Dos and Don'ts in Myanmar

Some Courtesies at Pagodas/Monasteries
Myanmar is the land of Pagodas, which overwhelm the country, forming the fascinating landscapes. When we visit the pagodas and temples, which are considered the most important, there are some advices to be careful. Indochina travel Myanmar
- Please take off the shoes and socks when we enter the pagodas, temples or monasteries compounds. We have to go on barefoot and it would be more convenient to wear the slippers during the trip so that we can easily take on and take off before and after visiting one pagoda to another. Myanmar travel packages
- Please wear decently; long pants or longyis are highly appreciated. Please keep shoulders covered.
- Please visit the pagodas, temples or monasteries according to the clockwise.
- Buddha images are sacred objects, so don’t pose in front of them for pictures and definitely do not clamber upon them.

- It is possible to take the photos to the pagodas, temples (except some archaeological monuments) or the people. However, it would be better to ask the permission if you want to make the persons nearby.
- As in other Buddhist countries the head is the highest part of the body-spiritually as well as literally. We should never deliberately touch somebody else on the head or pat a child on the head.
- The feet are the lowest part of the body; don’t point your feet at somebody.
- Indicating something with the foot is not the polite manner; please be take care not to lay down the feet toward the Buddha or the monks or even the normal persons.
- Monks are not supposed to touch or be touched by women. If a woman wants to offer something to a monk, the objects should be placed within reach of the monk, not handed directly to him.
- When we speak with the monks, the elder peoples or high rank persons, we should maintain the attitude of humble respect.
Some Courtesies in Social Life
- Myanmar people are very friendly, moderate and expect the guests.
- A good consideration to preserve the polite way to the pagoda, they also apply in the daily life such as, wearing decently and don’t indicate with the feet.
- When we pass near or in front of the elder people, we bow our body in terms of showing respect.
- We don’t touch anyone of the opposite sex. Even we don’t shake hands and it is a bad manner.
- We always give or receive the things with the right hand, but the left hand has to keep on the right forearm.
- The men always walk on the right side of the ladies (only between couples), as we believe that the potency of the men is on the right side.
Dos:
1, Respect the Myanmar people and their unique traditions: Visitors are not asked to abandon their ways, they are asked to adapt to the Myanmar environment.
2, Respect the elders: Let the oldest be served first, and bend a bit when crossing close in front of the elders.
3, Wear decent clothes when visiting religious sites: Please cover your shoulders and knees, and take off your shoes and socks when entering pagoda areas.
Offer articles with both hands. Seek permission on retrieving an article above a person’s head.
4, Keep the feet on the ground: Do tuck away your feet, when you sit, your legs should not be stretched out and your feet should never face the Buddha.
5, To maintain Myanmar’s unique heritage, do not buy antiques. Buy arts and crafts instead: Myanmar loses its heritage every.
6, Help protect Myanmar wildlife by refusing to purchase wildlife products: The illegal selling of wildlife endangers the species native to Myanmar. Tourists should not buy these products.
7, Myanmar currency should be exchanged at the official exchange counters and banks, not on the black market.
Don’ts:
1, Don’t sit with back against Buddha Image. Don’t handle Buddha Images or sacred object with disrespect. Don’t keep Buddha Images or sacred objects in inappropriate places.
2, Don’t offer to shake hands with a monk. Women should not touch a monk.
3, Don’t step on others shadow or any part of their bodies. Don’t point a finger straight in others’ faces. Don’t point with your foot: In Myanmar the feet convey messages. Pointing with your feet means disrespect.
4, Don’t touch anybody on the head: The head is the most esteemed part of the body. To be touched on the head is considered aggressive.
5, Don’t touch a woman on any part of her body.
6, Don’t gamble. Don’t use drugs. Using drugs is illegal in Myanmar.
7, Don’t go where you are advised not to go: Myanmar is slowly opening up and more destinations will be accessible to foreigners in the future.
8, Don’t kiss in public: Displaying physical closeness in public places is frowned upon in Myanmar.
9, Don’t disturb people praying or meditating: Visitors should avoid loud talk and should take care not to touch people meditating.
10, Calling with your finger up means calling for a challenge: Calling someone with your fingers down is considered polite.
11, Don’t touch the robe of a monk: Monks are very revered; they observe many rules, study the Dhamma, practice meditation and are highly respected in Myanmar society. Visitors should never touch the robe of a monk, not even if they see a worm crawling up his robe.
12, Giving money or sweets to children is not advisable: Instead of creating children’s dependency on tourism, visitors should consider the saying: “Don’t give a helpless person a fish, teach them how to catch a fish and they will learn for a lifetime”.

