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for the visitor
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| facts for the visitor | |
|
armenia > tourism > facts
for the visitor
|
about cilicia | feedback | chat | © |
PLANNING
When to Go
Spring and autumn are the best times to visit, although most visitors come in
the summer out of convenience. The winter is cold, but snow does not
usually remain on the street long. Much of Armenia is only green in the
spring, while the short fall display is beautiful in places like Dilijan,
Jermuk, and much of Karabakh.
Maps
There are some good maps of Armenia, but mostly in Armenian, and they are often
hard to find abroad. Your best bet is to travel to Armenia, then look for
maps at vernissage, or the book stores. There is one very good
Armenian-English map of all the main monasteries and tourist attractions across
the country available at most large hotels, and the Echmiadzin gift shop.
Road maps are harder to find, but topographic and political maps abound.
What to Bring
This depends on the purpose of your visit, and the length of your stay. If
you are coming as a regular tourist, make sure you have all of your favorite
toiletries, as finding your favorite brand here may be difficult. People here
tend to dress business casual on a regular basis, and usually do not get much
fancier than that. As a tourist you can wear whatever you are accustomed to
abroad.
VISAS
& DOCUMENTS
Visas
A visa is required for a visit to Armenia, except for citizens of certain CIS and East Bloc countries. You can get a 3 week visa upon arrival for $30, a 3-day transit visa costs $20 upon entry. 3-week tourist visas are also issued at embassies for about $50, or online at www.armeniaforeignministry.am if you want it ahead of time. If you leave with an expired visa, you will not be in trouble, but must pay a fine of $20 + $3/day. There is also an airport tax of 10,000AMD which is paid in cash when you leave, so keep exactly 10,000AMD in your pocket when you leave for the airport.
Visa Extensions
A 3 week tourist visa may be extended without much fuss once for 2 additional weeks at OVIR (behind the OLD Aeroflot building on Mashdots) for a fee. OVIR can be a difficult place to understand and get things done. Keep trying to see an English speaker which will probably be Tigran, head of the visa department. He should be able to help you. Extensions longer than that can be more complicated, and are easier for ethnic Armenians, but you always have the option of overstaying your visa and paying the fine when you leave as described above.
Other Documents
There are no student discounts in Armenia. In case you lose your passport it is a good idea to have a photocopy of it in a separate place, as well as a certified copy of your birth certificate so your embassy can issue you a new one. If you plan to drive, bring your drivers license.
EMBASSIES
Armenian Embassies Abroad (Complete
List)
Argentina
Australia
Austria
Belgium
Canada
France
Georgia
Germany
Greece
Iran
Lebanon
Russia
Syria
UAE
UK
USA
Foreign Embassies in Armenia
Canada France Georgia Germany Greece Iran
Karabakh Lebanon Russia Syria UK USA
MONEY
The dram is always accepted, and the dollar almost always as well. If you
are bringing dollars you should only bring crisp newer ones to avoid
hassles. The exchange rate is widely known and you usually will not come
out ahead with a particular currency. There is no prohibition on exchange, so do not
hesitate to convert to dram and use that for your expenses. Credit cards
are not widely accepted, only a certain upscale places. HSBC Bank ATM's can be found
in strategic spots in Yerevan, but you must have a PLUS system, GlobalAccess,
Network, ETC, Visa or Mastercard. In addition to these ATM's there is one across
from Hotel Yerevan on Abovyan Street that accepts CIRRUS. The STAR and EXPLORE systems are not supported. Don't bother to bring
travelers checks, cash and credit are easier to deal with. Western Union
is all over the country, so you always have that to back up should you run out
of cash.
Costs
For the most part, Armenia is a very cheap country to visit, unless you go out
of your way to find expensive places. Normal hotel rooms of Soviet vintage
go for $20 or more per person in the center of Yerevan, with luxury hotels being plentiful
as well. A good meal with alcohol will
cost under $5, while a good cheap lunch will cost under $1. If you prefer
you can stay at luxury hotels and eat for $50 a meal, that is available as well.
Currency
The national currency is the Armenian Dram (AMD) and is the same whether
singular or plural. It has become pretty stable since it passed its
introductory phase. The smallest unit normally used is the 10 dram bill,
while the 500 and 1000 notes are the handiest to have around. Producing
change is often a problem at stores, so keep a fair amount of change.
