There are four tips, easily applied to any situation or country, which will go a long way to guaranteeing a fun and memorable trip:

Observe

Do a bit of research about the country you’re visiting. When booking direct with an operator they will be well versed and able to supply you with any information regarding customs and expectations for the destination. On a solo trip? Check with local tourism offices and once you’re on the ground take some time to look around. If you learn that shorts are frowned upon, wear long pants or skirts. You’ll be more comfortable if you don’t stand out unnecessarily.

Make children a part of the pre-trip learning process. Their excitement for the upcoming vacation will increase the more they get to know where they are heading. Customs, such as removing shoes prior to entering a Buddhist pagoda or greeting a shopkeeper in France with a, “Bonjour Monsieur (or Madame),” are important to know and will help children acclimatize quickly on the trip.

Listen

When travelling, listening is a valuable skill. Encourage children to notice how people speak to one another. Tone transcends language barriers and in certain countries, people express themselves in less boisterous ways than in others. This doesn’t mean shushing ourselves (or kids), but occasionally adjusting our volume. There’s a reason visitors to cathedrals speak in hushed tones; it shows respect for fellow travellers and those who are there for spiritual reasons. The same when dining out; know when to sing out loud — in a beer garden in Germany — and when to speak quietly — in an intimate restaurant where tables are closely set.

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Keep An Open Mind

Children are generally non-judgemental and open to new experiences, so there’s not much to teach them in that regard. It might be worth reminding them that people live with different circumstances and that we can all learn from one another. In some countries, children finish their schooling young. In others, boys and girls have different societal roles. Left to their own devices children will find a way to communicate with each other and some of the best travel experience they will have is unstructured, unplanned play time with other children.

Be Flexible

Greet new experiences with enthusiasm and your children will too. There will be times during a trip when plans derail — it happens — and nothing will take the joy out of a vacation quicker than not being able to adjust and move on. Children generally feel at ease with certain structure and knowledge for what is to come, but that isn’t always possible. When they see their parents calmly adapting to unforeseen situations, it will ease any trepidation they might feel. Flexibility in travel equals enjoyment in travel.

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It is a privilege to discover the world as a family. The planet is huge and there are so many nooks and corners and people to discover. Family travel is like mom and dad going to school with their children, but without textbooks to lug around and dates to memorize. The value of learning about the world and its diverse cultures cannot be measured and can only happen if we model respect in our own behaviour. Adults know not to run around airplanes, shouting and disturbing other passengers, and children can do the same. It’s simple, really. There’s a traveller’s code of conduct and it is spelled R.E.S.P.E.C.T.

Teaching children to appreciate customs and different cultures has multiple benefits: it opens young minds to the beauty in differences and allows the people whose countries we visit to feel valued and understood. Any success in parenting young travellers will be measured in how well children can adapt and fully live every experience.

Written by: Katja Wulfers

Katja Wulfers is a freelance travel writer who’s visited four continents so far and has been carting her children around the world with her their entire lives. She’s taught her kids how to pack lightly, order a meal using elaborate miming techniques, and sit on a plane for 15-hours. Now they’re flying off on their own and she couldn’t be prouder.

Katja also writes about culinary travel, food, and family and her work has been featured onYummy Mummy Club, Life In Pleasantville, and Canadian Living as well as other publications.

The post How to teach children to observe and respect the cultures you’re visiting. first appeared on Smiling Albino.

Time to Move

In 2002, it was decided that the country’s capital city would be moved from Yangon (Rangoon) to Naypyidaw (also spelled Nay Pyi Taw). The only problem – Naypyidaw didn’t exist yet. The reason for the move was never really made clear, but theories ranged from an astrological omen, to a more strategic military location, to the fact that Yangon was just too cluttered. A site about 300km north of Yangon was chosen, and in 2002 construction crews literally started to hack a space out of the jungle for their new capital city. Oh yeah, this was all in secret. [Tweet “300km north of Yangon (Rangoon) is Myanmar’s new capital city, Naypyidaw.”] The plan was that once the city was finished, the entire government (ministries and employees included) would move to the new location and everything would be awesome. But Myanmar’s (then) leaders had never been known as the most, uhh, rational bunch of people. Government workers were only told of the plan two months ahead of time, and their families would not be allowed to follow. No information was provided to anyone on the new city, resulting in a snowstorm of rumor and guesswork. When it was finally announced, foreign embassies were told they didn’t have to move, but, you know, if you want to be close to the government in Myanmar, well… It sounds ridiculous, but never underestimate the power of sheer will – not to mention the enormous sum of money that was spent. Think about it – how much does it cost to build a city from scratch? But on November 6, 2005, at 6:37am (an auspicious time, according to an astrologer), thousands of trucks began moving everything from file cabinets to ministers into the new capital.

