By Andrea Sachs
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, June 26, 2005
Q My wife and I are thinking of going to Burma next May. Can you suggest things to do and to avoid?
Kermit Netteburg
Silver Spring
A In Burma, you might not want to stray too far off the beaten path. Because of ongoing political flare-ups between the government and democratic reformers, travelers should stick to -- or near -- well-trod tourist routes. Though sometimes there isn't always safety in crowds: On May 7, a trio of bombs exploded in downtown Yangon. In addition, many struggle with the ethical question of whether tourism supports the ruling junta.
"There has been a lot of controversy over human rights violations," says Nancy O'Brien, Southeast Asia travel expert for iExplore, an online adventure travel company. "But as far as the way they treat tourists . . . as long as you don't join a protest and stay to the tourist sites, you won't feel a sense of danger." The U.S. State Department ( http://travel.state.gov/travel ) also issued a public announcement May 17 alerting American visitors in Burma to "exercise extreme caution in public places and be alert to their surroundings."
In addition, since the country is very religious and quite insular, travelers should be aware of local traditions that could offend the Burmese, such as wearing shoes inside holy shrines and touching a person's head. IExplore also warns visitors to not be alarmed if customs officials temporarily confiscate electronic equipment, such as cell phones, and advises travelers to use their possessions as currency (a T-shirt can be worth more than the kayt) and to ask about a curfew upon arrival.
Concerns aside, the Southeast Asian country has some extraordinary attractions, which are centered in a handful of cities and are rooted in Buddhist history: Yangon's Shwedagon pagoda and reclining Buddha, the temples and pagodas in Bagan, Mandalay's ancient city of Amarapura and Pindaya's Shweumin pagoda (6,000-plus Buddha sculptures in limestone mountain caves). For a break from temples, Lake Inle in the Taunggyi area is noted for its vegetable gardens that seemingly sprout from water. You can also tour the country via the Ayeyarwady River; the Orient-Express (800-524-2420, http://www.orient-express.com ; from $1,900 per person double), for example, offers three- to 11-night cruises aboard the Road to Mandalay.
You can travel alone, but you might have a richer experience with a small group or private tour guide. The Myanmar Tourism Promotion Board lists tour operators on its Web site ( http://www.myanmar-tourism.com ), while iExplore (800-IEXPLORE, http://www.iexplore.com ) runs a nine-day private tour (land-only price from $2,999 per person double).
We're interested in a vacation out west where we can see wild horses. Any suggestions?
Ed Pretzsch Falls Church
Nevada has the largest number of wild horses and burros-- at 14,700, half of the country's free-roaming population. But even with those figures, a sighting is not guaranteed.
"They don't just stand by the side of the road," says Maxine Shane, public affairs officer of the Bureau Land Management's (BLM) Nevada office in Reno. "People will need binoculars because [the horses] travel to wherever it's green and there's water."
The National Wild Horse and Burro Center (775-475-2222) in Palomino Valley, Nev., is the country's largest center for preparing the animals for adoption. You can drive around the facility and view up to 2,000 horses and burros. In Lompoc, Calif., the 300-acre American Wild Horse Sanctuary (805-737-9246, http://www.returntofreedom.org ) groups its 200 wild horses by family and geographic region and offers sanctuary walks in the summer ($20-$50 suggested donation).
For horses without borders, Red Rock Canyon near Las Vegas has about seven miles of BLM land on which mustangs wander free. At the Marietta Wild Burro Range (775-885-6000), about 85 burros, which tend to stand still longer than horses, mill around the historic mining town. And while the steed in Virginia City, Nev., are not technically wild horses (according to a 1971 law, "real" wild horses have to populate lands managed by the BLM or Forest Service), the estrays that live in the foothills and town share the same blood lines as wild horses.
The American Horse Defense Fund ( http://www.ahdf.org ; $825 per person double) organizes an annual horseback ride in the Inyo National Forest to see the last unmanaged wild horses in Nevada; it's July 1-4. The Nevada Commission on Tourism (800-NEVADA-8, http://www.travelnevada.com ) lists other tours and ranches. Cowboy Trail Rides (702-387-2457, http://www.cowboytrailrides.com ), for one, runs Red Rock Canyon rides near wild horse territory--though you are more likely to see burros than horses. For more info on wild horses: National Wild Horse and Burro Foundation, 800-551-9209, http://www.wildhorsefoundation.com , or BLM, 866-4-MUSTANGS, http://www.blm.gov .
Send queries by e-mail (travelqa@washpost.com), fax (202-912-3609) or U.S. mail (Travel Q&A, Washington Post Travel Section, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20071).