Frequently Asked
Questions
As someone who travels frequently and documents most of those experiences, I get a lot of questions from friends and family that I thought I might address here. If you find yourself having more questions, use the contact form or email me at twentyminutesinburma@gmail.com to get some answers!
Ehrenberg Castle, Reutte, Austria
What's the deal with the whole "twenty minutes in Burma" thing?
It has to do with spending twenty whole minutes (give or take) in Burma/Myanmar back in 2009. It also sort of exemplifies my general travel M.O. from that time period - I have limited time, too many places to see and do, and a terrible ability to edit myself. My partner and I found ourselves in Northern Thailand in the Golden Triangle area with Laos and Burma/Myanmar just minutes away, and well, we hopped into Burma/Myanmar for a little sight seeing. Of course, I'm down playing this whole thing - I had done enough research on the subject to know that it was not an easy task to just wander into a country that lacked (at the time) diplomatic relations with my home country. I had done some reading up about the country prior to my arrival, and wasn't completely naive to what I would expect. Still, I was somewhat overwhelmed by the experience and exited the country after having a quick wander around, purchasing lunch and trying to have the briefest understanding of a country that seemed so distant and foreign. After sharing the experience with friends and family, my penchant for hyperbole led to "twenty minutes in Burma," and a website title was born.
Tachileik, Burma
Note: Burma or Myanmar - why is it sometimes called one and not the other?
I've gone back and forth on what to refer to the country, and have researched which is most appropriate. Here is a quick article about why we in the US call it Burma, while the ruling military junta of the country attempted to change its name to Myanmar in order to change its international reputation. However, when we traveled there, the pro-democracy movement in Burma asked the international community to not refer to the country as "Myanmar" and instead call it Burma. The pro-democracy movement has since softened its stance, though the military junta staged another coup in 2021, which may change things again. However, much like one travels to a particular place in a particular time (one might have visited West Germany prior to the Berlin Wall falling, and though we now refer to it is simply known as "Germany," the travel to the specific place at that time was to West Germany), we did spend about twenty minutes in Burma. Future travels there may be to Myanmar, and will (hopefully) be longer than 20 minutes. It will therefore be reflected in the language used to best represent the current name of the country.
Granada, Nicaragua
What countries have you been to?
This list is constantly growing, so check back often (assuming global pandemics don't thwart our plans).
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North America: Canada, Mexico, and 44 of the 50 US states
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Central America: Belize, Costa Rica, Guatamala, Honduras, and Nicaragua
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Caribbean: Grand Cayman, Puerto Rico, St. Martin, St. Maarten, St. Thomas, Turks and Caicos
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Europe: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Portugal, the Netherlands, Russia, Slovakia, Switzerland, and Vatican City
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Asia: Burma/Myanmar, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Japan, Laos, Taiwan, Thailand and Viet Nam
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Oceania: Cook Islands, French Polynesia and New Zealand
Duoro Valley, Portugal
Who do you usually travel with?
I love traveling with friends and family - from a Baltic Cruise with my mom, to a week in Nicaragua with my cousin, to a family reunion in Germany with my best friend who happened to marry a cousin of mine, the Azores with my in-laws...
Most of the time, though, its my partner Ben and I. He and I have pretty similar travel M.O.s (food, sight-seeing, culture/history), though sometimes he complains that I make the trips too fast paced (and he's right). In my old age (late 30's) I've started slowing the pace down a bit, and no longer aim to spend "twenty minutes" in a place, but as much time as seems appropriate.
I also occasionally find myself out in the big bad world by myself.
Lake Manapouri, New Zealand
Wait, you travel alone?!
I do! Being by myself does not deter me from seeing or doing interesting things when I'm a new (or familiar) destination. As a solo woman traveler, I do take some time to do a bit more research, and try to put on my meanest "I'm riding the subway in NYC and have places to go" face (but it doesn't really work, people approach me way too often), and have a strong game plan before wandering around in an unfamiliar place. I make sure my phone is charged, Google Maps is ready, and off I go!