Food and Economy, Cambodia

Located in Southeast Asia with land and water access to important markets in Thailand and Vietnam, Cambodia has emerged in recent years from decades of civil strife and economic stagnation to become a developing ASEAN economy. The 2008 Population Census stated total population as 13.4 million with a growth rate of 1.54 per year (FAO). According to the Cambodia Socioeconomic Survey, the poverty rate decreased from 47 percent in 2003 to 30 percent in 2007; the Cambodian government’s Commune Database estimates the 2010 poverty rate at 25.8 percent (WFP and UNICEF). Although Cambodia’s recent strong economic growth was impacted by the global economic downturn in 2008-09, the economy recovered in 2010 and 2011 with 6 percent GDP growth. The GDP is expected to grow 6.5 percent annually in 2012 and 2013 (World Bank). Despite this progress, rural poverty remains a serious challenge, with approximately 80 percent of the country’s population living in rural areas (FAO). Indochina tours Cambodia
Rice is the staple food for the majority of Cambodia's population. Important secondary food crops include maize, cassava, sweet potatoes, beans, vegetables, and fruit (FAO). An estimated 71 percent of the population depends primarily on agriculture and livestock for their livelihoods; while agricultural growth has been steadily improving, it is hampered by low productivity, vulnerability to weather events such as flooding and drought, poor storage and irrigation practices, and a lack of adequate infrastructure (FAO and WFP). Flooding in 2011 highlighted these challenges for poor households, causing widespread crop damage, abnormally high domestic food prices (particularly for rice), and household displacement. It is estimated that at least 60,000 households were made food insecure by the floods (WFP). Travel to Cambodia
[caption id="attachment_71" align="alignnone" width="3008"] Cambodian farmers planting rice. 2004. Photo: Brad Collis[/caption]
Food and Economy
Food in Daily Life. The staples are rice and fish. Traditionally, a home meal is served on a mat on the floor or with the diners seated together on a raised bamboo platform. Meals are eaten in shifts according to status, with adult males and guests eating first and food preparers last. Breakfast typically consists of rice porridge or rice noodles. Lunch and dinner may be a combination of a spiced broth with fish or meat and vegetables, fish, fresh vegetables eaten with a fish-based paste, and stir-fried vegetables with chopped meat. A strong-smelling fermented fish paste called prâhok is the quintessential flavoring of Khmer food. Fruit is savored, and its display is considered a mark of abundance. It often is given as a gift. Teuk tnaot, a liquid tapped from sugar palms and drunk in various degrees of fermentation, generally is not taken with meals.
The tradition of Khmer cuisine in restaurants is undeveloped, and restaurants typically serve what is regarded as Chinese food. There are no food taboos, although devout Buddhists refrain from alcohol. Monks also cannot eat after noon and are enjoined to eat whatever they are given without making special requests.
Food Customs at Ceremonial Occasions. During festivals, elaborate and painstakingly seasoned dishes are prepared, such as curries, spiced fish sauces, complex stir fries, and a variety of sweets. At a temple festival, each family brings dishes that are ritually presented to the monks. After the monks have eaten, the remaining food is eaten by the lay community.
Basic Economy. The basis of the economy continues to be rice agriculture, and much of the population farms at a subsistence level, linked by a relatively undeveloped market system for rice, fruits, and vegetables, and using the riel for currency. Rice farmers are vulnerable to market fluctuations and to drought and insect infestation. State-owned rubber plantations dating back to the colonial period have remained a peripheral part of the economy.
Land Tenure and Property. Radical attempts to communalize property during the DK period and more modest attempts to encourage collective agriculture under PRK met with strong cultural resistance. Cambodians have a strong sense of personal property shared within the domestic unit. Constitutionally, the PRK recognized only three kinds of economic organization: state, cooperative, and family. Only after 1989, with the conscious shift to a market economy, did corporate enterprises and foreign investment become legal.
Commercial Activities. Cambodian artisans are known for silk and cotton weaving, silver work, silver and gold jewelry, and basketry. Handmade pottery is sold from oxcarts that travel from city to city. Straw mats made by hand at local workshops are available in markets; they also are made for personal use. In rural areas, plows, machetes,
A young Cambodian monk burning incense. Monkhood offers a means to education for boys in Cambodia.
looms, fish traps, and winnowing trays are often made for personal use, although imported factory-made products now are used more often.
Tourism is an important part of the economy, but it was hindered by fear of political unrest during most of the 1990s. It increased dramatically in 1999 and 2000.
Major Industries. Industry is undeveloped. State-owned sawmills, soap and cigarette factories, and small workshops for the construction of aluminum products, together with larger state-owned textile and rubber tire factories, have been privatized, and new breweries and cement factories have opened. After 1994, foreign-owned garment factories began to appear, employing mostly female laborers at extremely low wages. The economic role of those factories has expanded rapidly.
Trade. The government lacks effective controls over cross-border trade. In the 1980s, resistance groups near the Thai border financed their activities by trading in gems and timber. Illegal timber exports to Thailand and Vietnam are uncontrolled, and the country is rapidly becoming deforested. Illegal sales of rice to Thailand and Vietnam are also considerable and in 1998 resulted in domestic shortfalls. Besides rice and wood products, Cambodia exports fish products, cement, brewery products, and handicrafts to nearby Asian countries. The garment industry is linked to markets in the United States and the European Union.

