0:00:00 > 0:00:04Now it's time for The Travel Show.
0:00:04 > 0:00:07This week, I'm exploring Russia's hidden underground military
0:00:07 > 0:00:09history in Vladivostok.
0:00:09 > 0:00:13I can just imagine the dark deeds that would be done here.
0:00:13 > 0:00:18Oh, my God. Something dropped on my head!
0:00:18 > 0:00:19We go shopping in Myanmar.
0:00:19 > 0:00:22It's actually quite difficult to walk through here.
0:00:22 > 0:00:22It's so busy.
0:00:22 > 0:00:26Simon Calder has tips on what to do if you're heading to Rome
0:00:26 > 0:00:49with toddlers in tow.
0:00:53 > 0:00:56Hello and welcome to The Travel Show, with me, Carmen Roberts.
0:00:56 > 0:01:02Coming to you this week from Russia.
0:01:02 > 0:01:04And a little later on in the programme,
0:01:04 > 0:01:06I'll be going underground, into the tunnels beneath
0:01:06 > 0:01:09the streets of Vladivostok.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12But first, we head to Myanmar, a country off-limits for decades
0:01:12 > 0:01:13because of military rule.
0:01:13 > 0:01:19But now, it's opening up, and tourism is booming.
0:01:19 > 0:01:23We sent Rajan Datar on a trek off the beaten track to find out
0:01:23 > 0:01:26about a project aimed at helping local people benefit
0:01:26 > 0:01:28from the increase in the number of people now visiting
0:01:28 > 0:01:32their previously off-limits country.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36Dazzling pagodas and ancient temples, these are the iconic sites
0:01:36 > 0:01:45that are attracting more people than ever before to Myanmar.
0:01:45 > 0:01:49But I'm here to get away from the main tourist sites and see
0:01:49 > 0:01:53a way of life that's remained unchanged for centuries.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56I'm heading to Pindaya in the Danu Zone of the Shan State
0:01:56 > 0:02:00to follow one of a new series of trials that it's hoped will
0:02:00 > 0:02:02kick-start tourism in the region.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05I've just arrived in Pindaya and its market day.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08And it's bustling, it's full of people selling their wares,
0:02:08 > 0:02:11loads of different vegetables, loads of fruit, meat,
0:02:11 > 0:02:13the whole thing.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16And if we go down this channel here, we'll see
0:02:16 > 0:02:21what else we can find here.
0:02:21 > 0:02:23It's actually quite difficult to walk through here.
0:02:24 > 0:02:26It's so busy.
0:02:26 > 0:02:30The market is the starting point for many of the new Danu trails.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33There's an incredible array of stuff on offer,
0:02:33 > 0:02:36but the thought actually trying to buy anything in the crowds
0:02:36 > 0:02:40of people is a little overwhelming.
0:02:40 > 0:02:46Do you know what, I can't figure out who's selling and who's buying here!
0:02:46 > 0:02:49Even though it's kind of like anarchy,
0:02:50 > 0:02:51you don't feel any sense of danger.
0:02:51 > 0:02:55No one is trying to rip you off. No one's trying to steal anything.
0:02:55 > 0:02:56it's a nice atmosphere.
0:02:56 > 0:02:57Really cool.
0:02:57 > 0:02:59Back into the throng.
0:02:59 > 0:03:06There are more than 20 different walking routes
0:03:06 > 0:03:10that've been mapped out through this region,
0:03:10 > 0:03:14with different levels of distance and difficulty.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17Expert guide Doh joins me to lead the way.
0:03:17 > 0:03:22Tell me why it's good for the Danu people to have this trek.
0:03:22 > 0:03:33For Danu people, they will get extra money from tourism.
0:03:33 > 0:03:37Like, let me say about a supply change.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40So, tourism creates, and many people they can get jobs.
0:03:40 > 0:03:41So, shopkeepers, hotel owners, waiters.
0:03:41 > 0:03:49Maybe we can create more and more jobs.
0:03:49 > 0:03:51The trail network winds through villages
0:03:51 > 0:03:54that have rarely seen tourists.
0:03:55 > 0:03:58Please, take off shoes, sir. Yes.
0:03:58 > 0:04:00Thank you very much.
0:04:00 > 0:04:04This farming family produce bamboo hats as a sideline business.
0:04:05 > 0:04:07They can make up to 300 a week.
0:04:07 > 0:04:11And then put on and cut.
0:04:11 > 0:04:15They need ten pieces to make one hat.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18This is a hat for the man. A hat for the man.