The benefits of traveling solo are that I get to choose what I want to see and do when I want to see and do it. Ben likes museums, but he doesn't want to see every single last painting in every single of one of them. He also does not have as much time off as I do, so this allows us to strike a nice balance. Do I prefer to travel solo? No, not especially, but it certainly won't stop me. I have met some really interesting people in my solo travels at concert halls, restaurants, laundromats, airplanes, etc. and learned a lot more about the world around me through those conversations. It's definitely an experience!
Prague, Czech Republic
What kinds of travel do you enjoy the most?
Any and all kinds! Probably my least favorite method of travel is by cruise ship, but that's mostly because I enjoy seeing the destinations more than I enjoy the activities/shows/gambling on the ship. I find that cruising takes away a lot of the planning from me - which, I understand, is a big appeal for some folks! - but I enjoy the messy bits of travel when things don't go the way I imagined and I have to figure out a new path forward.
That being said, I am not the type of traveler who wings things as a rule, but that doesn't mean we don't have spontaneous adventures. It just means that I know I will have a comfortable roof over my head the minute I land, I have a general outline of goals to accomplish, sights to see, and foods to eat. And I'm not afraid to nix something if it feels right to spend a day by the pool or recover from an unexpected bout of food poisoning. However, if cruising is your thing, I do share some of my experiences (see my Baltic Cruise adventure with my mom in the summer of 2018), and will likely go on more cruises in the future as my family loves all things belly flop contest - mini golf tournament - afternoon trivia related activities.
Luang Prabang, Laos
How did you travel around xyz?
A friend once asked me, how did you get around Thailand? Was it by car? Boat? Elephant? Plane? The answer was: All of the above, plus bamboo raft, tuk-tuk, elevated train, back of a pick-up truck, bus...you name it, we probably took it.
Depending on the country, we might drive (see: New Zealand, Europe). Or we might hire a driver (see: Nicaragua). We might rely on public transportation (see: Bangkok, Paris, New York), or maybe boat (see: Venice, Giethoorn, Bora Bora, from Bratislava to Vienna).
What I'm getting at is, it's all contextual. Have I taken long road trips in the back of a taxi? Sure thing. Have I flown on small propeller planes that I was convinced were going to fall out of the sky? Yup. Gondala? Jet ski? Yes and yes. As a general rule, I will not rent a moped in my travels, I try to avoid helicopters if possible, and I prefer not to use animals, but just about every other form of transportation is a possibility.
Hanoi, Viet Nam
How do you decide where to travel?
This one is probably a little trickier as I'm not entirely sure there's a rhyme or reason. I read a lot of travel magazines, watch a lot of travel shows, enjoy international TV shows (K-dramas especially!), and places of interest pop up all the time in these forms of media. Sometimes friends help plant a travel idea - I love looking at people's travel photos and hearing their stories, and I'm not afraid to ask for their recommendations.
If I had to pick a sort of formula, it might be this:
The country should be relatively safe, though it doesn't have to be easy (I especially love the challenge of having to negotiate foreign languages, public transportation, and strange - to me - customs), have a few sights worth seeing, food and drink worth consuming, and some sort of interesting context - again, to me - that's worth investigating further.
The funny thing, almost every place in the world could fit that criteria, and in fact, places I had once written off as not a priority sometimes jump the line if I learn more about it in my free time. In other words, I have too many places to visit and not enough time and money to get to them all. But it won't stop me from trying.
Giethoorn, the Netherlands
What are your favorite travel websites?
Here is a list of go-to websites I use when I hit the road:
I use Kayak as a gauge to see how much airfare is between any two random places I'm dreaming of traveling between. As I note below, I have a few favorite airlines, but Kayak is great for when those airlines don't fly where I need to go, or those airlines' prices are not within a reasonable range. Kayak is a great aggregator of prices, and I find it to be quite useful for travel planning.
Let's keep it real - Marriott pays the majority of my bills. But one of the great perks to working for them (or being the spouse of someone who does) are the hotel discounts at properties around the world (based on availability, of course). And considering they are the largest hotel company globally, that means lots of options. Some are, of course, better than others, and I will never rave about a hotel that a) I would never set foot in again or b) not recommend to my closest friends and family.