Currency Exchange
USA US$1 = 550 AMD (December, 2000)
Changing Money
Changing money is one of the easiest things to do in Yerevan, if you have dollars
in good condition. Torn or worn out bills may be refused. Rubles, Francs, and some other currencies exchange rates are
posted as well, so in Yerevan, it should be possible to get drams for
them. There is never a commission at the exchange windows, and posted exchange rates
are usually pretty reasonable. The smaller the
difference between buy and sell, the better the rate you are getting. Exchanges are often side by side, but if you cannot find one you
can go into most stores or to a market and ask around, likely as not they will
be happy to change it for a pretty reasonable rate as well. The same is
true outside of Yerevan, especially in larger towns.
Tipping & Bargaining
It is not a well established custom to tip in most parts of Armenia, but in Yerevan it has become the norm and is often included in the check. Bargaining however is a deep
rooted tradition and in some situations is an absolute must.
POST &
COMMUNICATIONS
Post
Letters or postcards to and from Armenia usually make it in about 2 weeks. Many Armenians will go through tremendous efforts to get someone
(like you) to hand carry letters abroad, and often even want you to call up the
recipient, and perhaps hand deliver it. Refusing should not cause offense,
and in the end may cause mail delivery in Armenia to speed up and improve.
Telephone
Calling Armenia is easy, and the lines to central Yerevan are quite good.
Unfortunately there is a domestic telephone monopoly owned by the Greeks, and
calling abroad from Armenia can be intolerably expensive. Calls to the US are
usually US$3/minute and about US$2.50/minute to Europe. There is a
telephone/internet office in Republic Square by South Nalbandian where calls can
be made to the US for about 60 cents/minute. At least making
calls is easy enough, with public phones all over, some using the old tokens,
and some the new cards. Outside of Yerevan, you may need to ask where the
phones are, because they are often housed in a post office like shop with
attendants connecting you to your party. The international country code
for Armenia is 374, and the city code for Yerevan is 1. While calling from
the CIS countries the old code 8852 (or try 8851) should be used.
Important Phone Numbers:
Fax & Email
You will notice "FAX" signs in shops all over Yerevan, it is usually
by the minute, and a bit more expensive than a phone call of the same
duration. E-mail is available throughout downtown Yerevan, although it can
be a bit hard to spot. Internet access places and the American
University have it at the pretty standardized price of US$3/hour and the
connection can be painfully slow and unreliable sometimes. Hotel Erebuni
has it available 24hrs/day for about $5/hr.
BOOKS
A very large amount of Armenian books are in circulation, although many are hard
to find and in a variety of languages. A good number of books can be found
on Amazon.com or if there is a large Armenian population in your town, there may
be an Armenian bookstore. Books in Armenian can be found in Armenia for
very cheap at vernisage among other places, with a fair amount of Russian as well. Art books, and other
books with a lot of pictures can be bought for quite cheap if you are a good
bargainer, which is nice since they can be enjoyed without reading the text.
Travel
Travel books about Armenia are not very numerous. Starting with Passage
to Ararat, a 1970's book about an Armenian-American's first trip to his
homeland, you can see that although the country has changed tremendously in the
past few decades, much remains the same. Recently published books are Armenia:
A Country and the People by Khudaverdyan, and Sargsyan, and The Crossing
Place, by Philip Marsden, . There is also
the Lonely
Planet: Georgia, Armenia & Azerbaijan, which I do not recommend. Before coming, I
recommend printing out a free copy of the Rediscover
Armenia Guide, complete with maps. Although it does not have
pictures, it is an excellent online guidebook compiled by an American resident in
Yerevan which covers all the major and minor sites, giving a bit of history and
info on each including directions. It is very worthwhile to have on hand
during your travels.
History & Politics
There is no shortage of books on Armenian history, as Armenians love this
subject. Armenia
: The Survival of a Nation, by Christopher Walker is good. Armenia
: Cradle of Civilization is another good book, written by David Marshall
Lang. Two genocide era novels are the old bestseller, Forty
Days of Musa Dagh, by Franz Werfel, and the Armenian classic The
Fool, by Raffi, which eerily predicts much of the events of the
genocide. For more history books click here.
There is understandably not much available yet on newly reborn Armenian
politics.
General
Armenia
at the Crossroads : Democracy and Nationhood in the Post-Soviet Era, is
a book edited by Gerard Libaridian, a former presidential advisor in Armenia.