0:04:18 > 0:04:20And this is the hat for the woman. OK.
0:04:20 > 0:04:25Different. Ah, OK.
0:04:34 > 0:04:36Whoops!
0:04:36 > 0:04:38A bit too far on the other side.
0:04:38 > 0:04:42I'm not so sure!
0:04:42 > 0:04:43Let me get that exactly right.
0:04:44 > 0:04:52Are you laughing at me?!
0:04:53 > 0:04:56So, in here, you can make one size. Very nice.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59Well, one size fits all. Let's see if it fits me.
0:04:59 > 0:05:01Shall we? Can I try?
0:05:01 > 0:05:09Ah!
0:05:09 > 0:05:11Free size!
0:05:11 > 0:05:13She must have guessed the size of my head,
0:05:13 > 0:05:16because it fits perfect.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19She said this is for you.
0:05:20 > 0:05:21I couldn't!
0:05:21 > 0:05:23OK, I will, then.
0:05:23 > 0:05:28The rest of the hats are bound for the market.
0:05:28 > 0:05:30So, what's the legend of the spider?
0:05:30 > 0:05:35So the spider capture the seven...
0:05:35 > 0:05:40And last on our trek, this major site of pilgrimage.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43Statues of a huge spider and a prince sit at
0:05:43 > 0:05:45the bottom of these stairs.
0:05:45 > 0:05:47Figures from ancient legends.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50Look at this.
0:05:50 > 0:05:52Wow!
0:05:52 > 0:05:55It's like a...wow.
0:05:55 > 0:06:02These caves are home to 9000 statues,
0:06:02 > 0:06:08some dating back hundreds of years.
0:06:08 > 0:06:15They're all brought and donated by devotees hoping for a blessing.
0:06:15 > 0:06:19It's just Buddhas galore, and they're made of, what?
0:06:20 > 0:06:24What material underneath the gold?
0:06:24 > 0:06:27Like a concrete. Concrete?
0:06:27 > 0:06:33So, when making a good image, what did the people hope happens
0:06:34 > 0:06:35in terms of Buddhism?
0:06:35 > 0:06:39Is it to give them a better life, afterlife?
0:06:39 > 0:06:41This is like a good deed.
0:06:41 > 0:06:42Yeah, like merit making? Yes.
0:06:42 > 0:06:48And maybe for the next existence, to get to a better place, you know?
0:06:48 > 0:06:58People to be up and into Nirvana in one day.
0:06:58 > 0:07:00Wow.
0:07:00 > 0:07:04And if Nirvana is not an option, I, for one, am happy after years
0:07:04 > 0:07:07of this country being in isolation to settle for a slice of this
0:07:07 > 0:07:18magnificent landscape and culture.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21And if you're thinking of visiting Myanmar in the near future,
0:07:21 > 0:07:29here are our list of the best things to see and do.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32The Shwedagon Pagoda has stood for 2500 years,
0:07:32 > 0:07:37a tribute to Myanmar's Buddhist faith.
0:07:37 > 0:07:41Catch it at sunset to see it glow.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44At 42 square kilometres, Bagan is one of Asia's largest
0:07:44 > 0:07:48archaeological sites.
0:07:48 > 0:07:50Access was restricted under the military junta,
0:07:50 > 0:07:53so most tourists are still to discover its
0:07:53 > 0:08:00monasteries and temples.
0:08:00 > 0:08:02Nearby, Mount Popa is another less-visited holy spot.
0:08:02 > 0:08:10At over 700 metres, prepare yourself for a steep climb.
0:08:10 > 0:08:16Also, watch out for thousands of macaque monkeys
0:08:16 > 0:08:17that live on the mountain,
0:08:17 > 0:08:19and some don't take kindly to visitors.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22Keep any food you have sealed if you don't want them running
0:08:22 > 0:08:29off with your lunch.
0:08:29 > 0:08:33Next up, it's our thirsty explorer Brad Cohen,
0:08:33 > 0:08:38who this week is off to Kosovo in search of some home-made rakija.
0:08:38 > 0:08:42So we embarked on a whirlwind trip to learn about the drink
0:08:42 > 0:08:46known as raki or rakija.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49Though language, culture and religion may divide Kosovo
0:08:49 > 0:08:54and other former Yugoslavian countries, they all share a love
0:08:54 > 0:08:56for this ubiquitous fruit brandy.
0:08:56 > 0:08:58Everywhere we went there was raki -
0:08:58 > 0:09:01a judge's party, a lingerie shop, even a monastery.