Has there been a bigger game changer in the realm of lodgings in the past 10 years or so? We generally look at Marriott first before taking a quick look at the offerings on AirBnB, but we also take into consideration how long we've been away and what type of locale we're visiting. Towards the end of our trips, we welcome a little more space for us to spread out, or even for us to do some laundry. They also provide access to some really stunning properties around the world. Using them is not without controversy, so do your research, make sure you pick places that won't leave you out in the dark (literally), and remember to be a good neighbor/house guest.
I live in Hawai‘i, and they fly not only to and from the state, but also throughout it. They offer a bunch of international offerings to places such as New Zealand, Japan, French Polynesia, Korea, and a few others, making them a great option for us to earn status with them. The staff is always friendly, the seats are surprisingly comfortable, prices are pretty reasonable. Their food options in coach have drastically gone down hill over the past few years, but hey, at least they're even offering you free food!
They consistently find ways to keep my business, and I keep giving it to them.
Virgin America used to be my mainland airline of choice - that is until they ceased to exist and merged with Alaska Airlines. And while Alaska is fine - I haven't had any problems with them the couple of times I've flown with them, it also makes me realize I'll get my hopes up expecting an old Virgin America plane, and instead getting stuck with an Alaska version.
JetBlue, though, has been a consistent choice for my mainland flights. They don't fly everywhere, but they do fly from the west coast to the NYC area, which is the bulk of my mainland flying. I tend to look at their options first, and then broaden the field if their options are not reasonable.
My preferred airline of travel to/from Europe. They occasionally offer incredible discounts on their business class seats, and their Economy Comfort is always worth the extra splurge. Plus, flying Air France always puts me in the right frame of mind - oui, plus champagne, s'il vous plaît!
Really handy website/app to organize your travel plans. Simply forward all your confirmation emails to them, and voilà! Everything is organized where it needs to go. It also keeps track of your miles traveled over the year, as well as countries visited and days spent away from home.
This website provides almost more statistical information about weather in cities all around the world than you will likely ever need. But then you'll find yourself wondering how you ever lived without their handy "comfortable" vs. "sweltering" temperature chart for literally any given day of the year in any place around the globe. Wondering if it'll be abominably humid in Siem Reap in August? What's the average low for San Miguel de Allende on June 5th? Weather Spark knows that answer!
This is my car rental company of choice. I have FastBreak, which is really handy when it comes to cutting the line, getting your car, and hitting the road. They're located in a lot of places around the world, making it handy to find a car when and where I need it.
Those are just a few options to get you started. They aren't all the websites I use, but they will help you get your travel dreams out of your imagination and into reality. Have fun!
Mo‘orea, French Polynesia
What sort of preparations do you do before you travel?
First, I plan, and then plan some more. Then I think I've planned everything, and stop planning, and then find out that I probably could have planned a little bit more to make sure I actually finished planning (see my failed trip to Versailles as an example).
Next, I start to gather up useful things about a month before I go. I should mention that a) I'm an overpacker and b) a last minute packer. However, because I start gathering things early, even though I'm waiting until the last minute to throw it all into my suitcase, I usually have everything I need (and more).
Because I have animals and plants at home that need to be taken care of, I need to find a pet sitter who doesn't mind watering plants and maybe feeding a chicken or twenty. In some cases, we use miles to fly a friend or family member out to our house in Hawai‘i (who doesn't love a free trip to Hawai‘i?), or use my in-laws or friends who love animals and volunteer to help. We also have a pet sitter we can hire if any of the above fall through.
I write out a long list of things that need to happen and when (feed this cat this food this time of day; be sure to water this plant once a week; garbage goes out on Wednesday, etc.) and leave it on the counter.
Pre-COVID, one of my carry-on suitcases was stocked full of things I find myself randomly needing in my travels (chapstick, DayQuil, cough drops, travel sized shampoo), but during my year of zero travel, I actually cleaned out my suitcase and removed everything. However, now that travel has resumed, if you're able to keep a bag with the stuff you use frequently when you travel, you'll never have to "pack" it - it'll always be there. Just be sure to replenish it as needed. This is helpful for when we take weekend trips often around the state of Hawai‘i, which we do about once a month in normal circumstances.
Then, usually the night before or even the day of, I throw my clothes in my suitcase, and off we go!
