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Latest Minsk hotel reviews
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Miscellaneous: Lithuania has border with two non - European Union countries - Russia and Belarus. I needed to get visa to Belarus for two days. The things I needed to make before getting to Belarus territory:
1) fill in form with questionnaires about me, my work, purposes of going to Belarus, the place, where I am going and the route inside Belarus, so on.
2) needed to pay ~10 euros both for visa and insurance.
3) wait for visa about 4 days.
4) after getting visa and arriving to the border of Belarus, to fill in immigration paper with quite similar questions as for getting visa, but much less.
It is worth telling, that people from other countries pay much more for visa - around 60 euros.
Updated Feb 27, 2011
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Clothing/Shoes/Weather Gear: if you go in winter invest in a good coat and gloves and scarve and boots first time i went in winter i got the shock of my life you,ve been warned
Toiletries and Medical Supplies: don,t really need anything you can get anything here. you
Photo Equipment: you can get any film here no problem
Camping/Beach/Outdoor Gear: if you go in summer and go to any darcha don,t forget insect repellent
Miscellaneous: if your a fussy eater bring a few nibblers but if you not you,ll love the food here
Updated Nov 25, 2004
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Luggage and bags: Take a case but check its wheels are in order - the roads are not even close to what you might call smooth.
Clothing/Shoes/Weather Gear: Anything you wish, but remember it may be quite hot in summer.
Photo Equipment: You will be able to buy basic film cheaper than in Europe, but everything else you think you might need you should take with you.
Miscellaneous: You may have trouble with ATMs and traveller's cheques. Take cash, preferably US Dollars in small notes.
Updated Sep 5, 2002
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Miscellaneous: I have put this on some of my other pages where it seemed particularly appropriate. Minsk and Belarus in general also deserve this reminder.
I am sure that few VT members need these packing reminders. But for those non-VT members who happen to be browsing these pages (and for those of us, myself included, who may need occasional reminders), I offer the following:
Bring some patience. Things don't work here like they do at home--wherever home may be. If you're from the U.S. (in particular), the whole notion of service, for example, is often quite different and not what you may be used to. Remember, the market economy is a brand-new concept here. Service, in that sense, is new and unfamiliar. Getting impatient and angry is not only counter-productive--it's pointless.
Bring an open-minded palate. Food tastes a bit different here. I happen to think it's wonderful. But, depending upon the kind of trip you plan, you may welll spend a lot of time discovering things, some excellent and some that you wish you hadn't. If you get too serious about it, you won't enjoy the trip.
Bring some generosity of spirit. To Belarussians, if you come from almost anywhere very far away, you come from a rich country. A little reading on your part before you come is highly recommended: the culture is fascinating. Belarus used to be a part of the USSR. It's isn't any more--although it is part of the Commonwealth of Independent States along with Russia and Ukraine. That means, among other things, no midnight customs stops along the border! It also means that history is viewed very differently. And a different viewpoint (neither 'right' nor 'wrong') can be quite enlightening.
The world looks very different from Belarus and is markedly different from what many of us in the West are familiar with (or even know much about). People on VT know enough not to judge, but to enjoy.
Finally, don't forget those two most important items: an open mind and an open heart. If you bring these, you cannot help but have a wonderful time.
Written Aug 25, 2002
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Miscellaneous: A good guidebook, a pen and some paper! You can always draw pictures and write down numbers.
Written Oct 5, 2006
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Reviews and photos of Minsk attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Minsk sightseeing.
A good guidebook, a pen and some paper! You can always draw pictures and write down numbers.
131 members live in Minsk
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