Visions
of Ararat: Writings on Armenia, by Christopher Walker, and the recent
novel, The Crossing Place, by Philip Marsden is a highly recommended book
about a man who travels to 20 countries to find their Armenian communities and
stories, culminating in his arrival in the Republic of Armenia.
NEWSPAPERS
& MAGAZINES
The only English language newspaper in Armenia, is the weekly Noyan Tapan
Highlights. It can be purchased in some hotels, and is a bit rough by
western standards. Armenian International Magazine, better known as AIM is
a slick English language monthly which can usually be bought at hotels and some
news stands. Current Newsweeks can sometimes be found for sale, and other recent
periodicals can be read at the American University (AUA) library.
RADIO & TV
There are a couple of FM stations in Armenia that play a lot of English
music. There are also Armenian, Iranian, Russian, Arabic and Turkish
stations on the FM, AM and shortwave bands. On television there are
a few Armenian stations with a mix of Armenian and Russian language programming,
including western shows or movies dubbed usually into Russian. Stations
from neighboring countries can be picked up and with a little receiver at about
$20USD/month you can get BBC, MTV, and a host of other international channels.
PHOTOGRAPHY
& VIDEO
Most visitors to Armenia end up taking many more pictures, and much more video
than they expect. This is usually not a problem, since film is plentiful
and developing cheap at about US$3 for 36 prints. Video cassettes and slide film
are also available, but often a chore to find, so bring some extra along.
You can take pictures just about anywhere, and many people love having their
pictures taken, and strangers will even request it. (This is especially true in
the villages).
LAUNDRY
Many hotels offer laundry service, or have a lady on each floor who will be
happy to do it for you. Make absolutely certain you have agreed to a price
before handing over the clothes, as it is possible they will later ask for more
than you would pay in New York! For a store with reasonable prices and
excellent service, you can visit Selena Service. Regular washing costs about a dollar a kilo. Ironing costs extra, and depends on
the type of item. A medium sized duffel bag full without ironing is about
$5. Pickup and delivery is
also available for a fee (phone 53-65-08). There is a Selena shop
at 4 Zakian Street, near Hotel Shirak, not far from Republic Square.
Pyunic Laundry offers a similar service for even cheaper. 50 Pushkin St.,
near Mashdots. (phone 53-68-05)
WOMEN TRAVELERS
Women travelers will be be safer in Armenia than at home. Armenian men
will usually do no more than try to talk to you, or stare. If it bothers
you a loud goodbye should be enough, but having a companion will eliminate all
advances.
DISABLED
TRAVELERS
Few places in Yerevan are built with the physically handicapped in mind.
Many multilevel buildings have no elevators, and even on the first floor there
is often a step or two, with no ramp. I have however seen handicapped
people in wheelchairs get around solely by getting pushed by helpful strangers
as many blocks as they are headed in the same direction, to be helped by the
next helpful stranger.
BUSINESS HOURS
Although this varies a fair amount, it is safe to say that restaurants and many
businesses are open seven days a week, with some convenience stores open
24/7. Offices are often closed on weekends, while museums usually close on
one weekday. There is no need to wake up early, most businesses take their
time opening up.
ELECTRICITY
The electrical current in the Republic of Armenia is 220 V, 50 Hz, while the
wall outlets take continental-type plugs, with two round prongs.
TIME
Armenia is 4 hours ahead of GMT (+4) and twelve hours ahead of California,
(+12).
PUBLIC
HOLIDAYS
Being a Christian country, most Armenian holidays are the same as western
holidays, and observed in a similar fashion.
Christmas
(January 6th)
Christmas is observed in January, with Christmas trees pretty widespread, and
gift giving and feasting lasting the entire week from New Years Eve to
Christmas.
Genocide Memorial Day (April
24th)
This day is commemorated in solemnity worldwide by Armenians. In Yerevan
hundreds of thousands of people walk to the genocide memorial and place a
carnation by the eternal flame for the dead.
Easter (April)
Easter may or may not fall on the same day as the Greek or Catholic Easter, but
it is celebrated much the same way.
Vartivar (July)
Known to most Americans in Yerevan as bucket day, or water day, it is a date you
do not want to forget. On this day, any child (sometimes up to 16 years
old) has the perfect right to dump an entire bucket of water on anybody with no
fear of repercussion. They exercise this right every chance they get, seemingly
doing little else all day. Complaining will make you a bad sport after the
fact, but pleading and running from them is considered okay. If you dress
lightly (and avoid light colored t-shirts) on this holiday that comes at the peak of summer heat, you may
enjoy vartivar a lot.
