Kiev Tourist Traps

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Alexandria park is 70 km from Kiev on the Odessa road. Turn right from the main road when you see the sign "Bila Tserkva".
Botanic garden - is in Kiev. By metro - till Pecherskaya station and than by minibus to Botanic garden.

This is a great place to find traditional Ukrainian souvenirs as well as "communist" souvenirs. However, be sure that the currency they give you is authentic. Otherwise you may end up with useless paper.

Unique Suggestions: Try to take a Ukrainian VTer or friend with you, so that as you shop, someone else can pay attention.

Fun Alternatives: There are many shops that sell traditional items as well instead of buying things from a stand on the street.

Please pay attention if you change money. Once I didn´t do it, at least I didn´t know anything about the rate. For about 62 USD I received 135 Hryvyna. Then we went to a Café (surely, it was a good one at Khreschatyk) but I payed for two piece of cake and two coffee about 23 USD!!! First I couldn´t believe that Kiev is so expensive but two days later I found the problem. At the weekend it´s very difficult to find a place where you can change 'exotic' currency like Austrian Schilling. We found one, and it was an official one in a shopping center and not on the street, but the rate was cool cheek.
One Monday I changed some money again, this time in a bank. The result: For 1000 ATS (62 USD) they payed 342 UHR. Surely, ATS was not easy to find and with USD or EURO you wont have that kind of problem, even not at the weekend. Well, at least for me as Austrian I wont have this problem anymore... since we use Euro... the exotic currency Austrian Schiling is past....

I have been in Kyiv since 02/04 and spent most of my days and nights "out and about". The places to eat as well as the places to play have been straight forward and very accommodating to someone with little/no local language skills. The best example of the type of service to expect was recently offered in a night spot called DINOs. I asked the waitress to buy a table a round of drinks and she brought me a menu to show me what the prices would be. If I had done the same thing in a club in Bucharest it would have resulted in a bill accompanied by two strong armed Goons in the amount of $300-$500. If there are any tourist traps in Kyiv I haven't found them and they are probably few and far between.
PS: Sorry but DINO'S was bought out and is closed.

The Beverly Hills (Ladies only)and Playmate Clubs are part of a rather nice American Steak House named SOHO. The clubs are similar to the Chipendales in the US and the other, what Americans call a "Gentlemen's Club" A group visiting Kyiv had dinner at SOHO and decided on a few drinks at Playmate. I was later told that there was a $10 cover and that a 100ml of Brandy was $30-$40 and that a small basket of chocolates was $30. In addition, there was an "mistake" on the bill which was an additional $40 drink. When called on the mistake it was removed. This place is trying to be something that it will never achieve and that is a classy cocktail lounge. I have rated SOHO in a separate writeup as a good place for those who must eat American or a place for a business lunch/dinner. I will still go with that rating but given the report I got on the other places in the restaurant complex, beware and even better stay out.

Unique Suggestions: Ask for a menu each time you order something and check your bill carefully.

Fun Alternatives: Sorry but a great alternative was a place called Dino but it has closed.

Kiev is an immense city, and, in spite of its subway, very efficient and the numerous buses (too numerous so that a stranger recovers himself of it), it is not always easy to visit all monuments.

If you understand a little Russian (and even though you don't understand, you will see all the same), of the visits of Kiev by buses are organized every day. At present, it doesn't exist, on board of these buses of simultaneous translation system, but it would not know how to linger.

Unique Suggestions: The tour of the city begins the central station, pass before the botanical garden, the park Taras Chevtchenko and the university, the bourgeois districts and the odd houses, the golden gate, the St.-Sophie cathedral, the Podol, the St.-Catherin monastery, the strands of the Dniepr, the monastery of Kyiv-Perchersk Lavra and return on Khreschatyk.

Fun Alternatives: The buses leave regularly, every day since the central station (Voksal) and the visit guided by a very competent guide, only cost 10 Hvrinas.

Every June end hundreds peoples meet in beautiful forest clearing between Boyarka, Maliutinka and Zabirja willages for Forest Fiesta Country Songs Festival.

Unique Suggestions: You can khow more from Maryna Kramar clubsd@rambler.ru

Fun Alternatives: This plase is near a god road to Zabirja village, where a lot of transportation are running.

An important problem, for the traveler who decides to go in the countries of Europe of the East can meet, it is the one of the language.

Unique Suggestions: Few Russian or of Ukrainian, in the street, understand English. Some interpreters exist, but it often looks like the con. A real interpreter will be capable to translate a current conversation, without the help of no dictionary, and won't ask you anymore for 10 $per hour.

For those and those that foresee a travel, it is important to prepare itself a kid memory with expressions that can help you.

Fun Alternatives: To prepare your travel or to help you to prepare some small essential sentences, the VT prepares a free translator on Internet to this address:

http://www.translate.ru /