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Russia Travel Guide - Dining and Drinking You are here: About > Travel > Eastern Europe for Visitors > Russia-Belarus-Ukraine > Russia Travel Resources > Travel Essentials - Russia > Russia Travel Guide - Dining and Drinking Travel Go Eastern Europe Essentials Best of Eastern Europe Map of Central/Eastern Europe Photo Gallery Country Profiles Discount Travel Websites Articles & Resources Planning Your Trip Ways to Travel What to Do in East Europe Maps for Eastern Europe Czech-SlovakTravel Hungary Travel Poland Travel Russia-Belarus-Ukraine Romania-Moldova Travel Baltic Travel Balkan Travel Culture and Holidays Photo Galleries East Europe Travel and Language Books Forums Help FREE Newsletter Sign Up Now for the Eastern Europe for Visitors newsletter! See Online Courses Search Eastern Europe for Visitors Stay up to date! Email to a friend Print this page Suggested Reading All Travel Guides Russia Travel Guide Profile of Russia Most Popular First Christmas Tree Europe map Best of Eastern Europe Croatia Naturism and Nudism Discount Travel Websites What's Hot Krakow Photo Gallery Profiles of Eastern Europe Moscow City Profile Czech Republic Photo Gallery - Charles Bridge and castle Sofia's Religous Buildings Related Topics Hotels / Resorts / Inns European History Architecture Air Travel Europe for Visitors Dining and Drinking - Russia From Apply Now , Your Guide to Eastern Europe for Visitors . FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now! Russia Travel Guide One of the pleasures of travel is reveling in the food and drink of the local cuisine. Russia has plenty to offer in this respect, whether you opt for traditional Russian fare or meals representative of other CIS countries.
What Not to Eat
You can eat well in Russia at any budget. However, because some people get sick when they travel and eat unaccustomed food, this situation can happen in Russia also. So, because you don't want to spend time being miserable in your hotel room from a stomach problem, it's wise to be careful, just to be on the safe side. Some suggestions:
Don't drink tap water. Drink only bottled water. It comes with or without gas. When you order bottled water at restaurants, make sure the waiter brings you an unsealed bottle (not an open bottle that could have been filled with tap water). Of course, if you order water with gas, you won't have this possibility.
Brush your teeth with bottled water, not tap water.
Avoid salad bars (vegetables washed with tap water).
If you buy fruit, wash it with bottled water, not tap water. You get the picture with tap water.
If you order a coffee or tea, be aware you might be drinking tap water, but it's boiled.
Avoid food from sidewalk stands.
Enjoy all thoroughly cooked food.
I should note that I have broken all the suggestions above throughout Eastern Europe and not suffered consequences. I love going to cafes for coffee and eating ice cream from sidewalk vendors. But again, you may opt for the safest route than take a chance spending your precious visit too sick to enjoy it.
Restaurants
Moscow and St. Petersburg have a proliferation of well-known chains, including McDonald's, KFC, Pizza Hut, Burger King and TGI Fridays. But try to sample other food, as both Moscow and St. Petersburg can offer so much more. Check the English language newspapers such as the Moscow Times for listings of restaurants.
For restaurants in Moscow and St. Petersburg, also see these lists:
List of all types of restaurants in Moscow, from the Moscow City website
St. Petersburg restaurants Almost 500 restaurants listed.
Fodor's picks for Moscow restaurants
Fodor's picks for St. Peterburg's restaurants
Cuisine
Russian cuisine does wonderful things with meat, cabbage, potatoes, and dough (both bread and pastry). Well-known dishes include :
borsch (beet soup)
pelmeni (boiled dough pockets filled with meat)
beef roll (finely chopped meat and spices rolled in fine pastry)
chicken kiev
draniki (potato pancakes)
golubtsy (cabbage rolls filled with meat and rice, covered in a tomato broth)
There are many other dishes, with beef, pork, poultry and fish, as well as potato salad, pickled vegetables, mushrooms, caviar, and wonderful dark bread.
Don't forget dessert: bliny, ponchiki (doughnuts), kulich (rum cake) and ice cream.
Payment
In top restaurants you will likely be able to pay with credit cards. At smaller cafes and restaurants, you will probably have to pay with rubles.
Drinking in Russia
We'll get to the vodka later but first, know that Russians love to drink tea (chai). With samovars boiling away in offices and train compartments and lots of other places too, Russians drink tea all day long.
Vodka is a popular drink, and comes plain but also flavored: lemon, cranberry, herbs. It's hard to keep up with a Russian drinker so you may not want to try.
Beer (pivo) is also popular. Russian brands include Tinkov pilsner , Baltika, Stepan Rizan, Nevskoye, Klinskoye, and Tolstiyak. A low-alcohol beer is called kvas.
Russia also produces wine, with three million acres of vineyards. Russian wines aren't for everyone, as they can tend to have concentrated fruity flavors and some are rather sweet. While you're in Russia, you may want to try the wine of former Soviet republics, such as Moldova, Georgia and Ukraine. Popular white wines are the Anapa Riesling, Tsinandali, and Gourdzhuani. Reds are Saperavi and Mukuzani.