0:09:01 > 0:09:04Monks here produced wine since the 14th century.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07What makes it good?
0:09:08 > 0:09:13Taste it and you tell me what you think about it.
0:09:13 > 0:09:16For nearly 700 years, wine and rakija helped
0:09:16 > 0:09:19support the Serbian monks.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22Here it has to be soft, but here it is to be strong.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25I imagine this can get you through a pretty
0:09:25 > 0:09:27rough Balkan winter.
0:09:27 > 0:09:29And a nice Balkan summer!
0:09:29 > 0:09:36As we toasted, I couldn't help but wonder how often a Serb
0:09:36 > 0:09:38and Albanian Kosovar actually shared a drink these days.
0:09:38 > 0:09:40You guys seem pretty peaceful right now.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42We grew up in the same country.
0:09:42 > 0:09:44His friends needed more rakija for his bar.
0:09:44 > 0:09:45Let's go.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48So we headed to his producer's house.
0:09:48 > 0:09:52A town renowned for its rich soil and production of rakija wine.
0:09:52 > 0:09:59Here, we got a lesson in home-made distillation.
0:09:59 > 0:10:03We were greeted in typical Kosovar fashion, with a warm handshake,
0:10:03 > 0:10:06something to drink and far too much food, which was quite
0:10:06 > 0:10:19literally from the table.
0:10:19 > 0:10:24Two hours now of eating and drinking home-made drink and food.
0:10:24 > 0:10:30Life is good.
0:10:30 > 0:10:32Sakib's story is common in the Balkans.
0:10:32 > 0:10:35During the Yugoslav wars throughout the 90s, jobs became scarce.
0:10:35 > 0:10:38But there was plenty of fruit, and people used it to turn
0:10:38 > 0:10:40centuries-old family traditions into a business.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43Supplying bars with home-made rakija.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46That is tasty.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49That day, Sakib was making plum rakija, and friends,
0:10:49 > 0:10:51neighbours and the entire family rushed to help with
0:10:51 > 0:10:53the precision of a pit crew.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56At its best, rakija tastes anywhere between a tasty
0:10:56 > 0:10:58grappa or fine cognac, depending on ageing
0:10:58 > 0:10:59and type of fruit.
0:10:59 > 0:11:03At its worst, rakija tastes like embalming fluid.
0:11:03 > 0:11:07I think you could preserve bodies with.
0:11:08 > 0:11:16Unfortunately, it's impossible to know before you taste it.
0:11:17 > 0:11:19Stay with us, because later on in the programme,
0:11:19 > 0:11:22I run into some unexpected visitors deep beneath the streets
0:11:22 > 0:11:25of Vladivostok.
0:11:25 > 0:11:29And our global guru Simon Calder is here with his advice on the best
0:11:29 > 0:11:41things to see and do in Lisbon, so don't go away.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51Welcome to the slice of the show that tackles your questions
0:11:51 > 0:11:53about getting the best out of travel.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56Coming up shortly, the ideal way to see Rome with toddlers,
0:11:56 > 0:12:01and the challenges of rail travel in Laos.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04But first, there's been lots of interest in the first
0:12:04 > 0:12:08nonstop scheduled flights between Europe and Australia.
0:12:08 > 0:12:12From March 2018, you should be able to fly from London Heathrow to Perth
0:12:12 > 0:12:17in Western Australia in 17 hours.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20One of the world's very longest air routes.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23Tickets don't go on sale until April, 2017, and we don't yet
0:12:23 > 0:12:29know how much the trip will cost.
0:12:29 > 0:12:32Next, Emma Fletcher treated a cheerful video message to BBC
0:12:32 > 0:12:34travel show asking...
0:12:34 > 0:12:36We are the Fletcher family in Chester.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39We're off to Rome in a week in the middleof January,
0:12:39 > 0:12:42and wonder if you've got any tips for us with toddlers.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45Thank you!
0:12:45 > 0:12:48First, visit Explora il Museo dei bambini as it calls itself,
0:12:48 > 0:12:50full of fun, interactive exhibits for small children,
0:12:50 > 0:12:55and free for the under fives.
0:12:55 > 0:13:02Next, there's the Villa Borghese Bioparco.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05Aalthough Rome's zoo is modest, the reptile house is always fun,
0:13:05 > 0:13:06and warm in January, too.
0:13:06 > 0:13:10And for an ice cream at a price that won't send you into financial
0:13:10 > 0:13:13meltdown, Giolitti, an elegant institution at the heart of Rome
0:13:13 > 0:13:17and well worth the inevitable queue.