Positano, Amalfi Coast, Italy
What are the things you usually pack when you travel?
As I've mentioned, I am an over packer, but it's simply because I've found myself in situations needing a thing I knew I had at home, and being annoyed that I had to buy another one while on the road. Some people travel lightly, and that works for them. I am not that person, but I do envy their carefree ways.
For long trips, I generally have 3 bags - one big rolling suitcase, one carry-on size rolling suitcase, and a backpack. For weekend/inter-island trips, I can often get away with the carry-on rolling suitcase and share a back-pack with Ben.
Here are some things I generally always have on me somewhere in one of my bags:
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Medicine (especially cold medicine, anti-diarrheal, and pain medicine)
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Chapstick - make sure you have it handy on the plane!
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Converters and adapters. Ben and I sprung for this product and we've been loving it.
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A huge, gigantic duffle bag. I'm not kidding. This thing is ugly looking and would never make for a great stand alone suitcase. BUT! It fits neatly into our other suitcases, weighs very little, and expands into a huge size. Because we constantly buy many souvenirs on our trips, this thing has come in handy on every major trip we've taken.
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Depending on where we're visiting, a collapsible wine suitcase. We like wine (also works well with mezcal too!).
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Camera(s)
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Rain poncho - ya never know.
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Umbrella - seriously, I've been rained on too many times to not come prepared.
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2-4 laundry detergent one-use packs that they sell in the travel section of Target. This is especially handy if you are using a service like AirBnB - see if they have a washing machine in the unit and then always be prepared. Also helps you reduce the amount of clothes you bring (or at least it does in theory - I'm still working on this in practice).
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Good sneakers
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At least once fancy outfit, though I usually pack two. There are operas to attend, fancy restaurants to eat in, and locals to impress. Don't forget shoes to go with said fancy outfit!
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Last, and certainly not least, a good attitude. Yes, this is as cliché as they come, but you are an ambassador for your country and you are a guest in someone else's home. Don't forget to behave nicely.
Princeville, Kaua‘i, Hawai‘i
What are your favorite travel destinations?
Whenever someone asks me what my favorite destination is, my two go-to answers are Bora Bora, New Zealand and Paris. Another place is Hawaii - I was so inspired by how awesome it was, I moved there. Portugal may have slipped onto the list recently, it was just so amazing. I really haven't been many places that I didn't enjoy, though there are a few places I don't get excited about visiting (sorry, Florida - I'm looking at you).
São Miguel, Azores, Portugal
Where to next?
As I'm currently writing this during March 2021 towards what will hopefully be the end of the COVID-19 global lockdown, we are currently planning a trip to San Miguel de Allende and Oaxaca, Mexico.
However, we are hoping to visit South Korea (gotta practice my 한국어!) and Japan as soon as both countries let us in, head to Europe to visit a friend of ours in Prague, and get back to our favorite corner of the South Island of New Zealand.
We had been hoping for a big 40th birthday trip to Africa, but due to COVID restrictions and obstacles, that will have to wait for perhaps our 41st birthday. But who knows - our whims change with the winds. Check back periodically to see where we end up next!
Muir Woods National Monument, California
Do you get paid to write this blog/website?
I do not. Whatever trips we take is with our own money. My hubby ad I do not have kids, and have decided to make travel a priority in our lives. We don't have the latest phones or technology, and our cars are both over 10 years old. We don't buy designer clothes or handbags, and instead of buying each other fancy presents, we take trips together.
Do you get any freebies in your travel? What about sponsorships?
Negatron. The only discounts we receive are those through my husband's company, as noted above. I currently write this website/blog as a hobby with the intention of documenting my trips for my friends and family, as well as anyone else who may find the information useful. As of 2021, my goal is not to monetize this website. That isn't to say someday that option won't change, but I want this to be a space I enjoy coming to to write about travel, and not feel like a job (I already have a few of those to begin with).
I have incredible respect for travel bloggers who use these spaces to make a living - it takes an immense amount of time and dedication to keep a blog running. It also takes a lot of money to travel and maintain a blog. Each writer has to do what they have to do, and I tip my hat to them for helping me better navigate the world through their advice. My goal is to do the same for you.
Have your own questions? Send 'em in!