Not a Person Around

Unsurprisingly, the city wasn’t finished yet – indeed, construction continues to this day – but the basics were there. Huge, wide roads (good for cars and tanks), massive civil works projects, schools, museums, ministries, statues, parking lots, shopping malls, golf courses, sports stadiums, apartment blocks, and a 600-acre zoo. And it was all completely deserted. Like popping the clutch on a stalled engine, Myanmar’s new capital slowly but surely began to work like normal – or at least as normal as something like this could. Today, almost 9 years after it was officially “opened” Naypyidaw remains a strange yet surprisingly functional capital city, doing what it must to keep the country running. Few locals outside of the civil service live here and even fewer ever visit; most visitors are foreigners who have come to see the strange place for themselves. Little official information has ever been made public, and there are restrictions on exactly where visitors can go and what they can photograph.

Where to go?

So, what if you want to visit? Well, most people say two days is more than enough to see what you need to see, and that includes a full day wandering around getting used to being in the middle of a huge city with no people. There isn’t a whole lot to do really, but there are a few places you might try dropping in to. The massive parliament buildings are worth checking out – they look like abandoned temples from afar, although most abandoned temples don’t have an empty 11-lane highway out front. The zoo and safari park are fun for a visit, and don’t miss Uppatasanti Pagoda, a replica of Yangon’s Shwedagon Pagoda, although this one is just a few centimeters shorter. There are also a few markets you can wander in.

Know Your Zones

The city is divided into zones, some that you can visit and many that you can’t. These include residential, military, ministry, hotel, shopping, and recreation. Most people get around either on foot (sidewalks are there but hardly used; why bother when you have a four-lane highway with no traffic?) or via motorcycle taxi, as the zones are set quite far apart. As for getting in, most arrive via a 4-hour bus or car journey from Yangon. There is an airport, but it’s very lightly used.

Make Friends

The last thing we want to recommend is this – after decades of isolation, the people of Myanmar are hungry for information about the rest of the world, and will likely ask you many questions about where you’re from. Due to it being a former British colony, many speak excellent English, and will take great pleasure in making a foreign friend. Use the opportunity to ask them about their life as well, and you’ll get a unique and wonderful glimpse behind the scenes of this golden land. [Tweet “The people of Myanmar are hungry for information about the rest of the world.”]

Don’t Do it Alone

Have someone on the ground with knowledge of the area to help you navigate the city and the country. Contact Smiling Albino info@smilingalbino.com and check out “Asia’s Golden Land” tour with founder and Adventurer-in-Chief Dan Fraser this November 2014.

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The post Naypyidaw: Capital City Built from the Ground Up first appeared on Smiling Albino.

Time management. Efficiency. Productivity.

You might not realize it, but your holiday has begun the minute you contact Smiling Albino.

Sure, some people like to “do it themselves” and piece together a trip based on information gleaned from old Internet blog postings or out-of-date travel guide books, but the most successful people I know of are relentless in the pursuit of greater efficiency in their lives. Many of them have made careers out of making sure that their lives and organizations are run effectively and those people know when to leave a job to an expert.

We take your time very seriously, whether that is during the planning stages of your trip or once you hit the ground running in the country that you land in.

When someone plans their own trip they end up ticking off boxes on a list of things to do rather than entering a world of authentic experiences.

Smiling Albino has spent years reading local newspapers, asking local friends and wandering the streets in search of the best ways to really have an intimate cultural experience in whatever city you may find yourself in.

We take your ideas, dreams, and desires to customize a personalized experience that we are sure you will remember for a lifetime.

Start your next holiday right this minute – contact us now at info@smilingalbino.com.

Daniel Fraser,
Smiling Albino Adventurer-in-Chief

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Adventure Highlights:

From our Blog: Benefits of Travel with Kids (Plus Tips for Making it Easier) Read more. . .

Travel shows our kids that the world is bigger than they are, and that people are different… and very much the same. Taking our children traveling is an investment into their future, and into the type of person they will become.

Here are two of travel’s major benefits and a couple of tips for making travel with kids easier on you. Read More. . .

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What’s Going On:

Planes, trains, and Pagodas

Dan’s currently in Myanmar finalizing the finishing touches for our newest tour edition “Asia’s Golden Land”. First adventure will happen this November! See full itinerary here.

Contact Smiling Albino for inquiries and questions!

PURE Life Experiences 2014

We will be back at PURE LIfe Experiences 2014, November 10-13 in Marrekech. We look forward to seeing you there at the global marketplace of high-end experiential travel!

Coming Soon!

We are in the process of a rebrand to the Smiling Albino identity. To be released in July! Expect the same caring, detailed attention from Smiling Albino with a new and improved company website!

Good for a laugh!

Connect With Smiling Albino!

Facebook and Twitter: “Like” and “follow” us on Facebook and Twitter and you will get tuned-in to the latest breaking news and hot tips on travel and adventure in Asia.

Planet Asia Travel Channel: Subscribe to the Planet Asia Travel Channel and receive expert advice and insider tips on travel in Asia from the team at Smiling Albino and our network of in-the-know locals, expatriates, and travel enthusiasts.

NEW on Google+ and Pinterest: Now even easier to connect and stay up to date with us!

Contact: Get a hold of us any time.

The post Don’t waste your valuable time! – Albino Smiles, July 2014 first appeared on Smiling Albino.

But one of the great things about Vietnam – beyond the amazing food, the wonderful people, and the rich culture – is that it’s almost like getting three totally separate countries for the price of one visa.