Independence Day (September
21)
Independence day is celebrated with parades, barbeques and
fireworks.
Musa Ler Day (4th Sunday of September?)
Each year the village of Musa Ler (or Musa Dagh, both meaning Musa Mountain) celebrates the anniversary of their escape from the Turks. They escaped up a mountain on the Mediterranean coast and defended themselves for over a month from the Turks before their rescue by the French. Their story resulted in the internationally famed novel, "The Forty Days of Musa Dagh" by Franz Werfel. The descendants of these survivors live in this village near Yerevan and each year they cook 40 huge pots of Harisa and celebrate.
Golden Autumn (October)
This holiday is celebrated in different ways and on different days in Armenia. Yeghegnadzor celebrates Voski Ashun (Golden Autumn) on the second
Sunday of October every year with a huge festival. There is wine and
cheese tasting, folk dancing, singing and plenty of entertainment all day long
in the main park. Festivities start mid-morning.
New
Years Eve (December 31)
December 31 marks the beginning of a week of celebration. Visiting friends
from one house to the next at all hours of the night, fireworks and other
celebrations take place until January 6th, which marks Armenian Christmas.
ACTIVITIES
You will notice from many place descriptions and the basic geography of the
country, that a great number of outdoor activities are possible. Most have
not yet become popular in this post-Soviet state, but are bound to as the
country develops.
Hiking
Armenia is a hikers paradise. With beautiful mountains, valleys, canyons,
ruins, and four distinct seasons, you will never run out of places to explore.
With virtually no fences, and large parts of the country virtually untouched and
pristine, there are few obstacles to reaching any point or peak in the
country. Some of the rich nature preserves require a free permit available
at the Nature Protection Agency on the corner of Moscovian and Spendiarov/Moscovian
Antsughi. Hiking without the permit is unlikely to get you in any trouble
if you do not have a gun, but dress brightly in case others are
hunting.
Cycling
See the bicycle section for
information. Cyclists are rare in Armenia, but there are many excellent
biking opportunities.
Water
Sports
There is little in the way of water sports in Armenia at this time. The
huge Lake Sevan has plenty of potential, but for now it remains just that.
Swimming and a little boating exists, but windsurfing and other sports are yet
to arrive.
Skiing
There is one choice for skiing in Armenia, and that is Tsaghkadzor. The
conditions at Tsaghgadzor are reasonable, and each lift costs just 400AMD.
There is a catch of course, there is no simple public transportation, and if you
do not have your own skis, you may have to look around to find a suitable
pair. There are a couple of people who rent out skis at the resort itself,
but their selection is small and can be in bad shape. It is probably
worthwhile to stop at the writers house (ask around, it is a few minutes drive
before reaching the resort) and should have a much better selection. The
prices for ski an sled rental is 1500AMD/hour at the resort, and 1500AMD per
five minutes for snowmobiles.
Birdwatching
As a land bridge between Asia and Europe,. Armenia has a tremendous variety of
migratory and resident birds if you know where to look. The recently
published "A Field Guide to Birds of Armenia" is an
indispensable resource for bird watchers in Armenia.
Rock Climbing & Mountain Climbing
Again, although these are not popular sports yet, Armenia and Karabakh are
perfect for these activities. There is a dedicated group of mountain
climbers you can read about.
Caving or Spelunking
There are a number of regions in Armenia and Karabakh with caves that anybody
can enjoy, many of which have been inhabited. Kh'ndzoresk,
Ayrk, Lachin, the
cliffs of Shushi, of Saghmosavank, and countless other places as well have the
shallow caves, many of which were lived in before.
There are also caverns such as Mosrov that only the experienced
may enter, with their own equipment that are said to be stunningly beautiful and
unexplored.
WORK
Volunteer opportunities abound in Armenia, from the well organized group or
individual programs, to just about anything you are willing to help with.
There is a great variety of summer programs in particular. Land and
Culture Organization has separate July and August projects each summer where you
are part of a group of volunteers from around the world in a village, working on
reconstructing an old church or community center. The AYF Summer
Internship program usually places college students in an Armenian government
office related to their field so they can get experience and share ideas.
