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Where to find Korean and Japanese cosmetics in Vietnam
It is very easy to find Korean, Japanese and even worldwide cosmetics in Vietnam. But to find the cheapest stores, follow my advice! The Vietnamese have a flawless method: the suitcase. When they don’t go through the stewardesses, the travelers, they send by boat, parcels… Thus, the Clarisonic Mia Fit, which isn’t even on sale in France, is already available in Vietnam. Hada Crie devices are also available, even the most recent models. You should know that Facebook is adored by unofficial resellers in Vietnam. They can have a Facebook page, do only home delivery (to you and to them), but without having a website. Where to buy Korean/Japanese cosmetics…
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Burma / Myanmar: Travel Guide, budget & 12-day Itinerary
We chose the following 12-day itinerary from Bangkok to Hanoi: Mandalay (4 nights), Day boat from 12h to Bagan (3 nights), Day bus from 8h to Inle Lake (2 nights), Day bus from 8h to return to Mandalay (2 nights). If we had to do it all over again, we would have chosen the following itinerary, for 11 nights, 12 days: Mandalay: 3 nights. Arrival preferably on a Thursday or Sunday. Day 1: Visit of the Royal Palace. Day 2 : Visit Mandalay Hill and the pagodas next door + Mahamuni by scooter. Movie session at Diamond Plaza. Day 3: Visit Amarapura, Sagang or Inwa by scooter or cab. Bagan:…
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Sending a parcel from Myanmar to France: Rates and Advice
A friend asked us to mail her one of the Buddha masks that she regretted not having bought during her trip to Burma. This is the first time we send a parcel since the beginning of our trip and we are quite curious to see how it goes.We are very fortunate to have a post office right next to our hotel in Bagan which is, in addition, indicated on Google Maps. This is a very good thing because the sign indicating “La Poste” is written only in Burmese.Update 07/25/2019: a reader informed us that this post office does not allow any more to send parcels. It will be necessary to…
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Review: Couchsurfing during the round the world tour
You have probably heard of couchsurfing. Strangers will host you in their homes, free of charge. You will sleep on the ground, in their garden, most of the time on their couch, or, more rarely, in a guest room. It’s a kind of “I’ll sleep at your place” and it’s more organized because it’s often planned in advance You too can host travelers in your home. The goal is to have a cultural exchange, and live like locals I decided to rely on this network for my world tour. First as a host in Paris. I was able to meet travelers coming from the destinations I will be visiting…
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Reviews: Gregory Baltoro 65 Round the World Backpack
JB already had another bag bought at Decathlon for his hikes, but he was suffering when the weight was around 19kg, while the bag offers a large volume of 70L + 10L. Even if we don’t want to have to carry 19kg of luggage, the discomfort encountered simply shows that it’s time to change the bag. So, it is with the following objectives that we went to get a new bag for this world tour Comfort & Lightness Enough room for JB’s shoes Bonus: Small integrated bag to put a computer in without being crushed by other things Gregory Baltoro 65 We opted for the Gregory Baltoro 65, size L.…
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The Inle Lake (Myanmar) – an exceptional place
The Inle Lake only confirms my love for Burma. This destination, unavoidable for any traveler, fascinates, thanks to its exceptional landscapes, and its markets, gardens, floating houses We start from Bagan at 8 am for Nyaung Shwe, the entrance door to the inle Lake The trip will last 6 hours, breaks included. The mini-van is quite comfortable, even if the air conditioning does not seem to work. We stop at noon at a restaurant where a very demanding cat meows to ask us for chicken (and no noodles… don’t exaggerate either). I have to refrain from caressing him <3 As for Bagan, we have to pay a conservation fee (12,500…
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Bagan (Myanmar) – Burma’s must-see
Arriving at our hotel after a long boat trip (told here, and practical advice here), we are greeted by a receptionist with impeccable English. It’s a change from Mandalay where we had difficulties to communicate! Of the blow we take advantage completely to ask him all the questions which we want Our hotel is located in the Nyaung U district, not expensive, 10 minutes by e-bike from the temples. Here, neither walking nor cycling is recommended. Electric bicycles (e-bike), which look more like scooters than bicycles, are very popular and convenient to visit the beautiful pagodas of Bagan. Rented for 8$/day for two (or 6$ for one person), the battery…
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The boat / slow boat from Mandalay to Bagan: 12h to observe the local life
Our boat leaves Mandalay at 5:30 am for a long trip of 12 hours to Bagan. It is a “slow boat” (vs. “express boat” which refers to private and tourist companies), taken by Burmese merchants to transport mainly food to their distant villages. We booked the tickets directly at the Inland Water Transport office (click here for more info) Update November 2018 : Attention, this boat isn’t proposed by the government since December 2017, and this, temporarily (well, it’s already been a year). However, you can still opt for the 42$ tourist boat (which I have not tested): http: //www.mgrgexpress.com/ The Mandalay – Bagan trip is faster than the trip…
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Mandalay (Myanmar), way bigger than you’d think
Burma has always been a dream destination for us. For years, we have been telling ourselves that it has to be on our top list before it becomes too touristy. Here we are, finally. Part 1: Travel Diary Part 2: Practical Tips Part 1: Travel Diary We arrive in Mandalay after 2 hours (I think) of flight from Bangkok. Why we go directly to Mandalay instead of Yangon? Why don’t we do like everybody else? Simply because I never heard about Yangon before (oops). I did my research wrong and didn’t realize that Yangon was better served than Mandalay. This mistake “cost” us the addition of Thailand to our itinerary…
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Where to book the local boat / slow boat Mandalay – Bagan
AttentionA reader (thank you Stéphane) told us that this boat was no longer available from December 2017. You can however choose the faster tourist boat at 42$/person at : http://www.mgrgexpress.com/ attention : I have never taken the tourist boat so I have no opinion to give you on this company On the government site, it is clearly marked that this line was no longer offered, temporarily VERSION 2016 When I was told about this slow boat that took 15 hours to do Mandalay – Bagan, the question that came to my mind was: “Is there food on the boat?” #me and food Lonely Planet has reassured me you aren’t…
