the buses are crowded and quite uncomfortable. There are few maps in English, so it is difficult to know where to get off.

Taxis

In larger cities such as Yangon, taxis can be found in large numbers on the streets. Some are air-conditioned, but most are not.
The information desk at the airport has information about the taxi service. The fare is fixed. It is easy to hail a taxi to take you to a central hotel if you have not booked a transfer service.
Be sure to negotiate the price before you get in. Find another driver to negotiate with if you feel the driver insists on overcharging you.

Private Car

You can rent a private car and driver through travel agencies or hotels. Tell the clerk where you want to go. They will find you a car and make sure the driver knows where you want to go. Most cars are imported from Japan, so the steering wheel is on the right side. The price of renting a car with a driver starts at about $60 per day.

Horse-drawn carriage

Horse-drawn carriages are a common sight in archaeological areas such as Bagan and Awa. They are great for a ride. Especially if you want to experience a bygone era and explore the ruins and countryside. Riding through forests and sandy roads is very interesting.

Boat

Taking a small boat is the best way to visit Inle Lake. You can visit different places on the lake by getting on a boat. These include floating gardens, local markets and pagodas. Boats can be booked at the hotels.
If you want to admire the sunset over the U Bein Bridge or the Irrawaddy River, a private boat ride of a few hours is a good option.

Register here as an assistant or local guide if you live in one of Myanmar’s towns or villages and want to become an ambassador of the Friendly World to help people have an unforgettable trip around your town. Learn more about the opportunities that Friendly World offers you. Not only can you help people, but you can also make new friends and earn money.

Want something exotic? Then our option is for you. The setting for a movie about an ideal society, cult of personality and loud applause - it’s all about Korea.

Getting into North Korea is currently only possible by land. The DPRK has borders with China, Russia and South Korea. The last option is not recommended.

So you’ve found the right ticket, then what? - You need a visa.

North Korea has a visa regime with most countries. You can get a visa only if you have purchased a full travel package, including a guide, hotel accommodation and excursions.

The visa application is submitted at the DPRK embassy. Most of the documents will be prepared for you by the agency from which you bought the escort. You may be asked many questions about the purpose of your trip. Be prepared.

It will be very difficult to get a visa if you are, for example, a journalist.

When you arrive in the country, you will be met by an escort who will be with you until you leave North Korea.

Would you like to visit?

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