Tipping
Tipping has not yet become an expected norm in restaurants around Russia, although at better restaurants and cafes, you will find that patrons will do so. However, a normal rate has not been really established yet, so many people leave between five and ten percent, or more depending on the service. At not so fancy restaurants or cafes, you can round up the bill. Some restaurants will add service to your bill, so check first before you tip, and feel free not to tip at all if you believe the service doesn't deserve it. If there is a cloakroom where you need to leave your coat, there may be a sign telling you the amount to release your belongings. Otherwise, leave a few rubles or a dollar. Russia Travel Guide Index
Profile of Russia
City Profile: Moscow
City Profile: St. Petersburg
Before You Go
Need to Know
Money Matters
Intercity Travel
City Transit
Driving
Health and Safety
Lodging
Dining and Drinking
Communications
Shopping
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European vacation - Radisson SAS, radissonsas.com Corporate information European vacation: Radisson SAS Hotels & Resorts - Holiday and business hotel chain in Europe. Perfect for honeymoons, city breaks, conferences and meetings etc. Accommodations at Radisson SAS Hotels & Resorts With 156 hotels across destinations in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Radisson SAS Hotels & Resorts is one of the fastest growing hospitality companies in the world. Our hotels are located in city centers, close to airports, business district and shopping, making them ideal for both business and leisure travellers alike. Reserve your room at www.RadissonSAS.com and we guarantee you the best price for rooms of your choice on the dates you have selected. Our first class full service hotels offer unique service concepts, such as E@syConnect, our commitment to offer High-Speed/Wireless Internet Access; One Touch Service, where all service needs are met at the touch of a button; and Super Breakfast Buffet. The Radisson SAS "Yes I Can" spirit ensures 100% guest satisfaction and we strive to meet and exceed expectations. From whale watching to a night at the theatre, from a romantic dinner to a golf weekend, Radisson SAS hotels offer special packages that you can take advantage of. Guests in search for a relaxing spa vacation or an invigorating golf holiday will find our hotels and resorts especially attractive. We offer exclusive spa resorts to soak away the stress, and hotels that are on or next to championship golf courses for the perfect tee off. We offer a wide range of Meetings & Events facilities in 124 locations. We can arrange a conference for 3,000 in Copenhagen, a wedding for 300 in Edinburgh, or an intimate board meeting for three in Istanbul. The Radisson SAS Meetings & Events Promise is to be 100% professional, 100% committed and 100% caring. All Radisson SAS Meetings and Events employees have been educated and certified by MPI-Meetings Professionals International, the largest association of meetings professionals in the world. Our Business and leisure guests, who are members of our goldpoints plus programme, earn Gold Points whenever they stay at a Radisson SAS hotel in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Gold Points can be exchanged for Award Stays, room upgrades, airline miles and other amenities. Learn more about goldpoints plus at www.rzgp.com. European vacation Other links: 1: European vacation Radisson SAS, radissonsas.com ... European vacation ... 2: Europe holiday - Radisson ... 3: Hotel vacation - Radisson SAS, radissonsas.com 4: Vacation Europe - Radisson SAS, radissonsas.com 5: Holiday hotels - Radisson ... 6: Europe vacation - Radisson SAS, radissonsas.com 7: Hotel holiday - Radisson SAS, radissonsas.com 8: Holidays Europe - Radisson SAS, radissonsas.com 9: Holiday Europe - Radisson SAS, ... 10: Holidays in Europe - Radisson SAS, radissonsas.com Contact Us Privacy Policy Toll-free Numbers About Us Best Price Guarantee Other Brands in the Rezidor SAS family: Park Inn Country Inns Regent © 2005 Rezidor SAS Hospitality. All rights reserved
Asia Travel || Cambodia
COUNTRY AND TRAVEL INFORMATION OF CAMBODIA - ASIA TRAVEL Cambodia Travel Information Map of Cambodia Facts about Cambodia || Tour Packages || Food || Phnom Penh || Angkor Wat and Siemreap Angkor Wat - Angkor Thom || Currency || Climate || Geography || Langauges || Religion Angkor Wat - Bayon || How to reach || Visa FACTS ABOUT CAMBODIA The Kingdom of Cambodia is an independent country with a population of more than 7 million people. With a surface area of 181,035 sq. km and once a French colony, is the least known Indochinese country. Cambodia has a distinct geographical personality: it is a wide basin surrounded by highlands. In this basin the farmer has created a simple life - an original civilization and philosophy of mildness. After many years of war, people rediscovered the meaning of "PEACE" They started to rebuild and reconstruct in all fields. Cambodia is divided into 20 provinces and rich in resources, forests, rubber, gems, fish and has a big potential in tourism. FACTS ABOUT THE COUNTRY Khmers have called their country Kampuchea (usually rendered Kambuja), since the l6th century. The name is derived from the word kambu-ja, meaning those born of Kambu (a figure of Indian mythology), which was first used to refer to the people of Cambodia in the 10th century. The Portuguese Cambodia and French Cambodge from which the English name Cambodia is derived, are adaptations of " Kampuja". It was the Khmer Rouge who insisted that the outside world use the name Kampuchea. Changing the country's official English