There are a number of other organized programs as well. If you have other
fields of expertise or interest, you can probably make the trip to Armenia and
arrange something yourself with relative ease. English tutoring is always
an easy way to make a living in Armenia, and there are many NGO's
(non-governmental organizations) and an NGO resource center affiliated with the
Armenian Assembly (visit their Republic Square office for info) which may have
jobs available.
ACCOMMODATION
Camping
Camping opportunities are great in Armenia for the same reasons that hiking is, Bring all of your own gear and you will enjoy getting out into the unspoiled
country.
Hostels
Although there are no hostels in Armenia, many of the less expensive hotels
(nearly all hotels outside of Yerevan) serve the exact same purpose.
Outside of Yerevan, most large towns have a hotel and they are normally under
2500AMD a night. The conditions vary greatly, although they are normally
poor. The rooms are normally two person rooms charged per person,
not room, and you do not share with strangers. It is also possible almost anywhere to find a house that will take you in for a couple of dollars a
night. Check the conditions before accepting.
Guesthouses
There is no directory of guest houses in Armenia, and there are not too many to
begin with. If you need a place to stay at anytime and even begin asking
around for such an establishment, you will probably be invited to stay at someone's
house. The only downside to accepting such an invitation is that you may
be faced with excessive hospitality and the conditions may be very poor.
B&Bs
Another new concept in Armenia, there is no listing of B&Bs. See
guesthouses above for relevant information.
Hotels
Hotels in Armenia and Karabakh come in two forms; upscale and downscale.
If you are staying in Yerevan, you have one or two options in between, such as
Hotel Erebuni, but outside of Yerevan and Stepanakert, with few exceptions
hotels are extremely run down at the least. Jermuk, Dilijan, and
Tsaghkadzor have some nice exceptions, and most visitors only make day trips from
Yerevan, so this should not affect them.
FOOD
Since the fall of communism, Armenia has seen a huge number of restaurants
spring up, many of them reasonably priced, and good. Pizza, Arabic food,
shish kebab (also called khorovadz) and a sprinkling of other ethnic foods are
easy to find in Yerevan. There are no western fast food franchises
with the exception of two Yum Yum Donuts. Service is often slow and the
check is never brought until requested. Outside of Yerevan, it may be hard to get real meals on the
road. You may spot some kebab joints on major highways, but unless you
know otherwise, or will be visiting another city, assume there is nothing and pack some food. Vegetarianism
is virtually unheard of in Armenia and not well understood, but many suitable
dishes are available, especially in the summer.
DRINKS
Drinking vodka may seem to be the national pastime if you spend some time with
some locals, especially in the villages. Many of them have built up a remarkable tolerance,
although many may actually be drinking much less than it would outwardly appear if you watch
closely. A large part of drinking is toasting, which at dinners is led by
the tamada (toastmaster). Aside from vodka, the local beer and cognac are
excellent and cheap. There are many homemade alcohols and liqueurs as
well, most of which are delicious. Mixed drinks and other alcohols tend to
be hard to find and expensive.
ENTERTAINMENT
Cultural entertainment is prolific in Armenia, although information can be
scarce. The Opera has many world class programs, with multiple events each
week. It is best to check at the Opera and buy tickets there as
well. Prices are astonishingly low, so if you like the symphony or opera,
you are in luck. When it comes to the modern definition of night life,
Yerevan is just a toddler. With its first club opening in 1996, there are
still just a handful to choose from. Startime on Abovian is a very western
club located very close to Republic Square. In the summer you can sit on
the roof or dance inside.. If
none of this interests you, you can sit at one of the hundreds of overlapping
cafes, go to a jazz club, or simply sit by the fountains in Republic Square.
THINGS
TO BUY
You will find a large variety of handicrafts available in Armenia, of very high
quality, and low prices. From carved wood and stone crosses, backgammon,
chess and checker sets to boxes, coat of arms, and a hundred other things.
The variety of things made out of obsidian is also large, since it is so
plentiful here. The best prices are at vernissage, but you should be
prepared to bargain. There are also rugs, Caucasian socks, linens, and
other handmade items. The other items that may interest westerners are
some remnant first and second hand soviet products and
books. These vary from week to week depending on availability. Be
wary of taking anything out of the country that is antique, it may be
forbidden. You should check with the ministry of culture before buying
anything very old that may be have cultural value attached to it.
| Copyright © 1999 Raffi Kojian n_w$$h |