0:13:17 > 0:13:22Dr JS Baug is heading to Europe from his home city of Mumbai.
0:13:22 > 0:13:24I'm travelling to Lisbon for a business meeting,
0:13:24 > 0:13:26and I have a full day free.
0:13:26 > 0:13:30Can you suggest the best tour options to see Lisbon?
0:13:30 > 0:13:33Start in the elegant city centre, known as Bayelsa, mostly built
0:13:33 > 0:13:34in the 18th century.
0:13:34 > 0:13:37Then explore the hills to the east with the original Moorish
0:13:37 > 0:13:41quarter of Alfama.
0:13:41 > 0:13:44From there, Tram 28 planks it way westwards across the city
0:13:44 > 0:13:48and clambers up to the Giappo district, perched on a hill high
0:13:48 > 0:13:53above the noise and bustle of the Centre.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56Along the way, you can barely move for eating and drinking
0:13:56 > 0:13:58opportunities, including my favourite coffee spot in Europe,
0:13:58 > 0:14:01the Cafe A Brasileira, a feast of mahogany and mirrors that
0:14:02 > 0:14:09has been serving sweet, strong coffee for almost a century.
0:14:09 > 0:14:11Finally, John Rose was in Cambodia last year, and says...
0:14:11 > 0:14:15we met a couple who told us they had travelled from the very north
0:14:15 > 0:14:17of Laos to the south by train.
0:14:17 > 0:14:20Have you any information regarding this, as we'd love
0:14:20 > 0:14:21to pursue it?
0:14:21 > 0:14:24John, the couple you met had perhaps been travelling too long.
0:14:24 > 0:14:26Unlike neighbouring Cambodia and Vietnam, Laos has just six
0:14:27 > 0:14:30kilometres of railway.
0:14:30 > 0:14:34The line runs from the Friendship Bridge over the mighty Mekong River,
0:14:34 > 0:14:38which marks the Thai border to Thanaleng station,
0:14:38 > 0:14:4313 kilometres from the capital, Vientiane.
0:14:43 > 0:14:47a shuttle train me to the express from Bangkok to run
0:14:47 > 0:14:50across and into Laos, where you can get a Visa on arrival.
0:14:50 > 0:14:55To reach the capital, you then have to take a bus
0:14:55 > 0:15:00or a taxi.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03Until the rail network expands, the ideal way to travel in Laos
0:15:03 > 0:15:06is by riverboat on the Mekong, though go downstream from the fine
0:15:06 > 0:15:08city of Luang Prabang to Vientiane.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11unless you've got plenty of time on your hands to travel
0:15:11 > 0:15:12against the current.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15Whether you or after a slow boat or a fast train,
0:15:15 > 0:15:18the travel show is here to help, so e-mail your question
0:15:18 > 0:15:21to the Travel Show at bbc.couk, and I'll do my very best to find
0:15:21 > 0:15:22you an answer.
0:15:22 > 0:15:26From me, Simon Calder, the global guru, bye for now and see
0:15:26 > 0:15:36you next time.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43Vladivostok in Russia's far east is home to over 500,000 people.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46And it's no stranger to traffic jams, partly because there's no
0:15:46 > 0:15:52subway system here.
0:15:52 > 0:15:55But what do live beneath the live stock's hills are the remnants
0:15:55 > 0:15:58of what used to be one of the most powerful maritime fortresses
0:15:58 > 0:16:01in the world.
0:16:01 > 0:16:07Abandoned the decades, some areas are now open to tourists.
0:16:07 > 0:16:11This is the lad in, he's an author whose interest in Vladivostok's
0:16:11 > 0:16:14military past was sparked as a young boy growing up in this area.
0:16:14 > 0:16:19is this where you used to come as a child?
0:16:19 > 0:16:20Yeah, yeah, yeah.
0:16:20 > 0:16:22Today, Vladimir and I are exploring his childhood stomping ground,
0:16:22 > 0:16:31also known as Stronghold Number One.
0:16:31 > 0:16:35So those holes there, whether made by guns?
0:16:35 > 0:16:39They are holes made from quick firing guns.
0:16:40 > 0:16:44At the turn of the 20th-century, Tsarist Russia went to war
0:16:44 > 0:16:48with Japan over who controlled Korea and Manchuria to the south
0:16:48 > 0:16:52and the waters surrounding them.
0:16:52 > 0:16:54Vladivostok was home to the Imperial Russian fleet,
0:16:54 > 0:16:58and that made it a potential target.