Mekong Vietnam Festivals

Mekong Vietnam Festivals
RICE FESTIVAL IN MEKONG DELTA
Being the greatest rice basket of Vietnam, Mekong Delta deserves to be the symbol of Vietnam Rice. Due to the importance of Mekong Delta in producing rice, it was chosen to be the organizer of Vietnam Rice Festival. Travel Indochina Vietnam
Held every two year, Vietnam Rice Festival aims at glorifying the commodity which makes Vietnam in general and Mekong Delta in particular known as a leading rice-exporting country.
Vietnam Rive Festival was organized two times in Mekong Delta: the first time in Hau Giang from November 28 to December 2, 2009 and the second time in Soc Trang from November 8 to 14, 2011.
With the aim of honoring and promoting Vietnam Rice, many seminars on how to introduce Vietnam rice to the global market took place during the festival. Besides, there are many interesting activities: displays, exhibitions and scientific workshops about wet-rice cultivation as well as photography contest. Mekong delta cruise

Vietnam Rice Festival is not only an opportunity for enterprises to exchanges experience in producing and trading Vietnam rice, introduce new technologies and products to consumers and potential business partners but also a great chance to promote tourism in Mekong Delta. Therefore, organizers of Vietnam Rice Festival also focus on introducing culture of Mekong Delta through traditional and cultural activities.
In the opening and ending ceremony of Vietnam Rice Festival, there are many attractive art performances honoring Vietnam Rice and Vietnamese farmers. The process of wet rice cultivation is vividly described by graceful dances in bustling music. Besides, Vietnam Rice Festival took place at the same time with Khmer people’s Water Festival with many traditional activities of boat race, qualified rice contest, “Miss Countryside” competition, so on.
OK OM BOK FESTIVAL IN MEKONG DELTA
Ok Om Bok is a traditional festival of Khmer people in Mekong Delta. Being one of the three biggest festivals of Khmer people, Ok Om Bok has sacred meaning in spiritual life of these people, making a cultural characteristic of this ethnic community.
Ok Om Bok Festival takes place on the Full Moon day of the tenth month in Vietnamese Lunar Calendar, aiming at worshipping the Moon. In Khmer’s conception, it is the ending day in the circle of the moon spinning around the earth and the ending time of a harvest. Hence, Ok Om Bok Festival aims at expressing gratitude to the Moon for protecting and promoting an abundant crop as well as wishing for the next successful harvest.
At the night of the Full Moon day, Khmer people set up a table of offerings: new sticky rice, yam, coconuts, bananas, sweeties, so on. At the centre of the table, there is always a pot of tea. After each time of pouring tea into the glass, Khmer people bow their head one time to show their thanks to the Moon. After that, there is a colorful and sparkling lanterns ceremony on Ba Om Lake. Khmer people not only drop these lanterns on the lake but also fly them to the sky. Dozens of great lantern lighten the night sky in bustling music and the joy of Khmer people. Khmer people believe that these lanterns will bring bad luck and risk far away. Every year, this colorful ceremony attracts thousands of viewers including both locals and tourists.