The thing that makes Vietnam so unique is how much distance it covers in terms of latitude – about 1,600km north/south – which gives it a vast range of climate conditions. This variety is also helped by the fact that it’s quite varied east/west as well, with the ocean on the east and rugged mountains in the west.

So let’s go ahead and break up Vietnam into three chunks – north, south and middle. This does a bit of a disservice to the country, as it’s actually quite a bit more complex than that, but it’s the easiest way to get a rough idea of what’s available. So let’s start with the south.

Southern Vietnam

Biggest City: Ho Chi Minh City (often still used interchangeably with Saigon), is the largest city in Vietnam and one of its financial, transport, and trade hubs.  There are just over 8 million people in HCMC, and of the two main commercial centers in the country (the other being Hanoi), it’s definitely the glitzier, busier, hotter one.

Climate & Geography: Southern Vietnam is where the mighty Mekong River empties into the sea after a journey of 4,350km, so it’s no surprise that the vast delta area is one of the lushest and most thoroughly cultivated in the region. Indeed, there are some villages where the only way in is by boat! There are generally only two seasons here – dry and wet, and both of them are very warm, so be prepared to sweat no matter what time of year you’re here.

Culture: Cultural differences are not uniform – some are more pronounced and others are less easy to spot. Cuisine is the biggest one though northern Vietnamese food tends to be more traditional and less exotic, while southern Vietnamese food is heavily inspired by Chinese and Cambodian recipes, so they often have a bit more of a spicy tang.

Central Vietnam

Biggest City: There’s a lot of great things to see in the long, thin crescent that makes up central Vietnam, but if it’s a big city experience you’re looking for, you have to hit Da Nang. About 975,000 people live here, but it’s still got a homey kind of vibe, not to mention great beaches and plenty of notable attractions just a short trip out of town. Da Nang is a major port, with the popularly known My Khe beach or nicknamed by the American and Australian soldiers as “China Beach”, during the Vietnam War. Now it has a growing industry to back it up, with some heavy tourism infrastructure going up in the past few years, making Da Nang a beach resort getaway.

Climate & Geography: Surrounding Da Nang and working their way west toward Cambodia away from Da Nang’s beaches are the edges of the lush Annamite Mountain Range, which contain many of the area’s top sites. These include the ancient Cham ruins at My Son, and the Ho Chi Minh Trail and former DMZ (demilitarized zone), relics of the devastating Vietnam War (or American War, as it’s known here). Between July and November this area is hit with rain storms, so plan for the wet accordingly.

Culture: Central Vietnam is sort of stuck between the ‘cultural capital’ of the north and the bustling modernity of the south, but it’s still got plenty to offer for culture-seekers. Due to its links with royalty, central Vietnamese food is often more complex and varied than north or south. We mentioned My Son already, but don’t miss Hue and Hoi An, all three of them UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Hoi An: This beautiful and quaint historical city was declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1999 because of it’s well-preserved trading post and port from the 1600s. This city is still attracting the trader and buyer who’s looking for affordable tailors or traditional lanterns. The People’s Committee has been taking many steps to preserve the town such as the first Car Free Day in Vietnam and an action programme to stop the use of plastic bags. This year the committee selected the bicycle as vehicle of choice to help it become an eco-friendly destination. This is the perfect small town to joy ride around traditional house, rice paddies, fishing villages, and monasteries. If you’re not keen on bike riding we recommend trying your hand at Vietnamese cooking!

Northern Vietnam

Biggest City: The north’s largest city has also been Vietnam’s capital for over 1,000 years – Hanoi. The mad, bustling, scooter-clogged roads will make even professional pedestrians sweat, but there’s a great deal of history and culture to be found behind the noise. The city of 7 million loves markets and loves their cafes, and you’ll have no problem finding a thick, sweet cup of coffee to wash down the amazing street food that’s available everywhere.

Climate & Geography: Beyond Hanoi, one of northern Vietnam’s biggest attractions is the gorgeous Halong Bay, yet another UNESCO World Heritage Site. Giant limestone cliffs with dense canopies of green shoot up from the blue water as boats of all sizes drift lazily among them. During the summer months northern Vietnam is generally hot and muggy, but in the winter, it can get downright cold – especially in Halong Bay and most definitely up in the mountains around Sapa, the famed trekking destination. Dress warmly if you’re coming then!

Culture: As the traditional center of art, literature, and education, northern Vietnam – especially Hanoi – one can find a large number of museums, monuments, parks, and plenty of temples going back hundreds of years. Even Ho Chi Minh himself is entombed here (and for a small fee, you can see him!). Food-wise, the colder climate means that spices and chilies aren’t as widely available as they are in the south, so northern-style food tends to be less fiery, but no less delicious. In fact, one of the country’s most famous dishes – pho noodles – originated in the north.

So clearly, a visit to Vietnam can provide a variety of different elements to make your trip a diverse and exciting one. With a bit of planning (and some inside knowledge) you can feel like you’ve visited three distinct countries when in fact, you’ve been in Vietnam the whole time.

See all three regions in Smiling Albino’s Vietnam Grand Slam 

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