0:16:58 > 0:17:04Vladimir, why was Vladivostok such an important military point?
0:17:04 > 0:17:12It was the only gate of Russia in the Pacific region,
0:17:12 > 0:17:15and it was the only port on the Russian Pacific shore
0:17:15 > 0:17:22connected with Siberia and other Russia by trans-Siberian Railway.
0:17:22 > 0:17:29I didn't expect the ceilings to be so high.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32It was proposed as a shelter of peoples, and not only
0:17:32 > 0:17:33as access path.
0:17:33 > 0:17:37That is why there is a lot of space.
0:17:37 > 0:17:39Yeah.
0:17:39 > 0:17:45Space for people.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48Although many parts of the Fort were used during the Cold War,
0:17:48 > 0:17:51this particular stronghold was abandoned after World War II.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54It's safe to say it has seen better days.
0:17:54 > 0:17:56To be honest, I find this place quite creepy.
0:17:56 > 0:18:00Maybe I read too many crime novels, but I can just imagine the dark
0:18:00 > 0:18:02deeds that would be done here.
0:18:02 > 0:18:03Oh, God.
0:18:03 > 0:18:04Something dropped on my head!
0:18:04 > 0:18:05You know what?
0:18:05 > 0:18:08People are still allowed to come in here.
0:18:08 > 0:18:09There are no doors barricading people.
0:18:10 > 0:18:13You can see from the rubbish on the floor that people
0:18:13 > 0:18:14still use these shelters.
0:18:14 > 0:18:25That was gross, that thing that fell on my head.
0:18:25 > 0:18:26During the Soviet era, Vladivostok was closed
0:18:27 > 0:18:28from the outside world.
0:18:28 > 0:18:30It only opened to visitors in 1992.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33As the Cold War thawed, a new generation of enthusiasts got
0:18:33 > 0:18:36interested in the abandoned fort and sprawling underpasses,
0:18:36 > 0:18:43some of them with more Western influences.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17Today, Sasha takes tours around Fort Number Seven.
0:19:17 > 0:19:25In good condition, it is one of the easiest forts to visit.
0:19:25 > 0:19:28But although it is well looked after, it's still best to go
0:19:28 > 0:19:29with a guide.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42Fort Number Seven was completed in 1916, and it housed troops
0:19:42 > 0:19:48until 1923 when the city was demilitarised.
0:19:48 > 0:19:53During Soviet times, the Fort was used as a political
0:19:53 > 0:19:59prison, after which it was deserted.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02But, despite years of neglect, Sasha tells me the Fort still has
0:20:03 > 0:20:04many of its original features.
0:20:04 > 0:20:05Tell me where we're going.
0:20:54 > 0:20:56Fort Number Seven is used by locals and visitors who come
0:20:56 > 0:20:58here for guided tours and for leisure activities,
0:20:58 > 0:21:10such as skateboarding and laser tag.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13There's a guy with a gun pointed at me!
0:21:13 > 0:21:14What am I meant to do?!
0:21:14 > 0:21:20I'm not jumping at all!
0:21:20 > 0:21:22Although many of the military structures in Vladivostok
0:21:22 > 0:21:27are still derelict, it's great to see more people getting
0:21:27 > 0:21:28interested in them, because whether its history
0:21:28 > 0:21:32or a fantasy game that gets you here, these structures that once
0:21:32 > 0:21:34aimed to make Vladivostok impregnable, deserve
0:21:34 > 0:21:43to be preserved.
0:21:45 > 0:21:49That's all we've got time for this week, and don't forget,
0:21:49 > 0:21:52if you want to follow us on our travels in real-time,
0:21:52 > 0:21:55you can sign up to our social media feeds, where you can
0:21:55 > 0:21:58share your travel too.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01Coming up next week, we head to the US to go whale
0:22:01 > 0:22:07watching off the coast of New York.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10There's a lot of excitement on the boat, because someone...
0:22:10 > 0:22:11There it is!
0:22:11 > 0:22:14And Addy sees how far he can get exploring a massive cave
0:22:14 > 0:22:16network in Oman.
0:22:16 > 0:22:19There's flights and flights of stairs, even I'm not
0:22:19 > 0:22:24going to attempt to go up them.
0:22:24 > 0:22:28It would probably easier to get up to heaven than to get up that lot.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31That's on the show next week, but for now, for me,
0:22:31 > 0:22:34Carmen Roberts, and the rest of the Travel Show team
0:22:34 > 0:22:35here in Russia, it's goodbye.