name back to Cambodia (which has been used by the US State Department all along) was intended as a symbolic move to distance the present government in Phnom Penh from the bitter connotations of the name Kampuchea, which westerners and overseas Khmer alike associate with the murderous Khmer Rouge regime. As a result of the United Nations sponsored and enforced election in May, 1993, the Kingdom of Cambodia is now safe to travel and tourism has once again become possible. Indeed, the country and Phnom Penh in partucular is undergoing something of a renaissance. Often overshadowed by the traumatic events of its recent past, Cambodia as home of the Khmer culture remains one of the most important and exotic countries in South East Asia. FOOD Cambodian food is closely related to the cuisines of neighbouring Thailand and Laos, and to a lesser extent, Vietnam, but there are some distinct local dishes. In the growing number of restaurants in Phnom Penh and Siemreap, you will find excellent Chinese and Vietnamese dishes but it is the local dishes which are often the best prepared and most interesting. Rice is the principal staple and and Battanbang Region is the country's rice bowl. Most Cambodian dishes are cooked in a wok known locally as a chnang khteak. PHNOM PENH The country's capital Phnom Penh is renowned for its beauty, particularly the area surrounding the Royal Palace where magificent Khmer towers share the boulevard with coloured French villas overlooking the banks of the Tonle Sap river. ANGKOR WAT AND SIEMREAP The glorious and world-famous Angkor Wat situates in Siemreap Province and is just a few kilometers from the town. One can reach Siemreap by taking daily direct flight from Phnom Penh. Temples of Angkor were built between 7th and 11th century when Khmer civilazation was at its height of its extraordinary creativity. Angkor Wat is the cultural home of the Khmer people and one of the ancient wonders of the world. Its magnificent architecture was the evidence of the Khmer's strong belief in religions - Hinduism and Buddhism. First discovered by Western archeologists in the late 19th century, the lost city of Angkor is just re-opening to the exploration to the modern civilization. ANGKOR WAT - ANGKOR THOM The fortified city of Angkor Thom, some 10 sq km in extent, was built in its present form by Angkor's greatest builder, Jayavarman 7 (reigned 1181 to 1201), who came to power just after the disastrous sacking by the Chams of the previous Khmer capital, is enclosed by a square wall eight metres high and 12 km in length and encircled by a moat 100 meters wide, said to have been inhabited by fierce crocodiles. The city has five monumental gates, one in the north, west and south walls and two in the east wall. The gates, which are 20 metres in height, are decorated on either side of the passageway with stone elephant trunks and crowned by four gargantuan faces of the bodhisatva Avalokitesvara. CURRENCY The unit is the RIELS. Riel demoninations are 100, 200 and 500. Exchange rates are subject to fluctuation. US$ are generally accepted thoughout the country. In Phnom Penh, some credit cards can be used and limited services and purchasing and cashing traveller cheques. CLIMATE Cambodia lies in a tropical zone between 10 and 14 degree of latitude north the equator. The temperature is fairly uniform throughout the year and averages 25 degree centigrade (77 degree fahrenheit). The relative humidity is higher at night and usually in excess of 90 percent, during the day the average humidity is 80 percent. GEOGRAPHY The Cambodia has an area of about 181,305 squares kilometres, bordered to the north by Thailand and Laos, to the east and the south by Vietnam, to the west by the gulf of Cambodia. LANGUAGES The Cambodian language is Khmer, which is inherited itself - and advanced in education with application of Indic languages Pali and Sangkrit from India. Some technical languages are borrowed from French. However, English is commonly communicated in hotels and business compounds at present days. RELIGION The majority of the people of Cambodia are followers of Thervada and Hinayana school of Buddhism which was introduced to Cambodia between the 13th and 14 centuries and was the state religion until 1975. ANGKOR WAT - BAYON The temples of Angkor Thom, is located in the city's geographic centre. The 50-tower temples is an awesome sight. At first glances, the complex seems a shapeless mass of stone. Suddenly, further scrutiny reveals a face, enigmatic and silent, watching with half-closed eyes. Soon, another face is made out, and another, and still yet another, until they are all round silent, heavy and impressive, staring from a primitive and remote time. Every visitors to Angkor Wat has to pay entrance fees. HOW TO REACH CAMBODIA & ANGKOR WAT There are direct flights to the capital of Phnom Penh from Bangkok, Hanoi, Hochiminh City, Hong Kong, Kuahlupur, Singapore and Vientiane. From Phnom Penh, one can take direct flights to Siemreap (Angkor), which are now operates on daily basis. Because of its vast architectures and plentiful of myths and informations, visiting of the great Angkor Wat with a knowlegable and well-trained guide is highly recommended and fun. You can enjoy traveling to Angkor Wat . CAMBODIA VISA A fifteen-day tourist visa can be obtained at US$ 20 upon arrival at Pochentong Airport. Visitors should bring along at least 4 photos, and sign the visa applications form upon arrival. Visa extensions are possible through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the Office of Immigration. Asia Travel || Cambodia Page
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