The most attractive and exciting activity of Ok Om Bok Festival is “Ngo” race (a special kind of boat of Khmer people in shape of Nagar snake). Ngo race is a traditional sport of Khmer in Ok Om Bok Festival. Ngo is a long boat with 25-30 meters in length and 1 – 1.4 meter in width. There are about 40 to 60 boatmen in every “Ngo’ with a leader at the top to guide the whole team. Before the race, people gather along the riverbanks making an exciting atmosphere. During the race, the boisterous sound of drum, trumpet, cheers and applause urge boatmen row as fast as possible to the end. “Ghe Ngo” race is a unique cultural activity of Khmer people which has sacred meaning in spiritual life of community.
Overall, Ok Om Bok is an important festival in Khmer people’s life. It becomes the symbol of aspiration, beautiful soul and rich emotional life of people to supernatural forces. Ok Om Bok festival not only contributes to conserve and promote traditional cultural identity of Khmer community but also a unique tourism product to attract visitors.
COCONUT FESTIVALS IN BEN TRE
Every Vietnamese at least once listens to the song "Dang dung Ben Tre" (Ben Tre girl's posture). Throughout the song, the image of coconut trees has become the symbol of this heroic land. Due to the importance of coconut in material as well as spiritual life of people in Ben Tre, since 2009, there has been Coconut Festival.
As compared to other provinces in Mekong Delta, Ben Tre does not have many as festivals. However, Coconut Festival is a unique festival associating with characteristics of Ben Tre. Taking place every two year in the first month, Coconut Festival is a great chance for tourists to understand about history, culture, ecosystem, handicraft, old architectural works as well as feel the simple but effervescent lifestyle of people here.
During the festival, there are many exciting activities: art performances of imitating the foundation, development and self-defense of Ben Tre; festival of traditional villages, contest of products made from coconuts; trade fair, so on.
Coming to Coconut Festival, tourists will enjoy an ebullient and enthusiastic atmosphere. There are a variety of stalls introducing traditional products of craft villages such as coconut jam, coconut candies, dishes made of coconut. Besides, tourists will be amazed by extremely sophisticated and eye-catching products made of coconuts with the skillful hand of artisans: colorful carpets, nice baskets, and other amazing handicraft.
Coconut Festival also honors creations, talents and passion of artisans making valuable products from coconuts. Besides, this also a great chance for Ben Tre to introduce eco-tourism potential, economic prospect as well as historical and cultural sites. Joining in this festival, tourists not only have chance to witness various products made from coconut but also taste delicious delicacies of Ben Tre in particular and Mekong Delta in general.
Besides, there will be many exciting traditional art performances of Cai Luong singing, drum performance and traditional games such as tug of war, martial arts, hessian jump, banging pots, etc. Especially, there is a small carnival of imitating characters in “Luc Van Tien” (a famous long poem of Nguyen Dinh Chieu poet – a talent child of Ben Tre).
Coconut Festival is a unique and characterized cultural and community activities of Ben Tre – the homeland of green rows of coconuts, gorgeous and charming girls and friendly and heroic people.